Tips for Obtaining a Position on a Corporate Board

Insights from the Conference Board Women’s Leadership Conference

Women can bring additional women into executive circles by serving on corporate boards. This allows them to work with the CEO and c-suite to help the company’s corporate culture embrace women as leaders. There are certain measures women can take to increase her chances of getting onto and being successful on a board.

Here are a selection of pointers, based on presentations from the 2014 Women’s Leadership Conference.

TIPS FOR GETTING ONTO THE BOARD

• Develop your area of expertise such as IT, communications, digital and social media, finance, supply chain, China- or India-related issues, or global issues, among others. Boards are increasingly interested in having younger tech-savvy members.
• Foreign language fluency and financial acumen will help set you apart.
• Develop a personal brand related to your area of expertise so people know who you are. Speak at industry conferences to get noticed.
• Have a separate resume tailored to board work that emphasizes your specialties, such as global experience and foreign languages you speak.
• Form relationships with search firms. If a recruiter calls you, return the call even if you’re not interested in the position, because you will be entered into the data base for future consideration.
• Build relationships with executives at organizations where you would like to serve on the board. That way, when they need a new board member, your name will bubble up.
• Volunteer for projects, regional or country advisory boards, and committees at your own company to learn about topics you are interested in, such as global, strategic planning, or digital/ social media issues.
• International experience is beneficial. Consumers and employees are international so boards need to be familiar with what makes a certain culture tick (e.g., different ways of buying and selling).
• A good starting point to gain board experience is by serving on the boards of non-profits.

TIPS FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL ONCE ON THE BOARD

• Introduce yourself to the other board members before the first meeting. Ask someone to mentor you on board history, how certain situations are handled, and the board’s culture, which can be different from the company’s culture.
• Get the board agenda packet before the meeting to become familiar with the issues.
• Once on the board, you’re expected to join a committee, which is where most of the work happens. The nominating committee is a good choice, because you can actively advocate for women at that organization.
• Offer to be a mentor to a member of the company’s c-suite. That way you can learn more about the company.

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