Insider advice on becoming an effective board candidate

  • Boards play a critical role in guiding organizations through changes
  • Building relationships and varied work experience are key to becoming an effective board candidate
  • Companies are looking for board candidates with CEO backgrounds
  • Being tapped for a board position is more common than applying
  • Serving on nonprofit boards can help build relationships and network
  • Deep understanding of the business and culture is important for a good fit
  • Effective directors focus on governance, not day-to-day operations
  • Significant C-suite or P&L experience is necessary for a board opportunity
  • Boards are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts

Boards play a critical role in guiding organizations through changes brought about by artificial intelligence, geopolitics, and CEO transitions. To become an effective board candidate, it is important to focus on building relationships and gaining varied work experience. Companies are now looking for board candidates with CEO backgrounds to make decisions about the next generation of CEOs. Instead of applying, being tapped for a board position is more common, so it’s crucial to understand the network of people making those decisions. Serving on nonprofit boards can be beneficial for building relationships and expanding your network. When considering a board opportunity, it’s important to go deep and understand the major drivers of the business and the culture. Being an effective director requires a focus on governance rather than day-to-day operations. Significant C-suite or profit and loss experience is necessary for a board opportunity. Boards are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, recognizing the importance of diverse experiences for organizational success.

Public Companies: PepsiCo (PEP), Amazon.com (AMZN)
Private Companies: undefined, undefined, undefined
Key People: Edith Cooper (Board Director at PepsiCo and Amazon.com, Co-founder of Medley), Jane Stevenson (Vice Chair of Board and CEO Services at Korn Ferry)


Factuality Level: 7
Justification: The article provides information and insights from two insiders about what companies are looking for in board candidates and how to become an effective board candidate. The information provided is based on their experiences and observations in the industry. However, the article lacks specific data or references to support the claims made.

Noise Level: 4
Justification: The article provides some insights on what companies are looking for in board candidates and how to start the process of joining a board. However, it lacks depth and doesn’t provide much actionable information or new knowledge for the reader.

Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No

Presence of Extreme Event: No
Nature of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating of the Extreme Event: No
Justification: The article does not pertain to financial topics and does not describe any extreme events.

Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com