Table Of ContentGet on Board Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management Collection
Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat Scott Shane, Editor
Olga V. Mack
Directors, chairpersons, executives, recruiters, and other p rofessionals
who assist corporate boards all agree that becoming a c orporate
director is a journey. The process may take one to fi ve years and
Get on Board
involves a lot of learning, networking, and strategic positioning. In
other words, just like everything worth pursuing, it involves a lot of
hard work! Yes, there are occasional glimpses of luck, but there are no
magical moments, invisible hands, or other miracles.
Earning Your Ticket to a
Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat is a practical
beginner’s guide for anyone considering becoming a director, from
young professionals seeking corporate board service in the distant
Corporate Board Seat
future to seasoned professionals contemplating an imminent career
change. This book demystifi es the process, breaks down the steps,
and answers the most common questions about corporate board
service. It also provides examples of successful corporate director
Olga V. Mack
biographies and resumes. Finally, it shares actionable strategies and
worksheets to help identify your unique value proposition, elevate
your profi le, and refi ne your networking strategy. You can use all
of this information to start your corporate board journey today.
After reading this book, you will be convinced that corporate board
service is within your reach—and will be ready to pursue it actively!
Olga V. Mack is a nationally recognized author, corporate governance
guru, blockchain strategist, startup advisor, public speaker, award-
winning general counsel, and women’s advocate. She earned both
her BA and JD from UC Berkeley. She has received Watermark
Make Your Mark, Corporate Counsel of the Year, Women Leaders in
Technology Law, and numerous other awards and recognitions. She
is very involved in her community and serves on numerous boards
and advisory boards. She is also a passionate women’s advocate. She
founded the Women Serve on Boards movement whose goal is to
achieve gender parity on corporate boards in her lifetime.
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Praise for Get on Board: Earning Your
Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat
“If there is any book to read, this is a ‘must read’ for anyone who wants to serve
on a corporate board but does not know where to start. Olga V. Mack sums it
all up through insights and practical advice on becoming a corporate director.”
—Caroline Tsay, CEO, Compute Software and Corporate
Director at The Coca-Cola Company and Morningstar
“A ‘must-read’ book for everyone who wants to serve on a corporate board
but does not know where to start.”
—Alison Davis, Cofounder, Fifth Era and Corporate
Board Director at Fiserv, Ooma, RBS, Unisys
“Don’t just dream of sitting on a corporate board. Read Get on Board:
Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat. Work and learn how to
become the agent of change you want to see in the corporate world.”
—Adam R. Sand, CEO, Shopkick
“Olga V. Mack has helped pave the road for more people to serve on
corporate boards, and in her new book, Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket
to a Corporate Board Seat, Olga provides a practical ‘how to’ on becoming
a corporate director. It’s a ‘must read’ for all future directors.”
—Janine Yancey, Founder & CEO, Emtrain
“If you think joining a corporate board is for a select few, think again. In
Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat, Olga V. Mack
shares the practical strategies to become a corporate director.”
—Denise Brosseau, CEO, Thought Leadership Lab,
and author, Ready to Be a Thought Leader?
“Olga V. Mack has hit it out of the park with this great book about
securing a board position. She nails it. There is so much great information
that will help you navigate the corporate board process.”
—Marlene Williamson, CEO and Board Director, Watermark,
and Board Director, VibeChain, Inc.
“In the age of disruption, rapid technological advancement, and lack of
trust, there is a growing need for authentic leadership at every level of the
company. This is especially true at the corporate board level. Olga V. Mack’s
new book demystifies corporate board service for all leaders and gives them
information and tools to step up and restore trust in the corporate world.”
—Coco Brown, CEO and Founder, The Athena Alliance
“Get on Board is a ‘must read’ for any person who strives to grow a
company or career by claiming a seat in the room where it happens.”
—Sarah Feingold, former General Counsel of Etsy and Vroom
“Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat is propelling
the success of the California legislative action requiring women on
corporate boards by providing the framework and self-efficacy women
require to enter through the doors that have been closed to women.”
—Julie Abrams, CEO, How Women Lead and Board Leaders
Get on Board
Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate
Board Seat
Olga V. Mack
Editor and Contributor
Nancy E. Sheppard
Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat
Copyright © Business Expert Press, LLC, 2019.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—
electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other except for
brief quotations, not to exceed 250 words, without the prior permission
of the publisher.
First published in 2019 by
Business Expert Press, LLC
222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017
www.businessexpertpress.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-94999-140-6 (paperback)
ISBN-13: 978-1-94999-141-3 (e-book)
Business Expert Press Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
Collection
Collection ISSN: 1946-5653 (print)
Collection ISSN: 1946-5661 (electronic)
Cover image by Flamingo Images/Shutterstock.com
Cover and interior design by S4Carlisle Publishing Services Private Ltd.,
Chennai, India
First edition: 2019
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America.
Dedication
For mom, the strongest and most generous woman.
She always believes in me.
Abstract
Directors, chairpersons, chief executive officers (CEOs), recruiters, and
other professionals who assist boards all reveal that becoming a direc-
tor is a journey. The process can take one to five years. It involves a lot
of educating, networking, and strategic positioning. In other words, just
like everything worth pursuing, it mostly involves a lot of hard work! Yes,
there are occasional glimpses of luck. But there are definitely no “magical”
moments, invisible hands, or other miracles.
This book is a practical beginner’s guide for anyone considering be-
coming a director, from young professionals seeking board service in
the future to seasoned professionals contemplating an imminent career
change. This book answers the most common questions about board ser-
vice and demystifies the board journey process. It also provides examples
of successful director biographies and resumes. Finally, it shares action-
able strategies and helpful worksheets that you can use today to start your
board service. After reading this book, any professional will be convinced
that corporate board service is within their reach—and will be ready to
pursue it!
Keywords
corporate boards; boards; corporate governance; governance; corporate
director; director; executive; management; strategy; career; leadership;
business; business & finance; business leadership; business management;
business mentoring; business coaching
Contents
Acknowledgments ...................................................................................xi
Introduction ........................................................................................xiii
Chapter 1 Understanding Boards .......................................................1
Chapter 2 Types of Boards ...............................................................19
Chapter 3 Why Serve on a Board? ...................................................35
Chapter 4 How to Get Board-Ready? ..............................................45
Chapter 5 Director Roadmap: Practical Steps to Become
a Director ........................................................................65
Chapter 6 Who Can Join a Corporate Board? ..................................93
Chapter 7 Due Diligence: How to Join the Right Board, Grow
Professionally, and Safeguard Your Director
Reputation ....................................................................105
Chapter 8 Board Interviews ...........................................................113
Conclusion .........................................................................................123
Appendix A: Board-Readiness Worksheets .............................................125
Appendix B: Board Profile and Competency Matrix ..............................137
Appendix C: Board Search Resources ....................................................139
Appendix D: Examples of Board Profile (aka Unique Value
Proposition, “Super Power,” or Elevator Pitch) ..................141
Appendix E: Examples of Board Biographies and Board Resumes/CVs .......147
Appendix F: Board Biography and CV Templates ..................................171
About the Author ................................................................................177
About the Contributor ........................................................................179
Index .................................................................................................181
