Welcome to Engage Governance, the podcast series for CGIUKI
We are delighted to launch our new podcast series bringing you debate and discussion with industry leaders and future thinkers around the latest issues affecting the governance profession.
If you have any thoughts on our podcasts or if you have an idea for a topic that you’d like us to cover, please contact twilson@cgi.org.uk.
Listen and subscribe to Engage Governance podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more...
The evolution of AGMs
In this podcast Peter Fowler, Managing Director at Lumi UK, looks at how annual general meetings (AGMs) are changing. Peter believes the hybrid format is the most effective because it allows physical and virtual attendance and provides equal opportunity for all shareholders to participate and put questions to the board.
Collective intelligence
In this podcast, Jennifer Sundberg, Co-CEO of Board Intelligence, discusses her company’s theory of collective intelligence, which advocates moving away from superstar CEOs and board-centric decision-making to recognising the whole organisation’s potential to make great decisions.
ESG Reporting: Where to next?
In this podcast Daniel Roach, Senior Technical Lead at Company Matters, discusses the latest developments in ESG reporting.
How to have difficult conversations
In this podcast Sophie Paton-McDermott, a partner at Make Happy, explains how to approach and conduct difficult conversations. She argues that being skilled at having difficult conversations can make you more effective and advises being strategic about the conversations you have.
Rethinking conflict at work
In this podcast Alex Efthymiades, Director and Founder of Consensio, discusses workplace conflict. Alex argues we aren’t taught the skills we need to successfully navigate conflict; therefore, we avoid it because it feels uncomfortable.
The secretary bird: disarming danger
In this podcast Sharon Constançon, CEO of Genius Boards, offers advice for company secretaries and governance professionals on managing the challenges they face in their role, from gaining feedback and stretching themselves to learning tactics to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
All episodes
Episode 1 - The leadership lion
28 June 2022
In this podcast we are talking to Sharon Constancon, CEO of Genius Boards, about leadership in the boardroom. Read more
Episode 2 - Demystifying cryptocurrencies
29 June 2022
In this podcast, Andrew Horbury, Director at the School of International Financial Services, talks through the fundamentals of cryptocurrencies, NFTs, decentralised finance and the blockchain. Read more
Episode 3 - The convergence of IR and governance functions
30 June 2022
In this podcast Peter Fowler, Managing Director at Lumi UK, talks about how the relationship between the investor relations and governance teams has evolved. Read more
Episode 4 - Is there an elephant in the boardroom?
12 July 2022
In this podcast, Sharon Constançon discusses different tactics a company secretary or governance professional can use to help their board identify any unaddressed issues that are making it ineffective. Read more
Episode 5 - Getting menopause on the agenda
26 July 2022
In this podcast, Deborah Garlick, Founder of Henpicked and CEO of Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace, describes the realities of the menopause transition for women in the workplace. Read more
Episode 6 - The octopus: using EQ to unlock board effectiveness
09 August 2022
In this podcast Sharon Constançon, CEO of Genius Boards, discusses how to address issues that are impeding board effectiveness that aren’t always easy to identify. Read more
Episode 7 - Understanding IPO governance
23 August 2022
In this podcast Kerry Round, Founding Director of Round Governance Services, outlines how the governance of a company will change following an Initial Public Offering (IPO). Read more
Episode 8 - The dolphin: a caring communicator
20 September 2022
In this podcast, Sharon Constançon explains how company secretaries and governance professionals can use their communication skills to improve the effectiveness of the board, creating the perfect environment for decision-making. Read more
Episode 9 - The boardroom of the future
18 October 2022
In this podcast James Beasley, Senior Director at Nasdaq Governance Solutions, discusses the boardroom of the future. He considers how its directors will use what are currently emerging technologies to fulfill their duties and carry out their responsibilities more effectively. Read more
Episode 10 - Stakeholder capitalism and engagement
01 November 2022
In this podcast James Beasley, Senior Director at Nasdaq Governance Solutions, discusses stakeholder capitalism and its significance for businesses today. He argues that stakeholder engagement is the means by which to achieve stakeholder capitalism because it allows the business to understand different stakeholders and therefore act in their interests. Read more
Episode 11 - The wise owl: political awareness in the boardroom
15 November 2022
In this podcast, Sharon Constançon, CEO of Genius Boards, describes company secretaries and governance professionals as wise owls in the boardroom who use their influencing skills to defuse tension and allow conversations to remain logical and constructive. Read more
Episode 12 - Individual accountability beyond financial services
29 November 2022
In this podcast, James Beasley, Senior Director at Nasdaq Governance Solutions, discusses the concept of individual accountability, which was first developed in the financial services sector. Read more
Episode 13 - Verification: how to avoid making misleading statements
28 February 2023
In this podcast Patrick Skinner, General Manager for UK and Europe at Atticus, discusses the importance of the verification process in ensuring that statements included in regulated documents such as annual reports aren’t misleading. Read more
Episode 14 - Tackling ESG in the boardroom
14 March 2023
In this podcast Susan Stenson, a partner at Independent Audit, discusses the impact that environment, social and governance (ESG) issues are having in the boardroom. Read more
Episode 15 - Risk governance for a changing landscape
28 March 2023
In this podcast, James Beasley, Senior Director at Nasdaq Governance Solutions, discusses how organisations and boards can evolve their risk management practices in response to a changing risk landscape. Read more
Episode 16 - The secretary bird: disarming danger
22 June 2023
In this podcast Sharon Constançon, CEO of Genius Boards, offers advice for company secretaries and governance professionals on managing the challenges they face in their role, from gaining feedback and stretching themselves to learning tactics to avoid becoming overwhelmed. Sharon advises compartmentalising the noise of the role to gain control of it. She describes how to handle the inevitable left hook and the value of being the trusted expert who absorbs panic rather than creating it. Sharon highlights the power of conversation initiated by the governance professional to fix a broken relationship, as well as discussing how to own up to a mistake and how to avoid being seen as a ‘blocker’. Read more
Episode 17 - Rethinking conflict at work
15 August 2023
In this podcast Alex Efthymiades, Director and Founder of Consensio, discusses workplace conflict. Alex argues we aren’t taught the skills we need to successfully navigate conflict; therefore, we avoid it because it feels uncomfortable. However, Alex believes conflict can be positive, enabling us to clear the air and become more productive. She says it’s important to create a workplace environment where healthy conflict can flourish. This can be done by establishing psychological safety where everyone feels able to speak up without being punished. This is particularly important in the boardroom, where constructive challenge is needed to avoid groupthink. Read more
Episode 18 - How to have difficult conversations
05 September 2023
In this podcast Sophie Paton-McDermott, a partner at Make Happy, explains how to approach and conduct difficult conversations. She argues that being skilled at having difficult conversations can make you more effective and advises being strategic about the conversations you have. Sophie says it’s important not to put off tricky conversations and describes how reframing a conversation in your mind, as well as using breathing techniques, can help you cope. She says it’s natural to become defensive and/or emotional and advises naming emotions to achieve a constructive conversation. Sophie argues the best conversations happen in person when the timing is right. Read more
Episode 19 - ESG Reporting: Where to next?
05 December 2023
In this podcast Daniel Roach, Senior Technical Lead at Company Matters, discusses the latest developments in ESG reporting. The conversation covers both voluntary and mandatory ESG requirements, looking particularly at the new ISSB standards, the TNFD and the proposed changes to the UK Corporate Governance Code. Daniel discusses increasing investor pressure on companies in relation to ESG, why ESG matters to governance professionals, and how to decide which ESG standards to report against. He argues that understanding your stakeholders will help you identify the correct ESG focus for your business and that good ESG reporting is honest and transparent. Read more
Episode 20 - Collective intelligence
09 January 2024
In this podcast, Jennifer Sundberg, Co-CEO of Board Intelligence, discusses her company’s theory of collective intelligence, which advocates moving away from superstar CEOs and board-centric decision-making to recognising the whole organisation’s potential to make great decisions. In practice this means applying Board Intelligence’s core principles throughout a business not just in the boardroom. For example, asking simple questions to spark critical thinking. Jen says we need to rediscover our childhood tendency to ask questions and unlearn writing conventions that stop us communicating clearly. She adds that the approach is particularly important now when the ability to move fast and take quick decisions is what sets a business apart. Read more
Episode 21 - The evolution of AGMs
09 January 2024
In this podcast Peter Fowler, Managing Director at Lumi UK, looks at how annual general meetings (AGMs) are changing. Peter believes the hybrid format is the most effective because it allows physical and virtual attendance and provides equal opportunity for all shareholders to participate and put questions to the board. Hybrid meetings also allow the board to construct a more thematic Q&A session and give the company more opportunities to manage potential disruption from activist shareholders. Peter also describes how the move to virtual or hybrid meetings coupled with the priorities of the modern-day shareholder are refocussing the event on true business matters. Read more
Episode 22 - Making carve-out deals a success
26 March 2024
In this podcast, Ben Fielding, Head of Sales for Global Entity Management at TMF Group, talks about the challenges facing organisations in carve-out situations. Read more
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