For years, I’ve known there were roles called Non-Executive Director (NED) and Chair.
They’ve always sounded serious. Strategic. Slightly elevated above the operational noise.
I’d built up a picture in my head of what those roles involved - big-picture thinking, helping shape direction, supporting leadership teams without getting stuck in delivery, and connecting people.
I've always loved connecting people. I'm a professional nosey person (apparently) and love to get to know and learn from interesting people doing interesting things.
Sometimes there’s no obvious commercial benefit. But six months later you’re in another conversation and the lightbulb flickers: “You should talk to [insert name]”.
I love that moment.
If I could find a way to make money out of doing that, that'd be great.
And I started to think:
- These are all things I'd like to do for a small portfolio of companies, one day.
- Helping people. Adding perspective. Being useful.
Then Sheffield Chamber advertised for NEDs to join their Board. We're Sheff Chamber members and I'm on the Chamber Council, and I thought I'd like to apply for that - maybe not this time around, maybe in a couple of years' time, but one day.
So I read the recruitment ad and two things jumped off the page at me.
Applicants needed previous experience as a NED. This was a fundamental requirement. No point applying if I don't have that.
I didn’t actually know what a NED does.
The Trigger
The Chamber role suddenly brought some stuff into sharp focus - the opportunity was real, but I was not a good candidate, yet.
So, this started me off on a pathway of discovery. Before I could realistically consider applying - at some point in the future - I needed to understand:
- What a NED is legally responsible for
- How the role differs from an Executive Director
- What Boards actually expect
- Whether my experience is relevant
- Whether I’d add genuine value, or just add opinion
So instead of guessing, I enrolled on BHP’s Next Generation NEDs programme - a two-day development course for current and aspiring NEDs and Chairs.
I went in curious. Open minded. There to listen, absorb and learn from Rachel and the other folks in my cohort.
And I came out clearer.
The Right Person to Learn From
The programme was led by Rachel Hannan - and that matters.
Rachel isn’t an academic talking about governance theory.
She’s scaled businesses. Exited. Invested. Sat on boards. Chaired them. Navigated growth, risk and tough decisions in the real world.
You could feel that in the room.
This wasn’t abstract. It was lived experience. War stories. The stuff that doesn’t make it into textbooks.
When someone is talking about transitioning from Executive to NED and they’ve actually done it - you listen differently.
That credibility made a big difference.
Here's some of what I learned of Day 1.
The Role Is Evolving (And Getting Harder)
One of the strongest messages from Day 1 was this: The NED role is becoming more demanding.
- More regulation.
- More scrutiny.
- More complexity.
- More risk.
There is no legal distinction between Executive and Non-Executive Directors when it comes to duties.
Which means you carry the same statutory responsibilities under the Companies Act:
- Act within powers
- Promote the success of the company
- Exercise independent judgement
- Exercise reasonable care, skill and diligence
- Avoid conflicts of interest
This isn’t an advisory “nice to have” role (not that I ever really thought it was, but apparently that is a common misconception).
It’s a governance role with real accountability.
What a Board Is Actually For
A slide that stuck with me summarised the role of the Board in practice:
- Set vision and strategy
- Monitor progress
- Bridge knowledge gaps
- Shape culture
- Ensure robust risk management
- Facilitate high-quality decision making
Importantly: Boards shouldn’t run the business.
They should ensure it’s well run.
That’s a very different posture.
Co-running Bravand with Jilly forces us both to think operationally every day - delivery, people, clients, cash flow. Sitting on a board would require thinking structurally - governance, long-term risk, stewardship and accountability.
The SME Reality
In SMEs and mid-market companies (which is where most of the opportunity lies), things are messier.
Often:
- Shareholders are also Directors
- Founders heavily influence culture
- Governance structures are less formal
- There’s blurring between Board and management
Which means the NED balancing act becomes harder.
"Nose in. Fingers out"
- Entrepreneurial, but not operational.
- Supportive, but independent.
- Close enough to understand - far enough to challenge.
Transitioning from Executive to NED
Rachel and Mark Roberts walked us through the transition from Executive-to-NED and both shared their lived experience and perspective, so the theory genuinely met reality.
The shift is bigger than it looks.
Executives:
- Drive
- Decide
- Deliver
- Fix
NEDs:
- Challenge
- Guide
- Oversee
- Hold to account
NEDs are less about control and more about judgement. And that requires Emotional Intelligence (EQ) as much as experience.
It also requires Cultural Intelligence (CQ), which essentially picks up where EQ leaves off, extending capabilities to navigate, manage, and work effectively across different cultural contexts.
What Growth Companies Actually Need
High-growth SMEs often want more than governance.
They need NEDs who can:
- Mentor the CEO
- Bring sector insight
- Support investment readiness
- Open networks
- Help with exit planning
- Navigate risk and ESG
That’s not passive oversight. That’s high-level stewardship.
(And beware, especially when transitioning from Exec to NED, as no-one's going to stop you if you just roll up your sleeves and get involved. Remember - that's not what you're there for!).
Getting to know the other members of my cohort on Day 1, I quickly realised many in the room already had something SMEs actively need:
- Some had scaled businesses.
- Some had exited.
- Many already had NED experience.
I left thinking - nay, knowing - I’m not there. Yet.
And that’s okay.
The Real Takeaway
I went in open-minded. Some stuff was validated. Much more stuff was new.
I came out clearer and instead of “I’d quite like to be a NED one day”, the question becomes:
What do I need to become to be useful in that role?
That’s a better question.
For Executive Leaders
Separate to the NED programme, BHP also run a four-day Business Leadership Academy for senior managers in SMEs.
It focuses on:
- Business structure and governance
- Strategy and planning
- Leadership and management capability
- Building resilient, high-performing teams
If you’re an executive leader looking to strengthen your governance and leadership capability, it’s worth exploring.
Final Reflection
Sometimes development inflates confidence. This didn’t. It sharpened my perspective.
Day 1 didn’t tell me I’m ready. It showed me what ready looks like - and that’s far more valuable.
Day 2 reflections to follow...
