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Simon Laffin

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Discover Unique Insights

Welcome to the Articles page, where you’ll find an array of posts that explore diverse topics. 

Explore The Latest Articles

Audit Committee Values Debate
What price ethics?
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HiB 8 ATC
Who’s to Blame?
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Board evaluation mirror
What do Boards See When They Look in the Mirror?
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Risk and Reward
The Risks of Rewards
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Quick Jump

HUMANS IN THE BOARDROOM

A new way of understanding how boards make decisions, why capable boards can fail, and how boards can improve their performance.

failure

Corporate Failure

Lessons from collapse, crisis and recovery.

board

Board Effectiveness

Building high-performing boards that challenge, support and add value.

corporate

Corporate Governance

Practical governance beyond compliance.

risk

Risk Management

Identifying and managing strategic risks.

economics

Economics

Economic trends and their impact on business.

All Articles

What price ethics?

Humans in the Boardroom #9 Last week (on 8 Oct 2026), the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) slapped a severe reprimand and a fine of over £6
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October 13, 2026 3. Things it's worth knowing as a non-executive director, Corporate Governance, Humans in the Boardroom, Reviews Of Corporate Failures

Who’s to Blame?

Humans in the Boardroom #8 The UK National Air Traffic system went down earlier this month. 2,000 flights were cancelled. The cost may well be as
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September 28, 2026 Humans in the Boardroom, Reviews Of Corporate Failures

What do Boards See When They Look in the Mirror?

What do these three statements from company Annual Reports have in common? “…the Board and its committees were discharging their responsibilities effectively”; “Your Company continues to be
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September 17, 2026 Board Effectiveness, Corporate Governance, Corporate Governance Debates, Humans in the Boardroom

The Risks of Rewards

Humans in the Boardroom #7 The UK Government is consulting on modernising corporate reporting, including simplifying the statutory requirements for board remuneration disclosures. Remuneration reports have
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September 14, 2026 3. Things it's worth knowing as a non-executive director, Corporate Governance, Corporate Governance Debates, Humans in the Boardroom, Risks And The Boardroom

Why do capable boards sometimes make poor decisions?

I recently spoke to Dr Sabine Dembkowski on the Better Boards podcast about the issues raised in my upcoming book, 'Why Companies Fail: Exposing Human Performance
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September 3, 2026 3. Things it's worth knowing as a non-executive director, Corporate Governance, Corporate Governance Debates, Humans in the Boardroom, Interviews

Overconfident? Of course not.

We’ve all done it. Things are going swimmingly, life feels good, you feel really sure of yourself, and then you forget to do something important.
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August 31, 2026 3. Things it's worth knowing as a non-executive director, Board Effectiveness, Corporate Governance, Humans in the Boardroom

What’s in a Name?

Humans in the Boardroom #5 I disliked Biology at school. It seemed to be all about remembering the names of bits of animals and plants, when
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August 17, 2026 1. Becoming a non-executive director, 3. Things it's worth knowing as a non-executive director, Board Effectiveness, Corporate Governance, Corporate Governance Debates, Humans in the Boardroom

The Hidden Risks of Successful Leaders

Sarah Wynn-Williams' Careless People has become one of the year's most discussed business books. Although Meta strongly disputes many of her allegations, the book raises
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August 3, 2026 3. Things it's worth knowing as a non-executive director, Board Effectiveness, Corporate Governance, Corporate Governance Debates, Humans in the Boardroom