Transparency data

CMA Board meeting minutes: 17 February 2024

Published 3 June 2024

Meeting date: 17 February 2024

Venue: In the Cabot, London, and by videoconference

Members present

• Marcus Bokkerink (Chair)
• Kirstin Baker
• Joel Bamford
• Justin Basini
• Sarah Cardell (CEO)
• Martin Coleman
• Frank Dangeard ^{[footnote 1]}
• Cynthia Dubin
• Will Hayter
• Dame Patricia Hodgson
• Cyrus Mehta
• Dharmash Mistry
• Murdoch MacLennan
• Erik Wilson (COO)

Advisors present

• Jessica Lennard, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer
• Chris Prevett, General Counsel
• Mike Walker, Chief Economic Adviser

Apologies

• Lucy Robbins, Senior Director, People, Capability and Culture (PCC)

CMA staff present

• Jennifer Halliday, Senior Director, Advocacy and External Engagement ^{[footnote 2]}
• Kate Bridge, Director of Executive Office, Security, and Property
• Sukhinder Lalli, Legal Director, Governance, Compliance and Risk ^{[footnote 3]}
• Anthony Wright, Director, Communications ^{[footnote 4]}
• Assistant Legal Director, Governance ^{[footnote 5]}
• Board Secretary (minutes)

Teams

The meeting was attended by teams from across the CMA, including staff from the PCC, HR, Strategy and OIM teams.

Minutes

Introduction

1 . Introduction

The Chair welcomed both the new and existing Board members to the meeting. He highlighted that the Board brings considerable experience and expertise to the CMA at a time when its responsibilities and positive impact are growing significantly.

The Chair also thanked Kirstin Baker who will retire from the Board in early March and acknowledged her thoughtful and balanced approach to providing advice. He also extended his thanks to Michael Grenfell, the Executive Director, Enforcement who left the CMA in early February, and Lucy Robbins, the Senior Director, People, Capability and Culture, and a Board Adviser, who leaves the CMA in March.

Minutes

The Board approved the minutes from the meeting of the Extraordinary Board on 5 February 2024, with no changes.

Major developments in the external environment in which we operate

2. CEO and Chair comments

The Board considered the opportunities and challenges facing the CMA during 2024.

Strategy, Portfolio and Risk Management

3. CEO update

The Board was updated on and discussed recent developments in the CMA’s portfolio and risk profile. The Board also reviewed the corporate risk register, the external guidance tracker, the monthly Finance update and the management information report.

4. CMA Annual Plan 2024 to 2025

The Board discussed the recent consultation on the CMA’s Annual Plan for the upcoming year. It agreed a set of changes and approved the draft Plan and the Consultation Response for publication in early March.

People

5. EDI update including work on updated proposals for diversity representation

The Board provided perspectives on the CMA’s EDI strategy and considered a specific proposal to adopt diversity representation ambitions. It highlighted the importance of the CMA reflecting the population of the UK it has been set up by Parliament to serve, the value that diversity of thought brings to the CMA’s work and decision-making, and the benefit of an inclusive culture to recruiting and retention.

Policy and Cases

6. OIM Annual Report 2023 to 2024

The OIM must publish a statutory Annual Report which reviews the operation of the UK internal market before the end of March. The Board considered the draft report, commending its evidence-based approach and measured conclusions. It endorsed the publication of the Report in late March.

Operations

7. Amendments to CMA Board Committee Terms of Reference and CMA Board Authorisations

The Board evaluated and agreed the proposed changes to some of the Board Committee Terms of Reference and the CMA Board Authorisations. It also decided to appoint Kirstin Baker as an independent member of ARAC, when she retires from the Board, following the end of her term as a Non-Executive Director.

8. AOB

For information

1. CMA Support for the Groceries Code Adjudicator
2. DMU update
3. Future corporate systems

The Board noted the three papers presented for information. The Chair thanked the Board for the meeting.

1. FD left the Board briefly towards the end of item 4. ↩

2. JH joined the meeting for item 3. ↩

3. SL left the meeting after item 4. ↩

4. AW joined the meeting for item 3. ↩

5. The Assistant Legal Director, Governance joined the meeting from item 5. ↩