Enter the Boardroom with Nurole

Adam Warby is Chair of Ocado Group and CEO Emeritus of Avanade. Previously, he was Chair of Heidrick & Struggles and Chair of Softwareone. Listen to this episode to understand Adam's thoughts on: When CEOs should hold their ground against the board (01:01) Lessons from coming in as the first CEO after the founder (04:54) When it’s time to refresh your company values (07:34) What boards get wrong about CEO succession (12:45) What comes after leading a 38,000-person business (16:47) Compensation:The hidden problem with partnership reward models (18:31) Why boards should have internal and external CEO candidates (21:12) The moment Adam was voted off the board as chair (24:47) The importance of understanding shareholder intentions (26:37) What success looks like on the Ocado board (32:30) Where does a chair's authority really come from? (36:16)⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(37:25)

Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Sim Scavazza is NED at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, Vice Chair of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and Deputy Chair of the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West NH Integrated Care Board. Listen to this episode to hear about: Leading through a 50% cost reduction (01:05) The human side of cutting costs (03:36) Common mistakes when communicating redundancies (09:36) Creating shared culture after a merger (12:58) The importance of time discipline in high-pressure moments  (17:20) Where boards get inclusion wrong (23:34) How Sim built a portfolio career in the NHS (29:24) How to approach an NHS board interview (33:42) The financial reality of NHS board roles (35:17)⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(39:47)

Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Neil Johnson OBE is Group Chair of QinetiQ. Formerly, he was CEO of the RAC, and began his career in the British Army. Listen to this episode to hear about: The three boardroom experiences that most shaped Neil as a board member (01:450) What trade union battles taught Neil about leadership under pressure (04:03) Bringing military command experience into the boardroom (09:47) Prioritising time with people on the ground over board papers (13:47) Firing the chair: inside the RAC boardroom crisis (17:00) How disengaged boards lose touch with reality (24:09) Imposter syndrome at board level (29:38) Deep dive: Neil’s time as Chair of Qinetiq (30:52) Why chairing a board is like managing a football team (34:09) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(38:38)
Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Maria Molland is former CEO and Board Member of Thinx, the feminine hygiene company, acquired by Kimberly Clark. She is an Executive in Residence at Frazier Healthcare Partners. Tune in to hear Maria's thoughts on: Her first days as CEO (01:15) Lessons from her 90-day plan as a new CEO (05:37) Making the case for HR investment early on (10:54) Where the board misallocated investment when scaling (16:35) A framework for deciding where to invest (20:09) The trade-offs of taking capital from a strategic partner (23:08) The benefits of having someone with the CEO’s ear (28:54) What surprised Maria most on the path to exit (30:58)⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(34:18)

Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Lubomila Jordanova is co-founder and CEO of Plan A, recently acquired by Diginex, Co-Founder of Greentech Alliance and Advisory Board Member at the European Investment Bank and Chloé. Tune in to hear her thoughts on: The best and worst moments that shaped Lubomila’s boardroom approach (03:00) How and when to create a board with complex stakeholders (04:44) How external board positions have helped Lubomila navigate her own board (11:27 The biggest challenges Lubomila has faced with her board (13:27) How geopolitics impacts board discussions (15:24) How boards can create a safe space for founders to raise personal issues in the boardroom (18:53) Deep dive: one board discussion that changed the direction of the business (25:12) How boards should evaluate a partnership strategy (27:04) The key relationships founders and CEOs need to build (30:43) The biggest mistake boards make on sustainability (40:23) ⚡The Lightning Round ⚡(42:39)

Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom