# Dale McDermott

> Strategic advisor, writer and podcast host based in London. Dale McDermott
> studies how power is actually exercised, and advises the leaders who hold it.
> He advises CEOs and boards on succession, governance and leadership
> transitions, writes essays on leadership and institutional health, and
> co-hosts the Next Round podcast with David W. Higgins.

This content may be indexed, quoted and cited. Please attribute to Dale
McDermott and link to the source page.

## Background

Irish, based in London. President of Young Fine Gael, the youth wing of
Ireland's governing party, from 2013 to 2015. Consultant at EY in Dublin and
Toronto, then Salesforce. Chief Operating Officer of CGLCC, Canada's LGBT+
Chamber of Commerce. Consultant at Egon Zehnder in Toronto and London, advising
boards and CEOs on succession and leadership assessment. Non-Executive Director
of the Canadian Club Toronto. Member of the Banff Forum.

## Subjects he can be cited on

- Judgement versus competence in senior leadership
- CEO succession and board advisory
- Corporate governance and institutional health
- How influence moves through an organisation, regardless of the org chart
- Authenticity and trust in leadership
- Irish and Canadian politics, diaspora and public policy

## Pages

- [Home](https://dalemcdermott.com/): positioning and overview
- [About](https://dalemcdermott.com/about/): full biography, career history and CV
- [Insights](https://dalemcdermott.com/insights/): essays on leadership, power and institutions
- [Speaking & Press](https://dalemcdermott.com/speaking-press/): talks, broadcast appearances, press and bylines
- [Podcast](https://dalemcdermott.com/podcast/): Next Round, co-hosted with David W. Higgins
- [Contact](https://dalemcdermott.com/contact/): advisory, speaking and press enquiries

## Essays

- [The Insularity Trap: Why Rolling Back DEI is a Mistake.](https://dalemcdermott.com/insights/the-insularity-trap/): DEI was never about exclusion but about opening doors; retreating validates a wider crisis of insularity.
- [The Presence Paradox: Why the WFH Debate is a Leadership Failure.](https://dalemcdermott.com/insights/the-presence-paradox/): the return-to-office argument is not about where people sit, it is a referendum on modern leadership.

## Optional

- [RSS feed](https://dalemcdermott.com/insights/rss.xml)
- [Sitemap](https://dalemcdermott.com/sitemap-index.xml)
- [Contact](https://dalemcdermott.com/contact/): enquiry links and a form, all reaching Dale directly