Criticaleye: The peer to peer Board Community

The Inspiring Leaders Podcast - Becoming a high-impact, first-time growth company CEO

Focused on what leaders should be prioritising over the next twelve months, advice for first-time CEOs and how Chairs in high-growth businesses can better support their CEOs.

Key discussion points include:

Pressure points for growth company CEOs over the next twelve months
Board dynamics
Where should Chairs be supporting and guiding the CEO?
Evolving as a founder-CEO
How can a mentor support a CEO of a growth company?
Essential elements of high performance

The Inspiring Leaders Podcast - The landscape for businesses in 2024

Exploring the landscape for businesses in 2024, this episode is part of Criticaleye's Inspiring Leaders Podcast series. Featuring Criticaleye Host and Director of Content, Marc Barber, and special guest Matthew Blagg, CEO, Criticaleye. Talking points include:

The uncertain geopolitical landscape and how businesses are tackling a high interest rate and inflation environment.
How can Boards keep up with the current economic trends.
The latest tech trends and is there a knowledge gap within Boards?
What should leaders prioritise in 2024, and what’s on the people agenda?
What next year will bring for private equity backed companies.
What areas can Boards be optimistic within the next twelve months?

Criticaleye Asia Podcast - Mentorship and Leadership Success

Exploring the significance of mentoring in career development, particularly in transitioning from management to leadership roles, Criticaleye's Managing Director Charlie Wagstaff speaks to special guest and Board Mentor, Bala Swaminathan. Talking points include:

What is the role of a mentor?
Is mentoring the bridge between management and leadership??
Challenges when transitioning from an operational to the leadership role.
Real-life experiences and insights mentors share to guide mentees through leadership challenges.
How mentors can empower their mentees.
Ways that mentees can effectively prepare for mentoring sessions to maximise their impact and benefit.

Inspiring Leaders Podcast: How to be agile as a leader in 2024

Exploring how to be agile as a leader in 2024, this episode is part of Criticaleye's Inspiring Leaders Podcast, featuring Host and Director of Content, Marc Barber, and special guests Sally Bridgeland, Chair, Impax Asset Management, Non-executive Director, RSA, Royal London, and David Guise, Senior Advisor, Newton Europe. Both are Criticaleye Board Mentors. Talking points include:

The perspectives in boardrooms over the next twelve months.
Geopolitical trends and how might these impact businesses?
The value of having access to external reference points in uncertain times.
The CEO and Chair partnership and should the Chair be a mentor for the CEO?
How can executives become more agile and does the role of the Chair/Non-executive Director need to change?

Criticaleye Asia Podcast - Stepping Up as a Non-Executive

Featuring Criticaleye's General Manager, APAC, Michael Crompton, plus guests Louise Chaplin, Partner & Head of Board Practice, Eton Bridge Partners and Yen Yen Tan, Independent Director, OCBC Bank (plus a Criticaleye Board Mentor). Talking points include:

What Boards and investors are looking for from new non-executives
Being a future-proof NED - the core competencies needed to be successful in a Board role
Putting together a winning NED CV - plus key things to think about before interviewing
What new NEDs get right and what approach they should be taking for the first six months of their first role
Taking on NED roles during your executive career, including how it can benefit your current organisation

Episode 7: Criticaleye Asia Podcast - Leading High Impact Transformation

Featuring Criticaleye's Senior Associate, APAC, Hannah Daniels, plus guest Neha Pareek, HRD Global Supply Chain Operations, Dyson Operations Pte. Ltd. Talking points include:

The driving forces behind business transformations - and what impact changing customer behaviours are having
Using data and analytics in the right way - data as the new oil
How the HR function has changed as business models have transformed and evolved
The relationship between the HRD and CEO - what support should the CEO be offering HRDs during transformation
The complex dynamic between global, regional and local priorities and how to manage this as an HRD or Chief People Officer

High Impact Leadership - Episode 3

Exploring what it means to be a high performing executive in today's challenging environment, this podcast is part of our High Impact Leadership series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO Matthew Blagg, plus guest Mary Jo Jacobi, Non-executive Director of Savannah Resources plc and the NED for Engagement of the Weir Group plc, as well as a Criticaleye Board Mentor, discussion points include:

Leadership in 2023 - the impact for executives of a tough, recessionary landscape
What does a high performing Board look like?
Corporate reputation in the year ahead
Winners and losers over the next 12-months, plus why leadership development will be more important than ever
Are executives ready for 2023, and what traits will be most important to successful leadership

Episode 6: Criticaleye Asia Podcast - The Talent Landscape and The Role of the HR Director

Featuring Criticaleye's Head of Research & Market Development, APAC, Holly Carmichael, plus guest Wesley Payne McClendon, Chair of the Board at The GROW Project Foundation, Non-Executive Director at Vortex Innovations, and Independent NED & Chair, People & Culture Committee, at the Australian Institute of Architects. Talking points include:

Talent is the top priority for APAC leaders according to Criticaleye’s research. What role does the HR Director have in reinforcing this as a priority?
Advice on how HRDs can gain a seat at the top table and be fundamental to strategic debate
The business case for why HRDs should access to Board-level discussions
Developing the next generation of leaders - how to create a culture of leadership development
Diversity, equity and inclusion - why we need to deconstruct and disrupt structures that have been built by privilege to get the best outcomes

High Impact Leadership - Episode 2

Exploring what it means to be a high performing executive in today's challenging environment, this podcast is part of our High Impact Leadership series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO Matthew Blagg and Director of Content Marc Barber, plus guest Sally Bridgeland, Chair of Impax Asset Management. Discussion points include:

The role of the Board in a volatile business environment. What support do executives need from their NEDs
What does a high performing Board look like?
The critical relationship between the Chair and CEO.
High performing CFOs - how to put the 'chief' in CFO
Mentoring and why senior executives need wider reference points

High Impact Leadership - Episode 1

Exploring what it means to be a high performing executive in today's challenging environment, this podcast is part of our High Impact Leadership series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO Matthew Blagg and Director of Content Marc Barber, this episode kicks off our new series, including:

What does it mean to be a high impact leader? How do you achieve the best with what you've got
What mindset do leaders need as inflation and high interest rates take their toll? How do you ensure the ExCo, the Board and the workforce are aligned?
Inspiring followership in your teams - and why honesty is important in a recessionary climate
Challenges for new CEOs and ensuring you have the right team around you
The contribution of the Chair and the Board - the role of NEDs in inspiring high impact leadership and performance

Episode 6: Criticaleye Asia Podcast - Rebuilding leadership capability

Featuring Criticaleye's General Manager, Michael Crompton, plus guests Benny H. Goh, Non-executive Director at Cyber Data Centre, Innovation Advisor at IPI Singapore, Non-executive Director at TaqTik Health and a Criticaleye Board Mentor, and Margaret Rumpf, Vice President, Global Marketing Head at GSK. Talking points include:

Challenges faced by leaders in APAC over the last three years, what has and hasn't changed
The mindset needed by senior executives to build a diverse and effective team
How to help executives moving into new locations to have cultural awareness? How can they adjust/adapt to their new environment
Succession planning and whether big corporates are able to optimise talent in Asia
Business model transformation and what leadership capabilities are needed to drive success

Episode 5: Criticaleye Asia Podcast – Stepping Up with William Lo

In this podcast, Managing Director Charlie Wagstaff speaks with Dr William Lo, Chair of Captcha Media Ltd and a Criticaleye Board Mentor about stepping up into leadership roles, the current climate, and the importance of developing the right leadership team.

Some of the key discussion points include:

An overview of William's career, his time as an executive, progression up the leadership ladder and non-executive roles
What leaders should be doing in the current climate and the impact political and social pressures are having on organisations
Stepping up into a regional leadership role - what this means and William's own journey to a senior position
The importance of the right leadership team - how to get the right people around you and develop the next generation of leaders
What the new landscape of remote working and relationships means for leaders

Episode 11 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

To listen in and share episode eleven of our Leadership with New Horizons series, please click here. We also have a video of the podcast on our YouTube channel, click here to view this.

Some of the key discussion points include:

Global leadership challenges including organisation restructure, inflation, interest rate rises and supply chain disruption
The appetite for risk in senior leadership teams - what opportunities are there for well-run businesses?
The mindset of leaders - you've got to be comfortable with ambiguity in the current environment
Our research suggests a shift towards performance over strategy, but leadership teams now need to re-learn strategic debate and longer-term thinking
The shift to local in global business and why this has created a huge need to invest in middle management

Episode 4: Criticaleye Asia Podcast - Managing Complexity as a Leader

We're pleased to announce we have now published the latest episode in our Asia podcast series. In this episode, our own Managing Director, Charlie Wagstaff, speaks to Min Yih Tan, SVP for Global Mobility Network at Shell, and Bhawna Gandhi, HR Director of Corporate Service for APAC at Sodexo, about managing complexity as a leader.

To listen in and share our new Asia podcast, please click here. We also have a video of the podcast on our YouTube channel, click here to view this.

Some of the key discussion points include:

What does it mean to be a high performing leader in APAC, what are the main challenges?
Customer trends, use of data and the rebirth of conscious consumerism
Adapting your leadership approach between global and local leadership roles - small global vs. strong local
The responsibility of leadership and how to inspire those around you
Dreaming big as a team, removing constraints so you and your people can outperform

Episode 10 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

Offering an outlook for leadership in 2022, this podcast is part of our Leadership with New Horizons series. In this, our CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Director of Content, Marc Barber, discuss our recent HR Director Retreat, market trends, the evolving agenda for 2022 and what current political challenges mean for leaders.

Some of the key discussion points include:

The trend from HRDs, and other senior executives, to seek inspiration. There is a hunger to benchmark and share ideas this year
Long-term trends for the workforce and how leadership teams are addressing these
How senior leaders are finding ways to reinforce their organisation's purpose, e.g by tying remuneration with ESG
The link between HR Directors and Chief People Officers with their peers, and the people agenda for 2022
The current political landscape and what impact this might have for businesses in the short-term

Episode 3: Criticaleye Asia Podcast - Leadership, People and Talent

In this episode of Criticaleye's Asia podcast, we asked Susan Chen, Director & Head of People for HK & SG Game Development Studios at Riot Games, and Mukta Arya, Regional Head of HR for Asia Pacific at Société Générale, to come on the podcast and cover leadership, people and talent, following the Asia Leadership Forum in November 2021.

Some of the key discussion points include:

Managing people and change across a broad framework
The challenges of being a global company, rather than one which has an international presence
How to foster a 'speak up' culture, while also encouraging meaningful conversations rather than opinions
Leadership resilience and how you build it up
Personal development: how do you prioritise it as a leader and what does it look like?

Episode 2: Criticaleye Asia Podcast - The Upside of Risk for a Board

Featuring Criticaleye Managing Director Charlie Wagstaff, plus Board Mentor Venkataramanan Anantharaman, this podcast was recorded following a roundtable looking at creating an effective risk management framework, including:

Some of the key discussion points include:

The dynamic nature of risk in the current environment, and why leaders need to shift their thinking
The opportunities that risk management can present, plus how Boards and leadership teams can harness these
Questions Boards and Non-executives need to be asking on risk, and what approach Exec teams need to take when putting plans in place
The role of the Board in defining a risk culture
Data overload, how does the risk register need to shift in today's data driven environment

Episode 9 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

We're really pleased to kick off our podcasts for 2022 with a new episode of our Leadership With New Horizons series. In this, our CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Director of Content, Marc Barber, analyse some of the findings from our recent CEO Research and take a look at what’s to come in the year ahead.

Some of the key discussion points include:

Forward trends for 2022, and how leaders need to be bold, brave and have followership in the year ahead
The focus on productivity, and need for a clear, simplified strategy
The workforce this year, and the need for leaders to motivate and optimise as pressure continues
The investor landscape and how integrity of story and alignment of resources will be key
Opportunities over the next 12-months, and why longer-term planning needs to be a priority in the leadership team

Episode 8 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

Offering an outlook for leadership in 2021, this podcast is part of our Leadership with New Horizons series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Managing Editor, Emma Carroll, it covers some of the key outtakes from our recent CFO Retreat, including:

A poll taken at our CFO Retreat where 65% said burnout is having a negative impact on performance
Why culture and people are the biggest barriers to collaboration, according the CFOs
Changing business models and how they are driving new partnerships and innovation
The focus of shareholders going into 2022, including growth and ESG
The CFOs role as a leader, and importance of focusing on the longer-term strategy as we go into next year

Episode 1: Criticaleye Asia Podcast - Innovation in the Boardroom

This new podcast is the ideal opportunity to showcase Criticaleye’s global reach and the diverse range of topics we cover with leaders and senior executives.

Some of the key discussion points include:

The Board's role in creating and maintaining a culture of innovation for an organisation
The importance of being able to have challenging conversations at Board level so innovation can thrive
Whether the culture of a Board is influenced more by location or what type of organisation it oversees
Diversity on the Board and the impact this has on innovation

Episode 7 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

Offering an outlook for leadership in 2021, this podcast is part of our Leadership with New Horizons series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Director of Content, Marc Barber, it covers some of the key outtakes from our recent CEO Research, including:

The landscape for leadership drawing upon our recent Criticaleye CEO Research 2021
Why agility is the top area of change for leaders - what this means in practice and how to get internal processes and teams to keep up with an agile strategy
The relationship between Boards and executives, and how the drive for new tech is creating a need for a new type of leadership
Followership over leadership, and why this is becoming more important
The role of the CEO to inject energy, to give people confidence and to make sure they have the right team around them

Episode 6 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

Offering an outlook for leadership in 2021, this podcast is part of our Leadership with New Horizons series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Director of Content, Marc Barber, it covers some of the key outtakes from our recent CEO Retreat, including:

Topics raised during our flagship event, including Board dynamics, customer focus, agility and purpose
Where the CEO and top team need to align in 2021, including hybrid working, the pace of decision-making and future strategic direction
What the return of greater travel and movement for executives will mean for leadership energy and motivation
Shifting mindsets of leaders from internal to external, and why CEOs need to be externally focused more than ever
The learning process for first-time CEOs and how most Boards are now exerting greater pressure on leadership teams

Episode 5 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

Offering an outlook for leadership in 2021, this podcast is part of our Leadership with New Horizons series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Managing Editor, Emma Carroll, it covers some of the key outtakes from our recent HR Director Retreat, including:

Reviewing the role of the HR Director and how it has evolved as a result of the pandemic
The future challenges of hybrid working - how can organisations break the 'virtual-working' cycle and ensure focus on the customer
Relationships in the top team, including how the CEO should be leveraging the CHRO going forward
Are HRDs rethinking their career path after Covid-19? A poll taken at the Retreat reveals that many are
Visibility at Board level for HR leaders and whether a return to in-person interactions will impact on this

Episode 4 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

Offering an outlook for leadership in 2021, this podcast is part of our Leadership with New Horizons series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO Matthew Blagg and Managing Editor Emma Carroll, it covers some of the key outtakes from our recent Growth Company, NED and Asia Leadership Forums, including:

At our Asia Leadership Forum, 87 percent agreed that leadership teams need to be more agile. What does this mean in practice, and what distinctions need to be made between agile working across the business and the approach of leaders?
Businesses talk about operating at pace - how do leaders ensure pace doesn't supersede profitability?
The difficulties of needing to change strategy when many leadership teams still can't come together physically
How local leaders are more isolated than ever, and need the right support and development, particularly access to global reference points, to be successful
Looking forward to our HRD Retreat at the end of April - what role does the HR Director play in today's environment? They have a core responsibility to ensure the people strategy aligns with the business strategy

Episode 3 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

Offering an outlook for leadership in 2021, this podcast is part of our Leadership with New Horizons series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Managing Editor, Emma Carroll, it covers some of the key outtakes from our HR Director Forum 2021, including:

HR Director sentiment in the current climate - are HRDs more or less positive than their executive counterparts?
HRDs' contribution to strategy - are HRDs getting a seat in the top table and can strategy be done virtually?
The future of the workplace and hybrid-working
The role of the HRD in aligning the top team, plus those crucial relationships between HRD, CEO and CFO
Benchmarking and external reference points - what role will looking outside the business play in 2021?

Episode 2 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

Offering an outlook for leadership in 2021, this podcast is part of our Leadership with New Horizons series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Director of Content, Marc Barber, it covers our CEO Research 2021, including:

The challenge of aligning people, strategy and culture in 2021
Putting strategy back on the leadership agenda and how to overcome the difficulties of strategic debate in a virtual environment
Top priorities for leaders in the year ahead including sustainability and ESG
C-suite succession - will we see a lot of change at the top of organisations in 2021?
The likelihood of increased investor pressure this year and how leaders will approach key stakeholder relationships

Episode 1 of our "Leadership with New Horizons" Podcast Series

Offering an outlook for leadership in 2021, this podcast kicks off our new Leadership with New Horizons series. Featuring Criticaleye’s CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Director of Content, Marc Barber, it covers key themes for leaders and senior executives in 2021, including:

Customer and employee experiences in the year ahead - will lessons learned in 2020 stick? What changes will be long-term?
How organisational agility and the need for leaders to move at pace in 2021 will determine success
Criticaleye’s CEO Research 2021, including news that sustainability has moved into CEO’s top three priorities for the first time
HR Director pressure as the people agenda becomes even more important in 2021
The need to reconnect in person and why Criticaleye has adjusted its support for the year ahead in response
Why balanced and impartial benchmarking will be critical this year, especially when it comes to influencing stakeholders

Leadership Reflections On 2020 - Part 1

In this 38-minute podcast, our Managing Editor, Emma Carroll, speaks to Dr William Lo, Chair of Captcha Media (plus a Criticaleye Board Mentor), Catriona Schmolke, former SVP for Operational Centres of Excellence at Jacobs, and Charlie Wagstaff, Managing Director at Criticaleye, about the business challenges of 2020.

After a year of not often getting what you want, but appreciating what you have, our leaders cover:

How leaders have both captured and acted upon the lessons of the year
Shared experiences of the early days of COVID-19
The increased importance of employee wellness in 2020, and how employees took on the role as trusted reference points for their teams
Responses from different regions - the opportunities arising in Asia as case numbers have fallen
The challenges for leaders of balancing honesty with positivity, and the role of purpose in 2020
How have we stayed close to and understood our customers in the last 12-months

Leadership Reflections On 2020 - Part 2

In this 32-minute podcast, our Managing Editor, Emma Carroll, speaks to Catriona Schmolke, former SVP for Operational Centres of Excellence at Jacobs and Charlie Wagstaff, Managing Director at Criticaleye, about the leadership challenges of 2020.

They discuss:

Have leaders questioned their ability to lead in 2020? At our CFO Retreat in November, 58% told us they had doubted their leadership
The importance to leaders of outstanding teams
Leadership isolation and how the virtual world has impacted leaders
Employee engagement and support - how did this play out in 2020? Did leaders get it right in terms of maximising productivity and motivation?
The ‘return to the workplace’ - how 2020 will transform the way we all work and interact in the future
What our speakers have learned about their own leadership style and what they will take into 2021

Leadership in Uncertain Times - Episode 5

Following our recent Asia Leadership Retreat (held on 26 November 2020), Criticaleye’s CEO Matthew Blagg and Director of Content Marc Barber reflect on some of the key discussion points in this 26-minute podcast, including:

What leaders will be focusing on in 2021, and how challenges of customer centricity and employee behaviour are universal
The opportunities we are likely to see in the next 12-18 months - what areas companies are likely to focus on when it comes to leadership, purpose and the people agenda?
The key question of purpose - why do organisations exist and how do leaders align teams behind purpose?
What change we will see across executive teams (are we are likely to see many executives making the move to a plural career after the changes in 2020?)
How has the pandemic changed consumer behaviour long-term?

Leadership in Uncertain Times - Episode 4

Following our recent CFO Retreat (held on 12 November 2020), Criticaleye's CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Director of Content, Marc Barber, reflect on some of the key themes, in this 28-minute podcast.

How finance leaders can remain resilient, the balance between cost-cutting and investment, data, talent and digitisation, plus much more
In a poll taken at the Retreat, 84% said they see the current economic situation as an opportunity to accelerate operating model change
The role of the CFO, and how this plays out when operating in a complex and fast changing market
The CFO as ‘timekeeper of the current moment’ alongside the need to play an integral role in strategy and future innovation
What the end of 2020 will bring in terms of future planning, what opportunities there are for 2021, as well as ongoing challenges that we will see into the New Year.

Leadership in Uncertain Times - Episode 3

Following our recent CEO Retreat (held on 15 October 2020), Criticaleye's CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Director of Content, Marc Barber, reflect on some of the key themes, in this 26-minute podcast.

65% of CEOs at our CEO Retreat revealed they had doubted their ability to lead in the last six months
Making difficult calls as a CEO, and how the pandemic has forced all leaders to be flexible on strategy
The importance for leaders to stay calm and to give themselves time
Views on the economy in Asia and if we are seeing a return to normal activity levels

Matthew comments “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want, and there are a lot of leaders getting a lot of experience at the moment.”

Leadership in Uncertain Times - Episode 2

In this 38-minute podcast, Criticaleye’s CEO, Matthew Blagg, and Director of Content, Marc Barber, discuss the state of leadership in the current environment, the forward agenda for CEOs and senior executives and where they need to be focusing in the coming months.

Listen to Matthew and Marc talk about

Significant operating model change
The future of the office – reintegrating furloughed employees
Understanding the customer experience and how this has changed
Management team performance and effectiveness
Cost cutting – striking a balance between reduced cost and long-term opportunity
The challenge between economic pressures and continued pressure of Covid19 on health

Leadership in Uncertain Times - Episode 1

In this 37-minute podcast, we'll be hearing from Criticaleye's CEO, Matthew Blagg, about how senior leadership teams are responding to the events of 2020 and planning for the future.

Drawing on our latest CEO Research 2020, Matthew talks about