Enter the Boardroom with Nurole

Former Mi6 Chief, Sir Richard Dearlove, shares insights on receiving accurate information from execs, lessons from AIG's implosion, managing public opinion, encouraging risk-taking, crisis management, and balancing expertise with common sense in the boardroom

Stuart Roden is Chair / former Chair of Lansdowne Partners, Hetz Ventures, Lewis Advisors, Tresidor, the Design Museum and Unlocking Potential, NED at LSE and Trustee at the National Gallery and Centre for Social Justice. In this conversation with Nurole CEO, Oliver Cummings, Stuart covers:  When you were an investor, did the quality of the board come into your investment evaluation? (1:34) Do boards justify their costs? (4:48) Do you think the board is more about governance than value creation? (8:15) Where and why have you made mistakes, hiring the CEO? (12:38) How do you build the best relationship with your CEO? (19:39) Practically, as a Chair, how do you make sure you are discussing what you need to with your CEO? (24:01) How do investors add value as board members? (25:47) How do you think about capital allocation and return on resources in the boardroom? (28:53) And ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(33:04) 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

Baroness Dambisa Moyo, a board member for Chevron and Conde Nast and a New York Times bestselling author, shares her insights on boardroom dynamics with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings. She discusses the challenges of uncertainty in governance and how effective boards adapt to risks. Moyo emphasizes the importance of diverse backgrounds in board roles and introduces her dual-track approach to strategy. She also reflects on lessons learned from rapid CEO turnovers and the importance of ethical leadership during tumultuous times.

Ranked the world's #1 management thinker, Roger Martin discusses the board's role in developing and communicating strategy, hiring the best people, and the potential of every organization to build a winning strategy. The Lightning Round at the end adds a fun twist to the conversation.

Ranked #1 management thinker Roger Martin discusses the value and struggles of boards, their role in strategy development, and the importance of collaboration between the board and executive team in this thought-provoking podcast.

In recent years, Cathy has built a broad plural career at listed companies, with current NED positions at Lloyds Banking Group plc, Rentokil plc and Spectris plc. Tune in to her conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to hear her thoughts on: How did you get your first NED position? (1:50) How did you turn that first position into a plural career? (7:55) To what extent has your performance in current positions created more non-exec opportunities in the future? (11:28) What have been the most challenging moments in building your non-exec career? (14:55) Where do you go for support as a board member? (19:18) Did you consciously develop a board expertise spike in remuneration? (21:30) What are the different archetypes people can lean into to develop their board careers? (24:51) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(28:55) and (Audience question) How do you pitch yourself as a first-timer versus someone who has a portfolio of non-executive roles? (32:52) 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

Dr Sabine Dembkowski, a renowned board advisor, discusses the importance of board reviews, common misconceptions, key factors for board effectiveness, and the value of feedback in improving board performance. Topics include why private companies are hesitant to conduct reviews, capturing valuable data, defining board effectiveness, common pitfalls in reviews, and the role of external observers in enhancing board performance.

On top of his Cabinet Office role, Anand is a NED at Saga plc, Polar Capital Holdings plc and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Tune in to his conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to hear his thoughts on: Was being a portfolio NED always the plan? (1:03) What advice do you have for people in the early stages of their board careers? (1:57) Pre-interview, how did you make yourself stand out as a candidate? (4:00) What role did your entrepreneurial background play in your applications? (6:03) Are the same things that helped you stand out, the ones that help you add value to your boards? (7:31) What executive experiences have been most valuable as a non-exec? (8:37)  What was the biggest surprise when you started as a board member? (11:04) What was your thinking around taking on pro bono roles? (11:48) How do government and charity boards compare? (16:46) What is the Cabinet Office board and what does it do? (19:46) How is your role as Lead Non-Exec different from non-exec? (26:03) How do your listed company boards compare to government and charity? (31:31) What have you learned about managing time across your portfolio? (33:59) Are there any rituals common to the highest performing boards you’ve seen? (34:54) And ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡ (39:06) 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

Andrew is Chair of a series of investor-backed businesses, including Ainscough Crane Hire, Winoa Group, Joloda, Detertech, ETL Systems, Hydraroll and Senior Advisor at Blackstone Credit. Tune in to his discussion with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to hear his answers to:  What inspired you to move from CEO to Chair, and how did you prepare for it? (1:43) How have you identified and got the most from mentors? (4:23) What prompted you to do a self-assessment as a Chair? (11:31) What lessons have you applied from the self-assessment? (16:52) How do you navigate complex stakeholder dynamics as a Chair? (18:58) What have you learned about managing private equity investors? (26:13)  And ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(31:38)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

As CEO of Board Intelligence, Jennifer Sundberg has seen what works and what doesn’t across thousands of boards - insights crystallised in her recent book Collective Intelligence. Listen to her conversation with Nurole CEO Oliver Cummings to hear her answers to: Do boards still matter? (0:46) How can we determine which decisions need to be made by the board? (2:16) How can boards measure their organisation’s collective intelligence? (5:33) What does critical thinking look like in board papers? (7:27) How can board members encourage execs to do more critical thinking? (8:58) Have you noticed any recurring rituals across the highest-performing boards you see? (16:17) How can boards identify the most important questions they need answered? (18:13) How do the best boards balance thinking in and outside of the boardroom? (19:49) What are the respective roles of execs and non-execs in developing strategy? (22:17) How do you see the ideal Chair-CEO-NED dynamic? (27:42) What are the most common mistakes boards make with communication? (29:00) Does communication really matter? (31:13) What should board members take from your final chapter, “when it all goes wrong?” (34:08) How can boards inoculate themselves against belief perseverance? (35:58) Do you feel like you’ve got it right with your own board? (37:23) And ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(39:00) 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