The Better Boards Podcast Series

Send us Fan Mail Boards are complex structures, and it can be overwhelming for a first-time CEO to navigate them successfully. In this episode, we dive into the experiences of a first-time CEO, discussing the challenges she encountered and the strategies she used to handle the intricacies of board dynamics.  In this episode, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, spea...

Send us Fan Mail When companies face increasing uncertainty, they need to lean in and embolden management to do what is right for the business's long-term health. Nowhere is this more pertinent than on the topic of sustainability.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses how board members can help make a difference with Andrew Hobbs from...

Send us Fan Mail What are the key differences between the U.S. and the U.K.  in their approaches to corporate governance?   How do these differences impact an independent/Non-Executive Director in their duties? In this podcast, with Susan Skerritt, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses corporate governance practices in the U.S. and U.K..  Susan was the CEO...

Send us Fan Mail Climate change has transitioned from a distant environmental concern to a pressing business issue. The rhetoric between business and climate activists has hardened. Friends of the Earth in the Netherlands have sued Shell and are now in the process of suing ING. What should boards do?  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses t...

Send us Fan Mail The board is a powerful asset for tech start-ups. Yet, since the interaction takes place behind closed doors, there is a lot of uncertainty about how the CEO and director dynamics play out. How open is the communication between both sides?  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses tech start-up boards with Yael Benjamin,   Fou...

Send us Fan Mail Environmental risks make up half the Top 10 risks over the next ten years. Climate change remains one of the most urgent challenges confronting boards in their oversight capacity. How can boards improve their oversight of climate-related risks? And what does accounting have to do with it? In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Director of Better Boards, discus...

Send us Fan Mail  Generative AI will profoundly impact how we work and how organisations operate. My podcast partner has said that it is the most dramatic change we have seen since controllable electricity. Yet, in our board evaluations, we see little about the systematic integration of AI in the agendas of boards. What questions do Directors need to ask in the boardroom? In this podcast, Dr Sabin...

Send us Fan Mail What does good look like? What does it mean to lead an effective board? These are probably two of the questions I most often hear. In our board evaluations, we see vast differences in how Chairs and boards perform. In this podcast, I, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses leading an effective board with Andreas E.F. Utermann. Andreas was ap...

Send us Fan Mail A crucial yet often overlooked aspect of board effectiveness: stories. Imagine a world where numbers and strategies come alive, painting a vivid picture of your company's future. When it comes to decision-making and leadership, how can compelling narratives inspire your board and drive tangible results? The ancient art of storytelling can be your modern tool for boardroom suc...

Send us Fan Mail Executive pay attracts attention and scrutiny as companies and society at large face the challenges of rising prices and interest rates. It is a true challenge to strike the right balance between executives and stakeholders. The big question is: How can companies strike the right balance? In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards www.bett...

Send us Fan Mail We all have dreams. When we sit in our offices, we probably all wonder what life would be like If we made some different choices. In this 100th podcast of the Better Boards podcast series, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses the inspiring life of a Director with Paul Halpin, who, together with his wife, made conscious decisions while deve...

Send us Fan Mail One of the most frequently asked questions to Better Boards is “What does it take to be an effective Non-Executive Director?”  This podcast will shed some light on the topic. In this podcast, Dr. Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Director of Better Boards, discusses how to be an effective Non-Executive Director with Marianne Loner. Marianne spent 35 years in an executive car...

Send us Fan Mail The Board as a Team may be a surprising topic. Are Boards of Directors individuals in a group or a Team? If the Board is a team, who is on the team - the Execs, the Non-Executives, or both? The academic literature and practitioners are ambiguous about whether a Board is a team or not. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses t...

Send us Fan Mail   When LGBT+ employees feel their employers aren't doing enough to support LGBT+ inclusion, many are prepared to look elsewhere for organisations that do. This is one of the many stark findings from Deloitte's recently released 2023 LGBT+ Inclusion @ Work report, which explores the experiences of more than 5,400 respondents across 13 countries through the lens of both se...

Send us Fan Mail So much of the global discussion of corporate governance focuses on the major themes – ESG, sustainability, stakeholder rights, executive pay, and government regulation. Yet corporate board members on the boardroom front lines often wrestle with basic but crucial issues of "boardsmanship." How do the well-meaning, part-time amateurs on a board meaningfully direct and mon...

Send us Fan Mail The boardroom is a desirable place, and after a successful Executive career, many wish to embark on a portfolio career and serve on boards. What does it take to make it in the boardroom?  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses making it in the boardroom with Imran Saleem. Imran is a Partner with Egon Zehnder in the Middle Ea...

Send us Fan Mail The landscape of employee relations is changing, particularly in office environments with flexible working. There are many different opinions about how organisations should approach their policies while representing their employees' diversity. The subject of employee engagement sounds simple, but is it? In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Managing Partner of Better Boards,...

Send us Fan Mail Risk identification, ownership, and monitoring sit at the highest levels of organisations and are the ultimate responsibility of a firm's board of directors. We hear much about ESG but focus on the E and S acronyms, i.e.,  'environmental' and 'social' aspects. However, risks arising from the 'G' – governance – should be at the forefront of direct...

Send us Fan Mail In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses Deloitt´s Women @ Work report and what it means for board members, leadership, and anyone working to drive change and achieve true gender equity in the workplace with Emma Codd, Global Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for the professional services firm Deloitte.  "The...

Send us Fan Mail AI and generative AI are capturing the headlines. We know it will bring an era of rapid change, new opportunities, and new risks. Existing security protections against spoofing and phishing are now vulnerable, and employees are wondering what it all means for them. Developers of Generative AI are acknowledging the risks. So what should boards and directors be thinking about all of...

Send us Fan Mail It is well-known that the track record for successful acquisition is poor. All kinds of studies with different methodologies generally point to the dangers of acquisitions, some claiming that as much as 70% of deals underperform. So, if the stats are generally correct, this would seem like a massive risk for those governing the enterprise. How do they beat the odds and avoid becom...

Send us Fan Mail Transferring a family-owned enterprise to the next generation raises complex and emotionally charged questions. A Chinese proverb states that "wealth shall not pass three generations." The first generation builds wealth, the second manages it, and the third generation destroys it.  In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, disc...

Send us Fan Mail So much is written and said about what it means to be an effective Director. However, most are with listed organisations in mind. We aim to readdress the balance with this three-part podcast series on family-owned enterprises. In the first episode, we looked at “The role of boards in family-owned enterprises”. In this episode, we will focus on how to become an effective director i...

Send us Fan Mail Family-owned or family-led enterprises are the backbone of thriving economies across the world. They account for the majority of companies, providing 70% of the global GDP and 60% of global employment.  The long-term success of family-owned enterprises across multiple generations is neither a given nor an easy task. There are many complexities involved when ownership, management,...

Send us Fan Mail As companies in Africa are becoming international players in both operations and sourcing of capital, the need to meet listing requirements of foreign exchanges and appeal to international investors has elevated the importance of corporate governance in Africa. Generally, favourable economic growth expectations and lack of legacy issues mean that Africa has some advantage in havin...