Along with the mystery of how to land the first board seat, comes the second mystery – understanding board of directors’ compensation.  As potential clients of Summit Executive Resources consider the path to independent directorships, we are often asked for our insights into what components and how much is in board of directors’ compensation.  Although… Read More

We have previously explored how to time board candidate selection and many board candidates are eager to hear whether they have been selected amongst a very competitive base of board talent. Albeit it may be slow moving, I believe that board succession agendas are shifting away from the good old boys’ club network and toward… Read More

Given today’s rapidly changing corporate environment that is fraught with risks, regulations and high demands from investors, the board’s job is more challenging than ever. To ensure the highest level of performance, boards must assess their own board health, effectiveness and balance. Also, if you are an executive who seeks a seat in the boardroom,… Read More

Capturing your first or even second board seat can take a very long time, a lot of persistence, perseverance, and patience.  It may have happened for your friend, colleague, or neighbor faster than it is happening for you.  If your reason for serving on a corporate board is to compete with your contemporaries or serve… Read More

Successful boards are diverse, including a group of dissimilar executives handpicked to support the organization’s strategic goals. Also, they have strong governance. They work within well-defined practices and rules that control the organization, which empowers them to pursue the organization’s strategic goals in a way that mitigates risk. Let’s talk about each of these fundamental… Read More

Like me, you need a faith capable of destroying all the obstacles that this world presents. No doubt that there is a real storm wind out there that is driving our sails. Are you going to furl your sails in order to take shelter in the port, for fear that going will get too rough,… Read More

As we all see it playing out right before our very own eyes, our country is under siege by something that you can’t see or touch. More than any other time in this century, lives are being lost, fortunes are being decimated and small business and entrepreneurs are seeing their dreams get obliterated right in… Read More

One of the top concerns in private equity right now is top talent recruitment. Ideally firms are proactively creating a bench of people that can be called on for the C Suite or the boardroom either before the deal or post-deal. It can take months to conduct a traditional search for experienced executives, so private… Read More

During my daily work of representing C-Suite executives for their interest in independent directorships and partnering with corporate boards by providing them with vetted executives, it is clear to me that investor focus on board performance has reached new levels of intensity. Activist investors who have been historically assertive are now even more aggressive and… Read More

Over the last twenty years of practicing, advising and serving as an agent in the arena of executive search, I have seen the offer process go very well and I have also witnessed pure disasters. Most often, executives do not know how to negotiate an offer.  Even though an executive may be very talented at… Read More