Beyond Governance: Understanding Human Performance in the Boardroom | Simon Laffin, Chair & NED

More from The Better Boards Podcast Series

1. 

   S6 · E162 · 3 Oct 2026 · 23 min

   Beyond Good Intentions: How Should a Board Oversee Ethics? | Vera Cherepenova, Chair & NED

   Send us Fan Mail Boards say ethics matter, but many still lack a firm approach to ethical issues. Learn what works in today’s volatile environment to bring ethical judgment to business decisions, strategy, risk, and performance conversations. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, is joined by Vera Cherepanova. Vera serves as chair, director, and ethics advisor to global professional bodies, corporations, and international nonprofits. She b...

2. 

   S6 · E161 · 17 Sep 2026 · 24 min

   The First Mandate is the Hardest | Katia Ciesielska, NED

   Send us Fan Mail A board career as a young, independent director? It is possible, even without executive experience. Learn what works to earn appointments, how to structure a portfolio of positions, and key lessons for ongoing success. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, is joined by Katia Ciesielska. Katia is an independent non-executive director and corporate governance adviser based in Luxembourg. Over the last eight years, she has bu...

3. 

   S6 · E159 · 20 Aug 2026 · 22 min

   The Cold Handshake: Why Boards and Management Do Not Connect on Cyber | Dr Maya Bundt, Non-Executive Director and President of Switzerland’s National Cyber Strategy

   Send us Fan Mail Cybersecurity is a top risk for organisations, yet many boards feel poorly informed. At the same time, executive teams feel they are reporting into a void. The reasons behind this ongoing disconnect bear close examination. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner of Better Boards, is joined by Dr Maya Bundt. Maya is a board Director and cyber risk expert based in Zurich. She serves as a Non-Executive Director on the boards of listed Swiss comp...

4. 

   S6 · E158 · 6 Aug 2026 · 21 min

   When Experience Isn't Enough: Governing in a World Without Precedent | Dorothy Burwell, Senior Advisor, FGS Global

   Send us Fan Mail Rapid global change has created an unprecedented landscape. Many Boards have fallen into a reactive mode. A new research report from FGS Global highlights the challenges and offers insights to help boards govern with confidence again. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Dorothy Burwell. Dorothy is Global Head of Board Advisory at FGS Global, a board director herself at Post Holdings and Pennon PLC, and co-author of A Hard Jo...

5. 

   S6 · E157 · 16 Jul 2026 · 23 min

   The Leadership Blind Spot in the Boardroom | David Grossman, CEO, The Grossman Group

   Send us Fan Mail New research suggests the biggest leadership risk right now may not be bad leaders — it’s “good” ones. In fact, good leaders are both the problem and the solution: they already have the fundamentals, but they haven’t adapted to what employees need from leaders today. A study of 2,206 U.S. employees, conducted by The Grossman Group with The Harris Poll, found that 54% rated their senior leader as “good.” Yet those same employees report three consistent gaps: they don’t feel va...

6. 

   S6 · E156 · 2 Jul 2026 · 20 min

   From Family Table to Board Table - Effective Governance in Family-Owned Retail Businesses | Prof Dr Philipp Hoog, Partner, BBE Handelsberatung

   Send us Fan Mail While we often think in terms of large, listed corporations, family firms account for some 70% of global GDP and 60% of global employment. They are key drivers of innovation, entrepreneurship, and long-term value creation, and effective governance of family firms warrants serious attention. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Prof. Dr. Philipp Hoog. Philipp is a Partner at BBE Handelsberatung, a leading German consultancy sp...

7. 

   17 Jun 2026 · 32 min

   Selecting the Chair: Governance Lessons from the US and the UK | Susan Skerritt, Non-Executive Director

   Send us Fan Mail Selecting the Chair: Governance Lessons from the US and the UK Chair succession is handled differently in the US and the UK. However, both approaches have merit, and there are key principles that matter regardless of geography. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Susan Skerritt. Susan is a Non-Executive Independent Director on the boards of Citibank Europe PLC, Tanger, Inc., and IG Group PLC. She previously served on the boa...

8. 

   S6 · E156 · 4 Jun 2026 · 17 min

   Beyond the Obvious: How to get Chair Succession Right | Louise Angle, Senior Managing Director, Teneo

   Send us Fan Mail Chair succession is a pivotal moment for boards. It presents an opportunity to reflect on the organisation's future needs and steer it forward strategically. For this reason, organisations must proceed carefully in their Chair searches, eschewing the obvious in favour of what’s truly needed. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Louise Angel. Louise is Senior Managing Director at Teneo and a leading board headhunter, specialis...

9. 

   S6 · E155 · 21 May 2026 · 28 min

   From Awareness to Architecture: How Boards Can Build a Geopolitical Risk System | Colin Reed, Chief Intelligence Officer, Clock&Cloud

   Send us Fan Mail Once boards prioritise managing geopolitical risk, how can they successfully move from diagnosing a problem to designing a plan of action? In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is once again joined by Colin Reed, Chief Intelligence Officer at Clock&Cloud, a software startup transforming how large enterprises manage geopolitical risk. Colin brings his experience as a US intelligence analyst and as the architect of Salesforce’s ge...

10. 

    S6 · E154 · 6 May 2026 · 24 min

    Boardrooms and Battlegrounds: Closing the Geopolitical Risk Gap | Colin Reed, Chief Intelligence Officer, Clock&Cloud

    Send us Fan Mail Many boards treat geopolitics as background noise, leaving their companies exposed to unnecessary risk. Smart boards take a different approach, closing the gap and treating geopolitical risk with the same rigour as financial, cyber, and regulatory risks. In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Colin Reed. Colin is the Chief Intelligence Officer of Clock&Cloud, a software start-up transforming how large enterprises manage geopoliti...

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