Lovely people, interesting product ideas, poor leadership and a lot of talk - Anonymous employee Board Intelligence Employee Review

3.0
Jan 17, 2022
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

They hire very smart people which makes for a interesting environment to work in. The product, despite sounding a bit boring, is quite interesting if thats what you are into. Exposure to lots of C-Suite individuals and their world.

Cons

Leadership unfortunately are a bit of an old boys club (despite being mostly women and quite actively fighting against this kind of culture with their product/ideas) which makes modernising the business and getting whats best done. For the amount of talk about how much they care about their people its just talk and they offer nothing above what most other companies offer. Progression entirely at the whim of this leadership often decided by arbitrary metrics which you aren't even aware of. I believe the owners/ceo's and leadership mean well but it doesn't come through unfortunately.

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Board Intelligence Response
4y
I am so disappointed to read this review. As you rightly say, the behaviours you describe are against our values and beliefs so it is disheartening to hear. Since we’ve become bigger we have launched a number of projects to build more structure and transparency around what we do, including how we hire and progress people. We never want to lose our passionate, entrepreneurial approach or be a company that forces our people into a linear, uninspiring career path. But we do need structure to allow us to be fair and meritocratic; we clearly haven’t yet got the balance right of showcasing the work we’re doing here to move us in the right direction. We will take action to keep building on the work we are doing in this area. I was also saddened by your reference to an old boys club - which goes against everything we stand for. We are proud that half of our Executive Committee have risen up from the most junior ranks over the past 10 years based on their incredible performance, contribution and values-led approach to work. The remainder have joined us from other companies and bring external experience that we can all grow from. Our belief in the importance of engaging absolutely everyone in our strategic thinking and planning is the reason behind the design of our cascading strategic planning processes - backed up by our quarterly team surveys to make sure we keep listening. But your review has drawn attention to the need for us to keep iterating on this, striving to do more and better, and to shout a little louder about the work we are doing now. If you’d like to talk to me about your views, please reach out anytime.

Explore other reviews about Board Intelligence

5.0
May 21, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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Pros

The people and culture are what make this place so special- everyone genuinely cares about the product and works really collaboratively. It’s been exciting being part of such an innovative team, and I’m really grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to grow my career while learning and experimenting with AI along the way.

Cons

No cons - I'm happy!

1.0
Feb 14, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company operates in an interesting space and the product itself has strong potential. For those early in their careers, there is exposure to complex problems, senior stakeholders, and fast paced work that can help build resilience and technical experience. Colleagues at a peer level were generally supportive, hardworking, and easy to get along with. Despite the challenges, many people genuinely cared about doing good work and supporting one another where possible. There were individuals across teams who were knowledgeable, capable, and a pleasure to collaborate with. In earlier periods, the company culture was more welcoming and friendly, and there are still remnants of that among long standing employees. When processes were clear and expectations aligned, work could feel rewarding and impactful. The role itself can offer a steep learning curve, and for those who thrive under pressure and ambiguity, it may provide short term professional development. However, these positives are heavily dependent on team, manager, and timing.

Cons

During my time at the company, there was a pronounced and growing divide between the executive C suite level and the wider organisation. Leadership felt distant and inaccessible, with little meaningful engagement or transparency. Teams operated in silos, collaboration was limited, and there was very little space for new ideas or genuine innovation. Decisions were often made without input from those closest to the work. Over time, the environment became increasingly micromanaged. Autonomy and trust were replaced with excessive oversight, leaving employees feeling scrutinised rather than supported. Creativity and ownership were actively discouraged, which was frustrating for anyone who wanted to do more than simply get through their workload. Workloads were consistently high, with expectations that often felt unrealistic and unsustainable. This contributed to burnout and a noticeable increase in staff turnover in recent months. The pace and pressure were relentless, with little consideration for capacity, wellbeing, or work life balance. The company culture also changed significantly for the worse. What was once a relatively warm and friendly environment became cold, tense, and stressful. Morale declined noticeably, and the workplace began to feel more draining than motivating. Personally, I reached a point where I no longer enjoyed coming to work. There were also clear issues with people management. Several managers lacked empathy and the skills needed to effectively lead and develop their teams. Feedback was inconsistent, support was limited, and there was little investment in individual growth. Career progression was particularly unclear. Appraisal processes, performance frameworks, and growth paths changed frequently, making it difficult to understand expectations or feel confident about development opportunities. Ultimately, there are many companies where leadership is more approachable, inclusive, and willing to listen. Where executives will sit down with employees at all levels and foster a culture of respect rather than hierarchy. Unfortunately, that was not my experience here. Based on the direction of the company and my time there, I would strongly advise others to think carefully before joining.

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Board Intelligence Response
1mo
Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. We genuinely appreciate you doing so, and we want you to know that reviews like this are not dismissed or taken lightly. It is encouraging to hear that you valued the calibre of your colleagues and found the work itself stimulating, particularly in the earlier stages of your time here. However, we are sorry to read that your overall experience did not reflect the environment we aspire to create. The concerns you have raised around leadership visibility, workload, career development, and the shift in culture are significant, and we take them seriously. We are actively working on a number of these areas, including how we support managers to lead with greater empathy and consistency, how we communicate career frameworks more clearly, and how we create more space for honest, two way dialogue at all levels of the business. If you are open to it, we would really welcome the opportunity to speak with you directly. These conversations are most useful when we can understand the specifics behind the experience, and everything shared with the People team is treated in confidence. Please do reach out to us at people@boardintelligence.com or speak with a member of the team directly. Board Intelligence People Team
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