Pippa Begg on how MENA leadership teams can raise the bar on board effectiveness
Pippa Begg from Board Intelligence is an established voice on corporate governance, regularly speaking on topics including board performance, culture, and responsible leadership. We sat down with Pippa to discuss how leadership teams in the Middle East can raise the bar on board effectiveness.
To start with: Why does this moment matter for boards in the Middle East?
Boards in the Middle East are operating in an environment defined less by transition and more by the need to balance rising expectations amid increasing complexity and rapid technological change – managing core oversight responsibilities alongside forward-looking value creation.
Expectations are broadening beyond oversight to include a more active role in strategy, growth, and resilience. At the same time, boards are navigating geopolitical complexity and fast-moving technological change.
This moment matters because many boards are already confident in their capabilities and the value they’re adding. The opportunity now is to build on that confidence by sharpening focus, streamlining information, and ensuring boards are staying on the front foot and ready for whatever challenges that may appear next.
What stands out about the Middle East is the sense of momentum. Boards here operate in a dynamic environment shaped by ambitious national agendas, regional integration, and rapid economic development. There’s a clear desire to use governance as a lever for performance and long-term value, not simply as a compliance exercise. That creates a very constructive environment for boards to set a high bar and continue raising it.
What did the Board Value Index reveal about how boards in the Middle East see themselves today?
The Board Value Index from Board Intelligence shows a region with confident and engaged boards. Nearly half of directors describe their board as an essential tool for value creation, which is a very positive signal.
We also saw strong alignment with national and regional transformation agendas, and high levels of confidence in managing government and sovereign relationships. That reflects the reality that boards in this region play a broader strategic role than in many other markets. Overall, the findings point to boards that are well-positioned to take their effectiveness to the next level.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities for boards to build on that position?
One of the biggest opportunities is around focus. Many boards are already operating efficiently, but there’s scope to change how they invest their time – in particular, to spend even more time on forward-looking discussions around strategy, long-term risk, and innovation.
Small shifts in agenda design and information can have an outsized impact on the quality of discussion. This is less about fixing problems and more about fine-tuning how boards work so they can make the most of the skills and experience already around the table.
What will define effective boards in the Middle East over the next few years?
Effective boards are intentional about how they add value. That means protecting time for strategic conversations, encouraging constructive challenge, and ensuring directors have the insight they need to exercise good judgement. It also means continuing to evolve board practices in line with the pace of economic and technological change – to build agility and resilience into governance structures and board operating models.
The boards that do this will be well placed to make the most of the opportunities in front of them to support sustainable growth and long-term value creation.
AI is often discussed in terms of risk. How should boards really be thinking about it?
Boards cannot neglect the risk aspect of AI. They need to understand how AI is being used and ensure there is clear accountability and appropriate oversight of AI development and adoption within the organisation.
At the same time, AI represents a profound opportunity. AI doesn’t just have the potential to transform business models and markets – it can enhance how boards operate, improving insight, focus, and decision-making.
The key is to approach AI in a balanced way, with curiosity as well as caution. It’s also vital, with things moving so quickly, that directors regularly refresh their knowledge, proactively (and responsibly) experiment with new tools, and make space for emerging technologies on the board agenda.
What shaped your own interest in how boards make decisions?
My interest was piqued relatively early on in my career, when I was working in asset management. By my mid-twenties, I’d observed more than my fair share of board meetings, and I’d spotted a pattern that worried me – groups of highly qualified, experienced directors spending hours in meetings that delivered assurance but didn’t move the needle strategically.
What I found, as we started to build Board Intelligence, was that experience and instinct matter, but boards can only deliver the sum of their parts when they’re supported by high-quality information, clear processes, and focused agendas. Helping boards create those conditions has been the focus of my work for two decades.
