When Your Name Is in the Redundancy Envelope | Grit in the Boardroom

Real leadership is not taught overnight. It is what happens when you see your own name in the redundancy envelope, deliver the speech anyway, and then ask: who is the safety net for the person at the top?

In this episode of Grit in the Boardroom, Erika Eliasson-Norris, CEO of Beyond Governance, sits down with Dr Heather Melville OBE for one of the most powerful executive interviews on what it truly means to lead through adversity. With over 40 years spanning financial services, technology and corporate banking, Heather brings the real c suite insights on leadership decisions, company culture change, and why boards must stop thinking diversity and start thinking inclusivity.

From founding the RBS Focused Women's Network to advising FTSE CEOs in an advisory capacity at Stork & May, Heather has lived the boardroom decisions that define organisations. She shares unflinching stories of business resilience, composure under fire, and the moments of strategic decision making that shaped her career and the careers of those around her.

Together, Erika and Heather explore the corporate governance questions boards are still getting wrong, and why risk management starts with the culture you build, not the policies you write.

What you'll find in this episode of Grit in the Boardroom:

Why composure under pressure is a learned skill, and what happens when leaders see their own name in the redundancy envelope.

How company culture change starts with small gestures of elegance and empathy from the top.

Why boardroom decisions around diversity fail when they focus on numbers instead of inclusivity.

How volunteering and women's networks create chemistry that transforms board effectiveness from the inside.

The difference between sponsorship and mentoring, and why leaders need both to drive growth under pressure.

Why words have consequences, and how one organisation's failure to act led to complete collapse: a corporate scandal case in governance lessons.

How leaders can be their authentic selves while navigating the performance expectations of the c suite insights world.

What boards and chairs must understand about building safety nets for leaders through better risk management and support.

Why high stakes strategy demands emotional intelligence and not just operational excellence.

How turnaround stories often begin with a single person who believed in something bigger than profit.

About the Guest Dr Heather Melville OBE is a Partner at Stork & May and the 7th Chancellor of the University of York. Awarded an OBE in 2017 for Services to Women and Diversity, Heather's 40-year career has spanned HSBC, NatWest, IBM and PwC, and she has served as Senior Managing Director and later Senior Advisor at Teneo. She previously served as Trustee and Chair of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI); she is also Patron of Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF), and founder of the globally recognised RBS Focused Women's Network. Heather is known for her work helping leaders navigate strategic decision making, inclusion, and transformation, building high-performing diverse teams that deliver under pressure.

About The Host As Governance Assessor for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry, the largest public inquiry in UK history, Erika Eliasson-Norris is helping shape accountability, governance reform, and corporate oversight across the UK.

About Grit in the Boardroom Grit in the Boardroom is a bi-weekly podcast where Erika Eliasson-Norris sits down with the best in business for executive interviews. She and her guests explore corporate governance beyond the sealed doors of the C-suite.

About Beyond Governance Beyond Governance provides on-demand company secretarial support, governance advisory, and governance training to boards, Company Secretaries, and General Counsel. Beyond Governance help organisations strengthen governance, manage risk, and support critical projects without the need for permanent hires. Learn more here: https://beyondgovernance.com/