Andrew Kakabadse, Board Agenda contributor, respected academic and a lynchpin figure in UK and global corporate governance, has passed away following a brief illness.

Andrew was professor of governance and leadership at Henley Business School, where he also served as director for The Board Directors’ Programme and chair of the Henley Directors’ Forum. He published more than 270 scholarly articles and 48 books, with his bestsellers including The Politics of Management, Working in Organisations, The Success Formula and Leadership Intelligence: the 5 Qs.

But Andrew was an ever-present reminder of good governance elsewhere in the UK. He was a frequent speaker at key conferences, and recently served on the advisory board of the Institute of Directors’ Centre for Corporate Governance.

Nada Kakabadse, his wife and a fellow professor at Henley, said he was a “visionary with a gentle voice, courage and a deep sense of values he so passionately held”.

“As a globally respected academic, prolific author, coach, consultant and public speaker, he has touched the lives of countless individuals worldwide. Intellectually brilliant, Andrew was compassionate, generous and genuinely loving.

“Andrew will be deeply missed; he is loved by so many and adored by his family and close friends.”

‘Humanity, integrity, and generosity of spirit’

Yelena Kalyuzhnova, fellow professor at Henley, writes: “His intellectual contributions were matched only by his humanity, integrity, and generosity of spirit. Andrew was not only a respected academic and advisor to many global organisations, but he was a friend, a mentor and an inspiring colleague to so many of us.

“His commitment to excellence, his thoughtfulness in conversation and his deeply global outlook shaped our business school in ways that will resonate for years to come.”

Andrew has been a regular contributor to Board Agenda since its launch in 2016. Along with Nada, he has written on AI governance and coping with global disruption and the importance of reputation as a corporate asset.

One of Andrew’s earlier articles for Board Agenda touched on managing the work of a non-exec and referred to issues that would become central to governance.

“More than anything else, non-execs need to be clear about their own purpose. If they are to genuinely add value to an organisation, they must understand that engaging management teams and workforces is vital and can only be achieved through an ongoing and honest dialogue.”

Writing about artificial intelligence, Andrew—along with Nada—was unequivocal. “In an AI-enhanced workplace, leadership needs to become more ‘human’ than ever. Inspiring teams, nurturing creativity and championing collaboration should be at the forefront of leadership thinking.

“Boards need to model these traits and empower their senior leaders to do the same. A new approach also means taking the long view. Equity and inclusion must remain at the forefront of AI deployment. Board will want to push for policies that ensure AI benefits everyone, not just the few.”

Andrew Kakabadse leaves behind him a legacy of diverse interests, sharp analysis, deep insight and placing people at the heart of governance. He will be sorely missed.