The Corporate Director Podcast

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, Diligent Institute’s Kira Ciccarelli sits down with Melanie Nolen, Head of Research at Chief Executive Group, to unpack the latest findings from the long running What Directors Think survey of U.S. public company directors. Since 2002, this benchmark study has tracked how board priorities, risks and composition are evolving and the 2026 edition shows a striking shift toward growth through M&A, enterprise‑wide AI deployment and a new urgency around board effectiveness and meeting design.

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, host Dottie Schindlinger welcomes returning guest Anddria Varnado, board member at Pattern Beauty, Red Robin and Columbia Bank, to explore how the director’s role has evolved from guarding stability to governing continuous transformation. Together they unpack how boards can sharpen their oversight of AI, M&A-driven growth, and capital allocation, redesign agendas to prioritize strategic discussion, and embed learning, curiosity and real-time data into governance. Anddria shares practical steps for building more dynamic, stakeholder-aware boards—and explains why governance quality itself is becoming a key source of competitive advantage heading into 2026.

In this special year- end edition of the Corporate Director Podcast, Dottie Schindlinger and Meghan Day sit down with TK Kerstetter to grade their 2025 governance predictions.  Headlines included OpenAI’s nonprofit-to-for-profit pivot (likely paving the way to an IPO), boards elevating AI oversight to a priority, and Elon Musk–related governance flashpoints spanning compensation, jurisdiction, and multi-company leadership pressures.  For 2026, our hosts expect rising complexity in the director role as AI, cyber, policy shifts, supply chains, and macro risks stack up, demanding sharper risk planning and adaptability.

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, host Dottie Schindlinger talks with workplace culture expert Bree Groff, author of Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously). Bree makes the case that valuing “human days” is a strategic lever for performance, retention, and risk oversight, and why directors should care. She shares early warning signs like the disappearance of “orange flags”—and practical first moves for boards and CEOs: acknowledge the problem openly, use human language, and target daily “reverse pet peeves” to lift culture.

On this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, host Dottie Schindlinger sits down with Maria Garcia‑Nielsen, an independent director at Mibanco, Lantana Group, and Base Protection Group and founder of Wharton Alumni for Boards, to unpack how sector fundamentals should anchor board conversations across regions. From the rising prominence of geopolitics on agendas to regional nuances in regional nuances in board priorities and conversation, Maria shares pragmatic ways boards can turn insight into action, including scenario planning and local context considerations.

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, host Dottie Schindlinger talks with Tracey-Lee Brown, director at PwC’s Governance Insights Center, about the latest update to PwC’s ESG Corporate Directors Guide and how boards should navigate today’s politicized sustainability landscape.  They explore shifting from a rear‑view, compliance-only mindset to a forward‑looking strategy: identifying material topics, tying them to purpose and long‑term value, and embedding them into ERM and capital allocation.

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, Catie Hall and Ariel Smilowitz from PwC’s Governance Insights Center unpack findings from PwC’s Annual Corporate Directors Survey and translate them into practical actions for boards. They explore growing pressure for board refreshment, the need for personal accountability and continuous learning, and why many assessments still don’t drive meaningful change. The conversation closes with a pragmatic roadmap for directors and board leaders, plus how generative AI is beginning to support board work.

In this episode of The Corporate Director Podcast, Rich Mullen, Partner in Wilson Sonsini’s M&A Practice, and Ranga Bodla, Vice President, Field Engagement and Marketing at NetSuite, Meghan Day to unpack a new joint report exploring transaction readiness in today’s unpredictable market. The conversation dives into governance gaps, board alignment, tech adoption, and the evolving role of boards in M&A activity. Discover why companies are rethinking transactions, how economic uncertainty and limited resources reshape dealmaking, and what opportunities AI offers for future transactions. Whether you’re navigating an acquisition or seeking best practices in board engagement and tech enablement, this episode delivers fresh insights from industry leaders and real survey data.

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast Catie Hall, Director at PwC’s Governance Insights Center, unpacks how boards can stay ahead in a fast-changing cyber landscape. She spotlights the need for ongoing director education to tackle threats like AI and global instability, urges hands-on prep with tabletop exercises, and advocates building stronger board-CISO ties through frequent, candid conversations. Catie makes it clear: directors must engage across the organization and ask tough questions to drive real cyber resilience.

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, Neta Meidav, Co-Founder and CEO of the Vault Platform and Lloydette Bai-Marrow, Director at Fraud Sentinel discuss the "failure to prevent fraud" offense under the UK Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act, which came into effect on September 1st. This new regulation significantly impacts large companies, both within and outside the UK, by transferring corporate criminal liability if they fail to implement reasonable fraud prevention measures. Netta and Lloydette share insights on how internal compliance teams can prepare for this change. They emphasize the importance of effective whistleblowing mechanisms, robust internal controls, and a culture of accountability within organizations.