12/05/2026
One thing people rarely talk about when they become CEO is how isolating the role can be.
Expectations come from everywhere — boards, regulators, shareholders, employees, markets. And the bigger the organisation, the fewer people there are to truly think things through with.
Having led organisations myself in global and European roles, including as Managing Director and Country Head, I know how demanding leadership at the top can be.
This is one reason I believe advisory boards are becoming increasingly valuable.
Unlike boards of directors, advisory boards don’t make decisions. Their value lies in perspective.
A good advisor sits outside the organisation’s daily operational pressure. That distance allows them to challenge assumptions, recognise patterns across industries, and help leaders think beyond BAU.
In many ways, the role resembles mentorship — not for the individual leader, but for the organisation and its strategic thinking.
Having served on advisory boards myself, I have seen how valuable that external perspective can be, particularly when leaders are navigating complex decisions and pressure from multiple directions.
I shared a few thoughts on this here:
🔗 https://www.linkvalue.net/post/why-advisory-boards-are-becoming-a-strategic-asset-for-ceos-and-boards
Sometimes leadership benefits most from a conversation outside the room.
Supporting leaders in those moments is a core part of the work I do.
Advisory boards are becoming a strategic asset for CEOs and boards navigating complexity, governance challenges and leadership pressure.
