Cambridge Board Director Programme
This programme equips experienced and aspiring board members with the strategic insight, governance expertise and leadership confidence needed for effective board service.
Upcoming programmes
Format:
Dates:
Duration:
Fees:
Blended
22 Dec 2025-4 Jun 2026
4 months
£20,000
Upcoming programmes
Format:
Blended
Dates:
22 Dec 2025-4 Jun 2026
Duration:
4 months
Fees:
£20,000
Overview
Board directors today face increasingly complex responsibilities, from navigating regulatory shifts and stakeholder expectations to guiding organisational transformation in a fast-changing world. Delivering sustainable value now demands more than oversight; it requires ethical governance, strategic foresight, financial acumen and the ability to make sound decisions in high-stakes, dynamic environments.
Through a blend of in-person modules, live online sessions and real-world case discussions, you will engage with renowned faculty and a global peer group. The focused curriculum will help you sharpen your communication skills, manage risk oversight, analyse finances and lead through change, ultimately preparing you to lead with clarity, purpose and resilience in today’s boardrooms.
Benefits and career impact
- Understand directors’ duties for effective governance and compliance.
- Develop strategic decision-making skills and adapt to global trends.
- Gain expertise in financial reporting and market dynamics.
- Navigate stakeholder relationships and manage media communication.
- Develop communication skills and manage boardroom dynamics.
- Enhance scenario planning capabilities and adapt to evolving business landscapes.
- Create a governance road map that integrates leadership and ethical practices.
Being a director is fundamentally different from being an executive – you take on responsibility for strategy, risk, performance, stakeholder relationships and societal impact. Amidst shifting expectations, geopolitical pressures and emerging threats and opportunities, directors need tailored guidance to navigate complexity with confidence. This programme empowers new, existing and aspiring directors to advance their core roles, benchmark their value-add and stay abreast of the latest governance trends, equipping them to steer long-term success.
This programme is being delivered in collaboration with Emeritus.
Programme content
The curriculum will equip you with essential skills and insights to excel in board leadership and drive organisational success. It comprises 3 comprehensive modules, blending in-person interactions, online sessions and hands-on activities that address key aspects of corporate governance, strategic decision-making and stakeholder management.
Module 1: Board dynamics and governance (In person)
- Understanding directors’ responsibilities.
- Board strategy – aligning actions with organisational objectives.
- Anticipating market and organisational challenges – the changing nature of financial markets, opportunities and global megatrends.
- Horizon scanning for future risks and opportunities.
- Financial reporting and disclosure – keeping abreast of latest standards to ensure transparency and compliance.
- Latest thinking on governance structures and codes of practice.
Module 2: Strategic thinking for the CXO (Online)
- Introduction to strategy.
- Frameworks for creating breakthrough strategies.
- Good versus bad strategy in the 21st century.
- Beyond industries – strategy in ecosystems.
- Growth, competition and mergers and acquisitions.
- Corporate strategy – new ways of conceptualising it.
- Emergent strategies.
- Execution and implementation of strategy.
Module 3: Steering a forward-looking board (In person)
- Developing organisational resilience.
- Effective communications and public relations management.
- Effective stakeholder communication, persuasion and negotiation.
- AI, cybersecurity and digital governance.
- Developing a personal plan for success as a director.
How you learn: Blended
During in-person modules in Cambridge, engage with programme faculty and industry experts, extracting insights from cutting-edge research and boardroom experience. You will also have the opportunity to network with global peers, participate in group exercises and develop a strategic action plan for your board role. This immersive experience will deepen your understanding of boardroom dynamics and emerging governance challenges. It will sharpen your strategic decision-making capabilities and enhance your ability to drive sustainable value creation at the highest level of organisational leadership.
Who attends
The Cambridge Board Director Programme is tailored for senior executives looking to enhance their boardroom effectiveness and readiness. While individual participants are welcome, we encourage attendance in teams of two or more from the same organisation to benefit from shared learning. Ideal participants include:
- senior executives aspiring to serve on corporate boards and seeking to understand the intricacies of board-level decision-making and governance
- newly appointed board members seeking to improve their strategic thinking to influence board-level decisions
- CEOs, COOs, CFOs and other C-suite executives looking to strengthen relationships with board members through effective communication and collaboration
- existing board members aiming to enhance their strategic capabilities, including those from smaller firms transitioning to larger boards
- non-executive and non-profit board directors striving to bring their expertise and diverse perspectives to corporate boards
- corporate governance professionals, including partners from audit or consulting firms with backgrounds in finance, strategy or operations
- retired executives or those preparing for retirement and exploring board opportunities in various industries
Faculty and speakers
Learn from our world-class faculty who bring fresh insights from their leading-edge research into all of our Executive Education programmes. The Academic Programme Director (APD) for the Cambridge Board Director Programme is Dr Simon Learmount.
Fellow of the Centre for Business Research (CBR)
PhD (University of Cambridge)
Fellow of St Catharine’s College
PhD (University of London)
Assistant Director of the Centre for Business Research (CBR)
PhD (HEC Paris)
Deputy Director of the Centre for Financial Reporting and Accountability (CFRA)
PhD (University of California, Berkeley)
Academic Director of the Centre for Risk Studies (CRS)
PhD (University of Wisconsin)
PhD (Case Western University)
PhD (University of Cambridge)
PhD (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
Why Cambridge Judge Business School?
Related programmes
Cambridge Board Director Programme belongs to our suite of Leadership executive education programmes. Here is a selection of related programmes:
Cambridge Advanced Leadership Programme
Refresh your thinking and fine-tune your leadership agenda. The Cambridge ALP is a challenging, immersive programme designed for seasoned senior leaders and executives looking to revitalise their leadership strategies. Weaving together vibrant debate, deep experience and leading-edge thinking, you’ll gain new skills, confidence and networks. Step back. Take stock. Then return, ready to move forward and create immediate impact.
The Cambridge Family Business Leadership Programme
The Cambridge Family Business Leadership Programme will enable you to navigate generational transitions, succession planning, governance and market disruptions through deep insights and long-term strategies.
The Cambridge AI Leadership Programme
Transform your organisation with the Cambridge AI Leadership Programme, designed for senior leaders navigating digital disruption.
Contact us
If you have any questions or would like to have a chat about this programme and how it could benefit you or your organisation, please get in touch with the Open Programmes team: