Better Boards Ltd.

Boards are dedicating significant time to sustainability reporting, but with shifting geopolitical dynamics and an evolving regulatory landscape, what are investors really focusing on, right now? In today’s podcast episode I’m talking to David Harris, a leading expert in sustainable finance, to explore how investors and the finance sector use transition plans and sustainability disclosures - and what boards should be prioritising. We’ll break down some key questions, including; ✅ What exactly are climate transition plans, and how do they differ from other corporate reports? ✅ How do investors and financial institutions use the information in these plans? ✅ What practical steps can boards take to navigate climate, sustainability, and regulatory reporting more effectively? With over 20 years of experience, David leads sustainable finance strategic initiatives at LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group) and previously headed sustainability efforts for FTSE Russell and LSEG’s Data & Analytics division. He has also served on UK, EU, and UN advisory bodies and is a fellow of Chapter Zero, helping boards integrate climate strategy into corporate decision-making. There’s a lot for boards to digest in this space at the moment, so now is the perfect time to take stock of where we are and what’s next. 🎧 If you want to understand how climate strategy influences investment decisions, this is a must-listen. Click here to listen: https://lnkd.in/dwmWvUE

It feels like the world has shifted significantly in the past few months, bringing new scrutiny on some big issues; climate and sustainability among them. These are areas that have been steadily climbing the board agenda over the last decade, from peripheral concerns to core strategic priorities for directors and sub-committees. But this is a complex and evolving landscape. While energy transition is a key strategic priority, conflicting signals make it increasingly difficult to navigate. New regulatory requirements are emerging, even as the EU pushes a ‘simplification agenda’ for sustainable finance. An agenda that aims to streamline processes, reduce complexity and improve outcomes. For board members, making sense of this rapidly shifting terrain is no easy task. Which is why this week’s podcast, with David Harris, is so timely. David is a leading expert in sustainable finance, leading sustainable finance strategic initiatives at LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group). He has previously headed sustainability efforts for FTSE Russell and LSEG’s Data & Analytics division, and has served on advisory bodies for the UK, EU, and UN. He is a fellow of Chapter Zero, helping board directors integrate climate considerations into corporate strategy. In this episode, we’ll be talking about the outlook for sustainability, climate transition plans, and how boards can approach sustainability reporting with clarity and confidence. David is the ideal person to cut through the noise and focus on what really matters. I do hope you’ll join us on Thursday.

🎙️In today’s podcast I speak to corporate governance expert Gabriele Bornemann about the impact of employee representation on supervisory boards in Germany - and what global companies can learn from it. Co-determination, a system where both employees and management share a voice in key business decisions, is deeply embedded in German corporate culture. Originating after the second world war to protect labour rights, it ensures workers have a seat at the table when important company policies are made. Gabriele says that there are many advantages to having employee representation on boards, but it needs to be managed carefully - and it’s not without its challenges. On the one hand, co-determination ensures that employee perspectives are integrated into corporate governance - and that’s got to be a good thing. Gabriele highlights the Wirecard scandal as a case in point. The company’s lack of employee representation on the board raised a critical question; could direct employee feedback have exposed the fraud earlier? However, the system has been shown to struggle when decisions impact international operations, such as Volkswagen’s decision to close German facilities and expand production in other regions.  As always, a strong chair is vital to ensure that all voices - whether shareholder or employee - are heard and respected. And simple changes, like seating board members alphabetically or hosting informal dinners before meetings, can foster collaboration to avoid a sense of ‘them and us’ Gabriele Bornemann is a specialist in corporate governance, sustainability management and compliance, as well as a supervisory board member. She also has over 25 years in industry and finance experience in leading investor relations, M&A, risk management, and strategy. 🔊I do hope you’ll join us to find out more. Click here to listen. https://lnkd.in/dwmWvUE

✨ Employee representation is a key requirement for German supervisory boards, but all boards can take valuable lessons from Germany’s approach. More and more boards now include an employee representative - often a director - who brings employees’ perspectives into boardroom discussions. The benefits? Employee representatives provide direct insight into workplace culture, operational challenges and employee sentiment, helping boards make informed, people-centric decisions. The challenges? Strong employee representation can sometimes slow down a company’s large strategic shifts, as employees are often locally focused and may lack an international perspective. In Thursday’s podcast, I’ll be speaking to Gabriele Bornemann, a specialist in corporate governance, sustainability management, and compliance, as well as a supervisory board member. With her company, Management Alliance, Gabriele is setting new standards for supervisory board qualifications. Gabriele has also spent over 25 years in industry and finance, leading investor relations, M&A, risk management, and strategy. Have you thought about adding employee representation to your board? Or just curious to learn more? Join us on Thursday for a thought-provoking discussion - don’t miss it!

The ‘Boardroom Tango’ is the delicate balance between executives and board members, where collaboration and negotiation are key to steering the organisation forward. Much like a tango, it’s all about finding the right rhythm; navigating differing opinions, making good decisions and working together effectively. On today’s Better Boards podcast, I’m joined by Carol Misiko (CFIRM), someone who has experienced both sides of this relationship. Having transitioned from an executive to a non-executive board role, Carol brings first-hand insights into what makes this partnership work well. 💡 In our conversation, we explore three key areas; 📌 Clarity. How execs can present strategy and business challenges clearly to enable productive decision-making. 📌 Communication. How best to build trust between executives and non-executives to ensure open, honest conversations. 📌 Calibration. Knowing when the board should challenge, mentor, or simply observe the executive team. With over 20 years of experience transforming organisations across East Africa and beyond, Carol is currently Group Sustainability and Risk Executive for Old Mutual Plc East Africa, overseeing 11 business units across four countries. The boardroom is a lifelong dance. And like dance, success comes with practice, patience, and constant adjustment to stay in sync. Clarity is the choreography, and constructive tension fuels progress. 🎧 Tune in to the full episode here ➡ https://lnkd.in/dwmWvUE

The ‘Boardroom Tango’ is the balance between strategy and execution, when board and executives work together to steer the organisation towards its goals. But how does this relationship really work? And what can be done to influence and improve it? On Thursday’s podcast I’ll be talking to Carol Misiko (CFIRM), a leader in sustainability and enterprise risk management, to explore how executives and boards can work together effectively - without stepping on each other’s toes. Having transitioned from an executive to a non-executive board position, Carol brings first-hand insight into both sides of the table. She knows exactly what it takes for executives to succeed in the boardroom and what makes the board-executive relationship truly effective. We’ll be covering; 🔹 Curating key information for the board. How do executives ensure boards get the right level of insight without overwhelming them (or leaving them in the dark)? What’s the best story to tell? 🔹 The ‘hands out, nose in’ approach. Boards need to oversee without micromanaging, but when should they get more involved? And what happens when that balance of involvement goes wrong? 🔹 The hidden power of the pre-meeting. Yes, it can align perspectives and build rapport, but could it also undermine governance and transparency? Carol has over 20 years of experience transforming organisations across East Africa and beyond. Currently Group Sustainability and Risk Executive for Old Mutual Plc East Africa, she oversees 11 business units in the financial services sector, domiciled in four countries in East Africa. She is also a member of the leadership of the Compliance Society of Kenya and a member of the WEF Global Risk Report Advisory Board. Our key takeaway from the episode? Ultimately, mastering the board-executive relationship isn’t just about process. It’s about trust, adaptability, good storytelling, as well as understanding the different roles that each side plays. Executives bring the drive, non-execs bring perspective - and together, they create a partnership that keeps the organisation moving forward. 🎧 Tune in on Thursday to listen to the episode.

Decision-making is one of the greatest challenges for business leaders, carrying risk and pressure at every turn. Get it right, and you win. Get it wrong, and the consequences can be disastrous. No one makes perfect decisions all the time, but today’s podcast guest, Nuala Walsh, combines research with real-world experience to help leaders improve their odds, especially when under pressure in the heat and noise of the day to day. She says, ‘even the smartest boards are at risk of tuning out what really matters,’ often swayed by dominant voices, overconfident narratives, and cognitive biases like the halo effect, where charisma or authority can overshadow critical thinking. Nuala introduces the concept of ‘deaf spots’ - distinct from blind spots - where boards unconsciously ignore key voices or signals, leading to misjudgment and governance failures. The impact is evident in high-profile scandals, from Theranos to the UK Post Office, where overconfidence, groupthink, and a lack of scrutiny led to catastrophic outcomes. To counteract these risks, she presents her PERIMETERS framework, which identifies ten core misjudgment traps, including power, ego, and authority bias. She stresses the importance of reassessing intuition, challenging assumptions, and implementing structured decision-making processes to avoid excessive consensus, which can stifle critical debate. Nuala is a non-executive director, Chair, and CEO of MindEquity, where she advises on reputation, culture, and strategy. Her leadership experience includes roles as Chair of Innocence Project London, iNED at British & Irish Lions, President of Harvard Club Ireland, Deputy Chair of The FA Inclusion Advisory Board, and Vice-Chair at UN Women (UK) I do hope you’ll join us for a fascinating conversation. Click here to listen. https://lnkd.in/dwmWvUE

The biggest risk boards face isn’t political or economic - it’s decision risk. Nuala Walsh, my podcast guest this week, argues that decision risk is the greatest challenge of our generation; more than economic instability, political upheaval, or even climate change. Decision risk is the risk that the decision you make will not lead to the intended outcome. And in an era of digital distraction, disinformation, and data overload, we’re becoming increasingly vulnerable to misjudgment. The ability to hear and act on what truly matters is fading, sacrificed in the rush to make a decision. When nuance is overlooked for convenience, we can misinterpret people, misunderstand situations, and accelerate poor decision-making. The result? A cascade of human errors, unheard voices and ‘tone-deaf’ leadership; a situation that’s caused corporate scandals, poor governance and reputational damage in the past. Nuala Walsh is a non-executive director, Chair, and CEO of MindEquity, where she advises on reputation, culture, and strategy. Her leadership experience includes roles as Chair of Innocence Project London, iNED at British & Irish Lions, President of Harvard Club Ireland, Deputy Chair of The FA Inclusion Advisory Board, and Vice-Chair at UN Women (UK). She is a former FTSE100 CMO with three decades experience in investment management at Standard Life, BlackRock, and Merrill Lynch, and has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Finance. She’s also an Adjunct Professor of Behavioural Science at Trinity College Dublin, and her award-winning book, ‘Tune In: How to Make Smarter Decisions in a Noisy World’, offers a roadmap for better judgment. In this episode, Nuala shares her ten-point framework for reducing ‘tone-deaf’ decision-making, revealing how cognitive biases such as the illusion of invulnerability, authority bias, and the ‘halo effect’ can distort boardroom judgment. Her insights provide practical tools to enhance decision-making, challenge assumptions, and avoid the common traps that can undermine leadership. Join me on Thursday for an insightful and thought-provoking conversation that will change the way you think about decision risk.

🎧 In today’s podcast episode I’m joined by Dr. Andy Palmer CMG, FREng - the ‘Godfather of EVs’ - who has led transformational innovations at Nissan and Aston Martin. Andy spearheaded the launch of the Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle (way before Tesla came on the scene!) and also played a pivotal role in securing Aston Martin’s financial future. Convincing Nissan’s board to skip hybrids and go straight to battery-electric vehicles was no easy feat. But despite internal resistance Andy’s bold leapfrog strategy paid off, setting a new standard in the automotive industry and beating competitors like Honda and Toyota in the electric vehicle race. In the podcast we cover; 🌟 The challenges of selling bold ideas to a cautious boardroom, and the skills needed to make it happen. 🌟Why leadership today must balance governance with the courage to innovate and respond to market shifts. 🌟The critical role of non-executive directors in supporting and empowering CEOs willing to take bold steps. Andy attributes his rise from apprentice to C-suite and CEO of some of the world’s most iconic car companies to a combination of hard work, burning desire, and a little bit of luck. Having left Aston Martin in 2020, he’s now involved with a number of innovative and high-growth businesses operating in the clean transportation space in a non-executive  / entrepreneurial capacity. Outside of business, Andy is the Founder of the Palmer Foundation, a charity to support young disadvantaged people pursue an apprenticeship in the automotive industry. Andy’s career is truly inspiring, and this episode is packed with insights and practical advice. Click here to listen, or catch the episode now on Apple, Spotify, or Google. https://lnkd.in/dwmWvUE

💫 Ever wondered what it takes to pitch an industry-changing idea to your board? Join us on Thursday, for a conversation with Dr. Andy Palmer CMG, FREng, former COO of Nissan and CEO of Aston Martin - to find out. Andy’s journey from apprentice in the ‘70s to C-suite leader today is remarkable. During his career, he has driven transformational change at some of the world’s most iconic companies and sold daring ideas that have challenged and reshaped the automotive industry. In our conversation Andy will be talking about his journey to the top of the automotive business, the skills that got him there, and the experiences that have shaped him along the way - leading him to be known as  the ‘Godfather of EVs.’ He’ll also share how he convinced Nissan’s board to take the bold decision to bypass hybrids and launch the LEAF, the world’s first mass-market electric vehicle. Don’t miss this discussion on leadership, innovation, and the art of selling bold ideas. Tune in Thursday to hear from one of the automotive industry's most visionary leaders. Looking forward to having you with us!