S3E4 – Tim Trumper: Building AI-ready boards, chair succession done right, and leading through volatility

Former NRMA Chair Tim Trumper joins Boardroom Confidential to talk about AI in the boardroom, data-led transformations, and the craft of modern chairing. Drawing on his book AI: Game On, Tim explores one of the central governance questions of our time — "who or what decides?" — and how directors can set guardrails that protect customers while still unleashing innovation.

Tim shares practical playbooks from the NRMA's reinvention journey, why whole-of-board learning beats delegating AI to a single expert, and how great chairs keep the "silent voice of the customer" present in every discussion. Plus: chair succession that actually works, and leading through an era where volatility is the constant.

Key Themes:

· AI in the boardroom — deciding who or what decides, setting boundaries, and avoiding inaction

· Guardrails without brake lights — a "data/AI Hippocratic oath" to do no harm while innovating

· Leaders must use the tools — boards should get hands-on with AI, not delegate it to one expert

· Customer-first data — using insight to solve problems in real time and define "what good looks like"

· Chair craft — curiosity, empathy, and the "silent voice of the customer" in every meeting

· Chair succession — start early, plan for fit not just skills, and communicate openly

· Boards in a VUCA world — adapt fast, think creatively, and stay flexible amid uncertainty

Click here to watch a video version of the podcast on YouTube