August 21, 2025

From Gatekeeper to Guide: How Governance Professionals Are Shaping the Boardrooms of Tomorrow | Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO Beyond Governance

24 minutes

Send us a text

Governance professionals are no longer the quiet scribes in the corner. Today, they are critical voices at the heart of boardroom decision-making. In this episode, Dr Sabine Dembkowski speaks with Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO of Beyond Governance and author of The Secret Diary of a Company Secretary, to explore how the role has evolved and why it remains misunderstood.

Through candid reflections and practical examples, Erika unpacks the challenges governance professionals face – from ethical tensions to boardroom politics – and shows how the role is changing as boards come under growing scrutiny.

“We’ve moved from record-keeping to future-shaping.”

In the past decade, governance professionals have shifted from the edges to the centre of organisations. They now help anticipate regulatory change, manage stakeholder expectations, and act as the ethical compass of the business. Erika emphasises this shift is less about technical skill and more about soft skills—the ability to demonstrate value, build trust, and step into an advisory role.

Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is central. Working in grey areas requires integrity, influence, and buy-in across the organisation. EQ allows governance leaders to express ethical standards and help boards make sound decisions under pressure.

“Organisations that do governance well avoid scandals and disasters.”

Yet, Erika believes the profession is still underutilised. Many boards lack dedicated governance leaders, missing opportunities to prevent crises rooted in governance failures. She sees a major opportunity for boards to embrace governance professionals as strategic advisors rather than administrators.

Technology is accelerating this shift. AI can now handle much of the administrative load—board packs, decision logs, registrars—freeing governance professionals to focus on strategy: ethics, risk foresight, regulatory impacts, and shareholder alignment.

“A great governance advisor flexes as needed while keeping an ethical compass – their North Star.”

Strong governance is about clarity of decisions, anticipating downstream impacts, and communicating choices transparently to stakeholders. Erika calls this “governance with grit”: standing up to powerful leaders, holding firm to values, and ensuring boards don’t sacrifice trust for expediency.

“The biggest myth about Company Secretaries is that they just take minutes.”

In reality, governance professionals leave fingerprints on major board decisions—though often invisibly. Erika’s book highlights hidden stories from eight Company Secretaries at high-profile firms, showing how their decisions impact thousands of stakeholders worldwide.

With technology creating more space for strategic work, Erika believes it’s a fascinating time for new professionals to enter governance. Success requires comfort with uncertainty, listening skills, and a strategic, advisory mindset. Governance is not about ticking boxes—it’s about helping steer the organisation with courage, clarity, and trust.

Top takeaways:

In just a decade, governance professionals have become trusted strategic partners, helping boards navigate uncertainty with clarity and courage.
Good governance isn’t about compliance—it gives boards confidence to act decisively and ethically, turning governance into a competitive advantage.
Boards should treat governance as the steering wheel, not the brakes, to navigate complexity with vision and integrity

If you would like to become part of the Better Boards community, learn about our distinctive approach and explore opportunities to work with us or contribute to The Better Boards podcast series, get in touch at [email protected]. We love to hear from you.

...more

View all episodes

By Dr Sabine Dembkowski

11 ratings