The Better Boards Podcast Series
The Better Boards podcast series is the podcast for Chairs, CEOs, Non-Executive Directors, Company Secretaries, and their advisors.
Every episode is filled with practical insights and learnings from those inside the boardrooms. We tease out what really matters and highlight actionable steps you can take to enhance the performance of your board.
Episodes
142 episodes
Going beyond the routine change | Lan O'Connor, NED & Strategic Advisor
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 t...
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Season 5
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Episode 144
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21:12
From Gatekeeper to Guide: How Governance Professionals Are Shaping the Boardrooms of Tomorrow | Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO Beyond Governance
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...
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24:36
Steering the Shift: Board Leadership in Times of Transformation | Lan O'Connor, NED & Strategic Advisor
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 t...
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Season 5
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Episode 131
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26:21
The Role of the Board in Owner-led Organisations | Tina Mavraki, NED & Strategic Advisor
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 podcas...
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19:35
Overcoming misconceptions and lies in the boardroom | Professor Alex Edmonds, London Business School
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 cul...
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19:38
10x Your Impact – How the Smartest Directors Are Using AI | Jamie Green, Founder & CEO, Tutaki
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 th...
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21:17
Beyond Minutes: Reimagining the Board Secretary in the Age of AI | Moya Heyhurst, Company Secretary
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...
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21:25
Can AI make better business decisions? | Professor Katja Langenbucher, Goethe University, Frankfurt
In this episode of the Better Boards Podcast, Professor Katja Langenbucher explores how boards can embrace AI to future-proof their decision-making.Dr. Sabine Dembkowski speaks with Katja, a law professor at Goethe University in Frankfur...
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26:22
Boards - What do capital markets think of them? The unfiltered perspective of a credit analyst | Anke Richter, Credit Analyst
In an era marked by rapid change, technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty, and economic volatility, understanding how analysts perceive boards is more important than ever. We turned to an analyst who operates independently of major f...
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Season 5
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Episode 130
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19:02
Living with Uncertainty: The Importance of Transformation, Culture, and Talent | Devyani P. Vaishampayan, Remco Chair and Portfolio NED
In recent years, transformation skills have become increasingly important at the board level, with culture and talent rising high on the agenda. Yet, there’s still a noticeable absence of HR professionals in the boardroom. Why?In this ep...
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Season 5
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Episode 129
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20:00
Future proofing the board with AI | Moya Hayhurst, Company Secretary
Artificial intelligence (AI) can revolutionise boardrooms in today's rapidly evolving business landscape. Still, this rapid change threatens to distance boards from the companies they serve if proper care is not taken in implementing both the t...
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Season 5
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Episode 128
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18:33
Cutting past the noise on the climate/energy transition | David Harris, Sustainable Finance Strategic Initiatives, London Stock Exchange Group
Over the last decade, climate and sustainability have become more of a focus for boards and sub-committees. However, there is currently a lot of conflicting noise around this agenda. So, there is a lot for boards to digest around this topic, ma...
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Season 5
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Episode 128
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21:37
Employee representation on the board | Gabriele Bornemann, CEO Management Alliance
Employee representation is a specific requirement for German boards, but global boards can learn from Germany. More and more boards have an employee representative, mostly a director, who brings employees’ perspectives back to the board. <...
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Season 5
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Episode 127
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11:20
The Boardroom Tango: Where strategy meets execution | Carol Ouko-Misiko, Executive & NED
The boardroom tango is where strategy meets execution, highlighting the dynamic dance between the board and executives in steering an organisation. But what does an executive have to do in order to really get the most out of non-executives?&nbs...
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Season 5
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Episode 126
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18:35
Navigating Misjudgement: A Practical Framework for Better Board Performance | Nuala G Walsh, CEO & NED
This episode highlights decision-making errors affecting high-stakes boards. Using concepts like bias, ‘deaf spots,’ and ‘tone-deaf leadership,’ it outlines misjudgment traps as warning signs and solutions to mental misinformation. It explores ...
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Season 5
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Episode 125
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25:49
Selling Bold Ideas in the Boardroom | Dr Andy Palmer, CEO
Have you ever wondered how to sell a bold idea in the boardroom? Not just an idea different from what your organisation usually tends to do, but a really bold one that breaks ground in your industry? What does it take? What do you need?I...
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Season 5
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Episode 124
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25:20
How to lead through complexity | Dr Nadine Rinck, Partner, Egon Zehnder
Every year, the world's preeminent leadership advisory firm, Egon Zehnder, surveys CEOs to identify issues and challenges they face and how they deal with them. In this podcast, we highlight key findings and discuss the implications for CEOs an...
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Season 5
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Episode 123
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16:50
Crisis & the Board: How to prepare for “Anything" | Barbara Lambert, Chair Audit, Risk and Nomination Committees
There are many different types of crises, and how boards deal with them, so it is prudent to be aware of typical mistakes, what works, and what boards can do to deal well with these situations. Are there any ‘golden rules’ that can serve...
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Season 5
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Episode 122
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24:00
The Boardroom Awakening: Can Corporate Governance Survive the Sustainability Reckoning? | Frederik Otto, Director of Advisory and Head of Europe, AccountAbility
The ESG narrative has become familiar but does not yet confront the challenges of a world where interest in sustainability is waning in some regions, political and economic divides are widening, and technology is reshaping the rules of the game...
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23:21
On the crucial relationship between the Chair and the CEO | Sir David Norgrove, Chair
The board is responsible for appointing the CEO, and the relationship between the Chair and the CEO is crucial - but often not easy. So what matters when selecting a CEO, and how can we establish and develop a good relationship between th...
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Season 5
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Episode 121
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21:12
Being on the Board – Keeping it Simple | Sir John Tusa
Amid global uncertainty, are boardrooms needlessly complex? Is It possible to thrive in the boardroom by keeping things simple? In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Director of Better Boards www.better-boards....
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23:39
The Joy Of Working On Boards In Five Continents | Christof Kutscher, Chair & CEO
Most Directors serve on boards in one or two countries. The argument often is that one Most Directors serve on boards in one or two countries. The argument often is that one has to understand the legal requirements and the cultural context. Is ...
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24:03
Tech Boards – What matters to investors | Irene Arias Hofman, CEO, IDB Lab
In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, discusses tech boards with Irene Arias Hofman, CEO of IDB Lab, the innovation and venture laboratory of the Inter-American Development Bank Group.
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Season 4
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Episode 120
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17:00
Insights into the German Corporate Governance Debate - learnings, changes and implications for Directors | Dr Cordula Heldt, Head of Corporate Governance and Company Law at the German Share Institute (Deutsches Aktieninstitut)
Every country has its fair share of corporate failures. Afterwards, It is easy to point towards governance. Reflection and learning are essential. In this podcast, you hear from someone who has a critical governance role In Germany. You gain in...
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Season 4
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Episode 119
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17:46
Is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion bad for business? | Prof Grace Lordan, London School of Economics
Recently, there has been a surge on social media stating that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are bad for business. Some of the world’s largest firms have also significantly reduced their investment in diversity and inclusion. ...
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Season 4
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Episode 118
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20:04