The Better Boards Podcast Series

Send us Fan Mail While we often think in terms of large, listed corporations, family firms account for some 70% of global GDP and 60% of global employment. They are key drivers of innovation, entrepreneurship, and long-term value creation, and effective governance of family firms warrants serious attention.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Prof. Dr...

Send us Fan Mail Selecting the Chair: Governance Lessons from the US and the UK Chair succession is handled differently in the US and the UK. However, both approaches have merit, and there are key principles that matter regardless of geography.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Susan Skerritt. Susan is a Non-Executive Independent Director on the boa...

Send us Fan Mail Chair succession is a pivotal moment for boards. It presents an opportunity to reflect on the organisation's future needs and steer it forward strategically. For this reason, organisations must proceed carefully in their Chair searches, eschewing the obvious in favour of what’s truly needed.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Lo...

Send us Fan Mail Once boards prioritise managing geopolitical risk, how can they successfully move from diagnosing a problem to designing a plan of action?   In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is once again joined by Colin Reed, Chief Intelligence Officer at Clock&Cloud, a software startup transforming how large enterprises manage geopolitical risk.  Colin bri...

Send us Fan Mail Many boards treat geopolitics as background noise, leaving their companies exposed to unnecessary risk. Smart boards take a different approach, closing the gap and treating geopolitical risk with the same rigour as financial, cyber, and regulatory risks. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Colin Reed. Colin is the Chief Intelligence Of...

Send us Fan Mail Beyond listed corporations, there is a vibrant world of start-ups, scale-ups, and organisations at the pre-IPO stage. What does it take to add value to these Boards, and how does the work differ from that of a listed organisation? Most importantly, how can working with these companies shape a Board portfolio career? In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partn...

Send us Fan Mail In capital-intensive, brand-driven organisations, strategic ambition must be matched by disciplined governance. Effective governance links capital allocation to technology strategy, culture development, and measurable KPIs, so that speed and ambition balance with long-term enterprise value creation. In this podcast, Dr. Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of better Boa...

Send us Fan Mail In capital-intensive, brand-driven organisations, strategic ambition must be matched by disciplined governance. Effective governance links capital allocation to technology strategy, culture development, and measurable KPIs, so that speed and ambition balance with long-term enterprise value creation. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by...

Send us Fan Mail Comply or Explain is sometimes treated as a procedural exercise. However, the true purpose is to encourage thoughtful decisions, support accountability, and promote open communication with stakeholders.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Kelvin Ernest, a governance professional with extensive experience navigating evolving regulatory...

Send us Fan Mail Come Join The Better Boards Community   We’d love to get to know you! If you’d like to become part of the Better Boards community, discover our unique approach, and explore ways to work with us or share your ideas on The Better Boards Podcast series, drop us a line at info@better-boards.com .

Send us Fan Mail Company Secretary is an increasingly competitive profession. It takes a unique blend of skills and experiences to secure a senior position. Those interested will appreciate knowing what abilities to prioritise throughout a career and how to approach balancing behavioural, technical, and influencing skills.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is jo...

Send us Fan Mail Theory is one thing, but how can boards effectively implement cyber governance and broader technology oversight in practice?  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, is joined by Susanne Alfs. Susanne is a Non-Executive Director and Senior Technology Executive specialising in cyber governance and board-level technology oversight. Bringing both the NED lens and her executive leaders...

Send us Fan Mail Come Join The Better Boards Community   We’d love to get to know you! If you’d like to become part of the Better Boards community, discover our unique approach, and explore ways to work with us or share your ideas on The Better Boards Podcast series, drop us a line at info@better-boards.com .

Send us Fan Mail Family businesses represent a significant majority of the European, Asian and US landscape. Yet so much that we focus on in business, governance, and search is designed for corporates. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, is joined by Andreas von Specht. Andreas von Specht is a family shareholder and NED of Berenberg Bank, Europe’s...

Send us Fan Mail Private equity, private debt – private markets are absolutely the flavour of the day. Yet, despite the headlines and eye-catching numbers, very little discussion is taking place about governance in this context.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Dr Eelco Fiole. He has more than 30 years of international finance experience, including...

Send us Fan Mail The breadth, depth, and frequency of risks have increased tremendously. Serving on risk committees is particularly challenging at present, making it important to take a fresh look at the risks, risk mitigation, regulatory scrutiny, and stakeholder complexities the risk committee must balance.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Terri...

Send us Fan Mail Cybersecurity is a core business risk that can impact the entire organisation. Boards are challenged to understand how cyber threats impact financial performance, reputation, and regulatory obligations. Boards need to build awareness of their organisation’s cyber security posture, protection measures, and incident response protocols.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder...

Send us Fan Mail Governance experts and Company Secretaries offer a prime, yet often overlooked, talent pool for high-quality Non-Executive Directors. But what makes them excel on Boards? In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, speaks with Lyn Colloff, a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute with 40 years’ experience in governance, risk, and compliance across li...

Send us Fan Mail When organisations face a need for transformation, Boards must become catalysts for change. This requires specific behaviours so that Boards can successfully go beyond oversight to provide strategic leadership when it is needed most. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Lan O’Connor, a global transformation leader with deep experience i...

Send us Fan Mail Governance professionals are no longer the quiet scribes in the corner. Today, they are critical voices at the heart of boardroom decision-making. In this episode, Dr Sabine Dembkowski speaks with Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO of Beyond Governance and author of The Secret Diary of a Company Secretary , to explore how the role has evolved and why it remains misunderstood. Through cand...

Send us Fan Mail When organisations face a need for transformation, Boards must become catalysts for change. This requires specific behaviours so that Boards can successfully go beyond oversight to provide strategic leadership when it is needed most. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Lan O’Connor, a global transformation leader. Lan helped lead Capge...

Send us Fan Mail Owner-led organisations are the backbone of economies worldwide. Yet when the primary stakeholder is in the room, Boards must navigate a unique set of dynamics to be effective with governance, strategy issues, and advising. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, is joined by Tina Mavraki, who brings 27 years of board finance and natur...

Send us Fan Mail When pressures mount, Boards often default to easy narratives. Yet, today more than ever, it is important for Boards to pursue the uncomfortable truths. Critical thinking, discernment, and strategic dissent are key advantages Boards want to cultivate and celebrate. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, connects with Alex Edmans, Prof...

Send us Fan Mail As complexity grows and time shrinks, Board Directors are wondering how to stay ahead. AI is proving to be a performance accelerator – not just a support tool – but Boards must make an effort to incorporate it into workflows, governance, and their ongoing strategy. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, connects with Jamie Green, Co-F...

Send us Fan Mail Traditionally, the role of a board secretary has been seen as a guardian of governance, the keeper of the minutes, and the facilitator of board processes. Now, with the rise of AI, conventional expectations are being challenged. The question is how those in it will choose to respond. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, is joined by...