Overview of Boards and Understanding the Role of a Director:
Many Sloan alums are interested in board of director roles to advance their careers and impact. In support of this goal, we have curated information from top search firms and associations to better prepare you for these opportunities. Through these materials, you will learn about the four kinds of board opportunities (Advisory, Non-Profit, Private and Public/Corporate), strategies to join boards, marketing materials you will need to prepare, and the core responsibilities of a board member. We have also included info on specific associations and organizations that may be useful to consider for access to board opportunities, education, and peer-to-peer support. We can work with you one-on-one through our coaching services to help prep you for your board search and interviews. Please reach out to askcdo@mit.edu if you would like support in your board journey and someone from our Executive Career Development Team will get back to you.
Overview of Boards and Understanding the Role of a Director:
- Heidrick & Struggles – So You Want to Join a Board
- BlueSteps – Board of Directors Executive Guide
- National Council of Non-Profits – https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/tools-resources/board-roles-and-responsibilities
Your Board Strategy and Writing Your Board Marketing Materials:
- Athena Alliance – Path to Boardroom Playbook
- Egon Zehnder – Writing Your First Board Bio
- Bridgespan – NonProfit Boards: How to Find a Rewarding Board Position
Other Resources:
- Spencer Stuart 2022 Compensation Snapshot
- 2021 U.S. Spencer Stuart US Board Index
- 2021 US Technology Spencer Stuart Board Index
- Russell Reynolds – Sustainability: Genuine Commitment and Explicit Net Zero Targets
- Public Boards: From Leadership to Impact Event 5/4/23 – Video & Slides
MIT Alumni Advice:
We have many alums who are willing to talk about boards and their board experience and to give their advice. Please go to MIT Advisor Hub and search for alums willing to have these kinds of one-on-one conversations.
Resources for Women/Diversity Candidates:
A board search is no different than a job search. Your network strategy should include talking to people in your own network as well as connecting to executive search firms. Most of the major executive search firms have a board practice. The largest players in board searches include the SHREK’s- Spencer Stuart, Heidrick & Struggles, Russell Reynolds, Egon Zehnder, and Korn Ferry. Look at these firms as well as other executive search firms on Forbes annual top 100 list.
Beyond traditional networking, there are some organizations that help match emerging board talent to opportunities. All the organizations listed below support women and/or diversity candidates seeking board positions. Some are membership organizations where you may have to pay a fee, others allow candidates to join for free as the companies that hire them for searches pay the fees. Inclusion in this list is not an endorsement as we do not know their effectiveness in helping people land board roles. We do know that many of these organizations are included on Nasdaq’s list for companies seeking diverse board candidates.
- African American Board Leadership Institute – https://www.aabli.org/
- Take Your Seat – https://takeyourseat.co/
- Latino Corporate Directors Association – https://latinocorporatedirectors.org/
- Athena Alliance – https://athenaalliance.com/
- BoardReady – https://www.boardready.io
- theBoardlist – https://www.theboardlist.com/
- Women Corporate Directors.org https://www.womencorporatedirectors.org/
- Him for Her – https://www.himforher.org/
- Nurole – https://www.nurole.com/
- AboveBoard – https://www.aboveboard.com/
