Company boards' success or failure depends on myriad factors aside from legislative updates, an executive who serves on the Financial Times NED club advisory board has said. 

Patrick Dunne told an audience at EY's 'The High Performing Board' event that context, composition, capabilities, culture all combined to create a distinctive situation for each board. 

The audience heard how high performing boards need to connect and work well with the other bodies that they interact with if they are to succeed. The best boards have real clarity about the roles of company executives non-executives, and work well together in the intersection, they were told. 

Mr Dunne has 26 years of executive experience with 3i Group plc, and is currently the chairman of Boardelta and of the Chartered Management Institute’s Board of Companions. He is the author of three successful books and various articles on board performance, and is a tutor on the FT NXD certificate. 

“I was really impressed by the quality and level of engagement of those attending the event," Mr Dunne said. "It was encouraging to hear their views and commitment to high performance and interesting to hear from [EY Malta Advisory Executive Director] Kevin Mallia about the implications of new regulations."

EY is a global provider of assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services.