The Role of the Chair & the Power of Network

For all business leaders network is vital. All the more so for the Chair whose ability to guide the organisation she or he oversees is greatly enhanced by access to and connection with a range of networks. This is core to Chair effectiveness and therefore a critical focus for Fidelio in our work supporting Chairs. The pandemic has disrupted access to networks with implications for the Board and the company, including a loss of:

1. Social Capital

2. Intellectual Capital

Therefore Fidelio was recently delighted to welcome Lord Gus O’Donnell, Chair of Frontier Economics and former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, to an interactive Fidelio Roundtable exploring the ‘The Role of the Chair & the Power of Network’. We were also joined by Chairs from a range of sectors (eg Financial Services, FMCG, mining, pharmaceutical and professional services) and geographies (including the UK, Europe, Africa and Australia). Lord O’Donnell spoke openly and frankly, drawing upon extensive experience in the public sector and now as a Chair and Non-Executive Director in the private sector. The discussion was held under Chatham House Rules but we capture here some of the key points raised including:

1. Public and Private Sectors

2. Global ESG Standards

3. Learning from the Pandemic

4. Industry Bodies

5. Benchmarking

6. UK 2006 Companies Act

7. Threats to International Cooperation

8. Building Diversity in our Networks?

9. Networking with Regulators

This Overture explores the power of network and what the Chair can be doing to develop effective networks to support the success of the business. Please click here to continue reading.