Boards don’t always need a well-known, “rock star” chair; sometimes, individuals who simply possess strong leadership qualities are more successful in the role.
In this episode, board member Virginia Gambale and NACD advisor Susan Paley explore the role of independent chairs. They discuss the difference between board leaders and other board members, the relationships to prioritize in the role, and the qualities of effective chairs.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guest: Virginia Gambale, chair, Nutanix; board member, Consumer Edge, Evertec, Virtu Financial, and 10x Banking Technology; managing partner, Azimuth Partners
Related NACD Resources:
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An executive coach is not typically an advisor, a problem solver, or a performance corrector. Rather, a coach is someone who helps with self-discovery, Dawn Zier says.
In this episode, Zier, an executive leadership coach and board member, and NACD advisor Susan Paley discuss the role of coaches in the governance ecosystem. They explore when and why a CEO or C-suite coach may be necessary or desired; why this is a positive thing for executive leadership, the board, and the company; and the board’s role in establishing and supporting the success of a CEO-coach relationship.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guest: Dawn Zier, executive leadership coach, The ExCo Group; chair, Hain Celestial Group; board member, Acorns and Prestige Consumer Healthcare; former CEO, Nutrisystem
Related NACD Resources:
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It can feel impossible to distinguish between reality and hype when it comes to new technologies. But that’s exactly what strategic boards are doing, says Grant Thornton’s Adam Bowen.
In this episode, Bowen and NACD’s Dylan Sandlin discuss the board’s role in tying digital transformation to strategy, how technology executives can work with the board, and how directors can stay current on new technologies.
Host: Dylan Sandlin, program manager of digital and cybersecurity content at NACD
Guest: Adam Bowen, managing director in the Business Consulting practice at Grant Thornton Advisors LLC
Grant Thornton is a NACD sponsor, providing directors with critical and timely information, and perspectives. Grant Thornton is a financial supporter of the NACD.
Related NACD Resources:
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Am I as good as my board peers? Do they think I’m a fraud? If you’ve found yourself asking such questions, you may be experiencing impostor syndrome.
In this episode, board member and author Keith Dorsey and NACD advisor Susan Paley discuss impostor syndrome and self-doubt in the boardroom. They define what “impostor syndrome” is, how it manifests among directors, and how to tackle it individually and with peers.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guest: Keith Dorsey, NACD.DC®, senior advisor, United States, Boyden; board member, Continu, Pacific Crest Trail Association, Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School
Related NACD Resources:
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The transition from an executive to a board career, or a portfolio lifestyle, is more than it appears; the change can be seismic, in fact.
In this episode, board member Paul Williams and NACD advisor Susan Paley discuss how Williams transitioned away from his full-time career toward a portfolio lifestyle. They cover the value he finds in board service, his shift in mindset from outward achievement to inward fulfillment, and the day-to-day changes he’s experienced.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guest: Paul S. Williams, director, American Funds/Capital Group; trustee, Public Storage, George Jackson Academy
Related NACD Resources:
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When faced with disruption, companies may feel compelled to pause business plans. To the contrary, RSM tax partner Karen Galivan believes, they must continue to innovate.
In this episode, Galivan speaks with NACD advisor Susan Paley about how boards and companies are handling disruption amid geopolitical uncertainty, including tariff impacts. They define what a “disruptor” is and discuss the practices and structures that can be put in place to create resilience.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guest: Karen Galivan, tax partner, RSM US LLP; board member, RSM US, Junior Achievement of Chicago
RSM is a NACD sponsor, providing directors with critical and timely information, and perspectives. RSM is a financial supporter of the NACD.
Related NACD Resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
Under the leadership of next-gen directors, the future boardroom will be more agile, tech-enabled, and engaged, predicts board member Caroline Tsay.
In this episode, Tsay and NACD advisor Susan Paley discuss the next generation of board members. They cover Tsay’s journey as both a next-gen and an experienced board member, how the current business and geopolitical environments influence director selection, and how board culture shifts when next-gen directors are in the room.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guest: Caroline Tsay, board member, The Coca-Cola Co., Morningstar; cofounder and former CEO, Compute Software
Related NACD Resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
Service is Bob McDonald’s—and a nonprofit board’s—way of life.
In this episode, McDonald and Mary Jacobson dive into McDonald’s journey from military to government to board service. They also discuss the nuances of nonprofit governance, how to approach finding nonprofit board roles, and what it takes to be an effective nonprofit director.
Host: Mary T. Jacobson, senior regional director of the NACD chapter network
Guest: Hon. Robert A. McDonald, chair, Elizabeth Dole Foundation, West Point Association of Graduates; board member, Every Cure; former secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs; former chair and CEO, Procter & Gamble Co.; US Army veteran
NACD Resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
Ever wonder what it’s like to be a board member?
In this episode, Rob Galford and Susan Paley examine what a typical year looks like for public company directors. They discuss board calendars, agenda setting, best practices to avoid asymmetric information, and how to improve the experience of being a board member.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guest: Robert M. Galford, lead independent director, Forrester Research; managing partner, Center for Leading Organizations
NACD Resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
It’s one thing to be smart and curious. But to truly differentiate yourself as a leader requires processing time to look for patterns, lessons, and insights, says Adam Bryant.
In this episode, Bryant and Susan Paley discuss the difficulties of and the motivations behind modern leadership, including the importance of listening, the paradoxes of leadership, and how the best leadership wisdom is also life wisdom.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guest: Adam Bryant, senior managing director and partner with the ExCo Group, former Corner Office columnist for the New York Times, author of The Leap to Leader, and coauthor of The CEO Test
NACD Resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
Mentorship should be a two-way street, according to board member Barbara Adachi, NACD.DC.
Adachi, Lori N. Mackenzie, and Raquel Suarez discuss the role of mentorship in the boardroom, including what defines an effective mentor-mentee relationship, whether and how to formalize mentorship programs, and how mentees, mentors, and the board can benefit from the engagement.
Host: Raquel Suarez, NACD senior manager of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Guests: Barbara Adachi, board member at Atlas Technology Solutions, Old Republic International Corp., and VSP Vision; Lori Mackenzie, cofounder of the VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab at Stanford University and advisor to August Public
NACD Resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
There’s one major rule for executives to lay a strong foundation with the board: no surprises, says board and C-suite member Peggy Foran.
Foran and NACD advisor Susan Paley discuss the who, what, when, where, why, and how of executive engagement with the board, including what boards expect from executives, how executives can effectively prepare for board and committee meetings, and the key elements that foster a strong board-management relationship.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guests: Peggy Foran, chief governance officer, senior vice president, and corporate secretary of Prudential Financial and a board member at Orion Group Holdings
NACD Resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
Directors should focus on purpose, not partisanship, says Bruce Haynes.
Haynes, who works in crisis communications and reputation management, and board member Anne Alonzo chat with NACD advisor Susan Paley about strategies for boards to prevent controversial issues from escalating into crises and how they can facilitate effective conversations on difficult topics, especially in the context of the upcoming US election.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD advisor
Guests: Anne Alonzo, board member at PotlatchDeltic Corp. and Until Corp.; Bruce Haynes, senior vice president of corporate and external affairs at Charles River Laboratories
NACD Resources:
· Boardroom Diplomacy: Mastering the Art of Difficult Conversations
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
Why should global governance trends matter to US boards? Board member Mary McDowell and Russell Reynolds’s Rich Fields join NACD’s Friso van der Oord to discuss the themes dominating boardrooms around the world and how US governance compares to governance in other countries, with a close look at the United Kingdom.
Host: Friso van der Oord, NACD senior vice president of content
Guests: Mary McDowell, nonexecutive director at Arrow Electronics and Autodesk and senior independent director at Informa; Rich Fields, head of the Russell Reynolds Board Effectiveness Practice and a member of the firm’s Board and CEO Advisory Partners
NACD Resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
You’re contacted about a board opportunity. What happens next?
Mary Beth Vitale, a director on multiple boards, and Chuck Gray, coleader of Egon Zehnder’s US CEO and Board Practice, join NACD’s Susan Paley to chat about what candidates can expect from the recruitment process, how to prepare for board interviews, and what role search firms play.
Host: Susan Paley
Guests: Mary Beth Vitale, board member at Government Employees Health Association (GEHA) and Luna Innovations, and an NACD faculty member; Chuck Gray, coleader of Egon Zehnder’s US CEO and Board Practice
NACD resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
It’s all about self-discovery.
Lisa Shalett, cofounder of Extraordinary Women on Boards, joins Susan Paley, NACD vice president of the chapter network, to discuss how anyone can start on their path to board service through networking, continuous learning, and self-investigation.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD vice president of the chapter network
Guest: Lisa M. Shalett, cofounder of Extraordinary Women on Boards, a board member at MPower Partners and PennyMac Financial Services, and a former partner at Goldman Sachs
NACD resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
Listen and learn before you speak or lead—that’s Oscar Munoz’s motto.
Oscar Munoz, former chair and CEO of United Airlines, joins Susan Paley, NACD vice president of the chapter network, to talk about his journey to the C-suite and the boardroom, as well as his early influences and the importance of empathy and authenticity.
Host: Susan Paley, NACD vice president of the chapter network
Guest: Oscar Munoz, former chair and CEO of United Airlines; board member at Archer Aviation, CBRE Group, Salesforce, and TelevisaUnivision; a trustee of The Brookings Institution, Fidelity’s Equity and High-Income Funds, and University of Southern California; and author of the best-selling book, Turnaround Time: Uniting an Airline and Its Employees in the Friendly Skies
NACD resources:
· Culture as the Foundation: Building a High-Performance Board
· Workforces: A “Wicked Problem” Where Boards Can Help
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
Corporate boards are no longer simply a legal structure, but a body of humans in the spotlight.
Peter R. Gleason, NACD president and CEO, joins Friso van der Oord, NACD senior vice president of content, to discuss how governance has changed over Gleason’s time in the field and how it will change in the future.
Host: Friso van der Oord, NACD senior vice president of content
Guest: Peter R. Gleason, NACD president and CEO
NACD resources:
Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.
You’ve been invited to join a board. Now what?
Rose McKinney-James, a board member at ioneer, MGM Resorts International, Pacific Premier Bancorp, Toyota Financial Savings Bank, and the NACD Pacific Southwest Chapter, and cochair of the chapter’s Nevada Advisory Board, sheds light on how a director can prepare for their first day in the boardroom, what is expected of new directors, and the general ins and outs of onboarding, including both the board’s role and the individual’s role. Listen to McKinney-James discuss her personal experience with onboarding and how onboarding practices are changing to move “beyond the binder.”
Host: Susan Paley
Guest: Rose McKinney-James
Shareholders increasingly have a voice in how companies operate. How can boards better listen to and work with shareholders to improve corporate value?
This episode features a conversation with Nell Minow, vice chair of ValueEdge Advisors, prior president of Institutional Shareholder Services, and an attorney who has worked for the US Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Management and Budget, and the US Department of Justice. A leading voice in corporate governance and a prolific author, Minow shares her insights on how understanding the shareholder’s perspective is critical in the boardroom as well as her thoughts on the evolution of corporate governance, CEO compensation, and companies and boards that have recently made headlines.
Host: Susan Paley
Guest: Nell Minow