June 4, 2025 • 21 mins
Beyond Minutes: Reimagining the Board Secretary in the Age of AI
Is today’s board secretary ready for tomorrow’s boardroom?
In this episode, Moya Heyhurst returns to the Better Boards Podcast to explore how AI is reshaping not just how company secretaries work—but what their role means. A fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute with 25+ years’ experience, Moya shares insights from her work across industries and with the Centre for AI in Board Effectiveness.
Board secretaries sit at the intersection of governance and transformation. This episode explores how they can lead—not lag—as expectations rise.
The Role Is Changing—The Only Question Is How
“If you define yourself as just arranging meetings and writing minutes, then this is a call to arms.”
Secretaries must move beyond logistics to remain relevant in an AI-enabled boardroom.
Not Just Automation—A Shift in Purpose
“AI can either destroy your world or make it better. It’s how you decide to use it.”
AI isn’t just a tool—it’s a turning point. It can elevate how governance professionals deliver insight and value.
The Strategic Partner Boards Didn’t Know They Had
“Company secretaries know where everything is—and they know the risks of what’s at their fingertips.”
Great secretaries already drive board effectiveness. It’s time the role reflects that.
From Admin to Governance Intelligence
“If board secretaries don’t step forward, someone else will.”
The board’s demand for strategic input is rising. If secretaries don’t fill the gap, others will.
From Shadow Influence to Vocal Leadership
“We need to surface the role of the board secretary to unlock the value already inside organisations.”
Speaking up isn’t about ego—it’s about relevance.
How to Get Started
“Secretaries don’t have to know how to do it all. They need to know where the answers are—and how to connect them.”
Three Key Takeaways
- This is not a task shift—it’s a role shift.
- Step forward—or others will.
- The profession is ready—if it’s intentional.
Remember to subscribe and never miss an episode of the Better Boards Podcast Series. It’s available on Apple, Spotify, or Google.
To find out how you can participate in the Better Boards Podcast Series or for more information on Better Boards’ solutions, please email us at info@better-boards.com.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Sabine (00:02):
Beyond Minutes, reimagining the board secretary
in the age of AI.
Welcome to the BetterBotspodcast series, the podcast for
chairs, CEOs, non-executivedirectors, company secretaries,
and their advisors.
Every episode is filled withpractical insights and learnings
from those inside boardrooms.
(00:23):
We discuss what really mattersand highlight actionable steps
you can take to enhance theperformance of your board.
The role of the board secretaryis a crossroad.
Traditionally, it is seen as aguardian of governance, the
keeper of the minutes, and thefacilitator of board processes.
(00:43):
The secretary function is nowbeing reshaped by rapidly
evolving boardroom demands.
Now the rise of AI, the growingcomplexity of governance and
the increasing need forinsight-rich strategic support
are challenging the conventionalexpectations of the role.
(01:04):
But this isn't just about taskautomation, it's about purpose.
Boards don't just need betterexecutions, they need sharper
interpretation, integration andstrategic enablement.
If the board secretary doesn'tstep forward into this space,
others will.
(01:25):
The question is no longerwhether the role is changing.
It's how those in it willchoose to respond.
In this episode, we dive intothe realities shaping this
transformation.
We'll examine how AI is alreadyinfluencing board secretaries,
explore the expanding demands onboard governance, and tackle
(01:48):
the critical question, is thefuture of the board secretary
about expansion, repositioning,or replacing?
With insights from experiencedgovernance professionals, we'll
unpack what's truly at stake,why board secretaries have a
unique opportunity to lead, andhow they must redefine their
posture and not just updatetheir processes.
(02:10):
If the profession is ready, thetime to act is now.
I'm absolutely delighted towelcome again Moja Hayhurst.
She is a fellow of theChartered Governance Institute
with over 25 years of corporategovernance experience across
multiple industries, includingmining, financial services, and
(02:31):
insurance.
Now, the reason why we invitedMuya again, she's heavily
involved with the Center for AIin Board Effectiveness and takes
part in the research.
And the mission is to progressAI's role in board effectiveness
and help board ecosystemsadapt.
Moja, thank you so much forbeing back with us at the Better
(02:55):
Boards podcast series.
Thank you so much.
Excited to be back with you.
Now, there is so muchexcitement in the whole board
community and the companysecretariat community about AI,
which is why we have decided tofocus a little bit on the topic.
And you're basically kicking usoff with a small series we are
(03:16):
planning now with a specialfocus on what it all means for
company secretaries.
So let's first look at this bigpicture.
Why now?
Moya Heyhurst (03:27):
Thank you.
You know, you're so right.
You know, you can't open upLinkedIn or pick up an article
without some reference to AI.
So I'm working with a number ofother industry leaders for the
Center for AI and BoardEffectiveness.
And we are looking at AI'simpact on various elements of
the board space.
(03:47):
And today, as you said, companysecretaries or board
secretaries is where we arelooking today.
And it's really around AI.
how things are evolving in thatspace.
And board secretaries reallyare caught in the middle of that
transformation.
Honestly, I feel like we arestanding on a precipice.
You know, directors are alreadyseeing the benefits of using
(04:10):
AI.
Many of them are using itpersonally.
And in some progressivecompanies, there's some in there
as well.
And we've seen the directorsnow actively asking for AI.
What are the companies doing?
What are the secretaries doing?
On the other side, the businessis flying with AI in various
forms across the business.
(04:31):
AI is helping them refine,convert data, just find that
competitive edge and unlock it.
And as I said, companysecretaries are standing in the
middle, but many of them, us,me, are still wondering, what is
our role?
I really feel like the momentis now.
(04:54):
We've gone way beyond justarranging meetings and writing
minutes.
And sadly, if you, thoselistening, have defined the
board secretary as arrangingmeetings and writing minutes, or
if you as a board secretarydefine yourself as arranging in
(05:15):
that space, then this is reallya call to arms.
This is the moment.
This is what is changing.
I
Sabine (05:22):
mean, the media has become less critical.
I mean, I can remember somemonths ago, it was about, ah, is
it safe?
Is it secure?
There was a bit hesitation.
There is now less hesitation,but there are still some
question marks about how usefulis it actually?
I mean, those are all
Moya Heyhurst (05:41):
truths.
The reality is AI is there.
I mean, at the moment I've gotan iPhone, I've got an iPad, and
I've got a laptop sitting on mydesk.
AI is listening, whether welike it or not.
We've got to get past thatknee-jerk reaction.
Now it's more about the why.
What is going on?
(06:02):
What are we doing?
Where are we?
How do we use it?
And it comes down to playingwith it.
AI is still just a tool.
It progresses things.
It helps you to cut throughdata.
It's a tool.
It really is a tool.
(06:22):
And it can either...
And I'm going to take a deepbreath when I say this.
It can either destroy yourworld or it can make it better.
It's like anything.
It's how you decide to use it.
There is no one size fits all.
Every person...
And every company is in adifferent space.
(06:42):
So it really is up to eachperson to decide what that looks
like for them.
And in reality, that is theoutput that we are looking for
from the Center for AI for BoardEffectiveness, is to help
people frame those questions anddelve deep within their
organizations to how to do this.
Because over the years, theboard secretary has...
(07:06):
you know, has been defined as,you know, as I said before, the
quality of minutes.
But, you know, if you take it acouple of steps back, at the
beginning, the board secretaryrole evolved as being the right
hand of the CEO and the chair.
Now it's been pushed so manylevels down the organization.
And COSEX have always been theguardians of corporate
(07:28):
governance.
But you know, they have steppedfurther, further back into the
shadows and worked so quietly inthe background just to get all
of the stuff done.
Not just administrative stuffthat people tend to see.
There's so much that happens inthe background that company
secretaries don't shout about.
(07:49):
You know, we're a very quietgroup of people.
We get stuff done.
Yeah.
And because we are quiet,people don't have gotten the
value that we
Sabine (08:01):
bring.
So what's then the immediateimpact of AI?
What are company secretariesexperiencing at the moment?
Moya Heyhurst (08:11):
Well, it's interesting.
As I said, the demand haschanged.
If you look at the previouspodcast where we looked at it
from a board perspective, therethat environment is shifting
with more data, less time,higher expectations, more
interconnected risks, and theboard requirements have changed.
(08:31):
The directors don't just wantsomebody who ticks off admin
tasks.
And therefore, the boardsecretary role is shifting.
It's moving into judgment,strategic thinking, proactive
guidance.
A lot of this is done from theshadows.
But the reality is AI will beable to write a decent set of
(08:56):
minutes.
And Company secretaries orboard secretaries will spend a
couple of hours refining versusdays refining this stuff.
Basic administration,scheduling meetings, pulling
packs together, filing forms aregoing to be done in minutes.
The company secretary's role isactually almost, the role that
(09:18):
we're seeing emerging now is thechief of staff.
That used to be the boardsecretary's role.
At the chair, CEO's right hand,getting stuff done,
positioning, timing, linking tostrategy, all within, you know,
utilizing the corporateknowledge, but doing it safely.
Sabine (09:40):
As you know, we are working with company secretaries
when we do the boardevaluations.
And yeah, you see good ones,you see bad ones, you see
mediocre ones.
This element of strategicthinking is I have seen it in
the best company secretaries andin really experienced company
secretaries.
(10:00):
But it's not something thatreally comes easy to all of
them.
That is very true.
Moya Heyhurst (10:06):
But it's the way we train and it's the way we
evolve.
Company secretaries listen.
We are half lawyers, halfaccountants with a lot of
business in between.
And it's also about the voicethat we have.
And that is the challenge thata lot of company secretaries or
board secretaries are strugglingwith.
And that's to a degree why theprofession, I think, has almost
(10:30):
evolved to where it is now,where a lot of company
secretaries are not used totalking in a meeting.
They're used to quietlyinfluencing from the side,
unless there is an absolute, Iwouldn't say fatal flaw, but a
very key governance matter thatis being discussed.
Then they might say something.
(10:51):
And it's really this change inalmost recreating the space that
I know we talk about in myprevious podcast about unlocking
the value with the directors,right?
and in the board.
This is saying, how do weunlock the value in a core part
(11:13):
of the organization that'salready got the corporate
knowledge, that person's alreadytrained, they already
understand how to navigate it.
But all this is, is just likeAI, changes data into
intelligence and surfaces at theright time.
We need to surface the role ofthe board secretary and the
company secretary to unlock allof this information that is
(11:35):
sitting within them.
They are the one person in theorganization that is sitting
with handfuls of strings.
They know where everything is.
You know, they know where tofind everything and they know
the dangers of what is at theirfingertips.
Sabine (11:54):
And you know, it reminds me, some years ago I was
working with a lot of chieffinancial officers and their
role has dramatically changed.
It isn't good enough tobasically produce the correct
numbers, you need to help thebusiness to understand the
strategic implications and holda conversation with every
(12:17):
executive to interpret it andhelp
Moya Heyhurst (12:21):
them.
It's that strategicpartnership.
A lot of the governanceprofessionals have been really
pushing to move into this headof corporate governance, head of
governance, a governancepartner in the business.
And the challenge that we'veseen is there is this need, but
(12:41):
other roles are starting to moveinto those spaces.
And it's it's not deliberate,you know, it's because that's
where the need is.
You know, it's that insightintegration, you know, it's that
governance intelligence thatthe directors and the executives
are desperately trying tounlock and get to grips with.
(13:04):
They get the business, but it'sthose connections that are so
important.
And the challenging thing weare seeing is that legal and the
transformation guys, the guysin strategy, they are all
stepping into these roles andbecoming those governance
(13:26):
strategic advisors, and that wasalways traditionally the co-sex
role.
And that really just shows theshift that we're seeing on the
board now, and the executive,honestly, where they are seeing
the value in strategic thinkingand digital skills, And as much
as they still needadministrative tasks, those are
(13:48):
the elements that are now moreimportant to the company to make
sure that the company remains,well, to be honest, that it's
still there tomorrow.
Sabine (13:58):
So do you have any practical tip actually how
companies across sales who sitnow, they listen to this and
think, ah, I actually know it.
I wouldn't admit it, but Iactually know that I'm not very
good at this.
How can they dare to come outmore of their comfort zone?
What do they need to do toreally go into that space and
(14:21):
develop that strategic know-howand really step into this?
What's your advice?
Moya Heyhurst (14:28):
You know, the board secretary's environment,
it's a small epicenter.
Most of us know each other.
A lot of company secretaries orboard secretaries in London are
probably one step removed fromeach other.
And that is, turn to people youknow.
Turn to your peers.
It's not about exposingyourself.
(14:49):
But it's doing what the companysecretary has always done best,
is ask questions, understandthe risks and the dynamics and
then look internal to thecompany and figure out how to
best help the company tonavigate that.
So don't say no.
(15:11):
That is my biggest thing is donot say no.
Ask how.
Connect into your organization.
You have incredibleknowledgeable individuals in the
organization with all duerespect who love to talk give
them the opportunity and you'llcollect so much knowledge and
(15:33):
data along the way just remembercompany secretaries don't
always need to know how to dosomething they need to know
where the information lies howto connect people how to
navigate through it and how tovery clearly identify the risks
and and find ways through and isuppose you know i was saying
(15:53):
earlier that company secretariesor board secretaries have over
the years disappeared into theshadows.
You've got to step out.
You have to step out of theshadows and
Sabine (16:05):
you have to make your voice heard.
I mean, it sounds like afantastic opportunity,
particularly for the youngercompany secretaries who listen
to this.
It seems to be an excitingcareer path.
Absolutely.
With a lot of company
Moya Heyhurst (16:20):
secretaries, this is why we decided to do this
role.
But you know, if we do not grabthis with both hands, and this
is a very honest and sad thingto say, we will lose everything.
If we continue to justifyourselves as administrators and
riding a good set of minutes, wewill not have a future.
(16:41):
But if we remember all the restof what we have, the
institutional wisdom that Youknow, all of that stuff.
It is an exciting, excitingtime.
Sabine (16:52):
I mean, it seems to be a real shift of mindset that's
needed here or that's ongoing,let's face it.
And also capability changesthat come in here.
So how can AI already todayhelp a company secretary to do
what you describe?
Moya Heyhurst (17:12):
It's in the little things.
It's not in the big things.
It's in the little things.
I mean, even now, AI isembedded in a lot of the company
secretarial products, thelittle chatbots that you can ask
it, what is the quorum for ameeting?
Don't spend hours looking atinformation and data and trying
to draw through a set ofarticles.
(17:33):
Ask your AI.
Start using it.
We have always led throughexample.
That's how we got the boardportal software into the
companies is we learned how touse it.
We saw the value and we showedthe directors.
We have to do the same.
So we have to embrace the AIthat is in our space before we
(17:54):
take AI into the boardroom.
Sabine (17:57):
Good point.
Now, we covered a lot from AIto the change of the profession.
Now, what are the key thingsour listeners should take away
from this podcast?
Moya Heyhurst (18:10):
Right.
The three things.
This is always the tough part.
This is not a task shift.
It's a role shift.
So, AI may change how work isdone.
But the biggest shift is whatthe board needs.
Not execution, but insight,interpretation, and integration,
(18:37):
which is what COSECs havealways done so well.
So the role needs to evolve inpurpose, not just process.
That's number one.
Number two, as I said just now,the board secretary has got to
step forward.
Because if they don't, someoneelse will.
(18:59):
It's not a competition, butit's because it's a necessity.
Directors and executives arealready turning to others
because that's the kind ofsupport they need.
So the opportunity is stillopen, but beware that window is
narrowing.
Okay.
Third one.
As you said, you know, thechange for new company
(19:22):
secretaries coming in.
I honestly think the professionis ready for this.
Honestly, honestly do.
But we need to be intentionaland the other listeners on this
podcast who are not companysecretaries or board
secretaries, you need to be ourchampions.
You know, we have to be able toshow judgment, trust and show
(19:45):
that we understand the boardsthat rely on us.
but we have to stay central andwe have to embrace these new
capabilities.
We've got to become digitallyfluent, interpret data, re-look
at governance design, and reallytake on that mindset of
strategic enablement.
(20:06):
So it's really the strategicelement rather than process that
we have to actively consider.
So those are my three, as yousaid, There is an awful lot
we've been through and oh mygoodness, there's so much more
to talk about, which I thinkwe'll do in future podcasts.
But today is the call.
(20:27):
Do something about it orsomeone else will.
Make it an amazing role foryourself or decide to do
something completely differentbecause those are going to be
your options.
Sabine (20:37):
Moja, thank you so much for a very insightful episode.
Thank you.
Thank you, Sabine.
I hope it's been helpful.
Thank you for listening to theBetter Boards podcast series.
If you have any thoughts onthis episode, if you would like
to see that we cover a specifictopic, or if you would like to
step forward yourself andcontribute, get in touch.
(21:00):
Also, you know, we do boardevaluations.
If you would like to hear aboutwhat we do to support company
secretaries in the changing rolewe discussed, hey, come to our
website, press the book a demobutton and let's have a little
chat.
I'm very much looking forwardto hearing from you.
Hope you enjoy the series andkeep being tuned in.
Beyond Minutes, reimagining the board secretary
in the age of AI.
Welcome to the BetterBotspodcast series, the podcast for
chairs, CEOs, non-executivedirectors, company secretaries,
and their advisors.
Every episode is filled withpractical insights and learnings
from those inside boardrooms.
(00:23):
We discuss what really mattersand highlight actionable steps
you can take to enhance theperformance of your board.
The role of the board secretaryis a crossroad.
Traditionally, it is seen as aguardian of governance, the
keeper of the minutes, and thefacilitator of board processes.
(00:43):
The secretary function is nowbeing reshaped by rapidly
evolving boardroom demands.
Now the rise of AI, the growingcomplexity of governance and
the increasing need forinsight-rich strategic support
are challenging the conventionalexpectations of the role.
(01:04):
But this isn't just about taskautomation, it's about purpose.
Boards don't just need betterexecutions, they need sharper
interpretation, integration andstrategic enablement.
If the board secretary doesn'tstep forward into this space,
others will.
(01:25):
The question is no longerwhether the role is changing.
It's how those in it willchoose to respond.
In this episode, we dive intothe realities shaping this
transformation.
We'll examine how AI is alreadyinfluencing board secretaries,
explore the expanding demands onboard governance, and tackle
(01:48):
the critical question, is thefuture of the board secretary
about expansion, repositioning,or replacing?
With insights from experiencedgovernance professionals, we'll
unpack what's truly at stake,why board secretaries have a
unique opportunity to lead, andhow they must redefine their
posture and not just updatetheir processes.
(02:10):
If the profession is ready, thetime to act is now.
I'm absolutely delighted towelcome again Moja Hayhurst.
She is a fellow of theChartered Governance Institute
with over 25 years of corporategovernance experience across
multiple industries, includingmining, financial services, and
(02:31):
insurance.
Now, the reason why we invitedMuya again, she's heavily
involved with the Center for AIin Board Effectiveness and takes
part in the research.
And the mission is to progressAI's role in board effectiveness
and help board ecosystemsadapt.
Moja, thank you so much forbeing back with us at the Better
(02:55):
Boards podcast series.
Thank you so much.
Excited to be back with you.
Now, there is so muchexcitement in the whole board
community and the companysecretariat community about AI,
which is why we have decided tofocus a little bit on the topic.
And you're basically kicking usoff with a small series we are
(03:16):
planning now with a specialfocus on what it all means for
company secretaries.
So let's first look at this bigpicture.
Why now?
Moya Heyhurst (03:27):
Thank you.
You know, you're so right.
You know, you can't open upLinkedIn or pick up an article
without some reference to AI.
So I'm working with a number ofother industry leaders for the
Center for AI and BoardEffectiveness.
And we are looking at AI'simpact on various elements of
the board space.
(03:47):
And today, as you said, companysecretaries or board
secretaries is where we arelooking today.
And it's really around AI.
how things are evolving in thatspace.
And board secretaries reallyare caught in the middle of that
transformation.
Honestly, I feel like we arestanding on a precipice.
You know, directors are alreadyseeing the benefits of using
(04:10):
AI.
Many of them are using itpersonally.
And in some progressivecompanies, there's some in there
as well.
And we've seen the directorsnow actively asking for AI.
What are the companies doing?
What are the secretaries doing?
On the other side, the businessis flying with AI in various
forms across the business.
(04:31):
AI is helping them refine,convert data, just find that
competitive edge and unlock it.
And as I said, companysecretaries are standing in the
middle, but many of them, us,me, are still wondering, what is
our role?
I really feel like the momentis now.
(04:54):
We've gone way beyond justarranging meetings and writing
minutes.
And sadly, if you, thoselistening, have defined the
board secretary as arrangingmeetings and writing minutes, or
if you as a board secretarydefine yourself as arranging in
(05:15):
that space, then this is reallya call to arms.
This is the moment.
This is what is changing.
I
Sabine (05:22):
mean, the media has become less critical.
I mean, I can remember somemonths ago, it was about, ah, is
it safe?
Is it secure?
There was a bit hesitation.
There is now less hesitation,but there are still some
question marks about how usefulis it actually?
I mean, those are all
Moya Heyhurst (05:41):
truths.
The reality is AI is there.
I mean, at the moment I've gotan iPhone, I've got an iPad, and
I've got a laptop sitting on mydesk.
AI is listening, whether welike it or not.
We've got to get past thatknee-jerk reaction.
Now it's more about the why.
What is going on?
(06:02):
What are we doing?
Where are we?
How do we use it?
And it comes down to playingwith it.
AI is still just a tool.
It progresses things.
It helps you to cut throughdata.
It's a tool.
It really is a tool.
(06:22):
And it can either...
And I'm going to take a deepbreath when I say this.
It can either destroy yourworld or it can make it better.
It's like anything.
It's how you decide to use it.
There is no one size fits all.
Every person...
And every company is in adifferent space.
(06:42):
So it really is up to eachperson to decide what that looks
like for them.
And in reality, that is theoutput that we are looking for
from the Center for AI for BoardEffectiveness, is to help
people frame those questions anddelve deep within their
organizations to how to do this.
Because over the years, theboard secretary has...
(07:06):
you know, has been defined as,you know, as I said before, the
quality of minutes.
But, you know, if you take it acouple of steps back, at the
beginning, the board secretaryrole evolved as being the right
hand of the CEO and the chair.
Now it's been pushed so manylevels down the organization.
And COSEX have always been theguardians of corporate
(07:28):
governance.
But you know, they have steppedfurther, further back into the
shadows and worked so quietly inthe background just to get all
of the stuff done.
Not just administrative stuffthat people tend to see.
There's so much that happens inthe background that company
secretaries don't shout about.
(07:49):
You know, we're a very quietgroup of people.
We get stuff done.
Yeah.
And because we are quiet,people don't have gotten the
value that we
Sabine (08:01):
bring.
So what's then the immediateimpact of AI?
What are company secretariesexperiencing at the moment?
Moya Heyhurst (08:11):
Well, it's interesting.
As I said, the demand haschanged.
If you look at the previouspodcast where we looked at it
from a board perspective, therethat environment is shifting
with more data, less time,higher expectations, more
interconnected risks, and theboard requirements have changed.
(08:31):
The directors don't just wantsomebody who ticks off admin
tasks.
And therefore, the boardsecretary role is shifting.
It's moving into judgment,strategic thinking, proactive
guidance.
A lot of this is done from theshadows.
But the reality is AI will beable to write a decent set of
(08:56):
minutes.
And Company secretaries orboard secretaries will spend a
couple of hours refining versusdays refining this stuff.
Basic administration,scheduling meetings, pulling
packs together, filing forms aregoing to be done in minutes.
The company secretary's role isactually almost, the role that
(09:18):
we're seeing emerging now is thechief of staff.
That used to be the boardsecretary's role.
At the chair, CEO's right hand,getting stuff done,
positioning, timing, linking tostrategy, all within, you know,
utilizing the corporateknowledge, but doing it safely.
Sabine (09:40):
As you know, we are working with company secretaries
when we do the boardevaluations.
And yeah, you see good ones,you see bad ones, you see
mediocre ones.
This element of strategicthinking is I have seen it in
the best company secretaries andin really experienced company
secretaries.
(10:00):
But it's not something thatreally comes easy to all of
them.
That is very true.
Moya Heyhurst (10:06):
But it's the way we train and it's the way we
evolve.
Company secretaries listen.
We are half lawyers, halfaccountants with a lot of
business in between.
And it's also about the voicethat we have.
And that is the challenge thata lot of company secretaries or
board secretaries are strugglingwith.
And that's to a degree why theprofession, I think, has almost
(10:30):
evolved to where it is now,where a lot of company
secretaries are not used totalking in a meeting.
They're used to quietlyinfluencing from the side,
unless there is an absolute, Iwouldn't say fatal flaw, but a
very key governance matter thatis being discussed.
Then they might say something.
(10:51):
And it's really this change inalmost recreating the space that
I know we talk about in myprevious podcast about unlocking
the value with the directors,right?
and in the board.
This is saying, how do weunlock the value in a core part
(11:13):
of the organization that'salready got the corporate
knowledge, that person's alreadytrained, they already
understand how to navigate it.
But all this is, is just likeAI, changes data into
intelligence and surfaces at theright time.
We need to surface the role ofthe board secretary and the
company secretary to unlock allof this information that is
(11:35):
sitting within them.
They are the one person in theorganization that is sitting
with handfuls of strings.
They know where everything is.
You know, they know where tofind everything and they know
the dangers of what is at theirfingertips.
Sabine (11:54):
And you know, it reminds me, some years ago I was
working with a lot of chieffinancial officers and their
role has dramatically changed.
It isn't good enough tobasically produce the correct
numbers, you need to help thebusiness to understand the
strategic implications and holda conversation with every
(12:17):
executive to interpret it andhelp
Moya Heyhurst (12:21):
them.
It's that strategicpartnership.
A lot of the governanceprofessionals have been really
pushing to move into this headof corporate governance, head of
governance, a governancepartner in the business.
And the challenge that we'veseen is there is this need, but
(12:41):
other roles are starting to moveinto those spaces.
And it's it's not deliberate,you know, it's because that's
where the need is.
You know, it's that insightintegration, you know, it's that
governance intelligence thatthe directors and the executives
are desperately trying tounlock and get to grips with.
(13:04):
They get the business, but it'sthose connections that are so
important.
And the challenging thing weare seeing is that legal and the
transformation guys, the guysin strategy, they are all
stepping into these roles andbecoming those governance
(13:26):
strategic advisors, and that wasalways traditionally the co-sex
role.
And that really just shows theshift that we're seeing on the
board now, and the executive,honestly, where they are seeing
the value in strategic thinkingand digital skills, And as much
as they still needadministrative tasks, those are
(13:48):
the elements that are now moreimportant to the company to make
sure that the company remains,well, to be honest, that it's
still there tomorrow.
Sabine (13:58):
So do you have any practical tip actually how
companies across sales who sitnow, they listen to this and
think, ah, I actually know it.
I wouldn't admit it, but Iactually know that I'm not very
good at this.
How can they dare to come outmore of their comfort zone?
What do they need to do toreally go into that space and
(14:21):
develop that strategic know-howand really step into this?
What's your advice?
Moya Heyhurst (14:28):
You know, the board secretary's environment,
it's a small epicenter.
Most of us know each other.
A lot of company secretaries orboard secretaries in London are
probably one step removed fromeach other.
And that is, turn to people youknow.
Turn to your peers.
It's not about exposingyourself.
(14:49):
But it's doing what the companysecretary has always done best,
is ask questions, understandthe risks and the dynamics and
then look internal to thecompany and figure out how to
best help the company tonavigate that.
So don't say no.
(15:11):
That is my biggest thing is donot say no.
Ask how.
Connect into your organization.
You have incredibleknowledgeable individuals in the
organization with all duerespect who love to talk give
them the opportunity and you'llcollect so much knowledge and
(15:33):
data along the way just remembercompany secretaries don't
always need to know how to dosomething they need to know
where the information lies howto connect people how to
navigate through it and how tovery clearly identify the risks
and and find ways through and isuppose you know i was saying
(15:53):
earlier that company secretariesor board secretaries have over
the years disappeared into theshadows.
You've got to step out.
You have to step out of theshadows and
Sabine (16:05):
you have to make your voice heard.
I mean, it sounds like afantastic opportunity,
particularly for the youngercompany secretaries who listen
to this.
It seems to be an excitingcareer path.
Absolutely.
With a lot of company
Moya Heyhurst (16:20):
secretaries, this is why we decided to do this
role.
But you know, if we do not grabthis with both hands, and this
is a very honest and sad thingto say, we will lose everything.
If we continue to justifyourselves as administrators and
riding a good set of minutes, wewill not have a future.
(16:41):
But if we remember all the restof what we have, the
institutional wisdom that Youknow, all of that stuff.
It is an exciting, excitingtime.
Sabine (16:52):
I mean, it seems to be a real shift of mindset that's
needed here or that's ongoing,let's face it.
And also capability changesthat come in here.
So how can AI already todayhelp a company secretary to do
what you describe?
Moya Heyhurst (17:12):
It's in the little things.
It's not in the big things.
It's in the little things.
I mean, even now, AI isembedded in a lot of the company
secretarial products, thelittle chatbots that you can ask
it, what is the quorum for ameeting?
Don't spend hours looking atinformation and data and trying
to draw through a set ofarticles.
(17:33):
Ask your AI.
Start using it.
We have always led throughexample.
That's how we got the boardportal software into the
companies is we learned how touse it.
We saw the value and we showedthe directors.
We have to do the same.
So we have to embrace the AIthat is in our space before we
(17:54):
take AI into the boardroom.
Sabine (17:57):
Good point.
Now, we covered a lot from AIto the change of the profession.
Now, what are the key thingsour listeners should take away
from this podcast?
Moya Heyhurst (18:10):
Right.
The three things.
This is always the tough part.
This is not a task shift.
It's a role shift.
So, AI may change how work isdone.
But the biggest shift is whatthe board needs.
Not execution, but insight,interpretation, and integration,
(18:37):
which is what COSECs havealways done so well.
So the role needs to evolve inpurpose, not just process.
That's number one.
Number two, as I said just now,the board secretary has got to
step forward.
Because if they don't, someoneelse will.
(18:59):
It's not a competition, butit's because it's a necessity.
Directors and executives arealready turning to others
because that's the kind ofsupport they need.
So the opportunity is stillopen, but beware that window is
narrowing.
Okay.
Third one.
As you said, you know, thechange for new company
(19:22):
secretaries coming in.
I honestly think the professionis ready for this.
Honestly, honestly do.
But we need to be intentionaland the other listeners on this
podcast who are not companysecretaries or board
secretaries, you need to be ourchampions.
You know, we have to be able toshow judgment, trust and show
(19:45):
that we understand the boardsthat rely on us.
but we have to stay central andwe have to embrace these new
capabilities.
We've got to become digitallyfluent, interpret data, re-look
at governance design, and reallytake on that mindset of
strategic enablement.
(20:06):
So it's really the strategicelement rather than process that
we have to actively consider.
So those are my three, as yousaid, There is an awful lot
we've been through and oh mygoodness, there's so much more
to talk about, which I thinkwe'll do in future podcasts.
But today is the call.
(20:27):
Do something about it orsomeone else will.
Make it an amazing role foryourself or decide to do
something completely differentbecause those are going to be
your options.
Sabine (20:37):
Moja, thank you so much for a very insightful episode.
Thank you.
Thank you, Sabine.
I hope it's been helpful.
Thank you for listening to theBetter Boards podcast series.
If you have any thoughts onthis episode, if you would like
to see that we cover a specifictopic, or if you would like to
step forward yourself andcontribute, get in touch.
(21:00):
Also, you know, we do boardevaluations.
If you would like to hear aboutwhat we do to support company
secretaries in the changing rolewe discussed, hey, come to our
website, press the book a demobutton and let's have a little
chat.
I'm very much looking forwardto hearing from you.
Hope you enjoy the series andkeep being tuned in.
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