
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.
Latest episodes

Jan 2, 2020 • 21min
Speaking up in the boardroom and the critical role of Psychological Safety | Prof Amy C. Edmondson, Harvard Business School
Send us a textOur mission at Better Boards www.better-boards.com is to provide proven solutions for creating more effective boards. Our evidence-based board evaluations and board development programmes deliver tangible results.To fulfil our mission, we listen and give a voice to all who care about creating better boards - Chairpeople, CEOs, Senior Independent Directors (SIDs), Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), Company Secretaries, academicians, investors, and regulators.All the views expressed in our podcasts are the views of our podcast partners and not those of Better Boards. I am delighted and honoured that for this episode, Prof Amy Edmondson from Harvard Business School is joining us. Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers in 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 and was honoured with the Talent Award in 2017. She studies teaming, psychological safety, and leadership, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets,Amy’s work on psychological safety has been groundbreaking and is the subject of this podcast. Every time you tune in, we’ll help you to develop and reinvigorate your board know-how and practice with insights, data, and practical advice. As a note for your diary, new episodes are available every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. How can we help you and your board to become more effective? We at Better Boards are always delighted to hear from you. Get in touch. You can best reach us at info@better-boards.com. Thank you for listening.Remember to subscribe and never miss an episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, or Google. To find out how you can participate in the Better Boards Podcast Series or for more information on Better Boards’ solutions, please email us at info@better-boards.com.

Dec 19, 2019 • 19min
Creating effective relationships between investors, the board and management | John Barton, Chair EasyJet PLC and Next PLC
Send us a textOur mission at Better Boards www.better-boards.com is to provide proven solutions for creating more effective boards. Our evidence-based board evaluations and board development programmes deliver tangible results.To fulfil our mission, we listen and give a voice to all who care about creating better boards - Chairpeople, CEOs, Senior Independent Directors (SIDs), Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), Company Secretaries, academicians, investors, and regulators.All the views expressed in our podcasts are the views of our podcast partners and not those of Better Boards. In this episode, you’ll get exclusive insights from one of the most respected Chairman in the UK - John Barton. John is Chairman of EasyJet and Chairman of the Nomination Committee. He is also a Senior Independent Director of Luceco PLC and Non-Executive Director of SSP Group PLC and Matheson / Company Limited.John has served for three decades on boards of numerous FTSE organisations as Chairman and Senior Independent Director. In the City of London, he is known as "Mr Chairman". Previously John was CEO of insurance broker JIB Group plc where he became Chairman after the merger with Lloyd Thompson.Every time you tune in, we’ll help you to develop and reinvigorate your board know-how and practice with insights, data, and practical advice. As a note for your diary new episodes are available every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. How can we help you and your board to become more effective? We at Better Boards are always delighted to hear from you. Get in touch. You can best reach us at info@better-boards.com. Remember to subscribe and never miss an episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, or Google. To find out how you can participate in the Better Boards Podcast Series or for more information on Better Boards’ solutions, please email us at info@better-boards.com.

Nov 28, 2019 • 16min
Securing a role on a FTSE board | Carol Leonard, CEO at The Inzito Partnership
Send us a textOur mission at Better Boards www.better-boards.com is to contribute to creating better boards. We do this by providing clients with an evidence-based approach for board evaluations and board development programmes. To fulfil our mission, we would like to give a voice to all who care about creating better boards - Chairpeople, CEOs, Senior Independent Directors (SIDs), Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), Company Secretaries, academicians, investors, and regulators.All the views expressed in our podcasts are the views of our podcast partners and not those of Better Boards. In this episode, you’ll get exclusive insights from the doyenne of boardroom headhunters in the UK, Carol Leonard. Carol is one of the most experienced and trusted headhunters in the UK. She is CEO at The Inzito Partnership and Head of its Board Practice. Carol specialises in the recruitment of Chairmen, Chief Executives, Non-Executive Directors, Finance Directors, General Counsel, and other main Board roles. Carol’s prowess and hands-on approach are legendary. Before her career in headhunting, Carol was a financial journalist with The Times, The Evening Standard, and Channel Four. Carol is also a Fellow of Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.Every time you tune in, we’ll help you to develop and reinvigorate your board know-how and practice with insights, data, and practical advice. New episodes are available every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.How can we help you and your board to become more effective? We at Better Boards are always delighted to hear from you. Get in touch. You can best reach us at info@better-boards.com. Remember to subscribe and never miss an episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, or Google. To find out how you can participate in the Better Boards Podcast Series or for more information on Better Boards’ solutions, please email us at info@better-boards.com.

Nov 21, 2019 • 10min
A VCs perspective on boards in young tech companies | Alexander Leigh, Investment Manager at Investment Bank of Wales
Send us a textOur mission at Better Boards www.better-boards.com is to contribute to creating better boards. We do this by providing clients with an evidence-based approach for board evaluations and board development programmes. To fulfil our mission, we would like to give a voice to all who care about creating better boards - Chairpeople, CEOs, Senior Independent Directors (SIDs), Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), Company Secretaries, academicians, investors, and regulators.All the views expressed in our podcasts are the views of our podcast partners and not those of Better Boards. In this episode, you’ll get insights from Alex Leigh, Investment Manager in one of the most active Venture Capital Firms in the UK, the Development Bank of Wales. As part of his role, Alex sits on the board of ten young Tech companies that receive funding from the bank. Before joining the Development Bank of Wales Alex worked for Private Equity firms and invested in firms in South Africa.Every time you tune in, we’ll help you to develop and reinvigorate your board know-how and practice with insights, data, and practical advice. New episodes are available every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.How can we help you and your board to become more effective? We at Better Boards are always delighted to hear from you. Get in touch. You can best reach us at info@better-boards.com. Thank you for listening.Remember to subscribe and never miss an episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, or Google. To find out how you can participate in the Better Boards Podcast Series or for more information on Better Boards’ solutions, please email us at info@better-boards.com.

Nov 7, 2019 • 18min
Information overload in the boardroom | Zsuzsanna Schiff, Manager Audit & Reporting at ICAEW and Hitesh Patel, NED Aviva Life Holdings, Capital Home Loans and Enstar
Send us a textOur mission at Better Boards www.better-boards.com is to contribute to creating better boards. We do this by providing clients with an evidence-based approach for board evaluations and board development programmes. To fulfil our mission, we would like to give a voice to all who care about creating better boards - Chairpeople, CEOs, Senior Independent Directors (SIDs), Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), Company Secretaries, academicians, investors, and regulators.All the views expressed in our podcasts are the views of our podcast partners and not those of Better Boards. In this episode, you’ll get insights into a study on information overload in the boardroom and practical tips about how you can overcome the issues from Zsuzsanna Schiff from the ICAEW, a world-leading professional membership organisation that promotes, develops and supports over 180,000 chartered accountants and students worldwide and Hitesh Patel who serves on boards of various Financial Services organisations. Every time you tune in, we’ll help you to develop and reinvigorate your board know-how and practice with insights, data, and practical advice. New episodes are available every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.How can we help you and your board to become more effective? We at Better Boards are always delighted to hear from you. Get in touch. You can best reach us at info@better-boards.com. Thank you for listening.Remember to subscribe and never miss an episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, or Google. To find out how you can participate in the Better Boards Podcast Series or for more information on Better Boards’ solutions, please email us at info@better-boards.com.

Oct 16, 2019 • 10min
How Company Secretaries can create better boards | Carolyn Ferguson, Company Secretary at Go-Ahead Group PLC
Send us a textOur mission at Better Boards www.better-boards.com is to contribute to creating better boards. We do this by providing clients with an evidence-based approach for board evaluations and board development programmes. To fulfil our mission, we would like to give a voice to all who care about creating better boards - Chairpeople, CEOs, Senior Independent Directors (SIDs), Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), Company Secretaries, academicians, investors, and regulators.All the views expressed in our podcasts are the views of our podcast partners and not those of Better Boards. In this episode, you’ll get insights from Company Secretary - Carolyn Ferguson. Carolyn is Company Secretary at FTSE250 organisation The Go-Ahead Group. Every time you tune in, we’ll help you to develop and reinvigorate your board know-how and practice with insights, data, and practical advice. New episodes are available every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.How can we help you and your board to become more effective? We at Better Boards are always delighted to hear from you. Get in touch. You can best reach us at info@better-boards.com. Thank you for listening.Remember to subscribe and never miss an episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, or Google. To find out how you can participate in the Better Boards Podcast Series or for more information on Better Boards’ solutions, please email us at info@better-boards.com.

Oct 3, 2019 • 23min
Challenges in tackling climate change | Julie Baddeley, Chair Chapter Zero, NED TI Fluid Systems PLC, Ebiquity PLC and SID Marshall of Cambridge
Send us a textOur mission at Better Boards www.better-boards.com is to contribute to creating better boards. We do this by providing clients with an evidence-based approach for board evaluations and board development programmes. To fulfil our mission, we would like to give a voice to all who care about creating better boards - Chairpeople, CEOs, Senior Independent Directors (SIDs), Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), Company Secretaries, academicians, investors, and regulators.All the views expressed in our podcasts are the views of our podcast partners and not those of Better Boards. In this episode, you’ll get insights from one of the UK’s most experienced female business leaders - Julie Baddeley. Julie has held numerous executive and non-executive positions on the boards of many well-known FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 companies over the last 20 years. In addition to these roles, Julie has established the Hughes Hall Centre for Climate Change Engagement at Cambridge University and is the Founder and Chair of Chapter Zero. Chapter Zero is part of the Global Climate Governance Initiative. Its goal is to support and prepare Non-Executive Directors to address the risks and opportunities presented by Climate Change in UK boardrooms. Every time you tune in, we’ll help you to develop and reinvigorate your board know-how and practice with insights, data, and practical advice. New episodes are available bi-weekly - every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.How can we help you and your board to become more effective? We at Better Boards are always delighted to hear from you. Get in touch. You can best reach us at info@better-boards.com. Thank you for listening.Remember to subscribe and never miss an episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, or Google. To find out how you can participate in the Better Boards Podcast Series or for more information on Better Boards’ solutions, please email us at info@better-boards.com.

Sep 19, 2019 • 19min
The Chairman’s role in creating better boards | Andrew Allner, Chair SIF PLC, FOX Marble Holdings PLC and Shepherd Building Group
Send us a textOur mission at Better Boards www.better-boards.com is to contribute to creating better boards. We do this by providing clients with an evidence-based approach for board evaluations and board development programmes. To fulfill our mission, we would like to give a voice to all who care about creating better boards - Chairpeople, CEOs, Senior Independent Directors (SIDs), Non-Executive Directors (NEDs), Company Secretaries, academicians, investors, and regulators.All the views expressed in our podcasts are the views of our podcast partners and not those of Better Boards. In this episode, you’ll get insights from a highly experienced UK Chairman - Andrew Allner. Andrew provides a personal account of how he obtained his first role as a Chair, what he loves about being a Chair, and his perspective about the role of Chairs in creating better boards. Every time you tune in, we’ll help you to develop and reinvigorate your board know-how and practice with insights, data, and practical advice. New episodes are available bi-weekly - every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. How can we help you and your board to become more effective? We at Better Boards are always delighted to hear from you. Get in touch. You can best reach us on info@better-boards.com. Thank you for listening.Remember to subscribe and never miss an episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, or Google. To find out how you can participate in the Better Boards Podcast Series or for more information on Better Boards’ solutions, please email us at info@better-boards.com.