In Good Companies is springing back into action! Season 5 is out next week, and to warm up, we’re bringing back a favorite guest from seasons past: the fantastic Anna Catalano. Her episode is a lesson in ambition and professional development. 

Over the last 20 years, Anna has perfected the art of board governance and sat on a dozen public boards. Fortune magazine named her one of the most powerful women in international business, which is no understatement. In 2023, women held only 28% of board seats in the Russell 3000. And yet, Anna has become a prominent voice in corporate leadership, advocating for diversity and board refreshment.

So today, we ask her: how can companies make efforts to diversify their leadership? How can established directors lift up people who haven’t always had their seat at the table? What is the benefit of seeing more diversity in the boardroom?

Together, we weigh up the challenges awaiting women in business, and think about how boards can make space for new talents. Looking back on her career, Anna will revisit her most formative experiences; from unconscious bias, to bold career turns, her story is as inspiring as it is insightful.

Push the doors of the boardroom open with Patrick and Anna… And you will find that change is underway.

Highlights:

• What a board of directors does (2:38 )
• Improving diversity around the table (4:13 )
• How directors are recruited (5:49 )
• Reconciling diversity and meritocracy (8:09 )
• Handling unconscious bias (10:08 )
• The importance of interrogating assumptions (12:29 )
• How board directors lift up new talents (14:23 )
• Thoughts on board refreshments (16:02 )
• How to get board-ready (18:39 )
• Seizing new learning opportunities (22:23 )
• Getting out of your comfort zone (24:08 )
• Diversity to revisit the way things are done (26:21 )
• What good leadership means to Anna (27:27 )

Links:

• Cadence Bank Website
• Cadence Bank Twitter
• Cadence Bank LinkedIn
• Anna’s Website
• Anna’s Blog 
• Anna’s LinkedIn
• Anna’s Twitter
• Anna Catalano - “The Importance of Board Refreshment”
• Wall Street Journal - “Anna Catalano Is in The Room Where It Happens” 
• Fortune - “Women hold a record number of corporate board seats. The bad news: It’s barely over 25%, and it’s slowing down.”

If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producers, Natalie.Barron@cadencebank.com, Eydie.Pengelly@cadencebank.com, or danielle.kernell@cadencebank.com.