In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh speak with Rod Adkins, board chairman, former IBM executive, and author of Curiosity Redefines the Limits. Rod shares insights from nearly 25 years of board experience, focusing on how directors can effectively oversee risk in an era of rapid technological disruption.

The conversation explores how boards are evolving their governance structures to address increasingly complex risks tied to technology, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

Rod explains why traditional audit committees are often no longer sufficient on their own and, as a result, many organizations are forming dedicated risk and technology committees to better manage forward-looking challenges.

A major focus of the discussion is AI as a transformative opportunity and a significant threat. Rod frames the present day as a new innovation cycle, emphasizing that boards must strike a careful balance between leveraging AI for competitive advantage and defending against AI-enabled risks.

Key Takeaways

• Governance must always adapt to technology and rises

  • Boards are moving beyond audit committees toward dedicated risk oversight teams to better address cybersecurity, infrastructure and innovation.

  • Effective governance requires a forward mindset and close alignment with management on navigating change
• AI requires a balance of opportunity and protection
  • AI can drive efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage, but also introduces risks like cyber threats and trust challenges
  • Boards must ensure organizations are both leveraging AI and protecting against its misuse
• "AI vs. AI"
  • As threats become more sophisticated, companies must use AI-powered defenses to protect systems and data

  • Maintaining trust and security will be a core board-level responsibility

• Curiosity drives better leadership
  • The best directors ask thoughtful, strategic questions, curiosity helps leaders anticipate change, challenge assumptions, and improve decision-making

Quotes

• "We're just at the beginning, and we're almost out of breath already in terms of how fast [AI] is moving and how much we see in terms of capabilities and disruption."

• "People that adapt to unknown situations and who productively challenge the status quo, have a curiosity or a competitive advantage for them in life and in their careers"

• "You don't always have to have the answer, but you need to figure out how to ask the right set of questions."

Links

https://rodneyadkins.com/book/

Curiosity Redefines the Limits: Advantages Gained from Life, the Workplace, and the Boardroom

Forbes articles

Guest Bio

Rodney Adkins (Rod) has been Chairman of Avnet, Inc., one of the world's largest distributors of electronic components and technology solutions, since 2018. He is also the author of Curiosity Redefines the Limits, a leadership book that explores how curiosity can serve as a powerful competitive advantage in driving innovation, leadership effectiveness, and career growth.

In addition, he is a Partner at 3RAM Group LLC, a privately held company specializing in capital investments, business consulting, and property management. Previously, Mr. Adkins was Senior Vice President of IBM, serving in that position from 2007 until 2014. Over his 33-year career with IBM, Mr. Adkins has held several operational and executive management roles spanning strategy, technology, systems, and supply chain.

Mr. Adkins' work has spanned the world of technology and computing. He has been a leading innovator in solutions ranging from mobile devices to the world's largest supercomputers. His significant contributions include helping to advance the Personal Computer industry, leading IBM's POWER business to become the market leader in the UNIX market, and pioneering what became IBM's portfolio of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.

Mr. Adkins was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2005, one of the highest honors in the engineering profession. His life story is archived in Wikipedia and The History Makers. He was inducted into the Miami Jackson High School Hall of Fame in 2018, the Miami Dade County Public Schools Alumni Hall of Fame in 2022, and the Georgia Tech Engineering Hall of Fame in 2024. The Wall Street Journal named Mr. Adkins among the top 100 most influential and effective corporate directors in 2025. He has been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from Georgia Tech and the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC).

Mr. Adkins serves on the board of directors for United Parcel Service (UPS), WW Grainger, and Avnet. He is a member of the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) and a trustee of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Rollins College. Mr. Adkins also serves on the Adrienne Arsht Center Trust Board, the Overtown Youth Center (OYC) Board, and the Community-Police Relations Foundation Board.

In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh speak with Tina Larsson, a former Wall Street analyst, co-founder of The Folsom Group, and author of Living The High Life. Tina works with co-op, condo, and other HOA boards to improve governance to reduce costs, manage major building projects and oversee their shared residence effectively.

Tina shares how she and her husband became involved in board governance after discovering that their New York City co-op board was poorly managed and incurring significant unnecessary expenses. After organizing their co-op neighbors and electing a new board majority, they introduced stronger governance practices to their board and saved their building substantial money in very short order.

The conversation explores the governance challenges faced by residential boards, which are usually run by volunteers responsible for complex decisions. Tina shares how boards can improve oversight, manage projects more effectively and shift from reactive decision-making to a more proactive approach to governing their communities.

Key takeaways

• Residential boards face complex governance responsibilities

• Volunteer board members are responsible for major operational decisions involving buildings, infrastructure, vendors, and regulation

• Many board members take on these responsibilities without formal training or governance guidance

• Financial oversight can reveal significant opportunities for savings

• Benchmarking operating expenses against comparable buildings can uncover areas of overspending

• Strategic vendor negotiations and cost reviews can reduce operating expenses by 5–10% in many buildings

• Effective governance requires proactive decision-making

• Boards that operate reactively often wait until problems become emergencies before acting

• Long-term planning helps communities address repairs, projects and maintenance before they become crises

• Establish clear roles and leveraging community engagement

• Governance improves when boards focus on oversight and strategy rather than trying to manage every operational detail

• Residents who want change must often participate directly by joining the board

• Building relationships with neighbors and encouraging qualified owners to run for board positions improves decision-making

• "Living the High Life"

• Tina's book is a guide and blueprint on how to get involved in the governance of your co-op, and condos or HOA board and how to be an effective board member

Quotes

" The only way that you can get a say in your community is by running for the board and it talks about skills; good skills, best skills, the elevator skills, and what you are passionate about."

"[An HOA, co-op, or condo board] is acting as a miniature government. They are governing the community."

"If you are on the board of a residential building… you have to try to manage being on the board and at the same time, you have to handle all shareholders' or owners' concerns."

" The only effective way to have a say in your living community is by being on the board."

Links

The Folson Group

Living the High Life: How Smart Co-op and Condo Owners Protect Themselves and Their Investment

Guest Bio

Tina Larsson and her husband helped her own co-op save substantial money through good governance, after which they formed The Folson Group. They support NYC co-op and condo boards with strategic advice, project management, cost reduction, and help them find a property manager that fits their needs. She is the author of Living the High Life, frequent podcast guest and speaker, and holds a LEED Green Associate designation. Tina is on a mission to educate and support NYC condo and co-op boards to help optimize their living community.

In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome David Karofsky, a principal consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group and co-author of So, you're in the Family Business: A Guide to Sustainability.

David brings both professional expertise and personal experience to the discussion, having grown up in a multi-generational family business and later building a family business consulting practice alongside his father. Most recently, his son Adam has also joined David in his consulting practice.

He shares how family businesses operate at the unique intersection of family relationships and corporate governance, where emotional dynamics and business strategy often collide.

The conversation explores the evolving role of governance in family-owned companies, including how boards can help manage succession, create accountability, and ensure long-term sustainability across generations.

David also discusses why many family businesses resist formal governance structures and how independent board members can help families navigate complex decisions while maintaining healthy relationships.

Key Takeaways

• Family businesses operate at the intersection of family and business

• Each system has its own dynamics, and when combined they can create strong alignment and/or significant conflict.

• Successful family businesses learn to balance emotional family relationships with professional business decision-making.

• Understanding roles is critical to effective communication

• Family members may simultaneously act as owners, executives or board members.

• Recognizing which "hat" someone is wearing during a conversation helps keep discussions productive and focused.

• Governance becomes more important as businesses move across generations

• As ownership expands from founders to siblings and eventually cousins, decision-making becomes more complex.

• Formal governance structures help maintain alignment and clarity as the number of stakeholders grows.

• Independent boards can strengthen family businesses

• Independent board members can provide strategic, objective perspectives and expertise that may not exist within the family.

• A strong board supports management while also representing the interests of the family shareholders.

• Communication is the foundation for long-term success

• Families must be willing to have open and sometimes uncomfortable conversations about strategy, succession, and expectations.

• Strong communication allows family businesses to navigate complexity and sustain the business across generations.

Quotes

"Ownership doesn't constitute a board seat. That goes back to 'what are the needs of the business' and let's make sure we have the right people in the room."

Regarding a family member serving on the board of a family-owned business: "You have to be able to be comfortable being uncomfortable."

"You've got to really find true independents that aren't going to be yes men or women to the CEO or chairman of the board."

Regarding the resistance to a board of directors: "The biggest opposition or fear that I have heard… is the fear of loss of control."

Links

The Family Business Consulting Group

Boards and Family Business: What Could Go Wrong?

Family Business Health check

Book - So, You're in the Family Business: A Guide to Sustainability

Guest bio

David Karofsky is a principal consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group, specializing in advising family businesses about the challenges and opportunities inherent to the family business. His client work is focused on building alignment around communication, executing the transition of ownership and leadership, conflict resolution, strategic planning, and forming governance structures for family businesses.

His interest in family business consulting began with his course work in family business dynamics at the Cambridge Center for Creative Enterprise. David's work helping corporate executives develop superior listening and communication skills was honed by his professional training in executive team building, strategic decision making, effective communication, managing people, matrix management, and performance enhancement.

Prior to working with FBCG, David worked in his own family business consulting practice with his father for eight years. The father-son team are the authors of So You're in the Family Business: A Guide to Sustainability. In addition, David was vice president of marketing for a software start-up where he helped launch the company and raise over $10 million in funding. David also worked at EMC Corporation for eight years holding various corporate roles including managing operations for worldwide marketing.

The recipient of multiple achievement awards, David has been a guest speaker internationally and is a mentor to current and former MBA students at Northeastern University's Graduate School of Business and serves on the Marketing Career Track Advisory Board. He is a founding member and former chair of the Boston chapter of the Young Presidents' Organization's Young Adult Forum, member of the Family Firm Institute where he holds certificates in Family Wealth and Advanced Family Business

Advising with Fellow status, member of the Board of Directors of the Rogers Foam Corporation and a former member of the Executive Board of Directors for the Men's Associates at Hebrew Senior Life.

In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh speak with Babs Ryan, an innovation executive, board director, and AI strategist with experience spanning global technology, marketing, consumer products, and financial services.

Ryan discusses the evolving role of artificial intelligence in governance, the future of AI on boards of directors, and realistic scenarios for AI adoption, in a discussion about the possible ways AI can be integrated into boardrooms.

The episode also explores broader governance issues, including board refreshment and oversight responsibilities, and how AI could help surface blind spots in leadership decision-making.

Key takeaways

• AI as an accelerator

• Ryan believes that an AI entity on the board could be programmed to make decisions in the best interests of shareholders.

• • AI would be able to look far beyond a typical human board members' scope of knowledge and realm of experience.

• • Organizations should focus on strategic and operational priorities with CEOs applying AI to those priorities, where it would be most effective.

• AI is evolving in the boardroom but not enough to take a board seat, at least in the near future

• Short term: Boards receive education on how to utilize AI as a tool to prepare for meetings, review minutes and retrieve information.

• Mid-term: Focus on strategy and building confidence with AI and use it to challenge assumptions and help identify blind spots and risks.

• • Trust in AI, like trust in new board members, must be earned over time through consistent, reliable contributions.

• • Legal, regulatory, and cultural readiness will ultimately determine how far AI can go, and when, in serving formal governance roles

• Exposing governance weaknesses

• • Concerns about AI exposing bias or underperformance point to broader challenges around board evaluation and refreshment.

• • AI adoption in the boardroom may accelerate necessary conversations about board member accountability, succession, and governance discipline.

• • Strong boards with high-performing directors are more likely to welcome AI-enabled scrutiny.

Quotes

" AI is not a strategy and it's not a product. It's an accelerator, something that helps you do something else better, faster, higher quality."

"People should stop looking for the 'use case' for AI and focus on their current strategic and operational priorities and then apply AI where it makes sense."

"An AI entity on the board… can be programmed to actually give decisions or answers in the best interest of the shareholders, which people don't always do."

Links

The Board Selection Short List: Will It Be You or AI?

Board Search Secrets

Guest Bio

Babs Ryan was chief innovation officer of GE Capital's largest division where one of her many patents generated $800M in incremental revenue. A dual US/UK citizen, she has been onsite in 97 countries. She was a director and audit committee member of Workers Federal Credit Union with $2.6B in assets, overseeing M&A negotiations and CEO succession.

She is strategic advisor for Kintera AI, offering no code back-office processing/reconciliation and regulatory violation remediation for banks; board director and investment committee member at MarTech Main Street, Inc., a private multigenerational family business; and an advisory board director at Aviva Labs, a global beauty/aesthetics manufacturer and distributor.

Babs has also served as CEO of a marketing agency acquired by WPP, SVP of innovation at Capgemini's product design division (AI, digital twins, biosensors, MedTech, robotics), Agile principal at Thoughtworks, and GVP digital transformation at Publicis Sapient.

In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Gary Evee, cybersecurity leader and founder and CEO of Aprivé. His company is pioneering a concierge approach to cybersecurity protection, providing services that protect high-value individuals and families from the digital threat landscape.

Drawing on more than 25 years of experience across IBM, cybersecurity leadership, and board service, Gary explains how breaches increasingly originate through individuals rather than systems.

He highlights how personal devices, home networks, and online data exposure create vulnerabilities for executives and board members, and why cybersecurity must extend beyond the corporate perimeter He currently serves as the board director of Aware Inc. and is a trustee of Dedham Savings Bank.

Key takeaways

• People are the primary cybersecurity risk

  • Most breaches target individuals and start in simple ways with phishing emails, password reuse, or compromised personal devices.

  • In cybersecurity, people are the weakest links and organizations often lack in providing continued digital protection for executives once they step outside the company's firewalls

  • Home networks and personal accounts often lack even basic security controls and so cybersecurity is a risk for anyone that works remotely, travels, or brings their work home from the organization. It can even impact your family.

• Aprivé: Personal and enterprise-grade cybersecurity

  • The company offers a white-glove services that protect individuals, their home network, devices and digital footprint

  • Aprivé is unlike other cybersecurity companies and proactively helps people get the protection they need in places outside of the enterprise

  • Aprivé's services cover six pillars

  • Password and credential security

  • Home network hardening

  • Mobile and personal device security

  • Online identity and digital footprint management

  • Financial and account monitoring

  • 24/7 concierge support and incident response

• Boards and executives are high-value targets with outsized exposure

  • Even the best board portals don't flag when a non-authorized user logs in with stolen credentials taken from a phishing malware or compromised device

  • When an attacker gets access, they can gather information that could lead to reputational damage

  • Aprivé's services ensure everyone within the enterprise is protected, assessing the vulnerability of each individual — especially the C-suite

  • The company also serves high profile and public figures

Quotes

"People continue to remain the weakest link."

" What we found was [people-C-suite leaders and High-value individuals] oftentimes have no one thinking about protecting them once they left the organization."

"Even the best board portals assume that the person that's logging on is legitimate."

"If I steal your credentials through a phishing malware, a compromised personal device, the system doesn't see me as an attacker, it sees me as a trusted user."

Links

Aprive

Guest Bio

Gary Evee is a visionary entrepreneur, investor, and cybersecurity leader dedicated to redefining how the world's most influential people safeguard their digital lives.

As the founder and CEO of Aprivé, he is pioneering the next frontier of personal cybersecurity, Executive & Lifestyle Defense, a model that blends technology, concierge service, and intelligence to protect executives, high-net-worth individuals, and families from the evolving digital threat landscape.

With more than 25 years of experience spanning technology, cybersecurity, and business transformation, Gary is known for his rare ability to bridge innovation and trust. Before founding Aprivé, he served as an executive leader in IBM's Cybersecurity Business Unit, helping Fortune 500 CEO's and global enterprises navigate emerging threats while scaling IBM's security portfolio worldwide. In addition to his work with Aprivé, Gary founded Evee Security Consulting Group, advising corporations and public institutions on cyber risk management, identity protection, and incident response. He also founded CyberTrust Massachusetts, a pioneering public-private initiative that develops the next generation of cybersecurity professionals through education, workforce development, and real-work defense programs.

Gary erves as a Board Director at Ware Inc. (NASDAW: AWRE), a leading biometrics and identity authentication company, and as a Trustee of Dedham Savings Bank and Charlesbridge Bank. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University, contributing to national discussions on cybersecurity, policy, and technology innovation.

A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Gary regularly shares insights on executive risk, digital identity, and the future of cybersecurity, empowering leaders to safeguard what matters most in an increasingly complex digital world.

In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Jon Weber, founder of the Jon F. Weber advisory firm and an experienced board leader in operationally intensive, post-restructured companies. Jon has served on over 50 boards.

Drawing on more than 20 years of experience at institutional investors, including Icahn Enterprises, Goldman Sachs, and Elliott Investment Management, Jon shares what distinguishes a board that genuinely drives change.

The conversation explores how boards are rebuilt following restructurings, why these roles demand significantly more engagement than traditional boards, and how disciplined board composition, leadership, and governance practices can unlock value.

Jon also discusses lessons learned from distressed situations, the importance of strong board chairs, and why many boards fall short of their potential.

Additional Resources

For Jon's articles, podcasts, and webinars on governance and other restructuring-related topics, see https://jonfweber.com/thought-leadership.

Key takeaways

• Early beginnings with operationally intensive investments

  • Throughout his career, Jon had worked for institutional investors who invest in undervalued troubled companies — companies facing challenges relating to talent, strategy, technology, or operational issues.

  • Over the years, Jon has become experienced in overseeing businesses that need very actively engaged boards.

• Post-restructured boards

  • When a company is restructured, it has new stakeholders, owners, and boards of directors.

  • These boards must be built from scratch, with clear governance structures, committee charters, onboarding processes, and an expectation of deep engagement.

  • Jon characterizes these boards as at least "50% more difficult" than traditional boards. Members of post-restructured boards must be willing to accept the challenge to be deeply involved and do the work necessary to make an impact.

• Board composition should start with a scorecard

  • Jon likens effective board building to acting as a "casting director." To effectively create a post-restructured board, one has to study the business, learn the industry and its history, and have a clear, deep understanding of the company.

  • Before candidate interviews, a scorecard with explicit criteria and consensus on what will lead to a high performing board is created to assure that recruiting priorities are clear.

• Strong board leadership is necessary

  • • The board chair must have board experience and preferably board leadership experience.

    • The chair must actively manage the board, set expectations for preparation and behavior, facilitate constructive dialogue, and provide regular, direct feedback to the CEO. Without this strong leadership, these boards tend to drift or defer to management.

• Focus forward, not backward

  • • Jon emphasizes that effective boards minimize time spent rehashing historical results and instead prioritize decision-making, problem-solving, and future-oriented discussions.

    • Preparation before meetings, including sharing questions in advance, enables board time to be used for meaningful conversation rather than passive presentation.

Quotes

• "Because it's a new board, it's not tethered to the legacy of the past."
• "We're not looking for clones of ourselves or people that bring a mirror image of our own beliefs, but rather constructive disagreement at times around particular knowledge of the business."
• " Investors are human, too, they have biases…the bias that investors have is they prefer candidates who tend to agree with their investment thesis and who have a frame of reference that is consistent with theirs."
• "A board that doesn't have a leader ends up being led by management—and that's not good governance."

Links

www.jonfweber.com

Guest Bio

Jon leads an advisory firm that serves investors in operationally intensive investments. Previously, he created and led operating partner groups for over 20 years at institutional investors, including Goldman Sachs, Icahn Enterprises, and Elliott Investment Management. He has impacted dozens of portfolio companies across a broad range of industries through operational engagement, talent management, and effective oversight, in partnership with management, driving change as a board member, senior executive, and board-level advisor in the Americas and Europe.

His roles have included President of Icahn Enterprises, L.P. (NYSE-IEP), CEO of Philip Services Corporation, WestPoint Home, and Viskase, and board member of Aligned Energy, American Railcar Industries, Crescent Communities, Martinrea Honsel, National Energy Group, PLH Group, Promises Behavioral Health, WIND Hellas, Windstream, Xenith Bankshares, and XO Communications.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Weber was an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan and a corporate lawyer at Weil. He is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Jon earned a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School, and B.S. and M.B.A., magna cum laude from Babson College

In this episode, Joe and Raza speak with Firas Raouf, co-founder and general partner at Companyon Ventures, a Boston-based VC firm specializing in early-stage B2B software and AI startups.

Firas shares insights from 25 years as a founder, operator, and venture investor—helping companies transition from founder-led sales to scalable, operationally disciplined organizations. The conversation focuses on how early-stage founders should think about creating their first board, the mistakes to avoid, and why great board dynamics depend heavily on execution.

Key takeaways

• Career beginnings

• 25 years ago, Firas co-founded three startups — two were during the dot-com era and one that became VC-funded, giving him firsthand experience sitting on the receiving end of board advice and investor expectations.

• Then, Firas was invited to join OpenView while working at Insight Venture Partners and was able to spend 10 years seeing OpenView and its portfolio companies grow.

• Later he co-founded Companyon Ventures

• How Companyon Ventures supports the expansion stage investing

• After early product-market fit, companies hit the "now we need to scale" moment.

• Companyon Ventures specializes in this transition, helping founders build their first leadership team ,operational discipline, KPIs and dashboards scalable go-to-market engines a plan for capital needs

• Early-stage boards are about support

• Firas emphasizes that early boards are not oversight bodies like public-company boards. Their purpose is to surround the founder with people who can help them think strategically, navigate challenges, and build a scalable company.

• A board can include a seat for common shareholders, lead investors and an independent board member, who is someone with whom the CEO is comfortable.

• Since lead investors can become a long-term board member, Founders must evaluate who they are letting in, not only the valuation. Once someone is on the board, they're not easy to remove.

• Boards must evolve as the company evolves

• As companies grow, the expertise they need changes. Firas suggests cycling out board members after two years.

• After 18–24 months, it's common for a board member's value to plateau, making board refreshes, new independent directors, or role rotations both healthy and necessary.

Quotes

• "A happy board tends to reflect great execution. An unhappy board tends to reflect poor execution."
• "I do think that you should keep things fresh, so to speak, and so any board member really that has been there more than two years, it's rare that you haven't picked their brain dry."
• "It's not just about valuation, it's also about who you're going to let into your company, into your house, because once you let them in, you can't get rid of them."
• "The board of directors for an early-stage startup is the opportunity to have a number of people around the table that can help you navigate and scale your company."

Links

Companyon Ventures- Boardroom Confidential

Guest Bio

Firas Raouf is the co-founder and general partner of Companyon Ventures, a Boston-based VC firm that invests in early-stage B2B software and AI startups. Before launching Companyon, Firas was part of the founding team at OpenView Venture Partners, where he helped pioneer the "expansion stage" investment model and partnered with dozens of software founders to scale their go-to-market operations. Today, he focuses on helping founders transition from founder-led sales to scalable growth by building leadership teams, operational discipline, and repeatable GTM engines. Firas is known for his hands-on, operator-turned-investor approach and his passion for guiding first-time founders through the challenges of building high-growth software companies.

In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh speak with Dr. Linda McGoldrick, an international board director, strategy leader, and policy expert in healthcare and life sciences.

With 30 years of global experience across the U.S., U.K., and European boards, Linda shares what defines high-performing boards, the importance of trust and diversity of thought, and how geopolitical and technological shifts are transforming governance today.

Key takeaways

• Traits of high performing boards

• Regardless of size or geography, effective boards are well-prepared, prioritize meaningful discussion over reporting, and cultivate trust and mutual respect.

• High performing boards all display strong relationships, open communication, and diversity of thought among board members.

• Linda added that values, camaraderie and trust are intangible aspects that are important aspects of a successful board.

• Boards in the U.S. vs the rest of the world

• Linda observed that even in non-English speaking countries, English serves as the universal language for board communications - a reflection of its role as the global language of business

• Boards outside the U.S. place greater emphasis on courtesy, respect, and a thoughtful pace of discussion, reflecting multicultural membership and diverse business contexts.

• Historically, many U.S. boards were more domestically focused, but Linda sees this shifting as companies expand internationally. Directors today are expected to understand global markets, geopolitical dynamics, and comparative business environments.

• Expansion of risk oversight

• Today's boards must monitor not only financial and operational risks but also a host of geopolitical, regulatory, and other related challenges.

• Artificial intelligence impact on boards

• The use of AI has implications of security, benefits, risk and investment as the technology continues to expand and have impacts on economies and society.

• Boards have the responsibility to oversee the implications for organizational strategy and risk management.

• Linda views AI as a valuable efficiency tool, such as bots that summarize materials but stresses that human judgment, discretion, and ethics must remain central to board decision-making.

Quotes

"I don't want to see myself around the table. I want to see a diversity of experience. We all bring certain talents which feed into the most rigorous and robust discussions around board process."

"AI is a global race… I think the human element of discretion and insight is critical to know the line of technical and bot-expertly-fed conversations versus human thoughtful conversations in dialogue.

Guest Bio

Dr. Linda McGoldrick is an international board director and healthcare and life sciences leader with more than 30 years of global executive and governance experience. She serves on the boards of SmileyLife Holding, Alvotech, where she chairs the Audit Committee, and Compass Pathways, and is the Founder and CEO of Financial Health Associates International.

Linda has held senior roles across the U.S. and Europe, including leadership positions at Marsh's Healthcare & Life Sciences practice, Kaiser Permanente's European operations, and Veos plc. She has also served as CEO of the International Diabetes Federation and the Drug Information Association.

A dual U.S.–U.K. citizen, Linda brings deep expertise in global strategy, regulatory environments, and board governance across public, private, and nonprofit organizations.

In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh speak with John Rose, an international marketing executive, entrepreneur, and board advisor who has led businesses across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.

John discusses his global career—from founding the first ad agency in Russia to relocating his company to Dubai and his recent research project, "The Boardroom Blindspot," a global survey exploring why marketing expertise is underrepresented on boards.

He also shares insights from his work with the Virtual Advisory Board and Board Brothers, highlighting the impact that advisory boards are having on governance. John has served as a board member and advisor for several companies, including Atypical Digital, WLB, Cow Level and Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs.

Key takeaways

1.A global career defined by reinvention

• • John began his career in Boston media and advertising before co-founding the first Western ad agency in what was at the time the Soviet Union. As global markets shifted, he built a thriving international business across Eastern Europe.

  • When the war broke out with Ukraine, he and his team quickly relocated from Russia to Dubai, rebuilding their agency from the ground up and now represents Dubai's tourism in a number of countries.

2. Dubai's culture of openness and innovation

• • John described Dubai as "the city of the future," efficient, safe, and globally connected, with a government and business culture that actively supports growth.

  • Dubai offered a welcoming and dynamic environment for rebuilding. With 90% or more of residents coming from abroad, the city fosters a strong sense of belonging and entrepreneurial energy.

3. The Boardroom Blind Spot

• • John's research survey, conducted with the Virtual Advisory Board*, revealed that fewer than 14% of boards surveyed include directors with marketing expertise. The survey included 416 board members and executives across 46 countries.

  • Results showed that 60% of respondents believe that marketing perspective would add value, but only 11% have addressed the gap.

  • John asserts that boards are still dominated by finance and legal expertise but largely excludes marketing expertise which brings a customer-centric lens essential for growth, purpose, and communication in a rapidly changing world.

4. Preparing marketers to serve effectively on boards

• • John believes marketing professionals must take some of the responsibility for closing the gap by learning to "speak board"-connecting creative and customer insights to business outcomes, governance, and shareholder value.

  • Strategic marketers, especially CMOs and Chief Growth Officers, can bridge this divide by pursuing board education and gaining experience through nonprofit and/or smaller boards.

Quotes

• "86% of companies don't have any marketing expertise on their boards - that's pretty significant."

• "I think we (marketing) are the interpreters. I think we're the people who help cross the gap between what the marketplace wants and desires and what the company can deliver."

Links

The Boardroom Blindspot

Guest Bio

John Rose is an accomplished senior executive, entrepreneur, investor, board member, and creative director with over 30 years of experience leading marketing and media businesses across the U.S., Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. He is a founding member of the Virtual Advisory Board,

co-founder of Board Brothers, and a frequent speaker on global governance and marketing leadership. John's expertise spans brand strategy, international expansion, and board governance, with a special focus on helping companies bridge marketing insight with corporate purpose and growth. He currently resides in Dubai, where he continues to advise boards and global organizations on marketing strategy and board composition.

* The Virtual Advisory Board (VAB) is a virtual and global platform which connects its members and helps them navigate the global board of directors and advisory board ecosystems.

In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Jim Brown, co-founder of OrgHealth and author of the global bestseller "The Imperfect Board Member."

With 30 years of experience advising boards and CEOs, Jim shares how embracing imperfection leads to stronger leadership, healthier organizations, and better board performance. He dives into the evolution of governance over the last two decades and the cultural challenges boards face today.

Jim also previews his forthcoming book arriving in 2026, "The Imperfect CEO," set 20 years after his first book. The sequel explores the current reality that company leaders face through changes in leadership expectations and workplace culture.

Key takeaways

1.OrgHealth's mission

• • Jim explains that organization health is a focus on culture, the relationship between board members, how they communicate with each other and how they talk about their CEO and management team

  • Companies that seek OrgHealth's consultations need to have a leader who recognizes that they will be making most of the changes and acknowledges that improvements need to be made.

2. "The Imperfect Board Member" philosophy

• • The book tells a fictional story of a frustrated CEO who discovers that in order to make effective change on his board, it begins with self-awareness. Along his journey he discovers "The Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence: direct, protect, connect, expect, respect, reflect, and select.

  • The key insight from the story is that lasting board transformation requires both individual and collective growth.

3. Challenges adjusting to changes in culture

• • Jim's upcoming book, "The Imperfect CEO," revisits the same protagonist 20 years later as he confronts a new reality of generational and cultural shifts within companies.

  • The issue that company leaders face is being stuck in the mindset that because something worked before, it should still work. But with younger generations entering the company, outdated expectations receive pushback.

4. The ideal board chair

• • A great board chair leads with an attitude toward service, not authority. Their role is to draw out the best from every member, ensure effective discussion, and maintain focus without dominating the conversation.

5. Term limits, a solution to offboarding challenges

• • Jim suggests that rather than making offboarding personal through performance feedback, make it a mechanical process. Term limits also encourage boards to develop the skill and culture to bring in new members and help them learn about the company.

Quotes

• " Culture has become the undercurrent of every organization's reality. And if you don't recognize it, you're going to be blindsided by it."

• " My observation and my personal experience that the way we led as leaders 20 years ago that worked for us, doesn't work today."

• " I think it would just be much more healthy if we let boards be boards of directors where more of their energy is on the direction piece rather than the protection piece."

• " Have enough time for people to learn the job, the organization, and really add value, but not so much time that they become stale."

Links

OrgHealth

The Imperfect Board Member

Guest Bio

Jim Brown is an author, speaker, and board governance advisor with over 30 years of experience helping boards and CEOs build healthier organizations.

He co-founded OrgHealth in 1995, a consulting firm dedicated to improving board and leadership performance through culture, clarity, and accountability. His book, "The Imperfect Board Member" (2006), became an international bestseller.

He currently serves on several boards, including Vanquish Hockey, Amgine Technologies, and previously served on boards for The Global Leadership Network and SigmaDek. His upcoming book, "The Imperfect CEO" (2026), explores how leadership and workplace culture continue to evolve in today's rapidly changing environment.