The Better Boards Podcast Series

Diversity & Inclusion - See differently | David Clarke, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

02 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAs a blind man, David has faced many different challenges, while at the same time overcoming them to have an impressive career in bankin...

The digitisation of the board | Maddie Scrafton, Computershare Governance Services

17 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe speed of change in digitisation is ever-increasing, but not all Directors feel at ease with new, digital ways of working in their bo...

Responding to the ESG agenda – legal insights for boards | Anna-Marie Slot, Will Chalk, Partners, Ashurst LLP

03 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series we look at the challenges of responding to the ESG agenda, point towards the legal c...

Integrating different perspectives in the boardroom | Sir John Tusa, Chair British Architecture Trust, Former MD BBC World Service and Barbican Arts Centre

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAwareness grows that we need people around the table that bring in different perspectives to tackle the challenges of today. However, le...

Transitioning from CEO to Chair | Steve Holliday, Chair Citifibre and Zenobe, President of the Energy Institute, Former CEO at National Grid

07 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe role of an Executive differs from that of a Non-Executive on a board. The hands-on qualities that are appreciated in an Executive se...

Changing the racial diversity on FTSE boards | Richard DeNetto, Associate Director CBI

16 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe Parker review displayed the status of racial diversity on board in the UK and set targets. Progress in appointing Directors with an ...

Creating a high-performance culture in the boardroom | Ralph Schubert, Senior Partner, Coverdale Team Management

02 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWe are all clear that we want to create effective and high-performing boards. A whole industry has developed around board evaluations. S...

Going beyond governance – The art of talking about what really matters | Jim Haudan, Co-founder and CEO of Root Inc now part of Accenture

19 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMuch has been written about the roles of executives and non-executives on boards and mostly from a pure governance perspective. What is ...

The Alignment of Executives and Non-Executives in the Boardroom | Ken Schuetz, CEO and Founder of Aligned Influence Consulting

05 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMuch has been written about the roles of executives and non-executives on boards and mostly from a pure governance perspective. What is ...

Hybrid working and controls – What should boards think about? | John Mongelard, Technical Manager - Risk & Regulation at ICAEW

15 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textDuring the pandemic, we all got used to working virtually. The business of Zoom has exploded and it is such a common feature in our live...

Culture, it all starts in the boardroom | Mike Gahir, Chair of the Board of Trustee at Steps to Work

01 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe revised UK Corporate Governance Code places a great emphasis on the importance of culture within a business and is seen as a bluepri...

Putting the 'S' in ESG | Margot Slattery, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, ISS A/S

17 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThere is a rising tide of investors, communities and talent caring about ESG issues. No longer is it surprising to see ESG feature more ...

The role of the Company Secretary in major transactions | Nickesha Graham-Burrell, Head of Company Secretariat, OSB Group PLC

03 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textM&A and transactions are no longer considered an add-on, but a pivotal part of a company's value creation process.Welcome to th...

The role of the Company Secretary in increasing the effectiveness of Non-Executive Directors | John Mills, Company Secretary, Smiths Group PLC

20 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe role of the Company Secretary is evolving and is not clearly defined. Company Secretaries who are proactive and take the initiative ...

Board Reporting - The indispensable part of effective boards | David Whincup, Deputy Company Secretary, Provident Financial Group

06 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textGood reporting is crucial for any high performing and effective board. But how can you ensure your reporting process is delivering for y...

The role of the Company Secretary in creating future-fit boards | Loren Wulfsohn, Global Head of Policy and Stakeholder Engagement, HSBC Holdings PLC

15 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textBoards today face technological, geopolitical, demographic, and environmental changes at an incredibly rapid pace. How can Company Secre...

Diversity & Inclusion - Insights from the U.K. and Mercedes-Benz AG | Sabine Kohleisen, Member of the Board of Management at Mercedes-Benz AG, and Denise Wilson | CEO, Hampton-Alexander Review

01 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMuch has been written and said about gender diversity and inclusion. Progress has been made, but we have still a way to go to achieve ge...

Punks in the boardroom | Christopher Pirnie, Principal at Kuberno Consulting. Former Director of Governance Operations and Policy, Fidelity International

18 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textStudies provide clear evidence that boards with members of diverse backgrounds govern organisations that have better business results th...

The relationship between the Chair and the CEO - How can you make it work? | Sir John Tusa, Chair British Architecture Trust, Former MD BBC World Service and Barbican Arts Centre

04 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThe relationship between the Chair and the CEO is widely considered to be one of the most significant, if not the most significant, in a...

Building a culture of challenge | Professor Karthik Ramanna, Professor of Business & Public Policy at Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University

18 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textI can not recall a single board evaluation nor a single event I attended in Pre-Covid times where the need for challenge in the boardroo...

Board recruiting - The search for unicorns | Carol Leonard CEO and Angela Hocter | Head of Research at the Inzito Partnership

04 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textRecent board evaluations have laid bare how much Covid-19 has accelerated the digitisation and transformation of organisations. Indepe...

A pulse check on boards of VC-backed organisations in 2021 | Alexander Leigh, Investment Manager at Development Bank of Wales

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textCovid-19 is causing economic havoc around the globe but the impact is different and depends on the industry. In this podcast we examine ...

Creating effective boards - The 7-hallmarks of effective boards | Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Managing Partner at Better Boards

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textIn this episode, Chris McColgan, Managing Editor of the Business Scout, steps in as host to speak to Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and M...

Alignment in the boardroom | Rich Berens, CEO, Author and President at Root Inc part of Accenture

17 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMany of our clients say early on in our discussions that they do have an aligned board. However, when we walk into the boardroom with hi...

Board performance & cognitive diversity in the boardroom | Stephen Page, Head of EMEA Board Engagement at NASDAQ

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textA wide range of perspectives in the boardroom is critical to effective corporate governance. Multiple views on the possible outcomes of ...

Politicians in the boardroom – can they add value or are they a nuisance? | Carwyn Jones, Former First Minster of Wales

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textAround the world, governments are struggling to address the immediate and long-term impacts of the pandemic. Governments are supporting ...

Defining purpose and values in the boardroom | Alison Platt, Chair at LGFA at Legal & General and NED at Tesco PLC, Dechra PLC and Spectrum Life Healthcare

05 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a text“The board should establish the company’s purpose, values and strategy, and satisfy itself that these and its culture are aligned. A...

Integration - the elephant in the boardroom | Yetunde Hofmann, NED & Trustee

14 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textSocial studies provide clear evidence that more diverse boards are more effective. Organisations that are governed by more diverse board...

Finding your voice in the boardroom | Orna NiChionna, Chair National Trust, SID Saga PLC, NED Burberry PLC. Formerly McKinsey

01 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textMany directors at the beginning of their directorial career often worry that they will not make the impact they want or that they expect...

Why does ethnic diversity matter in British boardrooms? | Joelle Warren, Founding Partner and Chair and Khurram Hussain Consultant Partner at Warren Partners

16 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textBuilding an inclusive and diverse workplace that draws on the talents of all of the people, is vital to any Economy. If companies are no...

The role of the Chair in a successful merger | Philip Aiken, Chair at Aveva PLC and Balfour Beatty PLC

02 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textBankers around the globe are getting ready for a wave of corporate takeovers. Covid-19 has changed the position of many private and fami...

Resilience in the governance market | David Press, CEO at DMJ Recruitment

19 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textCOVID-19 has brought unprecedented challenges. Companies around the world had to rise to the occasion at a speed they previously could n...

Managing Megaprojects | Professor Bent Flyvbjerg, SAID Business School

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textGovernments around the globe are initiating mega projects to revive their economies. It is in all our interests that these megaprojects ...

Addressing climate change as a Non-Executive Director | Susan Hooper, Chair Care Sourcer, NED at Uber, Affinity Water and Moonpig. Founding Director Chapter Zero

15 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Better Boards podcast series. I am Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards. We make the boards o...

The role of the Chair in managing investor relations | Mark Tennant, Chair at BMO Private Equity Trust PLC

01 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Better Boards podcast series. I am talking with Mark Tennant about Post-Pandemic challenges: the role of the Chair in man...

Increasing performance in the Company Secretariat | Laura McNeil, Assistant Company Secretary at Blue Prism PLC

17 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Better Boards podcast series. I am Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards. We make the boards o...

Bringing cybersecurity know-how into the boardroom | Frank Satterwhite, CEO at 1600 Cyber

03 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Better Boards podcast series. I am Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards. We make the boards o...

COVID-19 - A view from a FTSE100 Non-Executive Director | Ron Mobed, NED Aveva PLC, Robert Walters and Ordnance Survey and Supervisory Board Member at Fugro

21 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Better Boards podcast series. I am Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards. We make the boards o...

COVID-19 - Thoughts from the CEO of a Professional Service Firm | Sarah Walker-Smith, CEO at Shakespeare Martineau

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textWelcome to the Better Boards podcast series. Thank you for listening to the Better Boards podcast series. I am Sabine Dembkowski, Found...

What counts now! Board leadership in times of Covid-19 | Malcolm McKenzie, Managing Partner at Alvarez & Marsal

15 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textOur mission at Better Boards is to contribute to creating better boards. We do this by providing clients with an evidence-based approach...

COVID-19 - Insights from the CEO of a game-changing UK tech start-up | Anthony Rose, CEO at SeedLegals

01 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Send us a textThank you for listening to the Better Boards podcast series. I am Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards. Our ...