Russell Reynolds Associates: Video Series- Interview with Vodafone Chairman

Russell Reynolds Associates sat down with Gerard Kleisterlee, chairman of Vodafone to discuss high performing leadership, the role of the board, and effective CEO and Board relationship.

How does the board go about setting the tone at a company? Describe the interaction between the board and management and among themselves.

Kleisterlee: The primary role of any board is to have oversight of management, to set a strategic course of the corporation, to appoint management and to see to it that there is proper risk management. Basically, that hasn’t changed over time, but the way in which it’s being done has seen a lot of changes. There needs to be proper process. There needs to be a thorough risk management process. There needs to be a good process in particular for CEO succession, which is a very important issue for any board. Then there needs to be a rich dialogue around strategy. I think creating a rich dialogue is one of the most challenging tasks for boards given the amount of process needing attention.

The full interview is published on Russell Reynolds Associates’ website. Watch the full video.