New Books
My Story... From Humble Beginnings to Professional Success (Routledge, 2025)
Co-edited volume by Colonel James M. Durant III, Fellow of the IRL, and Jeffrey M. Allen
Health Professionals and Patient and Public Involvement in Healthcare (Policy Press, 2026)
Co-edited by Professor Mike Saks, Chair of the IRL, with Miwako Hosoda (member of the IRL) and Professor Mike Dent.
Keynote Address
Responsible Leadership, Business and the Professions
Professor Mike Saks gave a keynote address on 'Responsible Leadership, Business and the Professions' to the Institute of Management Accountants — a major finance body with 140,000 members — on Thursday 16 October 2025 in Amsterdam. Download the slides.
Members' Updates
New book: Fast Tracking to Managerial and CEO Roles
By Ajit Singhvi
Ajit Singhvi has co-authored a multipurpose management handbook titled Fast Tracking to Managerial and CEO Roles, providing an overview of 277 topics in 470 pages. An alumnus of Harvard Business School and Manchester Business School among others, he has over five decades of experience in CEO and other roles for global corporations. He has also made endowments for Professorial Chairs at the Indian Institutes of Technology at Roorkee and Madras. The book is available in hardbound, paperback, and black-and-white editions. For further details contact Ajit Singhvi at dr.ajitsinghvi@yahoo.co.uk.
Articles
Navigating Contemporary Geopolitical Challenges — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, May 2026
Women Directors, Changing Contexts and Board Diversity — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, March 2026
Rethinking Expectations of Company Directors — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, February 2026
Achieving Beneficial Governance and Sustainability Impact — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, December 2025
COP30 and Sustainable Climate Resilience — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, October 2025
Rethinking Expectations of Professionals — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Management Services, Spring 2026
Cyber Security, Risks, Challenges and Threats — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Management Services, Winter 2025
Board Strategy for Securing the Future: Risk and Resilience in Nature and Climate Governance — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, ICEM Conference Theme Paper, 2026
Making Boards Effective for Investor Confidence and Sustainable Value Creation — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, IOD Annual Directors' Conclave Theme Paper, 2026
Climate Change Impacting Latin American Migration
Leadership of Innovation for Resilience and Sustainability — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, April 2025
Women Directors and Wider Diversity — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, March 2025
Evolving Roles of Independent Directors — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, February 2025
Confronting Changing Global Realities — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, January 2025
The Changing Role of CDOs in the AI Era — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Effective Executive, 2024
ICCSR 2025 Theme Paper — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas
UAE Global Convention 2025 Theme Paper — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas
Responsible Leadership: Saving Our Ailing National Health Service — Science in Parliament, Spring 2025
Directors, Boards and Existential Threats — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, April 2024
Reviewing Yoga's Role in Relation to Contemporary Collective Concerns — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Abhinava Prabandhan, 2023
Undertaking Corporate Governance Reviews — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, May 2022
CSR at Inflection Point: Board's Strategy for Maximising Impact and Triple Bottom-Line Growth — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, ICCSR 2022
Implications of COP26 for Directors and Boards — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, December 2021
Combating Climate Change: Opportunities for Directors and Boards — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, November 2021
Reviewing Corporate Purpose and Changing Direction — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, October 2021
Evaluating Director and Board Effectiveness — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Management Services, Winter 2021
Critical Decisions and Existential Choices for Future Strategic Direction — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Director Today, March 2021
COVID-19, Virtual Operation and the Implications for Productivity — Prof Colin Coulson-Thomas, Management Services, Winter 2020
Presentations
Keynote address at the KENCTAD Sustainability Conference, 1 September 2023
By Mike Eldon. Download the slide deck.
Global Workshop on WHO Health Practitioner Regulatory Guidance
Professor Mike Saks. Watch the recording.
Books by IRL Members
The National Health Services of Western Europe: Challenges, Reforms and Future Perspectives
By Professor Mike Saks
Professions: A Key Idea for Business and Society
By Professor Mike Saks
Responsible Leadership: Essential to the Achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
By Professor Mike Saks
Selected papers and presentations by Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas, Fellow of the IRL
Entrepreneurship and Family Business Success
The Contemporary Relevance of Ancient Wisdom
Corporate Leadership for an Uncertain and Cynical Age
Leadership Challenge of Multitasking and Multiple Time Scales
Corporate Leadership and Corporate Governance
Leadership for Changing Times
Collaborative Leadership for Creative Environmental Strategy
Board Leadership of Innovation
Responsible Business Leadership
Webinars
Youth Leaders, Social Media and Responsible Leadership
A webinar organised in collaboration with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). The IRL-supported CSR/Sustainability Meetup Worldwide meets virtually every two weeks on a Wednesday (12:30pm New York, 17:30 London, 18:30 Geneva, 20:30 Nairobi, 23:00 Mumbai/New Delhi). Join the Meetup group.
The Impact of Coronavirus on the Higher Education Sector
9 April 2020. UNITAR, in partnership with the IRL, hosted a Virtual Roundtable on the impact of COVID-19 on education systems, featuring international experts from six countries. The IRL was represented by its Founding Member Professor Mike Saks. Download the presentations.
News
World Academy Fellowship for Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas
20 February 2020. Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas, an Honoured Fellow of the IRL, has become a Fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Science — an honour recognising those who have made a significant contribution to the world through the promotion of productivity science and practice. Colin has advised directors and boards in over 40 countries and is the author of over 60 books and reports.
Energy and Environment Foundation 2019 Global Excellence Award
Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas received the Energy and Environment Foundation's 2019 Global Excellence Award in Renewable Energy for his vision, leadership, and outstanding contribution to the sector. The award was presented in New Delhi during the 10th World Renewable Energy Technology Congress.
Launch of the IRL
15 October 2019. A successful launch of the IRL took place at the University of Westminster, with representation from leaders in the public and private sectors from several countries. Guest speaker Alex Mejia represented the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), which has supported and endorsed the IRL. View presentations.
Sign Up and Contribute
To register your interest in becoming a member, attending a seminar or workshop, or accessing other services provided by the IRL, please email Julie Search-Whittaker at julie.18search@btinternet.com.