Good governance because scarcity is real

The principles of good governance are more important now than ever before. We must consider how we can effectively address issues of scarcity in our governance structures. With resources increasingly limited – the environment, finances, workforce and executive time – organisations must adopt innovative and sustainable practices to ensure long-term success.

Jane Davidson has kindly accepted the 2023 Good Governance Award in recognition of her dedication to environmental sustainability. Throughout her professional career, Jane has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to sustainable development, creating the Future Generations act in Wales, and working towards the One Planet Standard. Her unique approach to governance, focusing on evidence-based decision-making rather than rhetoric, has led to meaningful and lasting change, improving things step by step. Jane's tireless efforts in championing environmental sustainability serve as an inspiration to us all, and we are honoured to recognise her achievements with this prestigious award.

Jane will also be delivering the GGI Annual Lecture, the centrepiece of our festival, on 23 January 2024. Joining her will be a distinguished panel of guests.

Service user champion
Dr. Anna Barnes is a compassionate force at the intersection of healthcare and social welfare. As chair of the Seaview Project in St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, Anna dedicates herself to helping marginalised individuals grappling with addiction, mental health challenges, and homelessness. By day, Anna is Associate Director for Clinical Transformation at West London & St Georges Mental Health NHS Trust, and will soon move to a new governance role at Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust. With a rich 30-year career spanning various facets of healthcare, Anna is committed to enhancing service users' experience, emphasising the profound impact of thoughtful design and a touch of local culture in fostering healing environments. Anna is chairing this year’s Annual Lecture.

Author and innovator
Professor Jaideep Prabhu is the author of Frugal Innovation: How to do More with Less, and co-author of Jugaad Innovation: Think Frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthrough Growth, described by The Economist as ‘the most comprehensive book yet’ on the subject of frugal innovation. In 2021, Jaideep delivered our Annual Lecture on the topic of his much-acclaimed book, How should a government be? Jaideep is Professor of Marketing and Jawaharlal Nehru Professor of Indian Business at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. He teaches business and enterprise at the University of Cambridge’s Judge Business School and directs the Centre for India & Global Business (CIGB). He has published in leading academic journals and his work has been profiled by the BBC, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, The Economist, The Financial Times, Le Monde, The New York Times, and The Times.

Health inequalities expert
This Good Governance Award will be presented by our 2021 award winner, Sir Michael Marmot, who is renowned for his extensive work on health inequalities. In 2010, he wrote the original review into health inequality in England, asking for a Fair Society, Healthy Lives, also known as The Marmot Review. A recent follow-up report showed that little has changed since the review was published. Before being appointed director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, Sir Michael was a member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution before becoming chair of the Commission on Social Determinants of Health set up by the World Health Organisation in 2005. Previously, he served as president of the World Medical Association and has authored several books, including The Health Gap: The Challenge of an Unequal World (2005).

Professor of governance
Andrew Corbett-Nolan, chief executive of the Good Governance Institute, is well-known as a leading thinker and commentator on modern governance and a practical facilitator and coach to boards across the public and third sectors. Heavily influenced by the work of Professor Mervyn King, Andrew sits on the board of the Johannesburg-based Good Governance Academy, which is working to influence the curricula of business schools and universities globally. And in 2020, he became a Salzburg Global Fellow for his work promoting good governance as a means of creating social value and securing a prosperous future that is better and fairer for all. Outside GGI, Andrew is a visiting professor at the Institute of Health at the University of Cumbria. He was also a visiting professor of governance at the University of Chester until 2022.

Journalist and author
Financial Times writer Stefan Stern is the co-author of Myths of Management – what people get wrong about being the boss. His second book, How To Be A Better Leader, was published in March 2019. He is a fellow of the RSA, and continues to write for the FT and the Guardian, among others. Stefan’s career in journalism included stints at Euromoney, the BBC, Management Today magazine, and the FT, where he was the management columnist between 2006 and 2010. In 2010 Stefan was appointed visiting professor in management practice at City University Business School (formerly Cass). He also had a short spell at the PR firm Edelman, where he was director of strategy. He left to go back to full-time writing in 2013. He was also director of the High Pay Centre, a think tank looking at the issue of executive pay, between 2015 and 2018.