In this FOMO Sapiens episode, Patrick McGinnis speaks with Byron Loflin, Global Head of Board Advisory at NASDAQ and co-author of CEO Ready, about how to build better boards, smarter leaders, and more resilient organizations. Loflin’s career was shaped by the 2008 financial crisis, when he saw firsthand the cost of poor governance and weak risk oversight. Since then, he’s made it his mission to elevate board standards and prepare future CEOs for the realities of leadership.
He argues that true readiness goes beyond qualifications; it’s about humility, process, and the courage to ask the right questions. Loflin explains how succession planning should be a continuous improvement cycle, not a last-minute search, and why boards must proactively manage stakeholder dynamics to avoid surprises like the OpenAI leadership crisis. Through case studies and practical frameworks, Loflin offers a playbook for leaders who want to build excellence at every level, from boardrooms to executive suites.

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