Welcome to the Take on Board podcast, where we talk all things boards and governance. Being on a board can be interesting, valuable and exciting. Yet it can also be lonely, challenging and hard. Each week I talk to women who have been there, done that. Together we'll discover what we need to take on board to be your best in the boardroom.
https://helgasvendsen.com.au/take-on-board-podcast/
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Creating space for every voice with Shona McGlashan
Today on the Take on Board podcast, I’m speaking with Shona McGlashan about inclusive board cultures. Shona is chair of Pain BC and vice-chair and governance committee chair of Bard on the Beach Theatre Society. Shona is a governance professional, board director, and consultant who believes boards are only as effective as the culture they create.
Shona discusses why everyone in the boardroom must actively create inclusion, sharing an early-career lesson about “total football” and making space for people to speak up. She outlines practical accessibility and psychological safety practices, recruitment approaches that brought millennial directors onto Pain BC’s board, and how diverse lived experience strengthens decision-making while directors are not delegates.
Links and Resources
Shona on LInkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/shonamcglashan/)
Shona's website (www.mcglashan.ca)
You can find a series of governance-related articles here (https://www.mcglashan.ca/insights)
Upcoming TOB Events
All events (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/community/events/)
You might want to:
Watch on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSnlohrWBGXacmhKA2DoAhg)
Join the Take on Board Facebook community (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TakeOnBoard/)
Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13955373/)
Follow along on Twitter (https://mobile.twitter.com/takeonboard)
Work with me (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/work-with-me/)
Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/work-with-me/governance/kickstarter/)
Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/work-with-me/governance/accelerator/)
Find out more about me (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/about/)
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29 Sept 2026
Resilience & Alignment: Getting Your Next Board Role
Today on the Take on Board podcast, I’m coming from Banff, Alberta. I'm building on conversations from the Vancouver meetup with Nancy Maloney and Shona McGlashan about joining boards and building a portfolio.
I explain why resilience is key—since you’ll apply for more roles than you’ll get—and how perseverance and feedback help you persist.
I revisit Nancy’s early board interview story, reflect on my recent rejections, and share recruiter advice from Monique Fulmer (PeopleFusion): apply only if your skills match, lead with board experience on your resume, and separate board and executive experience. I also highlight committee roles as a pathway into boards and conclude with themes of resilience and alignment.
Upcoming TOB Events
All events (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/community/events/)
You might want to:
Watch on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSnlohrWBGXacmhKA2DoAhg)
Join the Take on Board Facebook community (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TakeOnBoard/)
Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13955373/)
Follow along on Twitter (https://mobile.twitter.com/takeonboard)
Work with me (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/work-with-me/)
Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/work-with-me/governance/kickstarter/)
Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/work-with-me/governance/accelerator/)
Find out more about me (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/about/)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
22 Sept 2026
Get ready! Helga answers 54 Board Observership Questions
This week on the Take on Board podcast, it's another Ask Me Anything. A few weeks ago, you heard me in conversation with Cathy Robinson from the Board Observership Program and Reena Rihan, an alum of the program, which led to a Q&A session with the Board Observership participants.
They had so many awesome questions that we didn't get through them all in the 90-minute session. So today, Cathy is joining me again to ask me those questions. It might also be a good prompt to say I've just started a YouTube series called Ask Me Anything (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPRURZImjSA&list=PLH7L-xBjxKJo), where I give short, snappy responses to your governance questions. So if I don't answer your governance question today, or if you've got something not covered today or in the previous episode, send it in. Whatever your favorite way of getting in touch is, please reach out, ask me the question, and at some stage I will cover it in that YouTube short series.
Links and Resources
The Observership Program (https://observership.com.au/)
Episode 369: The Observership Program and your board future (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/take-on-board-podcast/episode-369-the-observership-program-and-your-board-future/)
Ask Me Anything - Send your questions (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/contact/)
Upcoming TOB Events
All events (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/community/events/)
You might want to:
Watch on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSnlohrWBGXacmhKA2DoAhg)
Join the Take on Board Facebook community (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TakeOnBoard/)
Join the Take on Board LinkedIn community (https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13955373/)
Follow along on Twitter (https://mobile.twitter.com/takeonboard)
Work with me (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/work-with-me/)
Join the Take on Board: Kickstarter group program (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/work-with-me/governance/kickstarter/)
Join the Take on Board: Accelerator group program (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/work-with-me/governance/accelerator/)
Find out more about me (https://helgasvendsen.com.au/about/)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
Who has been a guest on Take on Board
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Alice Tang
Dottie Schindlinger
Candice DeVille
Henna Karna
Simone Austin
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
886
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
14 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 77 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
92
Social presence
0
YouTube
66
Engagement
90
Contact Take on Board
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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