Ann Hiatt Merline Saintil

Board Intelligence appoints two Silicon Valley veterans to its board

2 Min Read | Megan Pantelides

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London, UK, 25 November 2024 — Board Intelligence, a leading provider of board management software and advisory services, has appointed Ann Hiatt and Merline Saintil to its board.

The announcement follows the company’s recent acquisition of TeamEngine, a Stockholm-based board software firm. Ann and Merline bring vital experience as Board Intelligence continues to bolster its position and grow through strategic acquisitions, product development, and geographic expansion.

Ann Hiatt, a Silicon Valley veteran, served as executive business partner to Jeff Bezos (founder and former CEO of Amazon) and as chief of staff to Eric Schmidt (former CEO of Google/Alphabet). She joins as board chair.

Merline Saintil, a former software engineer named one of Fortune’s “Most Powerful Women in Business” in 2022, holds several board positions with Fortune 100 and private firms. She joins as a non-executive director.

“We’re delighted to welcome Ann and Merline to our board,” said Pippa Begg, CEO of Board Intelligence. “They share our passion for the importance of effective boards and leadership teams, and our curiosity for scientific methodologies, principles, and practices that deliver the greatest impact. Their expertise in helping scale eminent global technology businesses and experience of working with — and on — the boards of pioneering companies, and their international connectivity will be invaluable as we focus on strengthening our category-leading position organically and via acquisitions.”

Beyond her board role, Ann is also partnering with Board Intelligence to design a suite of transformation programs for enterprise clients. These programs will help drive a culture of innovation, fast decision-making, and visionary leadership — hallmarks of Amazon and Google.

Ann Hiatt said:

“It is exciting to become chair of Board Intelligence at a time when the business is expanding its capabilities and its international reach. As I join, Board Intelligence has just completed research which finds that 83% of UK boards don’t believe their businesses are currently positioned to harness the opportunities afforded by AI. AI is just one example of an area in which companies face potentially transformational changes and where their success will depend on making clear, well-informed, and possibly uncomfortable decisions quickly. The best boards and management teams, particularly in the tech sector, have stayed ahead of the curve, ensuring that their companies are the disruptors, rather than the disrupted. Our aim is to equip boards with methodologies and tools that underpin the science of board effectiveness to do the same, at pace and at scale.”

Notes to editors

About Board Intelligence

Board Intelligence is the largest board technology and advisory firm in the UK. Trusted by more than 75,000 leaders across the Fortune 500 and FTSE 100, Board Intelligence helps boards boards perform better with the science of board effectiveness. For more information, visit boardintelligence.com and follow on LinkedIn.

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