Overview: Resources for Finding Opportunities on a Board of Directors
Many Sloan alums are interested in board of director roles to advance their careers and impact. Insights from top search firms and associations will better prepare you for these opportunities. Below we bring together curated resources to guide you through:
- Four kinds of board opportunities (Advisory, Non-Profit, Private and Public/Corporate),
- Strategies to join boards, marketing materials you will need to prepare
- Core responsibilities of a board member
- Associations and organizations you might consider for opportunities or support
- Sources of coaching and advice to support your board journey
Top Resources
Overview of Boards &
the Role of a Director
So You Want to Join a Board
(Heidrick & Struggles)
Are you Board Ready? (2023)
Video and Presentation Slides
Board of Directors Executive Guide (BlueSteps)
Nonprofit Board Roles & Responsibilities (National Council of Non-Profits)
Developing Your Board Strategy & Marketing Materials
Path to Boardroom Playbook
(Athena Alliance)
Writing Your First Board Bio
(Egon Zehnder)
NonProfit Boards: How to Find a Rewarding Board Position
(Bridgespan)
Board Culture & Compensation
2024 S&P 500 Director Compensation
2024 S&P 500 New Director Snapshot
2024 Spencer Stuart Board Indexes (US, Tech, and more)
Build Your Board Network
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 SHREKs: 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. 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 board candidates.
Sample Organizations that Help Match Board Talent to Opportunities
- AboveBoard – https://www.aboveboard.com/
- African American Board Leadership Institute – https://www.aabli.org/
- Athena Alliance – https://athenaalliance.com/
- BoardReady – https://www.boardready.io
- theBoardlist – https://www.theboardlist.com/
- Him for Her – https://www.himforher.org/
- Latino Corporate Directors Association – https://latinocorporatedirectors.org/
- Nurole – https://www.nurole.com/
- Women Corporate Directors.org https://www.womencorporatedirectors.org/
Support and Advice
CDO’s
Executive Career Development Team
CDO’s executive career coaches can help you prepare for for your board search and interviews. Reach out to askcdo@mit.edu to connect with a member of our team.
MIT Sloan Industry Advisors
These MIT Sloan Industry Advisors have experience on MIT Sloan’s alumni board:
MIT Alumni
Advisors Hub
Visit MIT Alumni Advisors Hub to connect with MIT alumni who have volunteered to be a thought partner on career opportunities.
