From across the pond, join me for a conversation with Oliver Cummings, CEO of Nurole and host of the "Enter the Boardroom" podcast. With Nurole's impressive track record of 1,000 annual board placements and a global network of 65,000 members, Oliver brings valuable insights from the UK on board dynamics. In this episode, we explore: 1) The art of standing out in the board search process 2) Key traits of successful board members 3) The rise of specialized directors 4) Differences between UK and US board dynamics 5) Board culture, evaluations, and the challenges of adding value as a director Oliver also shares stories and lessons from his podcast, featuring wisdom from top CEOs, founders, chairs, and other board leaders. Whether you're a seasoned director or aspiring to join your first board, this episode offers thoughtful insights and advice to elevate your boardroom performance. If you like this show, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, or sharing this podcast on social media. You can also contribute as a Patron on the link patreon.com/BoardroomGovernancePod or you can subscribe to the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at evanepstein.substack.com This podcast is sponsored by the American College of Governance Counsel.
(0:00) Intro.
(1:20) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.
(2:07) Start of interview.
(2:58) Oliver's origin story.
(7:00) His experience in private equity with PE-backed boards.
(9:57) About the mission and focus of Nurole, the UK-based board search firm where he serves as CEO.
(12:27) On Nurole's network of 65,000+ board leaders (two parts: free and paid offerings).
(20:16) Demystifying the board search process, four key stages:
(25:19) From a board candidate perspective.
(28:14) On board evaluations.
(32:44) Common characteristics of directors in board placements (they place ~1,000 directors per year).
(33:50) On board culture and values of directors.
(37:00) On specialized directors.
(43:16) Differences between UK and US boards.
(48:35) Other board issues to consider: 1) are boards generating value, and 2) revisiting board education.
(52:48) About his podcast Enter the Boardroom.
(55:15) His favorite episodes: Roger Martin, Baroness Helena Morrissey and Sir Richard Dearlove.
(59:20) Books that have greatly influenced his life:
(01:00:30) His mentors.
(01:02:13) Quotes that he thinks of often or lives his life by.
(01:03:16) An unusual habit or absurd thing that he loves: the Eglu chicken coop.
(01:04:45) The living person he most admires.
Oliver Cummings is the CEO of Nurole, a UK-based board search firm with 65,000+ members globally and about 1,000 board placements per year. He's also the host of the Enter the Boardroom Podcast.