Sarah Gregory – How joining a board helps leadership development

Sarah Gregory – How joining a board helps leadership development

From Nottingham Business School Business Leaders by Nottingham Trent University

January 13, 2026 · 26 min · Episode 75

About this episode

Sarah Gregory discusses how non-executive board roles can enhance leadership development.

Stepping into a non-executive board role can be one of the most powerful – and most overlooked – ways to accelerate leadership development. In Episode 75 of the Business Leaders Podcast, BBC Deputy Chief People Officer Sarah Gregory explains why taking a seat on the board – often unpaid – offers emerging leaders a rare chance to stretch their skills, broaden their perspective and influence real change. Drawing on her experience at the BBC, Swim England and NTU, Sarah explains to Visiting Honorary Professor Mike Sassi how non-exec positions helps leaders see how organisations really work – from long-term strategy and governance to risk, finance and culture.

People in this episode

Host: Mike Sassi

Guest: Sarah Gregory

Topics covered

  • leadership development
  • non-executive board
  • organizational governance
  • strategy
  • risk management

Keywords

  • leadership
  • non-executive board
  • BBC
  • governance
  • strategy
  • risk
  • finance
  • culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC, Swim England, NTU

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