Date:  24th March 2025
Featured Speakers:

• Devanesan Evanson, Independent Director

• Beverly Spencer-Obatoyinbo, Independent Director

• Risper Genga Ohaga, Finance Professional and Business Leader

• Suhana Selamat, Independent Director

• Michelle Mutinda, Financial Sector Professional

Featured Moderator: Liza Liew, Manager, Consulting & Client Services of LeadWomen

The session topics such as leveraging diverse perspectives on boards, imposter syndrome, managing conflicts, and cultural & geopolitical awareness.

Key Insights:

🔹 Recognising differences across various board types and adjusting expectations accordingly is key.

🔹 Making early connections with fellow board members can provide an understanding on how the board operates.

🔹 Cultural nuances and boardroom dynamics greatly influence how one can contribute meaningfully—emotional intelligence is key!

🔹 In organisations with a Senior Independent Director (SID), directors can rely on them to surface concerns about boardroom dynamics.

🔹 Interpersonal skills—tone, language, and approach—are often more critical than technical expertise at board level.

Read More via LinkedIn HERE

Date: 30th July 2024
Featured Independent Director: Anne Abraham

Anne emphasised that while industry-specific knowledge can be valuable, it is not always essential for effective board performance. What truly matters are the diverse skill sets and experiences directors bring, offering fresh perspectives and driving better governance.

A key highlight was the evolving importance of board culture. Traditionally centred on financial oversight, board discussions now increasingly focus on talent management, HR policies, and ESG considerations. Anne credited this shift partly to the growing presence of women on boards, who are often instrumental in driving these critical topics forward.

Anne emphasised the importance of board evaluations as a tool to genuinely enhance board effectiveness, encouraging their use beyond mere procedural formalities.

Read More via LinkedIn HERE

Date: 5th June 2024
Featured Independent Directors:

• Emeliana Rice-Oxley

• Jenifer Thien

• Anne Abraham

Our members had the privilege of learning invaluable techniques for acing board interviews through a mock board interview with our featured directors!

Each board interview offers a crucial window to showcase your expertise, the value you bring to the table, and your impact! Each interview should be treated as a unique conversation, as no two boards are the same. Among others, key preparation steps include analysing the company’s annual report, understanding the sector, and leveraging your trusted network for insights while giving careful consideration to potential questions.  

The session emphasised that boards are increasingly looking for diverse compositions in terms of age, skill sets, and expertise. Experience in sustainability and strategic thinking is highly valued. It is perfectly fine to be selective about your first board to ensure it aligns with your strengths and goals. 

Read More via LinkedIn HERE

Date: 20th Oct 2023
Featured Speaker: Jenifer Thien, Independent Director

The Director Sharing Series concluded its session with Jenifer Thien, where we continue the conversation on board’s knowledge and value in the industry.

Jenifer provided valuable insights and considerations of the value and impact a board director should bring to the boardroom. The session also spent time to address the opportunities and challenges related to perceived skill gaps of board directors.

Discussions spanned from leadership style and challenging stereotypes to non-negotiable skills and the paramount importance of building a strong industry network.

Jenifer thoughtfully highlighted the key elements necessary to effectively communicate one's distinct value through a board profile.

Read More via LinkedIn HERE

Date: 12th July 2023
Featured Speaker: Tunku Alina Alias, Independent Director

Tunku Alina provided an engaging and interactive session ass he addressed how to improve board decision making through diversity.

Our members gained valuable insights into the factors influencing boardroom decisions, including implicit biases like the Abilene and Halo effects. Tunku Alina emphasised the importance of objectivity, data-driven approaches, and the consideration of diverse perspectives for effective decision making, regardless of the type of board.

The session also fostered open and honest discussions on challenging topics such as corporate culture, company values, and workplace prejudices.

It was agreed that diverse perspectives within group discussions lead to better decisions and help counteract bias.

Read More via LinkedIn HERE

Date: 16 March 2023
Featured Speaker: Chye Neo Chong, Independent Director

The 2023 Director Sharing Series started its session with Chye Neo where she shared her career journey and tips on how to become an effective board member.

She emphasised that board directors need to go beyond the papers and highlighted the importance of networking and getting the required accreditation programme. Having a good relationship with management and board members is also essential - board directors are not always present, and without it, you can receive filtered information.

Our Director Members had a great Q&A discussion and raised questions about gender diversity and equity, building alliances, and role of mentors in helping women navigate the challenges of being female board members.

Read More via LinkedIn  via LinkedIn HERE