Leading Through Permacrisis: Will Geddes on Boardroom Decision-Making Under Pressure

How should boards lead when the world refuses to stand still?

In this episode of The Boardroom Path, host Ralph Grayson speaks with Will Geddes, Managing Director of ICP Group and one of the UK's leading authorities on security, crisis management and geopolitical risk. They explore why boards now operate inside a state of permacrisis, why traditional crisis manuals rarely leave the shelf, and how directors should make decisions with imperfect, contested and fast-moving information.

With markets now openly pricing in permacrisis as the operating environment and EY analysis showing that around 60 percent of FTSE 100 returns now hinge on geopolitical and macro forces, Will's perspective on judgement, instinct and audit trails has rarely been more timely. From a real-world story of advising a director caught in the 2008 Mumbai attacks to practical guidance on rehearsing crisis response across Zoom, Teams and the boardroom, this conversation offers NEDs and aspiring directors a clear-eyed playbook for leading when getting the call wrong is the biggest risk of all.

• (00:00) - Welcome to The Boardroom Path
• (04:04) - An Unconventional Path Into Specialist Security
• (06:06) - Defining Permacrisis for the Boardroom
• (08:03) - The Domino Effect of a Far-Flung Incident
• (11:11) - Breaking Silos and Communicating Across the Board
• (13:25) - Are Board Meetings Still Fit for Purpose?
• (15:48) - Building Horizon-Scanning Into the Agenda
• (18:54) - Decision-Making With Imperfect Information
• (23:07) - When Instinct Beats Data and Analysis
• (27:48) - Reputational Management
• (35:23) - The Next Three Things Every Board Should Do

Will Geddes: Will Geddes is the Managing Director and founder of ICP Group (International Corporate Protection), a globally recognised, niche threat-management security firm originally established in 1996 that supports clients ranging from FTSE and Fortune 100 corporations to family offices and high-profile private individuals. With more than 30 years' experience in specialist security, his work spans close protection, crisis management, kidnap and ransom, counter-terrorism, intelligence gathering, multi-jurisdictional investigations, cyber and geopolitical risk. He also founded TacticsON and is a regular international media commentator on security, terrorism and risk for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, ITN, CNN, The Telegraph and BBC Radio 4 Today. His perspective combines decades of frontline operational experience with strategic advisory work for boards making consequential decisions under pressure.

Ralph Grayson: Ralph Grayson is a Partner in the Board Practice at Sainty Hird & Partners, bringing extensive experience in board-level recruitment, assessment, and advisory services. With a deep understanding of the corporate governance landscape, Ralph specialises in guiding senior executives as they transition into impactful boardroom careers. His thoughtful approach, combined with a passion for developing effective leaders, enables him to facilitate insightful conversations that equip aspiring and newly appointed Non-Executive Directors with the tools they need to succeed. Through The Boardroom Path, Ralph leverages his extensive professional network and expertise to empower listeners on their journey into the boardroom.

Episode Insights:

• Permacrisis means treating crisis as a continuum rather than a contingency, with seemingly minor or far-flung events capable of triggering a domino effect across global operations and reputation.
• Crisis manuals rarely come off the shelf when something actually happens, so what matters is whether the board has practised problem-solving and communication together using the tools they truly rely on.
• Decisions made with imperfect information are unavoidable, which is why a clean audit trail of what was known, by whom and when, is the single best protection for directors and the company.
• A board that defers decisions, fills silence with content for its own sake or refuses to admit failings damages stakeholder trust more than the underlying crisis often does.
• Strong crisis leadership combines humility, judgement and emotional intelligence; AI can support scenario planning at the macro level but the human element remains essential at the micro.

Action Points:

1. Treat crisis as a continuum, not an event: Build standing horizon-scanning into every board agenda alongside performance reporting. Ask each function where they foresee issues and how a single incident in one country could ripple across the business. This forces the board to spot domino effects early and to allocate attention to the right risks rather than the loudest ones.
2. Rehearse together, across channels: Schedule regular cross-functional simulations using the tools you actually rely on day to day, including Zoom, Teams and phone. Test how the board problem-solves laterally rather than how individuals handle a dramatic hostage scenario. Doing this routinely surfaces communication gaps and trains people to lean on each other before a real crisis hits.
3. Build a decision audit trail: Insist that all crisis-era decisions are minuted with timestamps, locations, attendees and the information available at the time, and that everyone present agrees the minutes before they are published. Pair this with a short summary of the alternatives considered and why they were rejected. This protects directors and the company if those decisions are later scrutinised by regulators, courts or the press.
4. Manage the narrative, never lie: Equip your communications function to acknowledge press enquiries quickly, share something of genuine value rather than fill silence, and admit failings with integrity rather than allow the media to take control of the story. Brief any executive or director travelling in volatile situations on what to say, what to avoid and when to go quiet. Trust is built when stakeholders see honest, well-paced communication, not noise.
5. Match leaders to context: Use realistic training to identify which board members lead well under duress and which contribute most in calmer waters. Create a culture where it is safe for someone to step back and let a stronger crisis leader take the chair, without that being read as a failure. Set the example as chair by openly relying on colleagues for the parts of a crisis where they are sharper than you are.

The Boardroom Path is the essential podcast for aspiring and newly appointed Non-Executive Directors (NEDs) navigating the journey from executive leadership to the boardroom. Hosted by Ralph Grayson, partner at Sainty Hird & Partners, each episode offers insightful conversations with industry leaders, seasoned board directors, and governance experts. Our guests share practical strategies, valuable perspectives, and actionable advice on how to effectively transition into board roles, maximise your impact, and build a rewarding NED career.

Subscribe now, and take your first confident step along The Boardroom Path. Learn more about Sainty Hird & Partners at saintyhird.com.

The Boardroom Path is produced by Story Ninety-Four in Oxford, UK.