About us
Lorraine Young BSc FCG ACIArb
Profile
Lorraine is a non-executive director, chartered governance professional, consultant and accredited mediator with wide ranging experience in many organisations, from large commercial and listed companies to start ups and those in not for profit sectors. She is a highly motivated self-starter with first class interpersonal and communication skills. Lorraine has proven leadership and team building capability. She is an enthusiastic and effective professional, committed to excellence in all that she does and thrives in challenging situations.
Career summary
Lorraine has worked in business for over 30 years, having begun her career in the financial services sector in the City where she undertook senior governance roles as an in-house company secretary for large listed companies. From 2003 onwards she set up and grew her own governance advisory practice. In 2016 she merged this with a similar practice in a top 50 UK law firm, where she became a partner. In 2019 she left the firm to pursue her own consultancy interests once more.
Board experience
Lorraine has experience as a non-executive director of two AIM listed companies. She is currently Chair of PHSC plc, having previously chaired the audit committee and is a former director of City of London Group plc, where she chaired the remuneration committee. She is a Past President of The Chartered Governance Institute where she carried out an evaluation of the main Committee for the UKRIAT[1] division, including a skills and strengths audit.
Lorraine is Junior Warden and on the Court of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators (one of the modern livery companies) where she chairs the Finance & General Purposes Committee, which oversees strategy and resources. She was also Honorary Treasurer for four years. Lorraine is on the advisory board of Indigo Independent Governance.
In other board roles, Lorraine was on the governing body of the local primary school from 2007 to 2013, which she chaired for four years. During her tenure as Chair, a new senior leadership team was put in place. The school was graded outstanding by Ofsted in 2011. She served on the UKRIAT Committee and International Council of ICSA, the Chartered Governance Institute from 2011 to 2015.
[1] UK Republic of Ireland and Associated Territories
Education
Lorraine graduated from Leeds University gaining a BSc (Hons) 2(i) in Chemical Sciences. She qualified as a chartered secretary in 1990 and was admitted to Fellowship in 1996. She became an accredited mediator in 2018.
Mediation
Throughout her career, Lorraine has helped boards of directors and other governing bodies to improve the way they work and to achieve better outcomes. This has sometimes required skills in conflict resolution which led Lorraine to become an accredited mediator in 2018. Her ability to listen sympathetically and relate well to people, together with her pragmatic and practical approach to problem solving have enabled her to help individuals and groups to identify ways forward in some very difficult and challenging situations. Lorraine undertakes civil & commercial and workplace & employment mediation.