Business Turnarounds, Digital Transformation Take Centre Stage at Board Stewardship Webinar
Board Stewardship hosted the October edition of its monthly webinar series, ‘Boardroom Insights’, on October 30, 2026. Supported by Steward Leadership Institute (SLI), BoardPAC and Nagarro, the 25th edition featured the launch of Turning Red into Black, two panel discussions and an interactive session on the Independent Directorship journey. The programme brought together board directors and industry professionals to deliberate on business resilience, corporate governance and the evolving responsibilities of boards.
Opening the programme, Vikesh Wallia, MD & Editor, Board Stewardship, highlighted the platform’s journey and its growing engagement with the governance community. “Board Stewardship has brought together over 250 distinguished speakers and an estimated 1,500–2,000 participants across its 25 webinars. The platform continues to grow, adding over 500 organic LinkedIn followers every month, alongside rising newsletter subscriptions and membership. Having recently concluded three Huddles across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, our focus remains on strengthening continuous learning, knowledge sharing and networking,” he said.
The first session featured the launch of Turning Red into Black, authored by Robin Banerjee, followed by a panel discussion titled ‘Board’s Turnaround Strategy – Turning Red into Black’.
Delivering the keynote address, Shailesh Haribhakti, Board Icon of India and Chairman, Advisory Board, Board Stewardship, emphasised the importance of turnaround strategies in an uncertain global environment. “Turning Red into Black is no longer just a turnaround manual for struggling companies; it is an operational playbook for every board navigating an increasingly uncertain world. Geopolitical tensions, energy price volatility and rising capital costs are creating challenges for businesses globally. Boards must move beyond the assumption of cheap capital and focus on cash generation, disciplined leverage, productivity and better capital allocation,” he said.
Moderated by Raman Madhok, Chairperson, United Way Mumbai and Board Advisor, the discussion featured Robin Banerjee, President, The Council of EU Chambers in India; Chairman, CII (Western Region) Subcommittee on EoDB & Responsible Business; and Chairman, Nucleon Research Pvt. Ltd.; Vinayak Jadhav, Independent Director; and Murali Cherat, Founder & Managing Director, Wow Laddus Pvt. Ltd.
Reflecting on the discussion, Madhok said, “The book has wonderful pointers on why organisations get into the red in the first instance and what needs to be done to get them back into the black. We all have an onerous responsibility to avoid getting into the red zone, both for the sustenance of businesses and the environment.”
Jadhav highlighted the respective roles of boards and management in driving revival. “Turning a business from red to black is not just about reducing losses or improving numbers. It is about changing the way we think, the way we operate and the way we create value. The board sets the direction, management drives the execution and the organisation delivers the transformation,” he said.
Cherat reflected on how the discussion challenged his understanding of organisational culture and business revival, particularly the distinction between a winning attitude and a winning culture.
The second panel, ‘The Board’s Agenda for Digital Transformation – From Caterpillar to Butterfly’, examined the difference between technology adoption and genuine organisational transformation.
Moderated by Dr Mandeep Maitra, CEO, M-Suite Leadership Consulting LLP, Leadership & Transformation Coach, and Independent Director and Advisor to BFSI, the panel featured Arvind Prabhu, Information Technology Governance Consultant, MNC Bank; Gokul Rajan, Chief Digital Officer, Hinduja Leyland Finance; and Hareesh Tibrewala, CEO, Manabu AI Solutions.
Prabhu highlighted the importance of governance keeping pace with technological developments. “Such initiatives by Board Stewardship are relevant and highly commendable, particularly in an era where technological adoption and its associated risks are evolving faster than governance frameworks. Both panel discussions were thoughtfully curated, and the Q&A section was interesting too,” he said.
Tibrewala emphasised the growing importance of AI oversight at the board level. “One of the central themes that stood out in the discussion was the need for AI governance on the agenda of every board, as well as the need to have board members who understand digital technologies and AI,” he said.
The programme concluded with an interactive Q&A session on the Independent Directorship journey, led by Wallia, addressing the professional pathway and responsibilities associated with Independent Directorship. Neeta Surti, General Manager, Board Engagement, Board Stewardship, delivered the vote of thanks.
