The Ideal Board - the essential elements of a well-performing board

A properly functioning board is essential for a well performing organisation. Of course, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ as the skills, people and structure of each board will depend on the size, industry and culture of the organisation. As one person put it: “a good board is like a camel: it is hard to describe, but you know what it is when you see it”.

Criticaleye asked experienced non-executive directors and chairmen to describe the elusive ‘perfect’ board and what elements they consider essential for a well-performing board…

This article features commentary from:

Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, Dean, London Business School & Non-executive Director, Barclays plc
Alan Giles, Non-executive Director, Rentokil Initial plc
Mike Turner, Non-executive Chairman, Babcock International plc
Anthony Fry, Non-executive Director,Dairy Crest Group plc
Joe Darby, Non-executive Director, Premier Oil plc
John Whybrow, Chairman, AZ Electronic Materials SA
Andrew Dougal, Non-executive Director, Premier Farnell plc
Sir Peter Mason, Senior Independent Director, BAE Systems plc
Bernard Cragg, Criticaleye Associate & Senior Independent Director, Mothercare plc