BoardTalk UK

We are delighted to introduce the inaugural issue of BoardTalk, bringing you up-to-date insights, market trends, case studies and commentary from our Chair and NED community.

We hope you find BoardTalk to be a useful and interesting resource.

Events 
Key takeaways from the panel discussion

Events: NEDworking at Leathwaite, 1 May 2025

We recently saw our sixth Leathwaite NEDworking event held in our London office, where in addition to our usual panel discussion, we were delighted to be joined by Vivienne Artz OBE, CEO of the FTSE Women Leaders Review – the voluntary, government-backed, business-led initiative to set targets and report on progress of women's representation on boards at the top of British business.

Vivienne kicked off the evening by sharing some key findings from the review.

2025 report headlines

  • The number of women on FTSE 350 boards and leadership teams is increasing, with over 60% close to achieving the 40% target by 2025.  

  • The UK's largest private companies are keeping pace with public companies, and the UK leads in gender equality at the top of British companies.

  • Data shows 43% of FTSE 350 companies have women on their boards, compared to 31% of the largest private companies.  

  • In FTSE 350 companies, 16% of Executive Directors and 50% of Non-Executive Directors are women, while in the largest private companies, 29% of Executive Directors and 33% of Non-Executive Directors are women.

  • Comparing the percentage of women on boards across various sectors, Financial Services has the highest percentage and Automobiles and Parts, the lowest.

Holly Addison, Partner and Head of the CEO and Board Practice at Leathwaite led the panel discussion and Vivienne was joined by Vicky Gosling OBE, Helen Jones and Richard Phelps.


The speakers shared their personal journeys, many of which shared a sporting and leisure theme, and we delved into their insights and learnings – from the importance of adaptability, strategic foresight, open lines of communication, and alignment with policy, to what it takes to transform a dysfunctional board, the value of active listening, the role of regulators, and keeping the customer at the heart of decision-making.

Our sincere thanks to all our brilliant speakers for their inspiring contributions and to everyone who participated in the ensuing discussions.

Key take-aways

Click on each below to expand. 

The role of the Chair and Board leadership

The role of the Chair and Board leadership

  • A great chair understands individual NEDs’ strengths, motivations, and personalities, enabling better alignment and engagement.


  • Supporting new board members is vital; this means fostering a welcoming culture, providing context, and facilitating relationships.


  • Chairs must recognise which board dynamics they can influence and help NEDs accept and operate within those boundaries.


  • Balancing innovation with stability is a key leadership skill - knowing when to challenge the status quo and when to preserve it.

Diversity, inclusion and culture

Diversity, inclusion and culture

  • Diverse, values-led businesses are more resilient and agile over the long term.


  • Boardrooms have evolved from being homogeneous and hierarchical to spaces that must value all voices, not just the dominant or most technical ones.


  • Diversity on boards, including gender balance, socio-economic breadth and cultural representation, is essential, but must be meaningful, not tokenistic.


  • Boards should mirror the communities of employees and customers they serve in background and demographics.


  • Family-run businesses and international boards can face unique challenges due to informal structures and language barriers.

Onboarding, induction and alignment

Onboarding, induction and alignment

  • Many boards lack structured induction processes, leading to delays in new NEDs becoming effective.


  • Comprehensive onboarding, where the whole board shares how it operates, helps identify skill gaps early and aligns new members faster.


  • Unlike executive committees, boards often lack clear objectives and consistent onboarding, which can lead to missed opportunities and ambiguity.


  • Alignment between Chair and CEO is critical - clarity around roles, objectives, and values is more important than personal rapport.

Governance, risk, and discipline

Governance, risk, and discipline

  • Governance isn’t just about systems - it’s about people and behaviour. Unhelpful dynamics need to be addressed proactively.


  • Many companies fall short of the assumption they are “governance first”; legal and strategic awareness are key areas of focus.


  • Board materials need to be disciplined and timely - NEDs should have at least 10 days to review board packs.


  • A cautionary AI tale (Firefly minutes continuing post-meeting) highlighted the trust and governance risks of tech misuse.


  • While AI can enhance efficiency, especially in summarising documents, its ethical and cybersecurity implications must be carefully managed.

Board dynamics and relationships

Board dynamics and relationships

  • Strong boards build trust-based relationships between NEDs and executives through presence, transparency, and mutual respect.


  • Being fully present - devices down and focused - is essential to effective participation.


  • Social dynamics can ease tension and encourage healthy challenge, but early signs of mistrust should be addressed openly.


  • NEDs must clearly understand their remit to avoid derailment and conflict, and must add strategic value even if they’re not technical experts.

Final reflections            

Final reflections

  • NEDs are sometimes perceived as a “necessary evil,” but great NEDs bring rigour, balance, and external perspective.


  • Effective boards focus on the needs of customers and employees, not internal politics.


  • Representation, alignment, and trust-building are foundational to boards that lead with impact and purpose.

Our next event will be on 8 July. Please RSVP here, or reach out to will.sealy@leathwaite.com if you're interested in attending. 



Insights
Insights from the NEDworking community 

Insights from the NEDworking community

Click below to hear from our community. 


Leading strategy and succession - at the Same Time 

By Julia Hayhoe 

The Exceptional NED Training Programme Review

Shared by Calene van Zyl 

NEDworking 8 July 2025

Click here to register for the next event




About us
More about Leathwaite’s Board practice

More about Leathwaite’s Board practice  

Our global team brings extensive experience working with Chairs and Executive Committees, helping to evolve the future shape of boards and senior leadership teams, globally.

We specialise in identifying and connecting exceptional, transformative and diverse board members with market leading organisations around the world.  

With access to one of the most extensive global networks of senior corporate officer talent, we understand the need to diversify the make-up of boards and work with our clients to invoke meaningful change.


Meet the team

Meet the team

Click on the photos below to view their full bio.

Holly Addison

Partner, London

holly.addison@leathwaite.com

Neil Ejje

Founding Partner, London

neil.ejje@leathwaite.com

Hypatia Kingsley

Partner, New York

hypatia.kingsley@leathwaite.com

Sophie Barker

Consultant, London

sophie.barker@leathwaite.com

Will Sealy

Associate, London

will.sealy@leathwaite.com

Marie Boorman

Executive Business Support Specialist, London

marie.boorman@leathwaite.com

leathwaite.com




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