Building Better Trustee Boards: Skills, Behaviour and Participation

Overview

Effective boards require more than technical expertise. They rely on the right mix of skills, behaviours, perspectives and participation to make sound decisions and fulfil their responsibilities.

This flagship Trustee Week webinar will explore the findings of CGIUKI's Modern Trustee research and consider what organisations can do to build stronger, more inclusive and more effective boards.

The discussion led by Peter Swabey FCG, CGI's Policy & Research Director examined the challenges facing trustee recruitment and retention, the importance of board diversity and inclusion, and the governance practices that help boards perform at their best.

Peter was joined by

James Bluring, Head of Governance & Association Company Secretary, Doctors Without Borders (MSF)
Penny Bull, Board and Company Secretary, Southbank Centre
Loretto Leavy FCG, Governance Adviser and Board Effectiveness Specialist

In association with

For any related enquiries please contact us at events@cgi.org.uk, or call us at +44 (0)20 7580 4741

Speakers

Head of Governance & Association and Company Secretary, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) UK

James Bluring

James is Head of Governance & Association and Company Secretary at Médecins Sans Frontières UK and MSF Ireland, where he advises two charity boards and helps members have a real voice in decision-making. With 18 years’ experience advising boards and senior leaders across the charity and higher education sectors, James has seen what helps boards make confident, well-informed decisions (and what doesn’t!). At MSF UK, he supports a board within a global movement spanning over 70 countries. This gives him a practical perspective on how trustees can meet their legal duties and act in the interests of the UK charity while integrating with an international movement. He also brings a volunteer perspective, having served as Secretary of a community running club. James is a Chartered Manager, a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, and holds an MBA in Leadership. He is studying for the CGI Chartered Governance Qualifying Programme.

Board and Company Secretary, Southbank Centre

Penny Bull

With over 15 years’ experience across the charity sector, predominantly within arts and culture, Penny Bull is a governance professional with an enthusiasm for trustee development, board diversity and inclusive governance. Starting in grant programme management, she transitioned to boardroom governance in 2017 as Secretary to the Board at Art Fund. Since then, Penny has served as a Board and Company Secretary across varied non-profit settings, from tackling youth homelessness at Depaul UK to her current role at Southbank Centre, the UK’s largest arts centre. She holds the CGI’s Certificate in Charity Law and Governance and is an affiliate member of the Institute.

Founder, Board Behavioural Dynamics

Loretto Leavy FCG

Loretto is a Group Company Secretary, a board member, and an academic. A governance expert with over 20 years’ experience of complex boards in charities, professional and regulatory bodies, and financial services. She has served 8.5 years as trustee for a medium sized charity and acted as chair of the charity’s nomination and remuneration committees. She is currently an advisory board member for a sustainability start-up. Loretto launched Board Behavioural Dynamics in 2025, in collaboration with CGI UKI as an open resource Handbook for those supporting large, regulated boards. She continues to focus on practical policy developments embedded in academically rigorous processes while she completes a PhD in Leadership.