Once an almost honorific title, today’s Non-Executive Directors are a vital element of the Board machine, bringing diversity of thought, unique skill-sets, and decreasing the risks of a Board falling prey to ‘groupthink’ and sleepwalking its way into trouble. It is no surprise that the proportion of Non-Executives to Executives on plc Boards has risen from 51% in the mid-90s to 74% today. While this trend has been underway for 25 years, it seems the current situation will only increase the demand for skilled Non-Executives with pragmatic and relevant experience.
Throughout the pandemic, our network of Non-Executives has been telling us that their Boards have been making many additional demands on their time, including additional (up to weekly) Board meetings. This is particularly evident where there are professional investors involved, and some of the larger PE firms are holding fortnightly meetings with all their portfolio businesses to share news and intelligence on Covid-related business matters.
Norman Broadbent plc (LON:NBB) is a leading Professional Services firm offering five interrelated Talent Acquisition & Advisory Services: Board & Leadership/Executive Search, Senior Interim Management, Research & Insight, Leadership Consulting & Assessment, and executive level Recruitment solutions.