CGI Global Webinar: ‘Board Leadership, Integrity and the Company Secretary’

Company Secretaries play a vital but often hidden role in corporate leadership. They ensure that board decisions are principled, effective and resilient. In this webinar, CGI Global was delighted to welcome Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO of Beyond Governance and author of The Secret Diary of a Company Secretary, in joining Kerrie Waring, Director General of The Chartered Governance Institute, to discuss how the Company Secretary strengthens the board, supports ethical leadership and navigates governance in action. 

Referencing real boardroom stories, Erika reflected on the practical lessons learned throughout her career thus far, noting the importance of speaking up when it is easiest to stay silent in order to protect the integrity of both oneself and the role of the Company Secretary. This demonstrated why Company Secretaries are perhaps thought of as the ‘corporate conscience’; the constant who must consider the stakeholders, the feasibility of actions taken and the impact of decisions made, simultaneously turning governance into strategic strength. 

From discussing the notable ambiguity around the wording of the primary role (whether you’re designated a Company Secretary, a Governance Professional and so on), to identification of the key personality traits and the fundamentals that you really need to know, this webinar showcased the ways in which the role is becoming much more strategic and thus should not be overlooked as purely administrative. This welcome insight aligns with the upcoming release of CGI’s updated International Governance Qualifying Programme, highlighting the core areas such as board dynamics and organisational function, through to the wider remit including ESG, investor relations, communications and arguably one of the most important, transference of the role into the modern-day world in the digital sense.

The refreshing discussion around the role of the Company Secretary received much appreciation from our online audience, with further value provided through an interactive audience Q&A segment, which in turn shared a little insight into the practical real-life struggles currently facing our professionals around the world. The session initiated a much-needed and greatly-appreciated conversation around the role, and has hopefully set the tone for many more discussions yet to come, so we highly recommend watching on demand if you weren’t able to join us live.