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Who belongs in boardrooms?

What makes a corporate director truly great? What combination of skill, expertise, independence and diversity makes a board effective and who really belongs in the boardroom?

In this 60-minute webinar, Corporate Governance Advisor, Author, Researcher and Speaker Matt Fullbrook and Watermark Search International Partner Grace Atkinson unpack these questions, revealing that the answers may be less clear-cut than expected, and that conventional approaches to board composition may not be as effective as they seem.

No matter which factors a board chooses to prioritise in recruitment, there are always unexpected trade-offs. Independence may reduce material conflicts of interest but is also associated with increased corporate malfeasance. Deep technical expertise provides boards with access to important information and analysis but also makes directors vulnerable to overconfidence and errors in judgment. Building a great board requires an understanding of this complexity and a willingness to invite unconventional directors into the room.

This webinar will cover:

  • What factors to boards really prize in their directors? While skills and expertise are essential to a board’s success, they are insufficient in making a director truly great. What is the secret sauce?
  • What are our blind spots when it comes to board composition? Typical approaches to building boards are rooted in assumptions that aren’t supported by real-world evidence. What are we missing?
  • How might new approaches help? If conventional board composition is missing the mark, what new ideas are worth trying and what steps should boards be taking?
     

Date: October, 21st 2026

Time: Access from 11am (AEDT - Sydney time) 

REGISTER

Can’t attend the webinar viewing? 

The webinar will be recorded and shared with all registered participants after. So, even if you can’t join us in real time, please make sure to register - you’ll receive a link to watch the recording at your convenience.

Meet your presenters

Matt Fullbrook

Matt Fullbrook is one of the most recognisable and respected voices in North American corporate governance, bringing 24 years of experience to more than 300 boardrooms, ranging from local nonprofits to multinational giants. His One Minute Governance and Ground-Up Governance platforms are designed to demystify complex governance concepts and provide new ways of thinking about common challenges.

Matt serves as an Executive in Residence at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, where he has shaped the future of governance since 2001. Previously, he directed the David & Sharon Johnston Centre for Corporate Governance Innovation. 

Matt is the director of several educational offerings for boards and executives across North America, partnering with universities and professional associations as well as providing customized training for at least 30 organizations per year.

Grace Atkinson

Grace Atkinson is a Partner, in Watermark Search International’s Interim Executive search practice. Based in Sydney, Grace specialises in Interim Executive search and placements, deploying experienced C-Suite leaders in short-term leadership roles across the Manufacturing, Industrial, Infrastructure, Property, Retail, Consumer and Sports markets.

Grace brings a wealth of experience, and has been leading executive search assignments at Board and C-Suite levels since 2010. Grace joined the interim team after 15 years conducting Board and Executive search assignments across a wide range of sectors. She is Watermark’s representative for Australia, in the WIL Group (Worldwide Interim Leadership) and collaborates globally with Partners across 27 countries.

Grace is passionate about supporting candidates at the portfolio stage of their career and regularly advises executives on the pathway to building a Board portfolio through corporate professional development programs. In 2024, Grace completed the Company Directors course with the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

When she is not in the office, Grace is juggling three kids with too many sporting interests.

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GOOD BOARDS DON'T HAPPEN BY HABIT. LEARN TO DESIGN THEM. 

Duration: 2 days
Format: In-person, intensive workshop
Designed for: Senior executives and leaders from any industry or sector looking to maximise board effectiveness.

The Getting More From Your Board program gives senior executives the evidence and tools to use their influence over board effectiveness deliberately. Built on broad scientific research and tested in real boardrooms, it is the only program in Australia designed specifically for executives, not board directors.

 

What you'll explore:

  • Managing information asymmetry between board and management to reduce blind spots and improve decision quality
  • Getting valuable work done under extreme time constraints, focusing board attention on the decisions that matter most
  • Cultivating effective board-management dynamics no matter who is in the room, including challenge, trust and candour
  • Balancing strategic visioning, operational oversight and compliance without losing sight of purpose
  • Strengthening information flow to support clearer, more confident decision-making 

Learn more and enrol now

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