The Boardroom Issue

Chairman’s letter

Decades ago, the boardroom felt like a cozy, wood-paneled club for the rich and powerful. Today, there is no safe haven, and boardrooms are under scrutiny from almost every one of their stakeholder groups.

By Sir Alan Parker
18 April 2016

The boardroom issue

When discussing “the boardroom,” we are in fact talking about many thousands of boards, each shaped by different cultures, industries, and political and regulatory environments.

By Susan Gilchrist
18 April 2016

Global board trends

Board members must adapt or risk becoming obsolete, says Spencer Stuart’s Edward Speed

18 April 2016

Sympathy for the devil

Business lawyer and academic Siobhan Sweeney says all boardrooms need a “contrarian” director to challenge the majority view

18 April 2016

What don't you know about cybersecurity?

Boards need the best information. For that, they need to know the right questions, say Brunswick’s George Little and Sofia Mata-Leclerc

By George Little
18 April 2016

The view from outside

Osamu Nagayama leads the board of two companies, to the benefit of both, he tells Brunswick’s Daisuke Tsuchiya

By Daisuke Tsuchiya
18 April 2016

Confessions of a serial board director

Sarah Hogg, the first woman to chair a FTSE 100 company, recalls some tricky times at the top table

18 April 2016

The power of two

Pedro Moreira Salles tells Brunswick’s Marcos Caetano how the merger that created Brazil’s Itaú Unibanco involved sacrificing control for the greater good

18 April 2016

What we talk about when we talk about diversity

The most progressive business leaders see the benefit of a broad definition, says Brunswick's Jon Miller

By Jon Miller
18 April 2016

Open For Business

Open, diverse and inclusive societies are better for business, economies and individuals. By Brunswick’s Jon Miller and Lucy Parker

By Jon Miller
18 April 2016

Training tri-sector athletes

Society needs leaders confident in the nonprofit, government and business worlds, says Brunswick’s Nick Lovegrove

18 April 2016

Mind games

Social dynamics that embrace a variety of personality types can be critical to a board’s success, say Brunswick’s Robert Moran and Sarah Salky

By Robert Moran
18 April 2016

The nonprofit life is no party

A board seat on a nonprofit used to be more of a social function. Today it is all business, says Brunswick’s Lisa Singleton

18 April 2016

Welcome to the new math, Mr Bezos

A change in a Harvard Business Review calculation shows how society is redefining leadership for the 21st century, says Editor-in-Chief Adi Ignatius

18 April 2016

Goodbye, old boys club

The key to filling board seats with the right people is to look beyond the usual suspects, says Justus O'Brien of search firm Russell Reynolds

18 April 2016

Africa's lion at large

Former Reserve Bank Governor Tito Mboweni tells Brunswick’s Marina Bidoli how corporate responsibility is reshaping boards and the global economy

By Marina Bidoli
18 April 2016

For women, the work is not yet done

The 30% Club has dramatically increased the representation of women in boardrooms, says Brunswick’s Dania Saidam but its successes are not enough

18 April 2016

Ushers of diversity

Nominating committees can determine the pace and success of gender equality at a company, says Brunswick’s Ginny Wilmerding

18 April 2016

A look at the numbers

Research by executive search firm Spencer Stuart finds that women are gaining seats on the board, but are still under-represented at senior executive levels

18 April 2016

Quality versus quotas

Legislation across Europe has added women to boards, but is no panacea, say Brunswick’s Annalisa Barbagallo and Mikael Isaksson

18 April 2016

Tech can tackle diversity head-on

The talent is already there, and Silicon Valley has the tools to put more women on boards, says entrepreneur Sukhinder Singh Cassidy

18 April 2016

Tilting the gender scales

The United Arab Emirates has taken a strong lead in Middle East efforts to put women in leadership roles, say Brunswick’s Heather Salmond and Jeehan Balfaqaih

By Heather Salmond
18 April 2016

One seat offers a view of India's future

Regulatory efforts have made a controversial start to reforming the gender balance on boards, says Brunswick’s Azhar Khan

By Azhar Khan
18 April 2016

Answering to a higher authority

Islamic finance has grown into a $1 trillion practice with its own compliance sector. Brunswick’s Hassan Fattah and Tasha Young examine how Shariah has taken a seat at the board table

18 April 2016

No risk, no reward

As the pace of change increases, says Control Risks CEO Richard Fenning, so does the need to manage our fear

18 April 2016

Sustainability and corporate citizenship

Companies in China are racing to shape strategy around social needs, say Brunswick’s Lu Jianzhong and Tong Zhao

18 April 2016

Foundation of equality

Ford Foundation President Darren Walker is throwing down the gauntlet to business to join organizations like his and tackle the really big issues

18 April 2016

Battle for a healthy reputation

Public distrust of the drug industry requires a new approach to communications, say Brunswick’s Charis Gresser and Gabrielle Silver

By Charis Gresser
18 April 2016

Tale of two cities

Berlin is an example of a classical European cultural hub, while West Kowloon in Hong Kong is a modern story of artistic commitment and urban planning. Here, we speak to cultural ambassadors from both

By David Lasserson
18 April 2016

Good Samaritan

When Banco Espírito Santo was split up and its toxic assets jettisoned, Eduardo Stock da Cunha was parachuted in to rescue the “good” bank. Then things got complicated…

By Alexandra Abreu Loureiro
18 April 2016

Believe in unicorns, not the hype

The lure of a $1 billion-plus valuation can entice startups to overpromise – with disastrous consequences, say Brunswick’s Amanda Duckworth and Eric Savitz

18 April 2016

Opus focus

Composer George Crumb's scores suggest the mysteries within music, says Brunswick's Carlton Wilkinson

18 April 2016

Cutting across the sexes

Kathryn Sargent, the first female Head Cutter on Savile Row, interprets the language of business dress for Brunswick’s Patrick Handley

By Patrick Handley
18 April 2016

Critical moment

In 1903, the Wright brothers succeeded in building and testing the first powered glider capable of sustained flight. Yet their achievement remained unrecognized for more than four years

18 April 2016

The Boardroom Issue

Chairman’s letter

The boardroom issue

Global board trends

Sympathy for the devil

What don't you know about cybersecurity?

The view from outside

Confessions of a serial board director

The power of two

What we talk about when we talk about diversity

Open For Business

Training tri-sector athletes

Mind games

The nonprofit life is no party

Welcome to the new math, Mr Bezos

Goodbye, old boys club

Africa's lion at large

For women, the work is not yet done

Ushers of diversity

A look at the numbers

Quality versus quotas

Tech can tackle diversity head-on

Tilting the gender scales

One seat offers a view of India's future

Answering to a higher authority

No risk, no reward

Sustainability and corporate citizenship

Foundation of equality

Battle for a healthy reputation

Tale of two cities

Good Samaritan

Believe in unicorns, not the hype

Opus focus

Cutting across the sexes

Critical moment

Issue Credit