governance

Governance as an enabler of board decision making

Governance as an enabler of board decision making

For many years, Corporate Governance was treated as a largely procedural discipline: necessary, important and seldom regarded as a source of Strategic advantage.

That assumption no longer holds.  From the vantage point of the Boardroom and the Executive office, it is clear that Governance has moved well beyond its traditional role.  In an environment defined by geopolitical volatility, economic fragmentation, technological acceleration, social scrutiny, cyber exposure and AI disruption, Governance is no longer a supporting function.  It is becoming a Core Discipline of Board Leadership.

Future Ready Boards: Helen Pitcher OBE on board challenges and ESG

Future Ready Boards: Helen Pitcher OBE on board challenges and ESG

Switched-on non-executive directors will ensure climate change remains on a board’s agenda.

The exciting world of the non-executive director (NED)! Just as you thought we were emerging from Covid, companies are thrown back into the choppy waves of ‘climate change, with a surge of motivated interest groups, governments and ‘woke’ investors. With plenty of isolation time to fill during the pandemic, COP26 and the plethora of climate change documentaries and shows became avid viewing.

Channelling Your Inner Greta

Channelling Your Inner Greta

Switched-on non-executive directors will ensure climate change remains on a board’s agenda.

The exciting world of the non-executive director (NED)! Just as you thought we were emerging from Covid, companies are thrown back into the choppy waves of ‘climate change, with a surge of motivated interest groups, governments and ‘woke’ investors. With plenty of isolation time to fill during the pandemic, COP26 and the plethora of climate change documentaries and shows became avid viewing.

Are you ready, willing and able to create a coherent and strategic narrative about the governance of your own company?

Are you ready, willing and able to create a coherent and strategic narrative about the governance of your own company?

The FRC (Financial Reporting Council) Review of Corporate Governance Reporting published in November 2021, continues to document the slow glacial creep towards better corporate governance reporting.

We have as Boards, a period of grace to ‘get our act together’ and improve the consistency and general standards of Board Reporting on governance matters in the Report and Accounts. Or it could it be taken out of our hands by the newly created Audit, Reporting and Governance Authority (ARGA).

The Report highlighted the lack of illumination of the Boards reporting on governance matters, with a patchwork of minimal, lawyer driven ‘what’s the least we have to say for this compliance point’. This contrasts against the FRC’s desire to see a coherent, integrated and strategic approach to governance development reporting.

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A new strategic direction for board directors

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A new strategic direction for board directors

Published in Governance, November 2017 Issue 279

Helen Pitcher argues that boards need to be opened up to wider thinking, diverse viewpoints, multifaceted experience and real-world engagement to make them increasingly relevant in a modern, dynamic business environment

Governance to reflect the times - 'They are a changing'

By Helen Pitcher

Anniversaries are useful markers, and even the happiest ones offer potential for both celebration and review. The wisdom of Sir Adrian Cadbury, who provided the basis for the UK’s Corporate Governance Code, has served us exceedingly well.

Board Dynamics and Why It Matters

When most people think about effective leadership of an organisation, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the executive team comprising of the C-Suite of roles along with any business critical functions and key directors holding those roles. But in the context of good governance, effective leadership depends on a well-tuned Board; a critical success factor to achieve this is healthy board dynamics.

Helen Pitcher: Is it time to blow up HR and build something new?

Helen Pitcher: Is it time to blow up HR and build something new?

By Helen Pitcher for HR Magazine

The Harvard Business Review (HBR) articles raise some good analysis of HR – even if collected under an incendiary title

The first article recognises that the Europe/UK context is different to the US and is undergoing a ‘paradigm shift’ at board level, with the board taking greater governance responsibility for key areas of the HR agenda that goes beyond the usual “people are our most important asset” statement.

As the HBR articles suggest, recognising the fundamental business context of companies is important and provides the backdrop for analysing the potential role HR can play in an organisation at any point in time.

Board responsibility – ‘a difficult balancing act’

Board responsibility – ‘a difficult balancing act’

Published in Governance, August 2015 Issue 254

A new Report looks at the increasing demands and pressures on non-execs, considers whether too much is expected from them and looks at increasing problems recruiting non-execs into the financial services sector.

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Non-Executive roles great, but in Financial Services? “No thanks”

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Non-Executive roles great, but in Financial Services? “No thanks”

New research suggests that ‘regulation creep’ is deterring NEDs looking at roles in Financial Services

Incoming regulations designed to make company boards more accountable for corporate failings could have a dramatic and damaging effect on the diversity on Britain’s biggest financial services businesses and the way their Boards are run, according to a new report.

Advanced Boardroom Excellence, a leading board effectiveness consultancy, and Tyzack Partners, the international executive search firm, are highlighting that the financial services sector could be in for a shock when it comes to recruiting new blood from 2016 onwards. 

The report, entitled ‘Walking the Tightrope of Board Responsibility – a Difficult Balancing Act’, suggests that the introduction of the ‘Senior Managers’ Regime’ next year could act as a deterrent to and lead to a narrowing of experienced and capable business people considering non-executive directorships at leading financial services companies.  

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The Board's Strategic Succession Imperative

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The Board's Strategic Succession Imperative

An article by Advanced Boardroom Excellence for Governance

First published by Governance, May 2014, Issue 239

Helen Pitcher argues that succession planning needs to be broader than simply board level appointments and should include identifying the talent pipeline within.

'… succession needs a 20-year horizon not the limited three- to five-year horizon that spans a typical CEO’s tenure. Interestingly, organisations that have focused in depth on such matters have had long-standing CEO’s, stellar performance and a clear and deeper focus on their talent, providing both formal development, stretch assignments and exposure to the board.'

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Who Evaluates the Evaluators?

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Who Evaluates the Evaluators?

An article by Advanced Boardroom Excellence for Governance

Helen Pitcher looks at the emergence of the external independent board evaluation market and a new draft Code of Conduct for the industry.

'Recognising true board effectiveness is not just a matter of governance, important though that is, but of addressing boardroom behaviour at an individual and collective level.'

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