www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today United Kingdom Awards 2023 11 China – having a really long-term view. We can do that at the Institute of Directors because we have been around for 120 years. Therefore, having a 100-year view is perfectly appropriate. Our immediate objective is to regain the Institute’s position as the preeminent voice for directors in the United Kingdom, then to grow and still be here in another 100 years, representing the directors of the day in being the best they can be. I believe we have recovered from the issues of the past and we will now continue to thrive. We will do so by being single-minded about what we offer, not getting distracted – through providing world class education to business leaders; through being an honest, independent voice for business, and through providing our members with the best value we can. How has the IoD supported its members through the COVID-19 pandemic, and the subsequent invasion of Ukraine, energy price increases and cost-of-living challenges? I think the main thing we have done is fight in their corner. Sometimes we have lost the immediate ways to get things done. You also have to be quite resilient to go out to the middle of nowhere, walking in temperatures of -16 degrees with polar bears for company, like I did to the North Pole. However, a key thing that I have learnt whilst at the IoD is how to manage the complexities of a highly governed organisation. I had lots of experience of working with global boards, but dealing with what is essentially a PLC board is a very different animal. And that is all to the good. The Institute is set up in such a way as to be accountable to our members, and to society as a whole. It means I am much more acutely aware of the impact of decisions than I ever was before. And there’s nothing quite like making mistakes to improve your quality of decision-making. So yes, my skills have certainly grown! Do you have a vision for the IoD and its role in the UK? Absolutely. When I came into the organisation in 2019, I remember going into Number 10 Downing Street and being asked this exact question. My answer remains the same now as it was then. I have a 100-year vision for the Institute, and that is something that really comes out of my experience in
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