Opportunities and Road Map for women to become non executive board members

1. The Board Room
How to get there:
Opportunities & Road Map
EPWN
Lisiane Droal
january 21, 2011

2. Agenda topics
 Introduction
 Opportunities
 What companies are looking for
 Road Map
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

3. Opportunities
“Hot topic”
 In Fortune 500 board rooms, 15 percent of members
are women.
• According to GMI, the average in Europe is around 9%, in Asia,
about 4%.
 France has passed legislation which imposes a 40%
female quota in public companies by the year 2016.
• This is just one example among several already passed in other
countries (Germany, Spain, Norway)
 Discussions to pass legislation at a European level
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

4. Opportunities
Limited pool
 Pool of qualified women is limited.
 True in most industry sectors, truer in some such as technology
(6% vs 13% in retail)
 Number of Boards any given Director can sit on is limited to 4/5.
 The challenges for companies are
• To go beyond the “usual suspects”
• To find the skills they need, irrelevant of the “woman factor”
 Focus of associations (IFA & like, women’s groups)
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

5. What do Companies look for?
 From “relationship” type boards to “skills & experience”
boards
• Traditionally, CEOs or former CEOs in comparable
sector, but functional expertise is on the rise
 Experience in sector – or relevant
 Relevant Network
• Active as a senior executive or in specialized associations
or groups.
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

6. What do Companies look for?
 Experience in line with future strategy
• M&A, offshoring, geographical expansion, new
business etc…
 Cultural fit
 Good communication skills and teamwork
 Independence
 Availability to fulfill the role
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

7. Road Map
 1. Get Experience
 2. Acquire Knowledge & Skills
 3. Identify opportunities
 4. Market yourself
 5. Do’s
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

8. 1. Get the Right Experience
 P&L responsibility, acquire “business sense”
 Confirmed experience as CEO or on Executive Teams
 Functional expertise: Business development, R&D,
Marketing, Legal, Finance, HR…
 Successful track record
 Management of growth, diversification, crisis,
turnaround, geographical expansion, off-shoring…
 People management
 International level /multicultural management
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

9. 2. Knowledge & Skills
 Up to date information on sector
 Financial & Legal: P&L management, corporate governance
codes
 Training sessions /certifications exist : EPWN, IFA etc
 Know the regulations
 International /cross cultural
 Fluent English and language of corporate home is a big plus
(sometimes indispensable)
 Helicopter view:
• Be capable of taking the helicopter view of managing a
business in a quickly changing economical environment
 Political intelligence , influencing skills, courage, determination
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

10. 3. Find opportunities
 Executive Search Firms
 Associations (IFA, NACD, IoD…)
 School alumni
 Investors: VC’s, Private Equity, BA’s
 NED’s/Lawyers
 Target companies & check websites
 Target Comfort zone and Non-profit
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

11. 4. Market yourself: Network!
 Have confidence
• You have excellent experience, share it
• Market your skills
 Speak up, influence
• Get training if needed
• Find opportunities to speak in public
 Open doors and share relationships
• Assess your network, use it
• Develop good relationships with executives and
board members
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

12. 4. Market yourself: the internet
 Internet image
• Be present in (some) social networks, choose wisely
• Keep an eye on your image, google yourself
regularly
• If you are in new technologies, show it
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

13. 4. Market yourself:
the CV
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

14. Do’s, before taking on a NED role
 Due diligence!!
 Talk to your current employer
 And…
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners – ITP for EPWN

15. Thank you
&
Discussion
www.hightechpartners.com
www.itpww.com
Lisiane Droal, Hightech Partners - ITP