Grit in the Boardroom - Executive Interviews on Corporate Governance and Risk Management

Trust isn’t a nice-to-have. It is an operating system for leadership decisions, boardroom decisions, and business resilience under real pressure. In this conversation, Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO of Beyond Governance, speaks with Douglas R. Conant, former CEO of Campbell Soup Company, and one of the most respected voices in strategic decision making and corporate governance today. This is one of those executive interviews that doubles as a masterclass in board effectiveness, risk management, and what it takes to rebuild trust when an entire workforce has lost faith.

Doug inherited Campbell at its lowest point: declining performance, damaged morale, and the worst employee engagement in the Fortune 500. Over a decade, he led one of the most celebrated turnaround stories in American business, proving that company culture change and commercial discipline are inseparable. He turned over 300 of the top 350 leaders, lifted engagement from the bottom of the Fortune 500 to among the best, and delivered top-tier shareholder returns, all while insisting that people come first.

As former Chairman of Avon Products, Doug also brings rare chair perspectives on navigating restructuring, boardroom dynamics, and the difference between leading through operational command and governing through influence. This director dialogue goes beyond familiar anecdotes into the harder judgement calls that define high stakes strategy.

[More information on Doug below.]

Together, Erika and Doug explore what leadership looks like when cynicism sets in, why growth under pressure demands both care and accountability, and how boards can know whether a CEO has the character for crisis.

What you'll find in this episode of Grit in the Boardroom:

Why being fired in 1984 became a crucible for Doug's entire leadership philosophy: the importance of honouring people at every level.

How boards should take shared ownership of culture rather than leaving it to the CEO or HR: governance lessons on stewardship that transcends any single tenure.

How boards should take shared ownership of culture rather than leaving it to the CEO or HR: governance lessons on stewardship that transcends any single tenure.

Why boardroom decisions about exits and restructuring reveal more about an organisation's values than its strategy documents.

How Doug ran a four-quadrant scorecard (financial, marketplace, culture, strategy) and paid executives on all four: a practical approach to board effectiveness.

The story behind 30,000 handwritten notes and why celebrating what works is a strategic decision making discipline, not sentimentality.

What happened when Campbell published employee engagement alongside shareholder returns: transparency, accountability, and business resilience.

Why the combined Chair/CEO model can work in certain contexts: flexibility over prescriptive corporate governance structures.

How boards can build genuine working relationships with management without crossing into operational territory.

What exceptional clarity looks like in a boardroom, and why tiptoeing and posturing fails everyone.

Douglas R. Conant is an internationally recognised business leader, former Fortune 500 CEO, and author of TouchPoints and The Blueprint. As President and CEO of Campbell Soup Company from 2001 to 2011, he transformed a struggling American icon into one of the most engaged, high-performing companies in the global food industry. He later served as Chairman of Avon Products, navigating the company through serious restructuring. Since 2011, he has led ConantLeadership, a mission-driven community helping leaders build trust, purpose and high-performance cultures. His work spans management case studies, c suite insights, and practical frameworks for leaders at every level. In 2026, he celebrates his golden anniversary of corporate work.



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Grit in the Boardroom is a bi-weekly podcast where Erika Eliasson-Norris sits down with the best in business for executive interviews. She and her guests explore corporate governance beyond the sealed doors of the C-suite.

As Governance Assessor for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, the largest public inquiry in UK history, Erika Eliasson-Norris is helping shape accountability, governance reform, and corporate oversight across the UK.

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Beyond Governance provides on-demand company secretarial support, governance advisory, and governance training to boards, Company Secretaries, and General Counsel. Beyond Governance help organisations strengthen governance, manage risk, and support critical projects without the need for permanent hires. Learn more here: https://beyondgovernance.com/

The strongest leadership is not inherited. It is built from nothing, in the moments where there is no precedent, no rulebook, and no culture yet written.

In this episode of Grit in the Boardroom, Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO of Beyond Governance, sits down with Juergen Maier CBE for an in depth executive interview on leadership decisions, institutional building, and what it truly takes to lead when the stakes are national. As founding Chair of Great British Energy, the UK's publicly owned energy company backed by £8.3 billion of public investment, Juergen built a national institution from a blank page, no staff, no offices, no governance framework, delivering an in-depth masterclass in high-stakes and business resilience.

[More information on Juergen below.]

Together, Erika and Juergen explore the c suite insights behind making boardroom decisions and strategic decision making when your shareholder is a politician with a manifesto, the tension between independence and accountability in state-owned governance, and why authentic leadership in crisis builds more trust than polished authority ever could. This is a director dialogue that moves from corporate governance principles to deeply personal conviction, offering governance lessons that every board needs to hear.

Drawing on 33 years at Siemens, a career shaped by cross-cultural complexity and the courage to speak publicly during Brexit when most CEOs chose silence, Juergen shares chair perspectives on strategic decision making, planned succession, the myths of neutrality, and how boards can either strengthen or erode trust through the decisions they make and the cultures they build.

What you'll find in this episode of Grit in the Boardroom:

Why building a national institution from nothing requires strategy, culture and corporate governance from day one, and how board effectiveness depends on the framework outlasting the founder.

How boardroom decisions and leadership decisions are made when your shareholder is a politician with a manifesto, and why clarity of purpose protects independence.

What 33 years at one company teaches about long-termism, risk management, and why the best management case studies are those where leaders stayed and built rather than moved on.

Why speaking out on policy, whether Brexit, industrial strategy, or governance failure, is a leadership responsibility, not a political act, and what silence costs when boards fail to challenge.

How company culture change starts when leaders show vulnerability, reject performative authority, and demonstrate that values matter more than performance alone.

Why trade union voices on the board strengthen corporate governance and ensure the worker's perspective shapes boardroom decisions at the highest level.

How planned succession and fixed-term chairmanships create better governance lessons for state-owned organisations and force leaders to build systems that outlast them.

Why hiding your authentic self for 15 years taught Juergen more about board effectiveness than any governance framework, and what changed when he stopped editing who he was.

How navigating cross-border complexity, competing masters, and cultural difference reveals the real mechanics of inclusion and strategic decision making under pressure.

Why growth under pressure demands both boldness and a clear purpose that people, boards, and stakeholders can rally around, and how turnaround stories are not always about rescue but about creation.

Juergen Maier CBE is the founding Chair of Great British Energy, the UK's publicly owned energy company established in 2024 with £8.3 billion of public investment. He is steering the organisation through its startup phase before handing the chairmanship to a permanent successor in 2026. Previously, Juergen spent 33 years at Siemens, rising from production engineer to CEO of Siemens UK and Ireland, where he championed industrial strategy, regional reindustrialisation, and inclusive leadership across a workforce of 15,000. He led the creation of the Made Smarter movement to accelerate digital technology adoption in UK manufacturing and the social enterprise vocL, which supports underrepresented business voices in finding confidence and platform. Born in Germany to Austrian parents, Juergen moved to Leeds aged 10 in 1974. He is openly gay and has spoken publicly about hiding his sexuality for half his career, offering one of the most honest management case studies on authenticity, business resilience, and the cost of self-editing in leadership.

Grit in the Boardroom is a bi-weekly podcast where Erika Eliasson-Norris sits down with the best in business for executive interviews. She and her guests explore corporate governance beyond the sealed doors of the C-suite.

As Governance Assessor for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, the largest public inquiry in UK history, Erika Eliasson-Norris is helping shape accountability, governance reform, and corporate oversight across the UK.

The strongest leadership is not built in comfort. It is forged in the moments where there is no playbook, no precedent, and no time to wait.



In this episode of Grit in the Boardroom, Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO of Beyond Governance, sits down with Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce CBE FKC for one of the most compelling executive interviews on leadership decisions, institutional trust, and what it truly takes to lead when the stakes are highest. As the first person of colour and first black president of the Law Society of England and Wales, Stephanie led one of Britain's oldest institutions through the pandemic, political upheaval, and constitutional reform, delivering a masterclass in high stakes strategy and business resilience.



[More information on Stephanie below.]



Together, Erika and Stephanie explore the c suite insights behind making boardroom decisions and corporate decision making with incomplete information, the early warning signs of boards losing their judgment, and why honest leadership in crisis builds more trust than polished silence ever could. This is a director dialogue that moves from corporate governance principles to deeply personal conviction, offering governance lessons that every board needs to hear.



Drawing on decades of experience across public bodies, regulatory organisations, management, and governance roles, Stephanie shares chair perspectives on strategic decision making, the myths of meritocracy, and how boards can either strengthen or erode trust through the decisions they make and the voices they choose to include.



What you'll find in this episode of Grit in the Boardroom:



Why making executive decision making and boardroom decisions with only 60% of the information requires flexibility, honesty, and the right voices in the room.



How boards lose their judgment when challenge disappears and collective responsibility becomes performative.



Why honest leadership decisions, including publicly admitting mistakes, build more trust than trying to control the narrative.



How corporate governance fails when organisations recruit in their own likeness and ignore cognitive diversity.



The early signs of board effectiveness breaking down and how silence in the boardroom signals deeper problems.



Why the independence of the legal profession matters to every board navigating risk management and ethical accountability.



How personal resilience and four attempts at the presidency shaped a leader who refused to be defined by barriers.



What boards can learn from corporate scandal about values, trust, and the cost of abandoning principles under pressure.



Why company culture change starts with asking who is in the room, who is missing, and whose voice is not being heard, and what that reveals about company culture.



How empathetic leadership and vulnerability can coexist with strength, decisiveness, and growth under pressure.



Dr. I. Stephanie Boyce CBE FKC DL is a solicitor, governance leader, and public servant who made history as the 177th President of the Law Society of England and Wales, the first person of colour and first black individual to hold the role. She led the organisation through an exceptionally demanding period including the pandemic, post-Brexit transition, and significant regulatory reform. Stephanie currently serves as Chair of The Solicitors' Charity, Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Honorary Professor of Law at King's College London, and Commissioner on the National Preparedness Commission. Her career is a management case study in leading with integrity, challenging assumptions about who belongs in positions of power, and using influence as service rather than self-advancement.

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Grit in the Boardroom is a bi-weekly podcast where Erika Eliasson-Norris sits down with the best in business for executive interviews. She and her guests explore corporate governance beyond the sealed doors of the C-suite.

As Governance Assessor for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, the largest public inquiry in UK history, Erika Eliasson-Norris is helping shape accountability, governance reform, and corporate oversight across the UK.

—

Beyond Governance provides on-demand company secretarial support, governance advisory, and governance training to boards, Company Secretaries, and General Counsel. Beyond Governance help organisations strengthen governance, manage risk, and support critical projects without the need for permanent hires. Learn more here: https://beyondgovernance.com/

The best boards do not just make decisions. They create the conditions
for strategic decision making, stronger challenge, and more effective
implementation.

In this episode of Grit in the Boardroom, Erika Eliasson-Norris,
CEO of Beyond Governance, sits down with Patrick Dunne OBE for one of the sharpest executive interviews with one of the UK’s leading voices on board effectiveness, corporate governance and leadership decisions. Patrick has the real chair perspectives having spent decades working with
boards, chairs, CEOs and investors through growth under pressure across
listed companies, private equity-backed businesses, charities and public
organisations, helping leaders navigate growth, transformation, risk and
complexity.

[More information on Patrick below.]

Together, Erika and Patrick explore the c suite insights about what separates effective boards from ineffective ones, how chairs can create environments where challenge is welcomed, and why the quality of decision-making often matters more than the decision itself.

Drawing on his experience working with thousands of directors and board
members throughout his career, Patrick shares practical insights into leadership decisions, governance lessons and the boardroom dynamics that shape organisational success.

What you'll find in this episode of Grit in the Boardroom:

Why the relationship between the Chair and CEO is critical to board
effectiveness.

How boards can create cultures that encourage challenge, feedback and
continuous improvement.

Why major boardroom decisions should be approached as a process
rather than a single event.

The difference between risk appetite and risk tolerance and why boards
often confuse the two in risk management.

How directors can improve strategic decision making through
better preparation and stakeholder engagement.

Why implementation failures can be just as damaging as poor leadership
decisions.

The role of emotional intelligence, listening and constructive challenge
in effective leadership.

How Next Generation Boards can improve governance, succession planning and organisational insight and business resilience.

What CEOs should consider before transitioning into a non-executive
director portfolio career.

Why board culture and meeting dynamics can have a significant impact on
organisational performance.

Patrick Dunne OBE is Chair of Board Delta and a recognised authority on board effectiveness, leadership and corporate governance. During more than two decades at 3i Group, he built one of the UK's most influential board development programmes, helping appoint and support thousands of directors across portfolio companies around the world.

He has advised organisations across the private, public and third
sectors, contributed to major governance reviews, and is the author of Boards, an award-winning guide to board leadership and effectiveness. Patrick is widely respected for his practical approach to governance, leadership development and helping boards perform at their best when the stakes are highest.

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Grit in the Boardroom is a bi-weekly podcast where Erika
Eliasson-Norris sits down with the best in business for executive
interviews. She and her guests explore corporate governance beyond
the sealed doors of the C-suite.

As Governance Assessor for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, the
largest public inquiry in UK history, Erika Eliasson-Norris is helping
shape accountability, governance reform, and corporate oversight across the UK.

—

Beyond Governance provides on-demand company secretarial support,
governance advisory, and governance training to boards, Company Secretaries, and General Counsel. Beyond Governance help organisations strengthen governance, manage risk, and support critical projects without the need for permanent hires. Learn more here: https://beyondgovernance.com/

The real test of leadership is not when everyone agrees with you. It is when your values are challenged, your corporate decision-making skills are scrutinised, and standing by your principles comes at a personal cost. In this episode, Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO of Beyond Governance, speaks with Professor Tariq Modood MBE, one of Britain's leading thinkers on multiculturalism, identity, citizenship and belonging. This episode is one of those executive interviews that doubles as a masterclass in business resilience: real governance lessons on leading through scrutiny, division and company culture change.



For more than three decades, Tariq has shaped national conversations on diversity, inclusion and social cohesion, helping policymakers, institutions and leaders navigate some of society's most complex and often contentious issues.

[More information on Tariq below.]

Together, Erika and Tariq explore what leadership looks like when navigating competing perspectives, public scrutiny and cultural change. They discuss the role of values in leadership decisions, the importance of dialogue over division, and why organisations must create environments where people feel heard without losing clarity of purpose.



What you'll find in this episode of Grit in the Boardroom:

Why standing by your values can sometimes come at a personal and professional cost.

How leadership decisions are shaped by identity, belonging and lived experience.

Why dialogue, persuasion and consensus-building are often more effective than confrontation.

The risks of neutrality when leaders and boards face difficult or controversial issues.

How organisations can balance diversity of viewpoints while remaining true to their values.

Why company culture can act as an early warning system for corporate governance and leadership challenges.

How leaders can remain calm, credible and effective under pressure.

The impact of social media on public discourse, organisational culture and leadership.

Why self-congratulation can create blind spots that limit organisational learning and growth.

Professor Tariq Modood MBE is a renowned sociologist, public intellectual and leading authority on multiculturalism, citizenship and national identity. As the founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship at the University of Bristol, his work has influenced public policy, academic thinking and national debate for more than thirty years.

Drawing on his personal experiences as an immigrant, academic and commentator, Tariq offers a thoughtful perspective on leadership, resilience and the challenges of building inclusive organisations in increasingly complex and polarised environments. His work continues to shape conversations around identity, belonging, governance and social cohesion both in the UK and internationally.

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Grit in the Boardroom is a bi-weekly podcast where Erika Eliasson-Norris sits down with the best in business for executive interviews. She and her guests explore corporate governance beyond the sealed doors of the C-suite.

As Governance Assessor for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, the largest public inquiry in UK history, Erika Eliasson-Norris is helping shape accountability, governance reform, and corporate oversight across the UK.

—

Beyond Governance provides on-demand company secretarial support, governance advisory, and governance training to boards, Company Secretaries, and General Counsel. Beyond Governance help organisations strengthen governance, manage risk, and support critical projects without the need for permanent hires. Learn more here: https://beyondgovernance.com/