The Corporate Director Podcast

Board leadership through transformation 03.06.2026 28min

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, Tracy Nolan shares practical lessons on how boards can lead more effectively through transformation, disruption, and growth. Drawing on experience as a Fortune 100 senior executive, growth strategist, and board director, she explains why boards should pay close attention not only to formal decisions, but also to the signals they send through the questions they ask, the priorities they elevate, and the issues they ignore.

Tech expertise in the boardroom: AI, risk and the “governance concert” 20.05.2026 45min

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, board member and technologist Roosevelt Giles shares a practical roadmap for boards grappling with AI, cybersecurity, and the broader tech revolution reshaping corporate value. Giles explains why every CEO is now effectively a technology CEO—and why boards must rapidly catch up.

Risk, sustainability and the importance of real-time data 06.05.2026 38min

In this episode, we explore how the landscape of corporate risk management and sustainability is transforming boardroom dynamics, driven by global regulatory shifts, technological advancements, and stakeholder expectations. Our guest, Mike Wallace, sheds light on the strategic importance of real-time data, ESG disclosures, and integrating sustainability into core business processes.

Moving to continuous governance and risk oversight 22.04.2026 1val

In this episode of The Corporate Director Podcast, guest Joe Hurd explains why boards can no longer rely on quarterly geopolitical risk reviews in an era of poly-crisis—where multiple shocks unfold simultaneously across regions and risk categories. Drawing on his cross-sector board experience and public service background, Joe lays out how directors can move toward continuous risk oversight, build compound scenarios that integrate geopolitics, and use AI thoughtfully in the boardroom while avoiding legal and governance pitfalls.

Why Executive Compensation Disclosure Is Poised for a Major Overhaul 08.04.2026 25min

In this episode, Meghan Day sits down with Caroline Montalbano, partner at Meridian Compensation Partners, to unpack the SEC’s potential changes to executive compensation disclosure rules and what boards and compensation committees should be doing now to stay ahead. They explore how a nearly 20-year-old disclosure framework, layered with additions like the CEO pay ratio and pay versus performance tables, has contributed to longer statements, and the SEC’s goal of incentivizing a clearer, more investor‑friendly pay-for-performance story.

Culture by design: Building resilient organizations in the age of AI 25.03.2026 34min

In this episode of The Corporate Director Podcast, Meghan Day is joined by James White, former chair, president and CEO of Jamba and current chair of The Honest Company, to unpack why culture is the defining factor in whether organizations successfully navigate disruption. White explains his core thesis that companies have culture either “by design or by default,” and argues that the best organizations are relentlessly intentional about the cultures they build. He shares his three-pillar framework—knowing what matters, doing what matters and measuring what matters—and how boards and executives can use it to guide transformation.

AI, geopolitics, and the boardroom: The new geotech landscape 18.03.2026 23min

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, host Meghan Day sits down with Claudia Allen, Senior Advisor at KPMG’s Board Leadership Center, to explore how the rapid advance of AI, rising geopolitical tensions, and shifting industrial policies are reshaping corporate strategy and board oversight. Claudia brings her deep governance expertise and legal background to unpack the emerging “geotech” landscape—where technology, national security, and economic policy collide.

From reactive to predictive: Board governance in the AI age 11.03.2026 44min

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, guest host Nithya Das, General Manager of Governance and Chief Legal Officer at Diligent, sits down with Elena Hera and Kaitlin Betancourt, partners at Goodwin, to unpack how AI is reshaping board oversight, legal risk, and the tempo of governance. They explore what reasonably informed AI oversight looks like, how to build an effective AI governance framework, and why AI literacy and documentation are rapidly becoming table stakes for corporate directors.

Understanding sovereign AI: What boards need to know now 24.02.2026 46min

In this episode of The Corporate Director Podcast, host Dottie Schindlinger sits down with board member, CEO and strategist Josh Klein to unpack what evolutions in AI technology will mean for entire countries, companies and corporate boards. He shares lessons from advising governments like Iceland and Zanzibar on national AI strategies, and explains why AI is both critical infrastructure and powerful “soft power” shaping how citizens think and behave.

Bringing a technologist mindset into the boardroom 11.02.2026 39min

In this episode of the Corporate Director Podcast, host Dottie Schindlinger sits down with Earl Newsome, Chief Information Officer at Cummins Inc. and board member at First Independence Bank, to explore how directors can bring a technologist mindset into the boardroom without being “siloed” as the tech person. Together, they dig into what boards often misunderstand about technology, how AI and digital disruption are reshaping strategy and risk oversight, and what it will take for directors to stay literate in an era of 90‑day technology decision cycles.

What Directors Think 2026: AI, M&A and the next era of board oversight 28.01.2026 40min

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.

Governance as a competitive advantage 14.01.2026 25min

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.

From AI oversight to algorithmic accountability: 2025 governance year in review 17.12.2025 39min

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.

Why culture belongs in the boardroom 10.12.2025 36min

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.

The value of international expertise in the boardroom 26.11.2025 33min

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.

Beyond compliance: Making sustainability strategic in the boardroom 12.11.2025 24min

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.

Key takeaways from the 2025 Annual Corporate Directors Survey 29.10.2025 47min

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.

Getting transaction ready: Boards, deals, and tech in unpredictable markets 15.10.2025 37min

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.

Strengthening cyber oversight 01.10.2025 32min

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.

What does the “failure to prevent fraud” offense mean for your organization? 17.09.2025 31min

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.