Our approach

Our custom board programmes typically last a full day and include short briefings and facilitated discussions to build alignment and establish priority actions. Sessions are delivered by expert contributors, hand-selected from our faculty and international network of business leaders, regulators, lawyers, investors and academics.

Ahead of the programme, we work with you to understand the board’s current position and priorities so that each session can be tailored for maximum impact. Topics are agreed jointly but typically cover:

Global Context: Understanding the forces reshaping markets and why sustainability is now a question of survival and commercial success 
Legal Duties: Reevaluating the Board’s fiduciary role and exploring shifts in corporate law, public interest litigation and ESG reporting
Strategy and Purpose: Aligning profitability with positive social and environmental outcomes
Leadership and Governance: Challenging whether the board is fit for future purpose and properly equipped to lead and govern in a rapidly changing world
 

Programmes are led by Professor Richard Calland and include short briefings and facilitated discussions to build alignment and establish priority actions. Sessions are delivered by expert contributors, hand-selected from our faculty and international network of business leaders, regulators, lawyers, investors and academics.

Our track record

CISL has over 30 years’ experience supporting organisations to take leadership, catalyse change, and accelerate the path towards a sustainable economy. We have worked with boards across sectors and geographies, delivering measurable impact and strategic transformation.  Recent work includes:

Board Leadership Programmes: Last year, CISL worked with corporate boards from a range of sectors including energy, food, construction and retail, as part of our expanding portfolio of Board Leadership Programmes. Through a series of engagements tailored to the context of corporate governance and region-specific jurisdictions, these programmes have enabled directors to think critically about their roles and responsibilities, to align sustainability and commerciality and to navigate dilemmas.

Across the year, board directors explored responses to the ESG backlash and faltering market support, evolving stakeholder expectations, legal liabilities, political and government shifts, and evolving governance standards and norms. Discussions have included a recognition of the 
need to address not only complacency which may be a barrier to the scale of innovation needed, but also the case for businesses to adopt a strategy of assertive advocacy in support of changes to the ‘rules of the game’ to create thriving markets for net zero, nature-positive products.

"It really helped to join many of the dots together in a persuasive and elegant way. There was a lot of practical advice and the precedent that was shared was also very useful.” Board Leadership Programme participant

“The messages stick and the Boardroom ‘will never be the same again” Chair of the board of a major food company

Shaping the future of boards and corporate governance: As stewards of the future, we believe that boards must evolve to ensure that they are guiding businesses to build long term competitiveness and resilience in the face of ever more pressing climate and nature crises. This includes challenging and supporting the executive to take appropriate action to drive market and economy wide shifts to protect their markets for the long-term. This requires strategic foresight, understanding the systemic nature of the challenge, and aligning governance with a clear purpose and strategy to approach sustainability as a competitive imperative.   

"This briefing is a blueprint for business seeking outperformance and the coveted financial ‘alpha’. It shouldn’t be ignored.” Alex Tamlyn Partner & Chair Boardroom Counsel, DLA Piper UK LLP

View some recent case studies and testimonials.   

Contact the team to find out more