The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is proposing wide-ranging changes to the AIM rules designed to lighten the burden of regulation for AIM companies AIM Notice 62. This is a clear attempt by the LSE to reduce the burden of compliance for AIM companies and to make AIM a more attractive market for IPO and capital…

July 27, 2026 Read more >

March 2026 marked the ten year anniversary of HMRC withdrawing their facility for UK businesses to submit a Post Transaction Valuation Check (PTVC) in respect of the issuing of shares (including transactions involving employees). Whilst the ability to make a submission in respect of qualifying “tax approved” option/share plans has thankfully been retained by HMRC…

July 27, 2026 Read more >

“Boards as custodians of culture” is now a familiar governance line. The problem is that it is widely repeated and poorly operationalised. The QCA Corporate Governance Code 2023, FCA expectations on conduct and non-financial misconduct, PRA focus on accountability, and broader investor scrutiny are all moving in the same direction: boards are no longer judged…

July 2, 2026 Read more >

AI is on the agenda, but the latest findings from MM&K’s Life in the Boardroom 2025/26 survey raise a key question: is it really under control? Drawing on insights from 435 board roles, the research highlights how Chairs and Non-Executive Directors are navigating the growing focus on AI, balancing rising interest with the need for…

July 1, 2026 Read more >

Smokescreen FTSE 100 remuneration committees are striving to find acceptable remuneration structures to compete with their US counterparts. Articles abound of increased FTSE 100 CEO pay and new, hybrid executive incentives. But for the vast majority of UK listed companies, this is a smokescreen. That said, all companies must be competitive and this applies also…

April 29, 2026 Read more >

Board expectations are increasing, yet core governance practices remain inconsistent. MM&K’s Life in the Boardroom 2025/26 survey highlights where boards continue to face pressure, drawing on insights from 435 board positions to show how boards operate today. The findings are based on first‑hand experience from Chairs and Non‑Executive Directors (NEDs), rather than company staff or…

April 24, 2026 Read more >

MM&K supported the ESOP Centre’s 9th Share Plan Symposium, contributing to a panel on the evolving executive remuneration landscape, where Tamsin Howells and Stuart James explored a deceptively simple question: what comes first – culture or reward? There is a familiar pattern in organisations undergoing transformation. Significant investment is made in engagement, communication, and capability-building to shift behaviour.…

April 22, 2026 Read more >

2026 is set be a fairly quiet year for new UK corporate governance regulation. That said, the regulatory merry-go-round keeps turning; boards must continue to keep pace with the demands of regulation adopted in earlier years. The FCA has been consulting on proposed new UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (SRS) – see CP 26/5 ‘Aligning listed…

March 26, 2026 Read more >

Equity does more than distribute financial upside in an organisation – it quietly redistributes power. Formal power tends to be defined by role: title, reporting lines, decision rights. But in many organisations, particularly partnerships and private-equity backed firms, equity introduces another layer of influence. Ownership creates a different kind of voice – one that is often heard…

March 25, 2026 Read more >

A recent newspaper report highlighted that there is a worry in the “Big 4” accountancy firms that there will not be enough people coming through their “talent pipeline”. For many businesses, the thought will strike them that “if one of the deepest resourced firms in the country is having issues, what could that mean for…

March 23, 2026 Read more >

Life in the Boardroom is a unique biennial survey that gathers insights directly from Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) and Board Chairs, rather than from company staff or annual reports. Key areas covered include directors’ fees and time commitments, as well as their views on a range of topical board issues. Since 1990, this survey has provided…

March 20, 2026 Read more >

Many organisations talk about culture, but few have robust evidence of how effectively it supports strategic objectives. According to our most recent Life in the Boardroom report (a survey of UK board Chairs and Non‑Executive Directors) 66 % of directors reported strong alignment between their organisation’s culture, values, and strategic objectives, with NEDs playing a proactive…

February 22, 2026 Read more >