Enter the Boardroom

Betsy Atkins has sat on more than 38 public company boards, been through 17 IPOs, and has done it all while running three companies of her own.  She co-founded Ascend Communications and took it to a $23 billion acquisition by Lucent. She's also the author behind 'Be Board Ready' and 'Behind Boardroom Doors'. Tune in to this episode to learn more about: Why every board member should take the Hippocratic oath (01:28) The superpowers Betsy looks for in every executive (04:45) What she would do differently if she started her board career again (06:51) The day the FBI walked into Betsy’s boardroom (08:08) How she stress-tests a board candidate's character (12:47) The moment Betsy knew she had to leave HealthSouth (16:32) What happens when an AI agent goes rogue in your company (23:50) How to upskill a board that thinks AI is just a buzzword (28:49) How boards are using AI in the boardroom (33:36) What Betsy does differently to stay at the top of her field (35:27)⚡The Lightning Round⚡(37:23)
Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: podcast@nurole.com
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Gareth Penny spent 22 years at De Beers, joining the board in 2003 and serving as Group CEO from 2006 to 2010 during which he dismantled over a century of supply-side monopoly. From 2013 to 2022 he was Independent Chair of Norilsk Nickel, winning Russian Chairman of the Year in 2016, and from which he resigned following the invasion of Ukraine. Listen to this episode to find out more about: Why being the world's biggest diamond monopoly was almost worthless (01:52) The people inside a business are the last to see what's wrong with it (06:20) Governing a boardroom with a government, a corporate and a family in it (11:20) The advice Gareth gives any CEO about to reinvent their company (14:36) What a fit board and a great sportsman have in common under pressure (20:36) The secret to a calm boardroom (24:42) Why the chair should always be the last person to speak (27:21) How a board handles one of the worst oil spills in Arctic history (30:15) The board function Gareth thinks almost every company is missing (35:36) ⚡The Lightning Round⚡(37:55)
Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: podcast@nurole.com
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

The Rt Hon Justine Greening has served as Economic Secretary to the Treasure and later held three Cabinet posts. She left the Cabinet in 2018 to found the Social Mobility Pledge, now the largest business campaign of its kind with over 800 organisations covering more than eight million people. Tune in to this episode to hear about: The childhood lesson that drove Justine Greening into politics and the boardroom (01:48) What the England squad has to do with your hiring strategy (07:38) The three things every organisation can do on social mobility starting tomorrow (10:08) Social mobility isn't just for multinationals: here's what smaller organisations can do (18:29) Justine on corporate Britain's progress on social mobility (22:58) How to get your board to actually act, not just talk about it (27:34) Why getting the first NED role remains so difficult (37:59) The reason boards hire NEDs is rarely where they end up adding most value (39:58) ⚡The Lightning Round⚡(41:57)
Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: podcast@nurole.com
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Natasha Christie-Miller has spent her executive career building, transforming and ultimately selling some of the UK's most valuable B2B intelligence and media businesses. She was CEO of Emap and is now Chair of Sifted, the FT and PE-backed startup media business. Listen to this episode to hear more about: The 25-year decline nobody at Emap had spotted (01:33) The three pillars every CEO should focus on in sales (10:46) Why a board is like a personal trainer for CEOs (19:18) The grumpy, entitled board member who didn't last long (21:23) The one question Natasha says boards don’t ask enough (23:19) The four reasons people go to B2B events (27:07) Year one vs year five: what your churn pattern is actually telling you (33:05)⚡The Lightning Round⚡(34:41)
Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: podcast@nurole.com
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom

Karen Morton is NED on the boards of daa plc (which operates Dublin and Cork airports), Shaws Department Stores and Fanagans Funeral Directors, two of Ireland's most established family-owned businesses, and Golf Ireland. Listen to our this episode to learn about: What makes family business boards fundamentally different (01:05) The five moments that push a family business to finally get a board (07:25) Karen’s playbook for your first 90 days of joining a family business board (10:38) The hidden family dynamics that can derail board decisions (15:14) When doing the “wrong” thing commercially is actually right (19:40) How to navigate emotional boardroom deadlock (25:24) How to challenge the family while keeping trust intact (28:00) The most difficult boardroom challenge in a family business (33:12) What to do when a high-performing family executive is toxic (35:06) ⚡The Lightning Round⚡(39:36)
Host: Oliver Cummings
Producer: Will Felton
Editor: Penelope Coumau
Music: Kate Mac
Audio: Nick Kold
Email: podcast@nurole.com
Web: https://www.nurole.com/nurole-podcast-enter-the-boardroom