1. What have you found most challenging as a board member?

Keeping out of the operational aspects of the business can sometimes be hard to do, but in the end, we are there to enable the business leaders to achieve their strategy, not make the decisions.

2. How did you become a board member? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I have been on a number of boards over the years. Each time I knew the business leader well and had supported them in some way before joining their board.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

Wake up, wake up kids, coffee, walk while listening to a podcast, check in with my team, review to-do list, make first calls, review inbox, start meetings, continue meetings, make end-of-day calls, spend time with kids, read, sleep.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

Know what you are good at and then surround yourself with people who have strengths where you have weaknesses.

5. What are some of the keys to doing governance well in a organisation?

Take a balanced approach to risk vs opportunity. Remove your ego from any advice or line of questioning.

6. How do you differentiate between the role of board member and the roles of CEO or executive team member of a organisation?

One is a leadership role. Setting strategy. and communicating.
The other is about asking (hopefully) insightful questions and supporting the leaders.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a board member so far?

It was not a formal board meeting but the leaders were very worried about the position of the company and the decisions they needed to make.

It was then that I really realised the role of a board member of a private business is more of a coach than that of pure governance.