Explore every episode of the podcast The Public Company Series Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Boardroom Paradox: Why Fiduciary Competence is Changing Faster than Your Board [The Conference Board] | 12 May 2026 | 00:58:54 | |
Boardrooms today are navigating competing priorities: preserving institutional knowledge while responding to rapid technological and societal change. In this episode, Doug Chia sits down with Andrew Jones of The Conference Board to unpack new data revealing how boards are evolving, more slowly than expected, and why fewer directors are being added despite increasing complexity. To learn more & get resources:
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| Measuring Executive Compensation: Realizable Pay vs. Compensation Actually Paid [Pay Governance] | 05 May 2026 | 01:02:38 | |
Executive pay is often judged by a single figure, but that figure can be deeply misleading. In this episode, Doug Chia speaks with Ira Kay and Mike Kesner from Pay Governance LLC about the limitations of traditional compensation reporting and the frameworks that aim to better reflect reality. What You’ll Learn
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| Beyond the C-Suite: Sourcing Board Talent for Unprecedented Risks [Leadership Elevated] | 28 Apr 2026 | 00:36:48 | |
Boards today are operating in a rapidly shifting landscape where traditional expertise alone is no longer enough. In this conversation, Erin Essenmacher and Rochelle Campbell unpack what it means to build a “balanced board” that can effectively oversee strategy and risk in a dynamic environment. They challenge long-held assumptions about board composition and make the case for expanding the lens beyond titles to focus on lived experience, mindset, and the ability to contribute across complex issues. What You’ll Learn
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| First Among Equals: How Effective Chairs Build Inclusive Boards [Egon Zehnder] | 21 Apr 2026 | 00:50:19 | |
What makes a board truly effective? Beyond resumes and expertise, it comes down to how directors interact, challenge each other, and make decisions together. In this episode, Chuck Gray and Pam Warren of Egon Zehnder share insights from their work with boards around the world, focusing on the cultural foundations that drive performance. What you'll learn:
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| The Fly on the Wall: Board Observers and the IPO Transition [Skadden] | 14 Apr 2026 | 00:51:17 | |
Board observers are a common yet often misunderstood feature of private company governance. In this episode, Doug Chia is joined by Jeremy Winter and Michelle Gasaway of Skadden to unpack what board observers are, how they differ from directors, and why investors and companies use them. They explore the flexibility of the role as a contractual construct, the benefits it can provide through strategic insight and information flow, and the risks that arise when observers become too involved. What you'll learn:
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| Beyond the Green Eyeshade: Why Internal Audit is Your Board's Secret Weapon [The IIA] | 07 Apr 2026 | 01:07:59 | |
Internal audit plays a critical yet often misunderstood role in corporate governance. In this episode, Doug Chia is joined by Carey Blakeman and Benito Ybarra from the Institute of Internal Auditors, and Mike Varney from Crowe LLP, to unpack what internal audit actually is, and what it isn’t. They explore how the function extends far beyond compliance, offering both assurance and strategic advisory to help organizations identify and manage risk. What you'll learn:
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| Beyond the Checklist: How to Conduct Board Assessments That Drive Real Change [Stuart Levine] | 31 Mar 2026 | 01:12:26 | |
Board assessments have evolved from routine, check-the-box exercises into critical tools for improving performance, strengthening culture, and identifying hidden risks. In this conversation, Stuart R. Levine shares how effective evaluations balance quantitative rigor with qualitative insight, uncovering the nuances that surveys alone often miss. He explains why confidentiality and independence are essential to building trust and eliciting honest feedback from directors. What You'll Learn:
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| The New Rules of Board Succession [Korn Ferry] | 24 Mar 2026 | 00:54:51 | |
Boards today are navigating a landscape defined by constant change, emerging risks, and evolving expectations. In this episode, Doug Chia sits down with Jane Edison Stevenson and Claudia Pici Morris of Korn Ferry to explore how board succession must adapt to meet these challenges. They discuss the shift from relying on past experience to cultivating a continuous learning mindset, and why agility, curiosity, and self-awareness are becoming essential traits for directors. To learn more & get resources:
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| Unlocking Value: The High-Stakes of Navigating Corporate Spinoffs [J.P. Morgan] | 17 Mar 2026 | 00:48:40 | |
Corporate spinoffs are among the most complex strategic transactions a company can undertake. In this episode, Doug Chia speaks with Rama Variankaval, Managing Director and Global Head of Corporate Advisory at JP Morgan, about the governance and strategic considerations involved in spinning off a business into a standalone public company. To learn more & get resources:
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| Why the Nominating Committee Holds the Keys to Governance [Cleary Gottlieb] | 10 Mar 2026 | 00:36:17 | |
What was once simply the “nominating committee” has evolved into one of the most influential bodies in corporate governance. In this episode of the Public Company Series, Doug Chia is joined by Lillian Tsu and Natalia Rezai of Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton to explore the expanding role of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. From board refreshment and director independence to ESG oversight, shareholder engagement, and AI literacy, the committee’s responsibilities now extend far beyond identifying director candidates. To learn more & get resources:
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| How AI is Already Being Used in the Boardroom [OnBoard] | 03 Mar 2026 | 01:06:57 | |
AI is rapidly reshaping how organizations operate, and the boardroom is no exception. In this episode, Tim Adair, CPO of OnBoard, joins Doug Chia to explore how AI is changing the way boards function today and how it will influence governance in the years ahead. Drawing on insights from OnBoard’s board effectiveness research, Tim explains why many boards struggle to operate at full effectiveness and how emerging technologies are both exposing and addressing those gaps. To learn more & get resources:
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| Board Compensation Committees: Can Compensation Lead Culture? [Semler Brossy] | 24 Feb 2026 | 00:53:53 | |
The role of the compensation committee has expanded far beyond setting CEO pay. In this episode, Doug Chia is joined by Blair Jones and Todd Sirras of Semler Brossy to explore how compensation committees are evolving to oversee workforce strategy, culture, talent development, and organizational readiness for the future. They discuss how regulatory changes, stakeholder capitalism, and emerging technologies, especially AI, have reshaped board-level oversight of people and pay. The conversation examines why compensation can serve as a powerful signal of what a company values, how boards can align pay with culture and strategy, and what skills directors need to effectively govern in this expanded mandate. Blair and Todd also address the growing relevance of CHROs on boards, the importance of culture carriers, and how committees can stay informed without crossing into management’s role. To learn more & get resources:
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| Fixing Governance Gaps: Why the Three-Committee Board Structure Is Outdated [Society for Corp Gov] | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:51:52 | |
In this episode, Doug Chia sits down with Paul Washington, president and CEO of the Society for Corporate Governance, to explore how public company board committees ended up with the familiar Audit, Compensation, and Nominating & Governance structure and why that structure may no longer match the demands boards face today. Paul explains how the post-Enron regulatory environment solidified the three-committee model and why simply handing emerging issues to existing committees is creating frustration for both boards and management. Together, Doug and Paul walk through the gaps left by the current structure and outline a practical, step-by-step process to reassess what work is done where. They discuss how clarifying committee responsibilities can streamline board agendas, strengthen oversight, and improve alignment with management. The conversation offers concrete guidance for governance professionals seeking to optimize committee workload, sharpen accountability, and ensure the board is adding value in the right places. To learn more & get resources:
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| Designing a Board: Form Follows Function [Davis Polk] | 10 Feb 2026 | 01:08:16 | |
Corporate governance begins with the board of directors, but designing the “right” board is far more complex than following a standard formula. In this episode, Doug Chia is joined by Steven Byeff and Ning Chiu, partners at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. Together, they explore why one-size-fits-all approaches to board design often fall short and what companies should consider instead. The conversation covers key decision points including board leadership structure, the chair versus CEO debate, director independence, and the often-overlooked importance of multiple leadership roles within the board. To learn more & get resources:
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| Navigating Shareholder Engagement Through Shifting Expectations [Teneo] | 03 Feb 2026 | 01:09:06 | |
Shareholder engagement has come a long way from its early days as a loosely defined practice to a core component of modern corporate governance. In this episode, Doug Chia is joined by Matt Filosa, Senior Managing Director at Teneo, to trace the evolution of engagement from pre-Dodd-Frank conversations around say on pay to today’s polarized environment shaped by pro- and anti-ESG activism. To learn more & get resources:
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| The Americanization of Board Governance [J.P. Morgan] | 27 Jan 2026 | 01:05:41 | |
In the first episode of the Public Company Series podcast, host Doug Chia is joined by Chuka Umunna, Global Head of Corporate Governance and Sustainable Solutions at JP Morgan. Drawing on the opening chapter of the book Board Structure and Composition, they explore how global board governance practices are evolving under increasing shareholder pressure, regulatory scrutiny, and cross-border complexity. Their conversation examines the “Americanization” of board governance, highlighting key differences between U.S., European, and other international models, including board structure, decision-making speed, stakeholder orientation, and independence standards. They also discuss why non-U.S. companies continue to pursue U.S. listings despite regulatory demands, how boards adapt their composition in response, and whether governance is viewed primarily as risk mitigation or a driver of value creation. The episode concludes with reflections on geopolitical shifts, board diversity, and the growing convergence of governance behaviors across jurisdictions. To learn more & get resources:
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| Season 1 Trailer: Board Structure & Composition | 09 Oct 2025 | 00:02:39 | |
Curious how top boards stay agile, resilient, and future-ready? Host Doug Chia guides conversations with leading experts in corporate governance, based on the NYSE & J.P. Morgan book Board Structure and Composition. This season explores board effectiveness, CEO succession, shareholder engagement, and more, equipping directors, executives, and governance professionals with practical tools to drive lasting success. To learn more & get resources:
Subscribe now to hear insights from the most respected voices in corporate law and governance. | |||