Board Intelligence

We were delighted to invite the nominees in the Dame Helen Alexander "NED to Watch" category to breakfast this week. It was a privilege to bring together such an inspiring group. Now in its 20th year, the NED Awards are a benchmark for board excellence. Congratulations to this year's "NED to Watch" nominees: - Rosie Bailey, FIoC, Moonlight Energy - Alys Carlton, Football Association of Wales - Monica Collings OBE, Dalcour Maclaren - Kate Methuen-Ley MSc, Development Bank of Wales - Lisa Scott, Margetts Board Intelligence is proud to be a sponsor. We wish all the nominees the very best of luck. Discover the full shortlist here: https://bit.ly/4qytOmA

"The people in this room represent some of the most accomplished, dedicated, connected, and the people who are able to make the biggest change in the world because of their influence." Ann Hiatt, Chair at Board Intelligence and Consultant to Scaling CEOs, on the collective intelligence she found at our inaugural Board Intelligence Chair Summit — and why it matters. We're proud to have brought this community together. Thank you for being part of it, Ann. Explore insights from the day and register your interest for 2027: https://bit.ly/4afFtSs #ChairSummit

Thinking about upskilling and investing in yourself? In this fireside chat, Claus Aagaard, Chief Financial Officer of Mars and Chairman, shares his perspective on the growing knowledge gap facing many executives and board members today. In conversation with Helle Bank Jørgensen, GCB.D, NACD.DC, this fireside chat explored how sustainability is now embedded into everyday business operations at Mars - with 90% of its climate impact coming from supply chains rather than direct operations. Questions are also answered about becoming a non-executive director while maintaining sustainability priorities. Watch the full discussion here: https://bit.ly/3Lz9bZb

"It's been a pleasure being here this afternoon to be with the UK chair community to discuss what's going on in the world, how we introduce better governance through incentives, but also good leadership." Philipp Freise, Partner, Co-Head of European Private Equity at KKR, provides his thoughts on our inaugural Board Intelligence Chair Summit. Explore insights from the day and register your interest for 2027: https://bit.ly/4rliprK #ChairSummit

What are boards really looking for, and how can women position themselves for boardroom appointments? Our senior director, Megan Pantelides will be exploring exactly this at the IoD Women's Business Forum on 26 February. Megan is joining Renée Hunt, non-executive director at the Institute of Directors and former CTO of https://bit.ly/4apzUjd, and Sheila Ruiz, founding member of brave&bold and IoD Emerging NEDs SIG Member. They will be talking about the skills needed to lead at the highest level of governance, and the practical steps to get there. It's a packed day of conversations on leadership, tech, entrepreneurship and performance, all taking place at The View, Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. Find out more and register here: https://bit.ly/4rHOsBR

Less than half of directors believe their board papers add value. That's from research we've conducted with the The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland, drawing on over 1,000 responses. When we dug deeper, 68% of board members rated their packs as weak or poor. The most common barrier to better decisions? A third of directors point to the quality of information provided to the board. The issue isn't effort or expertise. Under deadline pressure, paper authors across organisations rarely have time to apply governance best practices consistently. This is what Report Writer was built to solve: AI that guides authors as they write, so papers arrive shorter, sharper, and more strategic. Want to see where your board reporting stands? Our self-assessment takes three minutes. https://bit.ly/403Scle

Most directors believe their boards could deliver greater value for their organisations. In this webinar, David Grayson CBE shares his experience and perspectives on how boards can maximise the value they bring to the boardroom. We also analysed insights from our latest Board Value Index research, which surveyed 333 directors from organisations with revenues exceeding £50 million across the UK, US, Canada, and GCC countries. The findings reveal a clear opportunity for improvement: while 33% of UK and North American directors and 48% of Middle Eastern directors view their boards as essential to value creation, the majority believe there is still significant untapped potential. Watch the full webinar and explore the findings here: https://bit.ly/4bIMWdL

How are boards tackling cybersecurity risk in 2026? As cyber threats escalate in 2026, boards need practical frameworks, clear roles, and response plans that actually work under pressure. Join us for a webinar exploring: → The board's role in cyber preparedness (and common blind spots). → Critical elements every cyber response plan must include. → How to shift from reactive crisis management to proactive risk oversight. Attendees will hear from Eddie Lamb, Global Head of Cyber, Hiscox, Ted Cowell, Head of UK Cyber Business, Incident Response, S-RM, and Megan Pantelides Director of Research, Board Intelligence. Register here: https://bit.ly/4an38z1

This morning, Sheila Drabble (née Houghton-Brown) from Board Intelligence and Moyra Corbett from Norman Broadbent Plc hosted a breakfast for CPOs exploring the move into non-executive careers. Lucinda Charles-Jones, an accomplished People Leader who has successfully built a portfolio career as a FTSE 250 Non-Executive Director and Chair of Remuneration Committees, and Tanya Gass, Partner and Head of Norman Broadbent’s Board Practice, led an honest and practical conversation. A few themes stood out. - The transition takes patience. It often takes 12 months or more to land that first role, and that's completely normal. Preparation matters more than speed: refining your board CV, clarifying what kind of business you want to join, and being deliberate about the narrative you take to market. - The skills that make a great CPO, such as coaching, constructive challenge, and navigating complex relationships, translate naturally to the boardroom. The challenge is demonstrating breadth beyond the people agenda. - For those considering the remuneration committee chair route, resilience, transparency, and the ability to make fair judgement calls under scrutiny came through as non-negotiables. Thank you to everyone who joined us. We'll be sharing more insights soon.

75% of workers use generative AI, but is it safe for the boardroom? Using generic AI on sensitive data is risky. However, the right tools can revolutionise your reporting process. We explore three safe, high-impact ways to use AI: from crafting perfect executive summaries to ensuring your papers aren't just "good news" fluff. Upgrade your board pack today. https://bit.ly/4a8G1rQ