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NEW BOOK PUBLISHED 1 OCTOBER – Why Companies Fail
July 8, 2026
Every major corporate scandal follows a familiar script. A company fails; lives are damaged, fortunes are lost, and the hunt for culprits begins. The media
Category: Notes From a Non-Executive Director
BP’s Manifold Pressure
June 22, 2026
On 26 May, the BP Board put out an extraordinary statement, saying that: ‘…it has today unanimously decided that Albert Manifold should no longer serve
Boardroom Confidential podcast: Interview
May 30, 2026
Risk and strategy go hand-in hand, but too often companies don’t think enough about risk. In this episode of Boardroom Confidential by Sherpany I discuss
Non-executive directors beware! They may be coming for you.
October 27, 2023
At the very last minute the Insolvency Service, acting for the UK Government, has just abandoned disqualification proceedings against five former non-executive directors of Carillion,
What’s behind the hedge?
July 14, 2020
If there’s one topic that is almost guaranteed to quieten a board meeting, it’s when the CFO starts proposing that the company takes out a
Are you rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic? Taking corporate risk management seriously
February 7, 2020
I travelled from Tashkent to Moscow on an Aeroflot Ilyushin 86 in the early 1980s. The seats were basic metal framed deckchairs, screwed to the
Carillion – What can we learn?
February 11, 2018
The collapse of Carillion was a tragedy, especially for its 45,000 employees and 25,000 pensioners. In an earlier article, I looked at its last Annual Report
D. Using the annual report for your due diligence (the Carillion example)
January 31, 2018
Carillion has entered the pantheon of cursed companies following its recent failure. Politicians and the media have worked themselves in another fit of righteous indignation
Escape from the Rock
October 8, 2017
I gave a nervous laugh. The headhunter asked me if I would like my first non-executive director role, joining the board of Northern Rock. It
What are dividends?
June 19, 2017
A simple question, I’m sure you’ll reply. Everyone knows that a dividend is money paid to shareholders by a company to reward them for owning