Standing out from the crowd: why FDs make great chairmen
- Chairmen positions are now often filled by those with little or no previous connection to the company
- The ability to steer the combined knowledge around the table towards consensus is key
- Seniority in the corporate pecking order, innate comfort with numbers and knowledge of governance, due diligence and communicating with the markets offer the skills companies so desperately need
FDs have never been better qualified to take on chairman roles, says Alan Thomson. The ICAS president and former Smiths Group finance chief should know – he’s got a string of non executive roles to his name
Gone are the days when chief executives would move seamlessly into the role of chairman at the same company and head towards retirement. The UK Corporate Governance Code has ensured that the role of chairman is, overwhelmingly, a non-executive position and the relationship with the company chief executive has been clearly redefined.
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