Advertise on podcast: Boardroom Confidential

"The new normal, means prepare for the disruptions. I don’t think boards have grasped that." This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast, powered by Sherpany, is Allard Castelein, a non-executive director at multiple organisations including SBM Offshore and Associated British Ports. Between 2014 and 2023, he was CEO of Europe’s biggest port, Port of Rotterdam. Allard shares the boardroom stories that have shaped his career, including the moment he had to convince a deeply uncomfortable supervisory board to keep investing through COVID rather than retreat, and how a foundation of trust, built over years, ultimately won them round.  He also takes us inside the crisis team he stood up within 24 hours of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, when the Port of Rotterdam had to comply with sanctions on Russian oil, and explains why he deliberately paired formal meetings with frequent, informal contact with his Chair during this time.. Allard reflects candidly on the shift from CEO to non-executive director, and what it taught him about respecting the line between governing and running a company.  He also makes the case that disruption, from Ukraine to the Strait of Hormuz, is now the permanent operating environment for boards, and argues that many boards haven’t yet fully grasped that concept. Allard spent more than a decade as CEO of the Port of Rotterdam, steering the organisation through COVID, the war in Ukraine, and the 2021 blockage of the Suez Canal.  Between 1987 and 2013 he held various roles at Shell, and he now also serves as special representative on critical raw materials for the Dutch government. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings.  Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn.  Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en.  This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (01:20) What Creates Board Pressure (05:18) Scenario Thinking Toolkit (09:02) Crisis Comms With Board (15:11) Preparing For Constant Disruption (21:16) When To Quit A Board

"All boardrooms have people of different neurotypes. We are everywhere, and once we can properly acknowledge that, we can consider the broader human variety that human beings beautifully are." This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast, powered by Sherpany, is Professor Charlotte Valeur, founder of the Institute of Neurodiversity and former chair of the Institute of Directors.  Charlotte shares the boardroom stories that have shaped her career, including becoming the first high-profile UK businessperson to publicly disclose an autism diagnosis, her refusal to play by unwritten boardroom social rules, and why she believes disagreement, not consensus, is where boards actually learn. She also discusses why, in a world with AI, neurodivergent thinking may become a board's most valuable asset. And sets out the risks raised by the recent US restrictions on foreign access to some AI models. Charlotte began her career as an investment banker in Copenhagen and London before becoming a non-executive director and chair across a range of boards. She is the author of "Effective Directors: The Right Questions to Ask", a corporate governance consultant, and visiting professor at the University of Strathclyde. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings.  Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn.  Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en.  This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (01:25) Disclosing Diagnosis (07:04) Neurodiversity in AI Era (10:15) Transparency and Leadership (15:01) Better Board Meetings (23:54) When to Walk Away

“You are not on a board to make friends. Friendship causes groupthink, and your job is to resist it at every turn." This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast, powered by Sherpany, is Orna NiChionna, Senior Independent Director at Burberry and the management consultancy Eden McCallum, and Chair of the Eden Project.  Orna shares the boardroom story that defined her understanding of crisis governance: her time on the board of HMV. As streaming and the Kindle hit the company's music and book businesses simultaneously, she takes us inside the boardroom as lawyers and bankers crowded in to assess whether the business could continue to trade. Orna makes a compelling case for why the best board members are playing chess, not draughts - thinking several moves ahead between meetings, not just turning up, reading the materials, and going home.  And she shares the story about an external board reviewer who spotted a groupthink pattern nobody inside the room had noticed. Orna previously served as Senior Independent Director at Saga and Bupa, non-executive director at Bank of Ireland UK Holdings, and spent nine years on the board of Royal Mail. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings.  Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn.  Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en.  This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:10) Crisis on the high street (09:50) When The CEO Fails (11:16) Chess not draughts (15:02) External Reviews

"I'm never on a board that says maybe. It's either yes or it's no. Yes is a much easier word to say. No is harder, but no is often the most important." This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast is Mike Soutar, entrepreneur, media executive, and star of the UK version of The Apprentice. He shares the boardroom stories that have shaped his career, including facing the board when the launch of a new business didn’t go to plan, how proper preparation helps him make better decisions, and how to effectively overcome groupthink. Mike argues that three major storms - AI, generational change in the workforce, and geopolitical instability - are hitting companies simultaneously, and that requires an evolution in how businesses are led. Mike co-founded Shortlist Media, and previously held senior leadership roles at iconic media brands including FHM, Smash Hits, and Kiss FM. He currently serves on the UK government's Board of Trade and as a non-executive director at Scottish Rugby and the V&A Dundee.  His new book, “Next Gen CEO: 60 Lessons for Leaders in an Uncertain World”, is out now. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings.  Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn.  Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en.  This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (06:52) Speaking Up and Prep (11:51) Shortlist Media Crisis (14:37) Leadership Is Changing (23:18) Strategy vs Tactics (26:25) First Board Meeting Advice

“If you're an outlier, it's not a very comfortable place to be.” This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast, powered by Sherpany, is Julie Baddeley, Chair of the Chapter Zero Alliance. Julie has sat on boards in executive and non-executive roles for 25 years across consumer, retail, financial services, and professional services.  She shares the boardroom stories that have shaped her career, including what it was really like to be inside the boardroom of a mortgage lender as the 2008 financial crisis unfolded. How she watched complex financial instruments get waved through by people who'd been in banking for decades, and decided to push back. She also shares the lesson she learned the hard way at a major food chain, where she pushed too early for vegetarian and healthy options, and why framing climate as business strategy, not activism, is what makes the difference. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings.  Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn.  Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en.  This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (04:24) Challenging Groupthink (09:07) Reframing Climate as Strategy (13:05) When Dynamics Break Down (18:56) Taking a Company Private

"Everyone talks about AI today. But I'm not really sure how many people still understand it." This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast, powered by Sherpany, is Devyani Vaishampayan, an independent non-executive director at Forvis Mazars, and RemCo Chair at a number of organisations, including NHS Supply Chain. Devyani is also an expert in AI, and cuts through the noise to ask the question many boards are still struggling with: what's hype, and what's a real business opportunity?  She shares the boardroom stories that have shaped her career, including the moment she joined an AIM-listed company as RemCo Chair, only to find herself, in her very first meeting, navigating a CEO resignation. She also takes us inside the NHS Supply Chain boardroom during a cyberattack, and explains what made the board's response effective.  Devyani previously spent more than 30 years as an HR director at companies including Rolls Royce, Citibank, and AT&T. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings.  Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn.  Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en.  This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction  (01:30) Cyberattack Crisis (05:14) AI Pressure on Boards (14:08) Chair CEO Dynamics (19:11) Be Brave Speak Up

"The most powerful tool I have at my disposal as chair of the risk committee is other people in the room." This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast, powered by Sherpany, is Terri Duhon, non-executive director and risk chair at Rathbones and the money transfer company Wise.  Terri shares the boardroom stories and insights that have shaped her career, including confidently walking into her first Morgan Stanley board meeting and realising within minutes that she was joining a conversation with years of history, a language full of acronyms, and a scope far broader than anything she'd mastered before.  She reveals where she believes boardroom pressure really sits, why the most powerful tool she has as risk committee chair is the other people in the room, and her pre-meeting technique that ensures different voices are heard in the boardroom. Terri began her career as a derivatives trader before becoming an entrepreneur, author, and board director. She served on the board of Morgan Stanley International for many years, is an ambassador for Women on Boards, and is a guest lecturer at the London School of Economics and Oxford University. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings.  Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn.  Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en.  This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (06:25) Acronyms and Asking Questions (12:30) What Makes A Great Chair (14:36) Dynamics, Diversity and Imposter Syndrome (17:09) Be Brave In Your First Meeting

"Companies don't go bust because they don't make profit. They go bust because they run out of cash." This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast, powered by Sherpany, is Simon Laffin, an experienced chairman, executive and non-executive director with 35 years of board experience.  Simon has served as chairman of the airline Flybe Group, healthcare real estate company Assura and gardening equipment firm Hozelock Group.  He shares the boardroom experiences that have shaped his career, including the emergency overnight meeting that decided the fate of thousands of jobs - and his reputation. He also reveals how experience has taught him to pay more attention to cashflow than profit, and that more time in the boardroom needs to be spent on considering risk. Simon is the author of “Behind Closed Doors: The Boardroom - How to Get In, Get On and Make a Difference”, and his new book, “Why Companies Fail” is out this autumn. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings.  Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn.  Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en.  This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:55) Flybe’s Cash Issues (08:34) Risk And Strategy (13:17) Think The Unthinkable (16:36) Diversity Beats Consensus

"Strategy used to be a plan. There are very few organisations that are stable enough now to have that five-year plan in a meaningful way." This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast, powered by Sherpany, is Didier Cossin, Chaired Professor of Governance and Finance at IMD Business School and Founder Director of the IMD Global Board Center.  Didier shares the boardroom stories and insights that have shaped his career, including facilitating a two-day board retreat that transformed a company's strategy and its board dynamics, bringing a disruptive board member's perspective into focus. He shares his view that AI and geopolitics have made board renewal an urgent priority, and why cybersecurity has moved from a committee-level concern to a full board matter. In Didier’s view, it is governance that will drive performance in a less-certain world. One of the world's leading authorities on corporate governance, Didier has worked with sovereign wealth funds, major pension funds, and organisations across the globe to improve board effectiveness, design, and dynamics.  He is the author of “High Performance Boards”, serves as Chairman at PNYX Group, and is President of The Stewardship Institute. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings.  Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn.  Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en.  This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction  (03:01) The AI Cyber Risk (07:21) Where Boards Fall Short (15:50) The Retreat That Changed Everything (18:11) Humility In The Boardroom

Boardroom Confidential, a podcast by Sherpany, is back for a second season with more business leaders revealing what really goes on behind the boardroom doors when the pressure’s on and the stakes are high. Communication specialist, former newspaper editor and board member Emily Sheffield takes senior business figures through three big agenda items: the boardroom pressure that tests every leader, the lessons learned around the table, and the dynamics that can make or break organisations. These are the stories that define companies and careers, and the stakes have never been higher. Subscribe or follow today on your favourite podcast platform to make sure you never miss an episode.  Brought to you by Sherpany, the meeting management solution for board, board committee and executive teams. Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany.

“A healthy boardroom is one where there is a vibrant sharing of ideas, where very few things are off the table.” This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast is Brian O’Kelley, a serial entrepreneur who has built and sold multiple companies throughout his career. Most notably, he co-founded AppNexus, a software platform that optimised programmatic online advertising, and was later sold to AT&T for $1.5bn. Brian shares the boardroom stories that have shaped his career, including being fired for opposing a sale, and trying to convince his board to “take on” a tech giant. He shares his views on what he feels the role of a board should be, the importance of assembling the right team, and why some setbacks can be a catalyst for growth. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings. Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (02:40) The Google Dilemma (07:20) The Importance of Pre-Meetings (13:10) Choosing the Right Investors (21:02) Embracing Failure and Adversity

“The amount of unknowns that I had on the table, I joked with my CEO at the time that we needed a bigger table.” This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast is Mark Williams, Chief Revenue Officer at Datasite Group, a company providing secure software solutions for managing the full spectrum of financial transactions. Mark has years of experience as a senior sales leader and, unlike our previous guests, Mark doesn't sit on a board, but his experiences in the boardroom have often come at the most crucial times for a business. He shares with us the boardroom stories that have shaped his career, including being thrust into a high-stakes board meeting at just 28 years old when a single deal could materially impact quarterly results for a public company. He talks about overcoming imposter syndrome through meticulous preparation, using preparation as a tool to overcome boardroom unknowns, the "one build rule" that transformed how he approaches board communications, and why understanding the people in the room is just as important as knowing your numbers.  He also shares his views on how AI is enhancing rather than replacing human connection in business, and why he is “bullish” about the positive impact the technology can have on business dealings in the near future. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings. Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: https://sherpany.com/en This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (01:31) Evolution of Data Rooms (04:39) Preparation and Support (06:15) Overcoming Imposter Syndrome (09:03) The One Build Rule: Effective Communication in the Boardroom (16:53) The Future of AI in Board Meetings

This week's guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast is Margaret Heffernan, author, entrepreneur, and professor at the University of Bath's School of Management. She shares with us the boardroom stories that have shaped her career, including running software companies during the dot-com boom, managing conflict at the top, and how a star of the screen showed great bravery to jolt a board into action. Margaret has been CEO of five businesses, served on numerous boards, and now chairs boards herself. She's authored seven books on business and leadership and has mentored chief executives for the past 15 years. Her TedTalks have attracted millions of views, including ‘Dare to Disagree’ and ‘Forget the Pecking Order at Work’. She talks candidly about being the only female in the boardroom, the systemic issues women still face in boardrooms today, and her disappointment that progress has stalled.  She also shares her thoughts on how to get the best from introverted board members, and her belief that executive teams flourish when allowed to take responsibility for making decisions. Links: Ted Talk: Dare to Disagree Ted Talk: Forget the Pecking Order at Work Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings. Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: https://sherpany.com/en This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction  (01:49) Early Internet Era Challenges (07:05) Repositioning the Business (16:41) Gender Dynamics in the Boardroom (24:16) Listening and Communication Skills (26:44) Crisis with a Hollywood Twist

“Match the board and the exec team with the level that you are at, it’s really important to have that chemistry and understand what you need from the board.” This week’s guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast is Roei Samuel, CEO and founder, as well as non-executive director and advisor to multiple boards. Roei says one of the biggest lessons he’s learned in the boardroom is that chemistry is more important than credentials: “At times it was really clear that although we may have had someone on the board early on who had been there and done it, it didn't necessarily mean they were right fit for the specific board that we had.” He also tells us how he thinks his behaviour when sitting on a board has developed over the years, saying he now “aggressively” tries to see things from other people’s perspective. And he talks about the “brutal” experience of sitting on a board where the CEO was engaged in illegal activity, and what it was like selling his first company at the age of 26. Roei says he is on a mission to lower the barriers to entry for those who want to build and scale a business. He's now the CEO and founder of Connectd, a platform that connects startups with experienced executives and advisors. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings. Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction (03:35) Forming the First Board (09:43) Challenges as an Angel Investor (12:04) Dealing with Boardroom Issues (16:36) Building Effective Boards

“I've learned the discipline of preparation. I put a lot of prep into any big meeting.” This week’s guest on the Boardroom Confidential podcast is Daphne Mavroudi-Chocholi, Managing Director of RNIB Enterprises, the for-profit arm of the British charity that serves people with visual impairments. She’s also sat on a number of boards at startups as an observer. Her previous roles include managing director of Vetz Petz, Head of Organisational Change at Barclays Bank Technology, and Chief Revenue Officer at Machine Vantage. Daphne has many years experience in working at the forefront of applying new technologies to marketing and communications.  Having relatively recently joined a board fulltime, she is the perfect guest to talk about what that transition is like and share the stories that are shaping her approach to board membership. Boardroom Confidential is brought to you by Sherpany, a leading meeting management solution, designed to meet the unique needs of the board, board committee, and executive meetings. Connect with Sherpany on LinkedIn Want to know more about us? Visit our website here: sherpany.com/en This is an 18Sixty production for Sherpany. CHAPTERS: (00:00) Introduction  (03:37) Transitioning to a Full-Time Board Member (07:36) Balancing Information and Decision-Making (12:25) Overcoming Imposter Syndrome (16:37) Navigating Boardroom Dynamics