The Directors’ Institute – World Council of Directors proudly celebrates another distinguished group of alumni from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, recognised through the International Corporate Directorship Programme.

The Directors’ Institute – World Council of Directors proudly celebrates ten distinguished alumni from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, recognised through the International Corporate Directorship Programme. This recognition is not merely ceremonial. It represents readiness — the kind shaped by experience, sharpened by academic rigour, and strengthened by responsibility.

The level of complexity a boardroom director has to face in his or her professional life has always been a subject to decipher. Nevertheless, of late, it has become more intricate, given the expanding scope of Company Directors' Responsibilities. The rise of precariousness is no longer a one-off occurrence but a regular state of affairs. Accelerated technological transformation, compliance overhauls, environmental pressures, geopolitical tensions, and shifting social expectat

The Artificial Intelligence bill by the European Union has been passed and is a law now. Some provisions made by the act are in the process of being rolled out, some in the refinement phase through secondary guidance and parallel reforms, while some are already in practice. This brings about a governance moment that is familiar yet uncomfortable for boards of directors. Directors have to take matters like digital systems and artificial intelligence seriously at the oversight

Most directors don’t wake up thinking about insolvency law. They think about cash flow, customers, employees, deadlines, and keeping the business running. Insolvency only enters the picture when things start going badly. Sales drop. Bills stack up. Banks stop returning calls. That’s usually when legal duties suddenly become very real. Under normal conditions, the rules are strict. When a company is close to failing, director's duties in insolvency shift. The focus moves away

These days, supply chains keep modern companies alive. We have all seen how things like pandemics or political flare-ups can throw everything off balance. It is clear now—having a tough, flexible network is not just a bonus. It is how companies make it through chaos. But here’s a twist: maybe building that kind of network does not start with new software or trade agreements. Maybe it starts in the boardroom, with who’s actually sitting around the table. A major study looked a

What does it really mean for a company to succeed? People argue about this everywhere—from boardrooms to courtrooms to business schools. The question seems simple but the answers are all over the map. Most laws tell company directors to act in the “best interests of the company” or to “promote the success of the corporation.” But let us be honest—nobody agrees on what success actually means. Is it just making money fast? Is it about growth over decades? Winning the market? Sa

For a while, it sounded almost too neat to be true. Countries would agree on a global minimum tax rate, big companies would stop hopping from one tax haven to another, and everyone would finally play by the same rules. Simple. Except it didn’t turn out that way. When the OECD global tax deal was announced, most of the attention went to the headline number — 15%. But behind the scenes, the real story was about exceptions, loopholes, and quiet negotiations. And the U.S. was rig

Not long ago, companies had the luxury of time. If something went wrong with their systems, their data, or even their people, they could say, “Let’s audit this next quarter.”  A few meetings, a long report, some damage control… and life moved on. That world is gone. In 2026, everything moves fast — especially problems powered by AI. A biased hiring tool can reject hundreds of candidates in one afternoon. An automated loan system can quietly block an entire neighborhood before

The E.A. Sween Company, located in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, serves as a compelling example of a private company that has transformed from humble beginnings into a national foodservice powerhouse, producing over 70 million sandwiches annually. If you have ever grabbed a quick bite from a convenience store cooler-a San Luis burrito, a Market Sandwich, or Deli Express-you have tasted one of their products. This family-owned business, founded in the late 1950s when Earl Sween res

For early‑stage private companies, assembling a high‑impact board is not a box‑ticking exercise; it is a strategic decision that can alter the company’s entire trajectory. Waiting too long to form a complete and balanced board often leads to stalled decision‑making, missed opportunities and weak governance, whereas investing early in the right directors lays the groundwork for disciplined growth and sustainable success. In recent years, there has been a meaningful shift away

The past three years have changed leadership more than the previous thirty. And anyone who has spent real time inside boardrooms—whether as a director, an advisor, or a C-suite leader—can feel it. The conversations are sharper. The expectations are heavier. The timelines are shorter. And the margin for error? Almost nonexistent. We often say that boardrooms don’t “react” to change—they absorb it. But lately, even that feels outdated. Today, change arrives too fast and too bro

Let’s be honest: AI is moving faster than most boardrooms can process , and cybersecurity threats… well, they’re not politely waiting for anyone to catch up either. If anything, they're evolving at double speed — supercharged by the same AI tools companies are trying to adopt for growth. We’ve entered a strange moment where boards are expected to make decisions on technologies they didn't grow up with, didn’t manage in their careers, and — in many cases — barely feel fluent i

The announcement that boAt’s founders — Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta — have stepped down from their executive roles just weeks before the company’s planned ₹1,500 crore IPO has sparked a wave of concern across investor and corporate-governance circles. Disclosed in the company’s updated Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP), the move has been viewed by many as more than a routine leadership reshuffle — raising important questions around Private Company Governance and IPO readine

In today's world, every business faces sudden shocks. The market moves fast, customers change their thinking, and technology comes up with new ideas almost every week. Because of this, many boards feel confused while Guiding Private Companies  through unstable times. One thing that really helps during these moments is board purpose. This purpose act like main direction when everything looks unclear. It shows board members what matters most, even when big pressure falls from o

Modern companies are moving inside crazy fast worlds where change happens before anyone even understands what is going on. Old-style thinking based only on past actions is not enough anymore. Boards that hold huge responsibility for guiding the whole organisation must now use something like Future-Focused Board Strategy  so they can act ready for new shocks, new risks, and new chances. In this write-up, I want to talk about why old ideas fail, how new ideas grow, and what mus

In the current business world, every board want smooth plan flow, fast decision action, and less trouble when big change starts. Many firms make a strong strategy, but the whole thing breaks when senior leaders fight, hide issues, or pull the team in a random direction. Because of this, boards try to understand how unity inside the top group helps De-risk Strategy Execution . A small gap in trust or clarity can push a huge delay, so this topic becomes very important for every

If there’s one truth I’ve learned after a decade of working with leaders—from scrappy startup founders to executives steering billion-dollar ships—it’s this: companies don’t grow because of strategy alone. They grow because of the people bold enough to transform the strategy when the world shifts. And the world is shifting faster than ever. Markets move in months, technologies evolve in weeks, and culture changes by the day. Yet, inside many boardrooms, leadership is still tr

Let’s be real for a moment — leading a team when things are smooth is one thing. But leading a team when everything around you feels shaky? That hits differently. Suddenly you’re expected to be the calm voice, the problem-solver, the emotional support, and the strategic brain… all at the same time. And half the time, you’re figuring it out on the go, just like everyone else. If you’ve ever woken up thinking, “How am I supposed to guide my team when I’m not even sure what’s co

If there’s one reality business leaders quietly acknowledge today, it’s this: strategy has never felt more uncertain. Markets shift faster than plans can be finalised, competitors emerge from unexpected directions, and technologies rewrite industry rules almost overnight. Many of the playbooks that once felt dependable now seem increasingly outdated. A few weeks ago, I met a founder in Bengaluru who said something that stuck with me. He smiled, shrugged, and said, “Honestly,