Practical Law

If you are looking to apply for a board vacancy, it is likely that you will be asked to send a covering letter alongside your non-executive director (NED) CV as part of the application process. This post will help if you are struggling to write one or are looking for guidance on “what good looks … Continue reading How to write a good NED covering letter →

NEDonBoard has recently analysed data and insights gained from our jobs board to assess the opportunities available to join the board of a social housing provider as a non-executive director (NED).

A board effectiveness self-assessment is an excellent way of improving the performance of the board and of individual board members. It can help identify the strengths of a board, any areas that need improvement and measures to achieve better performance.

In August, the dean of Harvard’s school of public health, Michelle Williams, called on companies to appoint public health professionals to their boards and C-Suite to help manage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may hang over businesses for years to come. Does such a call apply to UK boardrooms, their structure and the … Continue reading Is public health expertise needed in UK boardrooms? →

Boards and non-executive directors (NEDs) have a key role to play in helping organisations build more diverse and inclusive environments and workforces that are more representative of society. NEDs, chairs and nominations committees also have the power and influence to increase the number of under-represented groups in the boardroom, including professionals from BAME backgrounds.

Boards need to take steps to ensure that their organisations are equipped to address the risks, challenges and opportunities that have arisen from the COVID-19 pandemic. They should re-consider their board composition, review their succession plans and reflect on the skills and expertise that have been missing or need strengthening. Non-executive directors (NEDs) can play … Continue reading Boards must add skills and expertise to address the challenges and opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic →

The average age of non-executive directors (NEDs) serving on the top 150 FTSE boards was 60.6 in 2018, up from 59 in 2013 and 58.5 in 2008. This represents a 3.6% increase over a ten-year period according to the 2018 UK Spencer Stuart Board Index. NEDonBoard believes that there is a risk that having an … Continue reading Why boards should appoint younger non-executive directors →

The 2019 report of the Hampton-Alexander Review was published on 13 November 2019. This is the fourth annual publication of the UK government-backed initiative to improve gender diversity and balance in FTSE leadership. The report highlights two important facts.

NEDonBoard recently welcomed James Wates CBE, chair of the Wates group and the chair of the coalition group for the Wates Corporate Governance Principles for Large Private Companies (the Principles), to an event promoting the Principles. The discussion was chaired by Clare Chalmers, an experienced board effectiveness reviewer and NED, and was introduced by Ben … Continue reading Wates Corporate Governance Principles for Large Private Companies →

There are many reasons why professionals and business leaders should consider the transition to a non-executive career. Here are our top ten benefits of becoming a non-executive director (NED).

To discuss board best practices in the oversight of internal audit by the audit committee and the board, NEDonBoard recently welcomed: Kathie Child-Villiers. SID and chair of the audit committee of Utilitywise, NED at Bank of Montreal Capital Markets Ltd and chair of the board of Constantine Group Ltd. Kathie is a former corporate finance … Continue reading Best practices for the audit committee and the board in the oversight of internal audit →

On 22 January 2019, Patisserie Valerie announced that it had failed to secure an extension to its lending facilities and that it was to enter administration. Patisserie Valerie is the latest high-profile company to collapse because of fraud and inaccurate data. The case raises some of the same issues as the failure of Carillion, namely: … Continue reading Collapse of Patisserie Valerie offers some key lessons for non-executive directors and board members →

Towards the end of last year, Thomson Reuters hosted a NEDonBoard expert panel event on the key learnings from the collapse of Carillion. The panel was chaired by Olivier Garrigue, experienced Chairman and CEO, and included the Reuters journalist, Kate Holton, and Giles Boothman, a partner and restructuring lawyer at Ashurst. Lucinda Case, Managing Director … Continue reading Key learnings from Carillion’s collapse →