A recent article posted on NACDonline.org, written by Ray Rothrock (executive chair of RedSeal and board member of the NACD Northern California Chapter) and Mike Lloyd (epidemiologist-turned-chief technology officer of RedSeal) discusses the global pandemic being a catalyst for board discussions about managing cyber risk.
Read MoreSilicon Valley Directors’ Exchange was pleased to host a webinar in late January 2021, “Eating What We Cook -- What CEOs Need from their Boards” featuring current and former CEOs who also serve as board members - Joe Burton, Moshe Gavrielov, Penny Herscher, and Michael Hurlston, along with moderator Mark Lonergan. The panel examined what the best boards can do to improve the companies they serve, especially as it relates to relationships with the CEO. This blog post is a summary of the discussion.
Read MoreWhy More SPACs Could Lead to More Litigation (and How to Prepare)
Market turmoil due to COVID-19 has halted many IPO plans, but IPOs by SPACs (special acquisition companies) are actually picking up in pace. Indeed, according to my sources at the Nasdaq, 40% of proceeds raised in IPOs to date this year have been from SPACs. And, as night follows day, more SPAC IPOs will lead to more SPAC litigation.
https://woodruffsawyer.com/do-notebook/more-spacs-more-litigation/
Read MoreHeidi Roizen encourages boards to consider adding “newbie” directors to their ranks to increase diversity.
I just had an exchange this morning that was sadly similar to too many exchanges I’ve had in the past.
Here’s how they tend to go.
The CEO and board members of a company are searching to fill an open seat. They reach out to me as a known connector and experienced board member, to see if I can add to their pipeline of candidates. Because I am a strong advocate of board diversity, I’m encouraged to hear they also want to prioritize diversity for this spot.
All good so far.
And then they say the thing that drives me crazy. When I ask for their top criteria for the search, they say,
“We’d prefer someone who has already been a director because we can’t afford the risk of on-the-job training for someone who’s never done this before.”
AAAARRRRRGH!!!!!!
Read MoreMerline Saintil writes a case study highlighting modern board leadership.
On a beautiful summer evening in 2018 at Meadowood Napa Valley, I was seated next to Laurie Yoler for dinner as part of Diligent’s Directors’ Experience — a phenomenal 1.5-day event centered on connecting board members from around the world. The event program tackles many different board governance issues, but at its heart is the ability to connect with a diverse group of other directors to discuss how we can each make our respective boards and the organizations we support as effective as possible. Under a star-lit Napa sky and with the help of some unforgettable Napa wines, I got to know Laurie, her husband Ben, and hear more about her path as a female executive in technology to a public company board member. Also at the event was Heidi Roizen, an accomplished venture partner and board member whom I first met in 2013 when we both led workshops at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business to support their Women in Leadership conference for MBA students. Over the years, Heidi graciously took my phone calls on career advice, so it was a delight to reconnect with her again and learn that she also knew Laurie through their board roles for the autonomous vehicle company Zoox.
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