How Report Writer helped Essentra strengthen board-executive relationships and save time

Essentra plc is a leading global provider of essential components and solutions, focusing on the manufacture and distribution of plastic injection moulded, vinyl dip moulded and metal access hardware items. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Essentra’s global network extends to 28 countries worldwide and includes c.3,000 employees, 14 manufacturing facilities, 26 distribution centres and 37 sales and service centres serving c.64,000 customers with a rapid supply of low cost but essential products for a variety of applications in industries such as equipment manufacturing, automotive, fabrication, electronics, medical and renewable energy.

Following a strategic transformation, Essentra set out to improve information flows between its board and new executive team.

What was the challenge?

In 2022, Essentra began a period of significant change: a strategic review, transformational M&A, and the formation of a new executive team. While the board remained stable, many of the executives reporting into it were new, with the group having been reorganised around its core components business.

This created a mismatch. Board papers, which tackled complex issues, were long, detailed, and hard to navigate. The board, however, needed clarity and focus to get under the skin of the components business in a way they hadn’t needed to before.

The board had started to feed back that papers were too long and unfocused. As a company secretary, that’s a core part of your job, so it’s one of the worst pieces of feedback you can get.

~ Emma Reid, Company Secretary, Essentra

At the same time, the executive team were under pressure. Many were writing board papers for the first time, balancing this new responsibility with the demands of running the business. A board effectiveness review confirmed the problem: papers were too long, too detailed, and did not make it clear what the board was being asked to do.

How did Board Intelligence help?

Company secretary Emma Reid was keen to find a solution. When she saw Report Writer, it quickly became clear that it could do more than any of the other options.

When I saw Report Writer, I realised the budget I’d set aside for training would be better spent here. It was the easiest tool I’ve ever rolled out — everyone took to it straight away.

~ Emma Reid, Company Secretary, Essentra

Report Writer draws on two decades of research into what makes effective board reporting and uses custom-built AI to put it into practice. It builds good habits into the report writing process, giving authors a clear, complete structure for their reports and real-time prompts that sharpen their thinking and writing. The result? High-quality papers, consistently, and in much less time.

For Essentra, the benefits were clear:

• Structure and brevity — ensuring papers get to the point and stay focused on the decision or discussion at hand.
• Real-time guidance — helping authors test, as they write, whether they’re really answering the question and sharing the answers in an impactful way.
• Collaboration — allowing multiple contributors, including the company secretary team, to work on one paper seamlessly.
• Time saving — cutting drafting time and giving the executive team valuable time back.

What impact did we have?

The results were felt quickly. And, by the time of Essentra’s next board effectiveness review, papers were no longer flagged as an issue — a transformation achieved within a year.

Sharper papers, happier board

By September 2024, just a few months after rollout, board members reported that papers were shorter, clearer, and more focused. Consistent report formats helped directors identify key messages and prepare for meetings more efficiently.

Before Report Writer, we were overwhelming the board with too much detail. Now, the structure, length, and tone are right. It’s really improved the quality of the conversations in our boardroom.

~ Scott Fawcett, CEO, Essentra

Time saved

Executives report faster drafting, with fewer revisions and smoother collaboration. The tool has saved the governance team and senior leaders — including the CEO — hours per report, freeing valuable time for execution and strategic work.

Report Writer is saving me two to three hours of report writing time a month.

~ Scott Fawcett, CEO, Essentra

Sometimes I’ll go into a paper and find the updates already done — it’s seamless. We’re saving hours every week across the team.

~ Emma Reid, Company Secretary, Essentra

Confidence boosted

The change went deeper than presentation — it strengthened the board’s confidence in the executive team. Board papers now demonstrate management’s expertise and communicate the progress the team is making, without drowning directors in detail.

Report Writer has been critical to building the board’s confidence in the new executive team.

~ Emma Reid, Company Secretary, Essentra

Report Writer has helped us find a new way of working together that’s benefitted the overall business.

~ Scott Fawcett, CEO, Essentra

What's ahead?

Report Writer is now part of how Essentra works and is widely used at board, committee, and executive level. Adoption was fast, feedback was positive, and the tool has become integral to how the executive and board communicate.

It’s saved time, created clarity, and improved the dynamic between our board and executive team. I would absolutely recommend Report Writer.

~ Emma Reid, Company Secretary, Essentra