Mentor
Jan Babiak
Overview
Jan Babiak is a globally experienced board director, audit chair and strategic adviser whose career spans more than three decades at the intersection of technology, risk, sustainability and governance. She spent 28 years with Ernst & Young in board-level and global leadership roles across technology/cyber security and risk services, climate change and sustainability services, and regulatory and public policy, working with many of the firm’s most prestigious clients in financial services, technology, energy, media, transportation, government and retail. This foundation has made her a sought-after voice in boardrooms navigating digital disruption, cyber risk, ESG and regulatory scrutiny.
She is an Independent Board Member of Bank of Montreal, where she sits on the Audit & Conduct Review Committee and the Governance & Nominating Committee, bringing combined perspectives in prudential regulation, culture, technology and stakeholder expectations. In addition, she has current and prior experience on private, PE-backed, family-owned and employee-owned boards, giving her a nuanced understanding of different ownership models and their implications for governance and leadership. This includes her current role as Audit and Risk Committee Chair for Boldyn Networks, a London headquartered, CPPIB privately owned global shared network infrastructure provider.
Her previous board roles include serving on the Board and Finance Committee of Walgreens Boots Alliance and chairing its Audit Committee, overseeing assurance across a global business with over US$140bn in annual revenue and a significant digital footprint in the pharmacy and retail sectors until sold to Private Equity in late 2025; Non-Executive Director positions at GHD (an Australian headquartered global, employee owned Engineering firm) and Euromoney Institutional Investor plc, where she was Senior Independent Director and a member of the Nominations and Remuneration Committees; board and Audit Chair roles at GlobalLogic and Logica, both technology and digital product companies before their strategic sales to Hitachi for $9.6 billion and to CGI for circa $3 billion, respectively; and service on the Board of Royal Mail through its landmark IPO from full UK government ownership into the FTSE 100. Across these roles she has been closely involved in complex transactions, public listings, PE exits and strategy resets, while maintaining a strong focus on culture, ethics and long-term value creation.
Alongside her board work, Jan is deeply invested in developing the next generation of board leaders. She designed and led CABLE’s intensive Corporate Board Academy, preparing senior executives for their first corporate board roles, and is an experienced executive coach working with global leaders on transitions into new C-suite and board positions. A qualified CPA (US) and Chartered Accountant (UK), who also holds current information security management qualifications, she served on the governing Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales from 2011 to 2019.
Jan brings deep cross-sector expertise in:
• Board governance, audit & risk oversight – chairing and serving on audit, conduct, finance and governance committees and serving as senior independent/lead director for complex, regulated, multinational organisations.
• Technology, cyber & digital transformation – board-level oversight of IT, cybersecurity and digital product businesses, informed by decades of P&L roles in leadership at EY.
• ESG, sustainability & public policy – integrating climate, sustainability and regulatory perspectives into strategy and risk discussions across sectors.
• Leadership transitions, board readiness & inclusion – coaching senior executives and designing board-readiness programmes, with a focus on diverse, high-performing boardrooms.
Jan has been recognised as one of Corporate Board Member’s “Top 20 Value-Creating Directors in America”, included in NACD Directorship’s list of the 100 most influential people in the boardroom community, and named by Agenda (a Financial Times publication) among its “International 100: Top Board Candidates with Global Skills”. She is also the lead author of Defending the Digital Frontier: Practical Security for Management and a published commentator on sustainability, governance, technology and gender diversity.
PDF Profile
Download PDFMajor Career Roles
Bank of Montreal
Independent Corporate Director
Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc
Independent Director
Euromoney Institutional Investor plc
Senior Independent Non-Executive Director
Ernst & Young LLP
Managing Partner & Global Leader of Climate Change and Sustainability Services
Ernst & Young LLP
Managing Partner & Regional Leader of Information Systems Assurance and Advisory/Cyber Security
Other Career Highlights
Boldyn Networks US LLC
Director and Audit & Risk Committee Chair
GHD Group Pty Ltd
Non-Executive Director
BAI Communications Pty Ltd
Non-Executive Director
Experian plc
Independent Non-Executive Director
Logica plc
Independent Non-Executive Director
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