BoardVision

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:

• Redesigning Your Life: The Transition to a Portfolio Lifestyle
• Demystifying the Path to Board Service

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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:

• Navigating Changing US Policy: Key Board Implications (landing page)
• How to Tackle Organizational Blind Spots and Disruption

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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:

• Mentoring Needs a Collective Push
• Twenty-First–Century Board Oversight of Talent and Succession

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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:

• Hon. Robert A. McDonald: Committed to Helping Others
• Do Nonprofits Need Board Governance? (recorded event)

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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:

• Modernizing the Boardroom: Rethinking Meetings for Real Impact (event)
• Director FAQ: Setting the Board Calendar and Meeting Agendas

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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:

• Twenty-First–Century Board Oversight of Talent and Succession
• Summer Reading: The Evolving Nature of Leadership

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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:

• Board Mentorship Program Guidelines Sample
• NACD Blue Ribbon Commission Report, Culture as the Foundation: Building a High-Performance Board

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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:

• How Boards and CEOs Can Establish a Strong Relationship
• 10 Steps to a Better Board Partnership

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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:

·      Election Insights

·      Boardroom Diplomacy: Mastering the Art of Difficult Conversations

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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:

• Global Risks Are Intensifying: Here Is What Boards Should Know
• Digital Transformation: How to Unlock Innovation and Growth With Emerging Technologies—A GNDI Quick Guide

Visit nacdonline.org for further research and information.