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The Better Boards Podcast SeriesAuthor: Dr Sabine Dembkowski
The Better Boards podcast series is the podcast for Chairs, CEOs, Non-Executive Directors, Company Secretaries, and their advisors. Every episode is filled with practical insights and learnings from those inside the boardrooms. We tease out what really matters and highlight actionable steps you can take to enhance the performance of your board. Language: en-gb Genres: Business, Careers, Management Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Structure your board portfolio career across different life cycles of organisations | Susanne Chishti, Chair of FINTECH Circle
Episode 153
Wednesday, 15 April, 2026
Send us Fan MailBeyond listed corporations, there is a vibrant world of start-ups, scale-ups, and organisations at the pre-IPO stage. What does it take to add value to these Boards, and how does the work differ from that of a listed organisation? Most importantly, how can working with these companies shape a Board portfolio career?In this podcast, Dr Sabine Dembkowski, Founder and Managing Partner, is joined by Susanne Chishti, Chair of FINTECH Circle, Europe’s first Investor Network focused on fintech investments. Susanne is an experienced Non-Executive Director, best-selling author, and in 2024, was named as one of the Top 100 Women in Fintech. She is also a former CNBC fintech commentator and a guest lecturer at the University of Cambridge and Warwick Business School.“At every single stage, customer and investor expectations increase“Susanne sees the role of Board members shifting as companies move through different stages. Initially, in the start-up stage, Board members add value by providing practical help to entrepreneurs, demonstrating a strong governance model, opening doors and developing a strong go-to-market strategy. Then, at the scale-up stage, Board members work closely with VCs and investors and add value by showing there’s a strong governance model in place and that invested funds will be well looked after. When a firm prepares to go public, the role changes again, and Board members add value by helping the firm prepare for public scrutiny and public governance structures.“It is not easy for somebody who has managed 10,000 people in a large bank to come into a startup with 10 people and add value without killing the innovation, fast movement, and agility of a start-up"For Susanne, it is vital that Board members have an awareness of the scale-up cycles and where their company is in the cycle. This helps inform Board members about what value they can bring. Ideally, Board members maintain flexibility and an openness to learning what’s needed in the moment. She acknowledges this requires listening, humbleness, and savvy observation of the environment.“Lots of large private companies have not yet gone public, but they are more successful, you could argue, than large, listed companies.“Susanne notes the private market is fairly new and expanding rapidly. Joining the right start-up at the right stage can offer a chance to experience a similar or greater level of challenge, opportunity, and success than at a listed firm. “In order to be inside the funnel which headhunters use, it's important to understand who the right headhunters“To get a Board seat takes intentional networking and relationship building. For networking, Susanne recommends FINTECH Circle and FinTech conferences. The three top takeaways from our conversation for effective boards are:1. FinTech and technology sectors offer great opportunities for Board members to add value, even without a pre-existing tech background.2. Getting a Board seat requires an intentional plan to network and build headhunter relationships. 3. Look at this opportunity as a potential long-term enrichment of your life and an enjoyable extension of your career path. and best-selling author, and in 2024 was named Come Join The Better Boards Community We’d love to get to know you! If you’d like to become part of the Better Boards community, discover our unique approach, and explore ways to work with us or share your ideas on The Better Boards Podcast series, drop us a line at info@better-boards.com.
