Employee ownership and how dxw is run

dxw is employee owned.

Being employee owned means we can retain our independence and, with that, the ability to choose the work we do and how we run the company. The keys to protecting our mission and values.

It means you get to work somewhere which has its mission and values, not just on a website, but written into its founding documents.

We believe it would be much harder for us to deliver our mission to improve public services, with an ownership structure that prioritises profits for people who play no active part in the business and carries the pressures that come from being judged by the stock markets.

How dxw is run #

dxw is led by the Company Board with support from our Operational Leadership Team.

The Trustee Board is responsible for making sure the Company Board is working effectively and running dxw sustainably in line with our mission and values. In doing so, the Trustees look after the staff’s interests as owners of the company.

The Staff Council works collaboratively with the Trustees to help them understand staff views as owners on dxw’s business strategy and performance, so they can make sure strategic decisions are made with these in mind.

The Company Board #

The Company Board looks at the future direction for the company. It meets quarterly and discusses longer term strategic issues and decisions on things like:

• company-wide goals and business plans
• protecting the company from external and internal risk
• improving levels of staff engagement

It’s made up of Executive Directors, who are registered at Companies House and are personally and legally responsible for most of what is done in the company’s name.

Operational Leadership Team #

The Operational Leadership Team (OLT) is separate from the Company Board and responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the business plan.

The OLT is a multidisciplinary team made up of people from across dxw who lead the delivery of different aspects of the plan as a core part of their role. It reports to the Company Board.

The Trustee Board #

The Trustee Board makes sure the Company Board is running dxw for the benefit of staff as owners of the company, both now and in future.

The Trustees take pragmatic decisions to ensure the company is successful over the long term. This can sometimes mean taking a different position from what staff may want as employees.

It makes sure the company is acting in line with our mission and values. This includes ensuring that the people who use the services we build are being considered and represented in the decisions made by dxw.

The Trustee Board is the board of Public Service Trust Ltd, a trust that was set up to hold employee shares in the company. The Trust owns the majority shareholder stake in dxw on behalf of staff.

The Trustee Board meets quarterly and its consent is needed for major decisions relating to the company. For example, it signs off the business plan prepared by the Company Board each year and it can appoint or remove directors.

There are 5 trustee positions: 2 employee trustees elected by staff, 2 independent trustees and dxw’s founder. Having the employee trustees means that a staff perspective is always present in the biggest decisions we make.

The Staff Council #

The Staff Council is currently made up of staff members elected from across the company. It:

• supports the opportunity for owner input by making sure everyone at dxw has someone they can approach to ask questions / raise concerns / make suggestions on things relevant to the overall success of the business. The Council shares this feedback, along with their own thoughts and insights, with the Trustees to inform their oversight of the Company Board.

• supports a thriving ownership culture by helping colleagues understand what it means to be an owner of the company.

• supports the Trustees and the Board on specific initiatives/issues. The Board and the Trustees will approach the Council on specific strategic topics to ask for their input on an ad hoc basis.

• supports the election of the Employee Trustees: helping the Trustees around the election processes to identify people for these roles when they become available

There are regular opportunities for staff to stand for election, and vote for, Staff Council and Trustee Board members to represent them.

Last updated: 5 December 2024 (history)