In a two-part podcast conversation session with former regulator Lucy McClements, Graham Durgan outlines his thoughts on the current NED scene.

NEDA and Willis Towers Watson hosted an on-line Webinar to consider how boards have coped in the current environment, especially considering how life might look post Covid-19. 

Over the past month many business and public sector leaders have added their voices to the call to create a green recovery and put tackling climate change firmly on to the post Covid-19 agenda. 

Reputation is considered to be the level of trust, admiration and respect stakeholders have of an organisation. It is driven by various factors, from financial performance to customer service, and is critical to the long-term success and sustainability of a business.

In February 2020, an update from the Parker Review – a government-backed report into Ethnic Diversity in Boardrooms of UK-listed companies – showed that people of colour held only 178 or 6.8% of 2,625 director positions across the FTSE 350 index.

The Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) has secured the disqualification of pharmaceutical company director Amit Patel after he admitted his role in arrangements that broke competition law.

“The word ‘crisis’ has two meanings, one being ‘danger’ and the other being ‘chance.’ Today’s CFO must consider both.”

The UK Government has introduced the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Bill (the ‘Bill’) in Parliament, which will put in place a series of measures to amend insolvency and company law to support business to address the challenges resulting from the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (‘ICAEW’) has launched a new Board Director's e-learning Programme in collaboration with NEDA. The Programme provides board directors with an engaging online learning programme that helps you build presence and influence at board level, and supports individuals through a series of exercises to identify both strengths and development needs.

The Risk Coalition launched its Risk Guidance Initiative in 2018 to meet the need for coherent, principles-based good practice guidance for board risk committees and risk functions within the UK financial services sector. The outcome of this work was ‘Raising The Bar’ published in December 2019.

One of NEDAs co-founders and current NED, Guy Rigby, will be taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge next year – the Challenge is a fundraising event which sees teams row non-stop across the 3,000-mile stretch of ocean between La Gomera (just off Tenerife) and Antigua.