These are slides for a program presented to alumni of Harvard Business School. The topic is how to develop a Board Options program for your career: how to create a Board Resume, distribution channels, compensation, risk management. Board Options is a 1:1 coaching program offered by boardoptions.com. Companies use it as part of CEO succession planning. Give high potentials an opportunity to develop enterprise-wide perspective and Board skills prior to taking over as CEO; give senior executives options to have something to retire "to" rather than to retire "from."

1. CREATING BOARD OPTIONS
FOR YOUR FUTURE:
Larry Stybel
lstybel@boardoptions.com

2. Ideas to Action:
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3. Exercise
• Write down an Executive Summary for why
a Board might wish to add you.
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MY MISSION:
• Creating a Board Strategy
• Creating a Board Resume
• Distribution of that Board Resume
• Managing YOUR Risks.
• Compensation

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“WHY IS A BOARD PERSPECTIVE
IMPORTANT?”
• When a Fish Rots……
• What is the CEO Obsessed With?
• How to gain a CEO’s attention.
• Improving your visibility/network.
• Interesting.
• Letting go means having something to
move TOWARDS rather than retire FROM.

6. 400 Years of Board Work:
• Review and approve strategy.
• Hire and fire the CEO.
• Review the finances to see how the money
is being spent.
• Nose In; Fingers Out.
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7. THE BOARD FOOD CHAIN
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8. Your Board Strategy: food chain
• Nonprofits-Small.
• Nonprofits-Large.
• Heritage Private Companies.
• PE Dominated Private Companies.
• Pre IPO
• Small Cap Public
• Mid Cap Public
• Large Cap Public
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9. EXERCISE
Write down where you are TODAY on the
board food chain and what is the most
logical next step for you?
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10. YOUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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11. Look at Board Talent Bank.
• http://www.boardoptions.com/
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Board Resume
• Senior Financial executive with Board experience.
Industry experience includes software and
medical instrumentation. Can contribute to
strategic discussions involving new product
evaluation, establishing operations outside the
USA, and M&A. Qualified to serve on the Audit
and Compensation Committee. Well suited for a
private company seeking to aggressively grow.

13. • 57262 - Executive Director, global merchant bank operating in 36
countries. Her responsibilities include business development, private
equity, joint ventures. Strong India contacts. Industry experience
includes financial services, energy, clean tech, carbon financing, office
furniture, and consumer products. She has worked for global leaders
such as Coca Cola, Herman Miller. MBA, Wharton. B .A. in
Economics, Yale. Can contribute to Board discussions involving
strategic review, globalization, M&A, and sources of funding.
Qualified to serve as Chair of an Audit Committee as well as serve on
Nominating & Governance, and Compensation. She lives in the New
York City area. Former Board member of the Simon Wiesenthal
Center in Europe.
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14. Exercise
• Using these models and others in the Board
Talent Bank, do a second Executive
Summary now.
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15. LET’S DISCUSS.
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How to Create Board Options:
• Articulate your value proposition: strategic,
industry expertise, contacts, know sources
of funding, etc.
• Clearly articulate where you are:
audit/oversight vs. advise/counsel
• Create a Board Resume

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18. DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS
FOR YOUR BOARD RESUME.
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Board Distribution Channels
• Partners who know Partners in law firms—corporate not
tax partners.
• Other Board members, check out investing business
week (name of person)
• Tax Partners at CPA firms who can refer you to audit
partners. 

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Board Distribution Channels
• Recruiters. 
• National Association of Corporate Directors
• Boardoptions.com
• Boston Club

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Your Bumper Sticker
• I only have time to serve on one Board. I
want to make it a good one.

22. Give it Two Years!
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24. Managing Risks.
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25. D&0 Liability Insurance
• Get your own insurance agent to give you a
second opinion about its adequacy.
• Make sure you are covered for actions taken
while you are a Board member even if the
law suit takes place after you have left the
Board.
• Who selects your attorney in the event of
lawsuit?
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26. YOU MIGHT NOT NEED D&D
INSURANCE.
• Board of Advisors vs. Board of Directors.
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28. Reputation Risks
• Term limits protect you. Ask for them.
• Write your resignation letter and give it to
the President/Chairman and leave the date
blank.
• Ask for dates of full Board meetings and
committee meetings up to one year in
advance.
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29. Compensation Issues.
• Annual Retainer vs. Meeting Fees.
• Equity: .5-1.5%.
• Key negotiation should be on the amount of
equity and the pay-out of equity.
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Next Steps
• Review the Board of Director Talent Bank
in Boardoptions.com. Complete the
“submit your credentials” information.
• Email to lstybel@boardoptions.com

32. MORE RESOURCES
www.boardoptions.com
www.nacdonline.org
www.directorship.com
www.boardroominsider.com

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