Enter the Boardroom with Nurole

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

Professor Alison Taylor is a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU Stern School of Business and author of Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World (Harvard Business Review Press, 2024). Tune in to hear her thoughts on: Why it’s so hard for businesses to be “good” (01:37) Should boards speak up or shut up on divisive issues (04:06) Where boards get it wrong with stakeholders (11:08) Should boards continue selling into Russia (18:17) The Astronomer Romance: lessons for board members (24:32) What are the most common challenges businesses face when trying to be “good”? (30:50) How sustainable is the competitive advantage of AI? (32:26) How can boards get better at navigating ethical questions? (39:01) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(41:07)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

Charles McManus is co-founder, non-executive director (NED) and former CEO of ClearBank, the UK’s first new clearing bank in more than 250 years. Tune in to hear his thoughts on: The three most important calls Charles made as CEO (02:08) How the board helped Charles with strategic focus (06:45) The board’s role in navigating 26 regulatory stakeholders (12:14) How the board helped balance risk and growth (17:30) How Charles would have changed his board’s composition to deliver more value (22:31) Lessons from Charles’s transition from CEO to plural non-executive (24:19) How to add value as a NED without becoming too hands-on (29:30) The key ingredients of a high-performing board (30:48) ⚡ Lightning Round (33:56) ⚡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

David Dein MBE was Vice-Chair of Arsenal, where he signed Arsène Wenger, co-founder of the Premier League, and trustee of the Twinning Project. Tune in to hear his thoughts on: Betting on potential, not just past performance (2:19) David’s distinct approach to deal-making (4:46)  The Sol Campbell and Ian Wright deals (6:29) How David created such a successful relationship with Arsene Wenger (12:04) Superforecasting: Why David started the Premier League (14:35) Innovation: the importance of looking elsewhere (16:23) How David thought about investing in women’s football (19:33) Asset allocation: How the Arsenal board thought about investing in the Emirates stadium (23:47) Strategy and stakeholder management: lessons from the failed Super League and Arsenal investors (25:29) Lessons from David’s role as trustee of the Twinning Project (31:56) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(37:30)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