Building a business from the ground up is one of the most intellectually demanding and personally exposing things a leader can do. You are operating at the frontier of your own knowledge, often without the institutional support structures you may have relied upon in a corporate career. Which is precisely why the question of who you surround yourself with matters enormously from day one. This article explains why and how founders should establish an informal advisory board.

The ousting of Albert Manifold as BP's chairman in May 2026 - after less than eight months in post - has been widely reported as a story about one man's conduct. It is not. BP's leadership churn is not an anomaly, but a pattern. And patterns are governance problems, not bad luck. In this post, we seek to understand the broader governance challenges at BP, pose a series of questions, and make recommendations to enhance the collective leadership culture and avoid future success

What are the common failure points in the Chair-CEO relationship? What does management independence really mean? What does good look like? Six disciplines of a strong Chair-CEO relationship. What are the three roles of an effective Board Chair? What are the key responsibilities of the CEO with respect to the Board?

This post takes you on a tour of Blackheath's 10-point Board Effectiveness Framework with important questions that every board should address.

In 2026, effective board governance in the UK and Europe is becoming more substantive and reality‑driven. Stronger boards are focusing on decision‑useful evidence, practical AI oversight, observable culture, future‑relevant board capability and the integration of strategy with resilience. The shift is away from governance as process and towards governance as active, informed stewardship under growing volatility.