The Women’s Business Council and the Men as Change Agents (MACA) working group launched their MACA toolkit on April 9th from Number 10 Downing Street. The MACA toolkit provides ideas for business leaders to drive towards gender balance in their teams and close the gender pay gap and foster equality in the workplace.
The art of board effectiveness: Structure, strategy and healthy dynamics make for better boards and better business
By Helen Pitcher OBE for Ethical Boardroom : Spring 2017
In the 25 years since the Cadbury Report on corporate governance, how have boards been doing? Are boards able to understand and analyse what makes them effective and successful? Can they articulate and illuminate the characteristics of an effective board?
Helen Pitcher advises HRDs to take a structured approach to career planning in 2017
By Helen Pitcher for HR magazine
January is as good a time as any to reassess life and career goals. However, as with nearly all New Year ‘resolutions,’ it is important to ensure it is not a seasonal ‘flash in the pan’.
What is more conducive to effective career planning is a six month rolling review of whether you are achieving your stated goals. This however implies that you have taken time, soundings and articulated your stated goals in the first place! And that you do not review your goals achievement in isolation, but use a trusted mentor, coach or experienced friend to walk through progress and obstacles.
Board Dynamics and Why It Matters
When most people think about effective leadership of an organisation, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the executive team comprising of the C-Suite of roles along with any business critical functions and key directors holding those roles. But in the context of good governance, effective leadership depends on a well-tuned Board; a critical success factor to achieve this is healthy board dynamics.
Merging Boards: An Art or a Science?
Board mergers, usually come as a ‘package’, based on the joining of two, or occasionally more organisations. In working with client Boards who recognise the challenges this creates, we have been able to support the merged Board to rise above this potential legal quagmire, and to focus on behavioural goals of board effectiveness, to provide leadership and ‘signal’ to the organisation an integrated future.
Taking Silk: Quinn, Gibson and Freshfields heavyweights among new QCs in 107-strong round
by Sarah Downey for Legal Business, 11 Jan 2016
A trio of City heavyweights has been appointed among 107 new Queen's Counsel (QC) announced today (11 January), an increase on last year's round of 93.
Of the nine solicitor advocates who applied, there were three successful candidates, a drop on 2014/15 when five solicitor advocates were appointed. This year's appointments include Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan arbitration head Stephen Jagusch (pictured), Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher international arbitration group co-chair Penny Madden, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer London arbitration head Nigel Rawding.
Six new family law QCs appointed
by Matthias Mueller for www.familylaw.co.uk, 11 Jan 2016
The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of six new family law Queen's Counsel today.
Overall 107 new appointments as Queen’s Counsel were announced today. Last year there were 93 new silks.
Helen Pitcher: Is it time to blow up HR and build something new?
By Helen Pitcher for HR Magazine
The Harvard Business Review (HBR) articles raise some good analysis of HR – even if collected under an incendiary title
The first article recognises that the Europe/UK context is different to the US and is undergoing a ‘paradigm shift’ at board level, with the board taking greater governance responsibility for key areas of the HR agenda that goes beyond the usual “people are our most important asset” statement.
As the HBR articles suggest, recognising the fundamental business context of companies is important and provides the backdrop for analysing the potential role HR can play in an organisation at any point in time.
Board responsibility – ‘a difficult balancing act’
FT Non-Executive Director’s Club Publish ‘Walking the tightrope of board responsibility’
The HR director as NED
By Advanced Boardroom Excellence for HR Magazine, 21 May 2015
In the final governance article we look at the issues facing HRDs seeking to create NED careers and increase influence with boards. Given that an HRD has key capabilities in the areas of executive career management, talent development, remuneration, culture and behaviour, what is holding HRDs back from NED roles?
How HRDs can enhance influence at board level
By Jenny Roper for HR Magazine, 19 May 2015
HR directors should network with other people in the business, have a strong financial and broader political understanding, and beware of being too close to their chief executive, according to Helen Pitcher, chairman of Advanced Boardroom Excellence.
Pitcher was giving tips on how HRDs can enhance their influence at board level at an HR in the Boardroom event held at The Dorchester Park Lane and supported by Advanced Boardroom Excellence.
United Biscuits Appoint Helen Pitcher to Advisory Board
Published by United Biscuits on 13 May 2015
United Biscuits (UB), the leading international manufacturer of biscuits and cakes, has today announced the addition of two highly accomplished international business executives to its Advisory Board, established following the acquisition of UB by Yildiz Holding in November 2014. UB is appointing Helen Pitcher and Marco Jesi to join board members including Murat Ulker, Chairman of Yildiz Holding and Jeff van der Eems, CEO of United Biscuits.
How can HRDs enhance board effectiveness?
By Advanced Boardroom Excellence for HR Magazine, 30 April 2015
For the second in the HR Magazine governance insight series, Helen Pitcher chairman of Advanced Boardroom Excellence focuses on what makes an effective board and where the influences and pressures on boards are emerging from.
Susan Appointed KidsOut Life Time Ambassador
Susan Dudley’s contribution to the Children’s Charity, KidsOut which supports disadvantaged Children through the provision of Fun and Educational Services www.kidsout.org.uk was recognised on Thursday, 23 April 2015 in London, at the Lancaster Hotel where she was appointed as ‘Life Time Ambassador’.
IWF UK Announce New Board Line-Up
The new International Women's Forum UK board met last week and confirmed areas of responsibility. Advanced Boardroom Excellence's chairman Helen Pitcher, with Sarah Lewis, will work with the Membership Committee.
What every HRD should know about board governance
By Advanced Boardroom Excellence for HR Magazine, 21 Apr 2015
In this article for HR Magazine, Helen Pitcher chairman of Advanced Boardroom Excellence, explains that good governance informs and improves the HRD’s effectiveness in their day-to-day role, so in turn, the HRD’s areas of expertise in the boardroom can help colleagues to understand how best to implement the company’s overall strategic plan.
IWF UK Thank Helen for Her Support
Advanced Boardroom Excellence Newsletter - Looking Back at 2014
In September, 2013, a senior group of individuals who have worked together for over twenty years decided to take a leap of faith and build something new and exciting. Advanced Boardroom Excellence was formed and officially launched in January 2014...
Life at the Centre of the Arena: Coaching the CEO
by Jock Encombe
A Developing Leaders Quarterly article
Issue 18: 2015
The performance expectations placed on CEOs are immense and can be overwhelming, even for the most robust individual. Jock Encombe's article for the Developing Leaders explores the need for effective CEO coaching and tries to identify what is distinctive about this type of training. The article draws on the author’s experience and interviews with three leading UK-based coaches.
