What were our key takeaways from the conference?
It was a busy two days. Members of the team were not only talking to a range of individuals at the EQ stand, but also attending sessions for their own learning and development, and of course catching up with people at every opportunity.
The theme of the conference was “Across The Board,” with a range of breakout sessions to suit corporate governance and company secretarial roles of all levels, and across a variety of organisations. For example; listed companies, not-for-profit organisations, and charities.
Those from EQ Proxy and Company Secretarial Services who attended all took away their unique learning experience, but one of the main highlights was networking, meeting new people and catching up with existing clients and previous colleagues.
Looking forwards, the theme of “technology” and “AI” were particularly interesting, encouraging attendees to embrace technology and evolve with the profession. We also gained a lot of perspectives about how to leverage our individual ability to see the bigger picture, an important role that the Company Secretary can take on and really add value for their organisations and Boards.
We picked up some great tips. For example, a session on influencing advised that developing deep relationships with our clients and each other, will help an individual influence more effectively; ensuring there is two-way communication supports understanding others and being understood yourself.
As professionals, continuous learning is important. It ensures that we can provide trusted, relevant, and efficient advice and products to our clients, stay up to date with innovation and embrace change.
We would like to share some of the key takeaways from our team.
Of the many highlights, which one has been the most important one to you personally?
“I attended the session on influencing and there were some wonderful tips from coach Beth Stallwood including the importance of seeking out "micro influencing" moments,” Madeleine Cordes
“For myself in my role at EQ, it was meeting and talking to like-minded corporate governance professionals, building relationships, and offering support through sharing our knowledge and experience. I attended the session on “How to get your first NED role” and have for many years believed this profession has a lot to offer the Board in a director role. For example, our ability to collaborate with others to deliver outcomes but at the same time be the critical friend. The list of skills and experience gained throughout our career can be vast and this profession is an “untapped” market for delivering board roles. This could also help deliver diversity of thinking, gender, and ethnicity into the boardroom.,” Anne-Marie Clarke
“I very much enjoyed meeting fellow professionals who worked in slightly different areas of the industry and learning about what they did.,” Scott Ormrod
Looking forwards, what do we, as corporate governance professionals, need to have front of mind?
“Leveraging our ability to see the bigger picture and connecting the dots - that is what can make us effective trusted advisers in the Board room,” Madeleine Cordes
“We need to embrace technology and evolve with the profession. We need to show how we can continue to add value and create efficiencies so that we remain relevant to our Boards. I also saw the value of having a co sec network across all sectors,” Charlotte Maybury
“To always keep learning. To make sure that we can keep the board up to date with the latest innovations and not to be fearful of change. I think we should be embracing AI rather than running away from it and we should be looking at ways to make the running of the board more effective.”, Kate Smith
“I feel the nature of the industry requires us to have everything in mind. We have had so many changes this year, from regulation changes to a change in government. I think governance professionals need to be ready for change and have the tools and processes in place to help them navigate through it. Whilst we don’t always know what is coming; we always know something is.,” Sunaina Bhogun
And finally, what inspired you the most?
“People, people, people. The positivity when we all come together, the willingness to collaborate and share experiences, is something that our profession needs, and leads on. Its “We” not “I” and that culture amongst us is alive and well.,” Anne-Marie Clarke
“I attended a session on building your governance career, I really enjoy hearing the paths and stories of other professionals and the differing ways they got to where they are today. In particular, Onyeka is someone I had followed since her appearance on The Apprentice at the start of the year, I really enjoyed hearing her story,” Leanne Davidson
“Seeing how such a tight knit community came together and how friendly and welcoming everybody was, was a huge inspiration to somebody who is starting out in their corporate governance career, which reinforces my decision to pursue a career in this area and to seek to meet more like-minded individuals.,” Jasmine Samra
Thank you to all our EQ Contributors:
Madeleine Cordes (Client Director), Anne-Marie Clarke (Director – Head of Corporate Governance), Karen O’Donnell (Governance & ESG Knowledge Manager), Charlotte Maybury (Senior Manager), Kate Smith (Senior Manager), Leanne Davidson (Manager), Scott Ormrod (Corporate Governance Manager), Sunaina Bhogun (Corporate Governance Manager), Jasmine Samra (Corporate Governance Analyst)