Post by Eimear Cahalin

I was delighted to be a guest speaker at the London Business School's Women in Business group last week on the topic of transitioning from executive to non-executive roles. I believe I gave them some practical advice and tips, but I started with what surprised me most: Moving from executive leadership into a non‑executive role felt, at first, like taking my hands off the wheel. As an executive, I was used to driving performance directly. Teams reported to me. Strategy translated into action through my authority. On a board, none of that exists. The transition forced me to separate experience from control. I had to learn how to support ambitious management teams without becoming another operator in the room. For founders building or professionalising their boards, that distinction matters more than most realise. See my full intro here: