Helen Pitcher OBE

Announcement: KidsOut has today announced that Helen Pitcher OBE has stepped down as the charity’s Chair

Announcement: KidsOut has today announced that Helen Pitcher OBE has stepped down as the charity’s Chair

Announcement 

KidsOut has today announced that Helen Pitcher OBE has stepped down as the charity’s Chair.

Helen’s stellar contribution to the charity began over 30 years ago when KidsOut was very much in its infancy. Since that time, she has fulfilled a wide variety of senior roles in the organisation, and was a long-standing Trustee, Chair of the Board, and ex officio President. During her tenure, the charity has grown significantly, both in terms of the number of children it supports as well as the breadth of services that KidsOut provides throughout the country.

Navigating Change: Insights for Public Leaders in Evolving Landscapes

Navigating Change: Insights for Public Leaders in Evolving Landscapes

Amidst substantial shifts in public service delivery following recent government changes, the Public Chairs’ Forum (PCF), pledges unwavering support for leaders. Dedicated to facilitating conversations and collaborations, PCF aims to assist leaders in navigating these changing landscapes.

AI and The Board, a Take-Over or Liberation?

AI and The Board, a Take-Over or Liberation?

AI and The Board, a Take-Over or Liberation?

The search for Board Effectiveness is often an elusive one.  It is highly specific to the Company, the sector it is in, the business challenges it faces, the Board Chair and the history of the Board, to mention but a few of the contextual factors impacting on a Board’s performance. 

Creating a Dynamic and Adept Board Leading a Resilient and Responsive Business

Creating a Dynamic and Adept Board Leading a Resilient and Responsive Business

Creating a Dynamic and Adept Board Leading a Resilient and Responsive Business

As Boards scan the strategic horizon there are plenty of threats and dilemmas to be faced.  The likelihood of one crisis or another impacting on the business is high, with threats from: pandemics, wars, financial crisis, environmental crisis, political turmoil and technological disruption.

Boards need to continue to think long and hard about how they can ensure that their businesses are resilient and responsive.

How can a Board respond to these challenges?  Critically before starting to dapple with the business, some self-reflection may be necessary, evaluating what shape the Board is in to face the future.  A number of key areas for evaluation on ‘fit for purpose’ are.

The Independent External Board Review Scorecard.

The Independent External Board Review Scorecard.

Independent External Board Evaluations every three years became a key element of the 2010 Governance ‘Code’. Since then, there has been a growing development and focus on the Board as an independent entity. The ‘2010 Code’ stimulated an increased depth of Board effectiveness evaluation across the FTSE 350 and allied companies and organisations who now use the ‘Code’ as a benchmark of governance excellence. 

Overboarding to Wholeboarding!

Overboarding to Wholeboarding!

We are seeing more and more discussion, debate and concern about the concept of ‘Overboarding’ in the Boardrooms of our Businesses, Enterprises and Organisations. This is essentially a question of capacity, does the individual sitting on the Board have the ability to effectively contribute to the oversight and strategy of the Business- Enterprise.

It is a good question and an emerging one as the Fund managers, Shareholder Advisors and Compliance Index compilers seek to provide data and information to enable informed ‘voting’ choices on the effective make-up of a Board. This data availability has been used to particular effect on the question of climate change readiness, where individual directors have been voted down due to their lack of climate change credentials. It focuses more attention on the make up of the Board.

An Annual Burst of Enthusiasm For The New Year

An Annual Burst of Enthusiasm For The New Year

As a regular contributor on the January ‘Pipeline Top Flight’ flagship Leadership programme for senior female executives targeting at CEO, COO, CFO and other senior leadership roles.  I come away with a refreshed sense of what can be accomplished and a determination to support the further achievement of women to the senior levels of our companies, organisations and Boards.  It is my annual visible glimpse of the talent pool awaiting to be released on to our Boards. 

On the programme we collectively ‘dived’ into the world of Boards, to better understand what Boards need and the role the individual can play.  This enables the participants to understand what drive Boards and to target the senior leadership roles which support the Board with more precision.

Tips for making it to the TOP

Tips for making it to the TOP

The drain of talented women from the executive ranks is appalling and hits at the fundamental bedrock of our talent pool of candidates to participate on and run our Boards.

As a regular contributor to the ‘Pipeline Top Flight’ leadership programme, I see a stream of talented women who are fortunate to have been supported by their organisations to get impactful strategic learning and guidance on making it into the top Executive, CEO, COO and CFO roles of our businesses and organisations and to improve their retention in those roles. 

Helen Pitcher advises HRDs to take a structured approach to career planning in 2017

By Helen Pitcher for HR magazine

January is as good a time as any to reassess life and career goals. However, as with nearly all New Year ‘resolutions,’ it is important to ensure it is not a seasonal ‘flash in the pan’.

What is more conducive to effective career planning is a six month rolling review of whether you are achieving your stated goals. This however implies that you have taken time, soundings and articulated your stated goals in the first place! And that you do not review your goals achievement in isolation, but use a trusted mentor, coach or experienced friend to walk through progress and obstacles.

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