westlakenz

Where was Boeing’s Board of Directors?

I’ve just returned from a few weeks’ leave and one of the first stories to catch my eye related to the departure of Boeing’s CEO, Dennis Muilenberg, following the company’s inept handling of the aftermath of two fatal 737-Max crashes that killed a total of 346 people.

How formal should our board meetings be?

‘The best answer I had once from a more experienced friend was, ‘As informal as possible – but no more so.’ In other words, let’s keep the formalities to a minimum that allow us to do what what we’re here for, to make the decisions that only the board can make – usually the most important and tricky decisions the organisation faces. You want to give yourself the best chance’

The Five Roles of the Chair

Let’s talk about the Five Main Roles of the board chair.
Until you step into the chair’s role, you probably won’t appreciate the full range of what you’ll be called on to do.

How it all began

‘Hello Mr Westlake,’ said the voice on the phone. ‘I know you don’t have the time to be a director … but we we’re wondering whether you’d consider being the chairman.’