Enter the Boardroom with Nurole

Sir James Wates CBE is Chair of the Rugby Football Union and Vestey Holdings Ltd. Formerly, he was Chair of Wates Group. Tune in to hear his thoughts: Key board-level decisions that helped grow Wates from 950m to 2bn revenues (02:20) How the board weighed the risks and benefits of increasing average transaction value (05:08) Key decisions the board used to assess risk (08:00) How the board decided when to quit and when to stick (10:03) CEO appointments: what’s worked and what hasn’t (14:02) Board succession planning: how to pick the right chair (18:11) How to handle redundancies as a CEO or Chair (22:45) The single governance practice Sir James would insist every family business adopt (26:12) Key lessons transitioning from a family to a fully independent chair (27:25) Independence versus centralisation in a group structure (30:21) Chairing the RFU: why Sir James took on the role and what it entails (37:54) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡ (41:34)Host: Oliver Cummings Producer: Will Felton Editor: Penelope Coumau Music: Kate Mac Audio: Nick Kold Email: podcast@nurole.com Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Phil Walker CBE is Chair of Council at the University of Roehampton and member of the England & Wales Cricket Board. Formerly, he was COO at Capgemini. Tune in to hear his thoughts on: Phil’s journey into the boardroom (02:02) How university governance differs from corporate (03:15) Key stakeholders for higher education boards (04:23) Heuristics Phil uses to understand university boards (05:30) Key data points every education board should look at (07:45) Three defining moments that most shape how Phil operates as a board member (11:25) Lessons in crisis management from Covid (15:08) The role of summation in effective chairing (16:56) Why Phil thinks boards need to become less formal and more human (21:19) The board’s role in ethical decisions - why Roehampton banned fossil fuel companies from career fairs (26:04) How Phil’s thinking about AI (32:06) Advice for university board candidates (34:58)  How Phil thinks about board composition (36:40)⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(38:10)Host: Oliver Cummings Producer: Will Felton Editor: Penelope Coumau Music: Kate Mac Audio: Nick Kold Email: podcast@nurole.com Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Rupert Soames OBE is Chair of the CBI and Smith & Nephew plc and  former CEO of Serco Group plc and Aggreko plc. Tune in to hear his thoughts on: Key moments from Rupert’s time as CEO that shape how he Chairs (1:33) Lessons from Aggreko’s acquisition of GE’s energy rental business (3:42) Was there anything a board could have done to mitigate Rupert’s disagreement with the Misys CEO when he was a divisional manager? (5:33) When chairs added most value to Rupert as CEO (9:35) How Philip Rogerson, Aggreko Chair, said “no” without demotivating Rupert (11:37) How Rupert tries to help CEOs iterate and communicate strategy as a board member (17:09) The macro-trends Rupert’s focused on as a Chair (21:22) How Rupert thinks about CEO compensation in a global market (26:17)⚡The Lightning Round⚡ (30:07) Audience Q&A (36:54) The value of execs taking non-exec positions alongside their main role (37:07) Rupert’s thoughts on the value of board evaluations (38:18) Where boards need to professionalise further (40:02)Host: Oliver Cummings Producer: Will Felton Editor: Penelope Coumau Music: Kate Mac Audio: Nick Kold Email: podcast@nurole.com Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Natasha Frangos, Managing Partner of HaysMac, shares insights from her journey climbing the ranks in professional services. She discusses the sector-focused strategy that drove their growth and how restructuring management improved decision-making. Natasha emphasizes the importance of effective communication during strategic changes and the need for an internal CEO succession plan. She also highlights the advantages of international expansion, specifically in South Africa, and shares practical tips for replicating company culture abroad.

Sir Douglas Flint CBE is chair of Aberdeen, IP Group and the Royal Marsden NHS Trust and former chair of HSBC Group Holdings and NED at BP. Tune in to hear his thoughts on: The most valuable lessons Sir Douglas has learnt from the chairs he’s worked with (2:07) How chairs build consensus - the example of BP Chair Peter Sutherland (4:45) How to handle a split board (7:26) Lessons from the boardroom in the BP Macondo crisis (13:11) What the crisis teaches board members about risk (20:37) What it teaches about stakeholder relationships (24:44) What it teaches about how boards can help CEOs during crises (26:44) The board’s rationale for the Standard Life Aberdeen to abrdn rebrand (31:21) Why the board decided to rebrand again to Aberdeen (38:13) Advice Sir Douglas would offer to a board member facing a rebranding decision today (39:27) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(42:11) Host: Oliver Cummings Producer: Will Felton Editor: Penelope Coumau Music: Kate Mac Audio: Nick Kold Email: podcast@nurole.com Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Mark Winlow is Chair of several financial services companies, including Aon UK and Redwood Bank. Formerly, he was Audit Chair at Starling Bank and NED at Tesco Underwriting, AIG Life Ltd, and others. Tune in to hear his thoughts on: Three examples where insurance boards have changed the trajectory of their businesses (2:18) Non-execs transitioning to CEO (5:19) Mark’s heuristics for understanding insurance businesses (8:02) Three things every board member needs to understand to add value (12:34) Where board members need to go to understand people & culture (14:50) The relationship between insurance and bank boards and respective regulators (17:37) Why Mark decided to chair Redwood after the entire board had resigned (22:41) Starling Bank - the moment key execs left and founded Monzo (29:55) How Monzo out-marketed Starling (32:44) Why Mark thinks the tortoise strategy will beat the hare (34:05) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(40:16) Host: Oliver Cummings Producer: Will Felton Editor: Penelope Coumau Music: Kate Mac Audio: Nick Kold Email: podcast@nurole.com Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Professor Doyin Atewologun, Founder and CEO of Delta and former Dean of the Rhodes Scholarship, dives deep into the nuances of DEI in corporate boards. She critiques the Parker Review's effectiveness and explores the correlation between diversity and performance, arguing that inclusion is the key factor. Doyin clarifies the difference between equity and equality, stressing the importance of actively fostering inclusion beyond token hires. She also shares practical steps for board members to enhance inclusion and discusses common pitfalls in DEI implementation.

Tessa Clarke, co-founder and CEO of Olio, sheds light on her journey in building a peer-to-peer food-sharing app that has 8.5 million users worldwide. She discusses critical board moments that shaped the company's success and the importance of non-executive directors for strategic support. Tessa candidly shares her toughest challenges, emphasizing the balance between grit and when to pivot strategies. Discover her unique board rules and what qualities she seeks in board members to ensure mission alignment and effective governance.

Dame Marie Gabriel CBE, a seasoned NHS leader and chair of several prominent health boards, shares her insights on creating a thriving board culture. She discusses the importance of psychological safety and innovative risk-taking in public health. Marie explains her unique approach to structuring agendas, prioritizing resident needs, and managing distractions during meetings. Additionally, she highlights the value of developing junior members and embracing a mindset shift towards viewing risk as an opportunity. Her experiences navigating NHS challenges offer invaluable lessons for leaders.

Tune in to the conversation to hear about: The three moments that have had the biggest impact on how Thomas chairs today (01:48) International cultural differences every board member needs to know about (04:15) Practical steps to bridge cultural gaps with younger generations (6:22) The benefits of reverse mentoring versus surveys (12:15) How to de-mystify the board beyond the C-suite (13:22) Why and how boards should share board meeting conclusions with the rest of the organisation (17:35) The Ørsted story: dropping the core product, breaking into the US and managing an IPO (24:49) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(41:01)Host: Oliver Cummings Producer: Will Felton Editor: Penelope Coumau Music: Kate Mac Audio: Nick Kold Email: podcast@nurole.com Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom