KCLSU is governed by a Board of Trustees; the Trustees are also Directors of the charitable company.

Two thirds of the Board are current students of King's College London who are elected by the members of KCLSU annually. Student Trustees may be elected for terms of up to two years. There are also four non-student Trustees on the Board who are appointed for their particular professional knowledge and skills. Appointed Trustees may serve for an initial term of four years, renewable for one further term of four years.

The Trustees are responsible for the overall performance and strategic direction of KCLSU on behalf of its members, the 20,000 students of King's College London.

How governance works

The role of the Trustees at KCLSU is threefold:

• To provide leadership through governance
• To be the strategic partner for senior management
• To fulfil their fiduciary responsibilities under charity law, the education act, company law and the memorandum of understanding between King's College London and KCLSU

Day to day operational and staff management is delegated to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is responsible to the Trustees for strategy development, implementation and operational performance. Representation of students is delegated to the President who along with fellow student officers focuses on policy, lobbying and advocacy and together with an elected, but non-governing, Student Council ensures that the voice of King's students is heard. The Student Officers and Council are aided by a Clerk to Council appointed from the Trustee Board.

The Board meet eight times per year. In addition the Trustees work on one of four committees in order to develop closer working relationships with staff and to advise the Board, as follows:

• Finance Committee - to ensure that the financial assets of KCLSU are being applied appropriately
• Audit Committee - to review the effectiveness of risk management and financial controls, and receive external audit opinion on the organisations' financial statements
• Governance Committee - to ensure governance procedures are being adhered to and developed as necessary
• Human Resources Committee - to review the framework and broad policy for the reward and remuneration of all employees