Starcast Join the waitlist
Enter the Boardroom

Enter the Boardroom

194. Matthew Lester: How a chair finds out what's really going on inside the business

Oct 7, 2026 · 42m

Coming soon to iPhone. Already have it? “Listen in Starcast” takes you straight there.

On this episode

About this episode

Matthew Lester is Chairman of Kier group plc and NED and Chair of the Audit Committee at Intermediate Capital Group plc. Previously, he was CFO of Royal Mail plc. Listen to this episode to learn more about: Two moments where non-execs had the biggest impact on the business (01:39) Why motivation outweighs knowledge in CEO hires (08:03) The hardest habit to break when you become a chair (16:21) How Matthew checks whether the board is getting the full picture (22:18) The case for giving employe...