Board Matters podcast: "The accidental director" with Julia Chambers

Julia Chambers CMInstD never planned to be a director.

“I had a journey into governance and the boardroom that involved a lot of serendipity,” she says.

Working in the start-up sector, Julia found herself shoulder-tapped to join boards. One of her big learnings was to continue to be true and to “honour the things that are important” when she moved into the boardroom.

“How do we find ways to hear, and listen to, other views? How do we improve access and promote diversity?” Julia says, are important questions inside and outside the boardroom.

She also feels there has been an increase in complexity and ambiguity in the business environment and this has increased the risk profile for organisations, and the directors who govern them.

“The rate of change is accelerating,” she says, challenging directors to reflect on their personal suitability for board roles in the modern world.

“If it’s not you anymore, then step aside and let someone else fill that seat. The boards I am involved with, I tell you, we are really precious about those seats and who sits in them because of the impact that having the right person, the right team, can have.”

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