Enter the Boardroom

Forty percent of executives last less than 18 months at a company, at a cost of 10-30x the executive's salary. The price tag is higher when it comes to the most senior executive - the CEO. What can boards to do about this? Transition coach Navid Nazemian offers answers in a discussion which covers: the top 3 reasons for C-suite transition failure; people, politics and culture - how boards nee...

What's needed to Chair a board in FTSE's high-growth market? With 15+ years' non-executive experience, latterly as Chair of AIM quoted TomCo Energy and Harland & Wolff, Malcolm offers a hard-earned perspective on what it takes to succeed at the helm of high-growth firms. Amongst other things, he considers: the particular qualities AIM boards look for in NEDs; evaluating risk, re...

Most organisations face extreme pressure to create and pursue meaningful ESG strategies. But in a sea of acronyms, greenwashing and generalities, it can be hard to know where to begin. In this episode, Nina Spencer, CEO of Addidat, an ESG data and analytics company focused on the AIM market, offers an ESG booster shot for boards. Amongst other things, she considers: the meaning of ESG; where firms...

Experienced AIM Chair, Jeremy Asher, discusses how small cap firms can practise good governance on a tight budget. Drawing on his wealth of experience of the AIM market, including his current experience as both CEO and Chair of Tower Resources,  he considers: the art of transparency; the pros and cons of narcissistic CEOs; how to manage underperforming chairs; the role of equity in compensation, t...

Through the compelling entrepreneurial success story of Genius Foods, Lucinda brings to life : (i) the relationship between investment, authority and decision-making; (ii) how boards help Founders and CEOs say “No”; (iii) the importance of board rotation; (iv) the different value boards can add at different business stages, and (v) the communal, unsexy and mission-critical nature of chairing.  Luc...

Gillian is a Chair and NED in technology, digital transformation, SAAS, retail and consumer brands, based in London, Switzerland, Europe and California. An expert in digital technology businesses and digital transformation in traditional industries, Gillian chairs Zoo Digital plc, Xpediator plc, Synalogik and jisp.com, and international entrepreneur-led technology and consumer businesses. Gillian...

Nicolina is a highly accomplished commercial solicitor who has spent much of her executive career offering her profound legal expertise to boards and business leaders. Her past positions saw her working at leading firms like Beale & Company as well as major corporations like Atlas Copco, where she continues to work as a Senior Corporate Counsel.  She now serves as a non-executive on the Adviso...

Julius Weinberg has spent the most recent decade on the boards of Ofqual, Ofsted, Kingston University, City University, Latymer Upper School, Ormiston Academies Trust, and Buckinghamshire Culture and the Secular Society to name a few. As a former vice-chancellor, Julius has a wealth of knowledge and experience in leadership. He has led significant change management programmes which have often addr...

As CEO of ACEVO, the growing network of civil society leaders that works to develop skills and connections within the charity sector, Trustee at the social investment trust ACCESS and the Chair of Trustees at Reach Volunteering, Jane's contributions to the charity sector have distinguished her as a devotee to social change.  Join Nurole CEO, Oliver Cummings, as Jane shares how her opinion of...

When building a board, governance often takes a backseat to areas that may seem more pressing. The further your company progresses, however, the more obvious it’ll become that governance strategy is the backbone of performance. As a former lawyer, Chair of Adaptive Financial Consulting, CEO for the Academy of Board Excellence and Programme Lead for the Governance and the Role of the Non-Executive...

Bushra Ahmed's journey to the boardroom was an unexpected and unconventional one. Having lost her family business in the 2011 England riots, Bushra mobilised to raise awareness and funding for those affected by the event.  Rising to become a charity sector trustee for organisations like the Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales, the Sheila McKechnie Foundation and Home-Start UK, Bushra...

The journey of a startup CEO should be the most rewarding yet challenging experience undertaken in a career. This is why we frequently advocate for startup CEOs to seek support, formally, from someone who has 'been there and done it'. But would does this look like in practice?  As a strategic and commercial expert in digital solutions, Hema Patel has spent her career immersed in the deep...

Though he started his professional career as a city lawyer in the heart of London, Owen Eastwood is better known as one of the most in-demand performance coaches of the last few years. From his work with sports teams like Team GB and South Africa Cricket to his roles supporting corporate leaders, Owen is renowned for his unique ability to blend empathy and understanding with results-driven perform...

In addition to her board roles within the venture capital, private equity and social impact sectors, Schroder BSC Social Impact Chair Susannah Nicklin's professional background in financial services has made her well-versed in risk management and the importance of boards that maximise their return on investment.  In a close conversation with Nurole CEO Oli Cummings, Susannah discusses the cor...

Before sitting on the advisory boards of Salary Finance and Natter, Anne-Marie Headley was an award-winning HR professional with over two decades of experience leading change and growth to build high-performance cultures for major organisations like Uber, Google and Cisco. Now, as Anne-Marie increasingly brings her deeply inclusive understanding of people into the boardroom, she sits down with Nur...

There are few board leaders more well-versed in the education industry than Mary Curnock Cook CBE. In addition to her roles as the Chair of the Dyson Institute, Pearson Education Ltd. and Emerge Education, Mary has developed a diverse portfolio of board-level positions at the London Interdisciplinary School, The Student Room The Student Loan Company, Education Cubed and the Higher Education Policy...

As a titan of the British financial services industry and a veteran Chair, Sir Donald Brydon has lent his insight and experience to the boards of leading corporations like the Royal Mail and the London Stock Exchange as well as fast-growing FinTech disruptors like PrimaryBid and Tide Holdings. Now, he joins Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to discuss how seasoned Chairs tailor strategy, composition and...

[Notice: This episode was recorded before the announcement of Liz Truss's Energy Price Guarantee] As one of Europe's largest renewables investment managers with over £7 billion in assets within the wind, solar and bio-energy sectors, Greencoat Capital has provided significant opportunities for innovators and game-changers in the renewable energy space to accelerate the global transition...

Former record-breaking professional rugby captain, current Chair for Worldwide Cancer Research and founder of the School for CEOs, David Sole OBE, discusses the importance of relationship building in mitigating the challenges of working with and as the Executive Team.  His experiences cover subjects ranging from how to tactfully rotate key leadership roles and the most effective styles of question...

Patrick Dunne has been a committed advocate for social change as the Chair of major charitable organisations like the EY Foundation and ESSA (Education Sub-Saharan Africa). Now he joins Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to explain how Youth Advisory Boards, a practical approach to meaningful board diversity, and how universally agreed-upon board vision and purpose can help boards to resonate with stakeho...

Experienced Non-Executive Director and Remuneration Committee Chair Lynne Weedall uses her in-depth understanding of employee engagement to discuss how boards can drive sustainable growth by developing strategies for engaging with and incentivising employees. With roles at major companies like Treatt, Greggs and Stagecoach, Lynne's HR background has given her an in-depth understanding of bala...

Sameer Rahman's experience in executive and consultancy-level data science has made him an invaluable Non-Executive Director on the boards of companies like Benenden Health and the Alliance Homes Group. In this episode, he details how data-driven insights from psychological profiling to customer experience can be broken down to benefit board performance. Host : Oliver Cummings Producer : Will...

Before she was a Non-Executive Director and Risk Committee Chair at Morgan Stanley and Rathbone Brothers, Terri Duhon struggled to secure a board-level role as an accomplished Risk Manager at J.P. Morgan.  Join Terri and Nurole CEO Oli Cummings as they discuss the steps executives can take to understand and prove their expertise to board hirers and how risk committees add value to their organisati...

Though she currently Chairs the boards of the Stafford Railway Building Society and the Shepherd's Friendly Society, Joanne Hindle is an experienced non-executive director who has worked with companies such as Campbell Page and Unum. Now, she shares some of her experiences leading boards to give insight into what Chairs can do to promote healthy and productive board dynamics. Host : Oliver Cu...

From starting his first business at 14 to receiving an MBE for his services to business and the economy in 2018, Vikas Shah’s corporate journey has given him a detailed knowledge of executive teams and boardrooms. Now, Vikas shares his methods for creating high-impact boards using frameworks such as KPIs and feedback channels with CEOs and founders. Host : Oliver Cummings Producer : Will Felton Ed...