I hope you’re having a great week so far.

I have some interesting stats to share with you and a brand-new video!

According to the new 2022 Spencer Stuart Board Index (in its 37^th year), S&P brand-new directors are CEOs (2%), COOs (3%), subsidiary leaders (20%), and line leaders (32%). Half (50%) of new directors have international experience, and top industry destinations for new independent directors are technology and financial experts.

With operations experience under your belt, there has never been a better time to seek a non-executive, independent board role. If you’re not yet ready for a full board commitment, consider serving as a board advisor or consultant for a hot-button topic, such as cybersecurity or equity or inclusion.

Before you begin your board search, make sure you’re qualified for the role and articulate your value proposition clearly in your board documents. 

The board resume showcases external economic and market conditions as well as operational accomplishments. Here are a handful of considerations for your board resume: 

How have you performed? 

• What challenges have you overcome? 
• Have you led mergers, acquisitions, and integrations? 
• What about large company turnarounds? Innovations? 
• What do board recruiters and board nominating committees consider in a candidate? Rather than discussing your OPEX and CAPEX results for the company in your resume, think about your impact in a larger capacity. 

Based on our results over 12 years, we suggest investing 90% of your time leveraging your centers of influence, 5-7% working with specialized recruiters, and 1-3% of your time seeking posted opportunities. 

Spending most of your time tapping into your network and expanding its reach will give you more control over this journey versus relying on recruiters or job postings. 

“Referrals are the leading source of superior candidates for 88% of employers. Additionally, referred candidates are a better culture fit than those hired through other sources” (Forbes, 2019). 

Access our full recommendations for your board search (with scripts) here.  

Today I’m in New York City attending the Association for Corporate Growth’s (ACG) Middle Market Week (November 7 to 11).

I’m looking forward to meeting clients, friends, and colleagues for a busy week of networking and professional development with global mid-market deal-making professionals.  

I’m especially delighted to be attending a fabulous wine-tasting evening at Tavern on the Green. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of ACG and participation in their premium events.

Are you familiar with Manhattan? If so, let me know if you have any restaurant suggestions for me. We’re building a restaurant list to share with you in December. Let me know if you have a favorite.

The 90-Day Brand Offer

In addition to supporting our corporate clients, we work with private clients one-on-one. Explore our 90-Day Brand program here.

Thank you for sharing your day with me, and enjoy the rest of your week!

This e-letter is published weekly and you are receiving this because you have opted in or downloaded an asset from our website.

Westgate is a 100% independent firm.

Maureen is a performance optimization coach and personal branding strategist for next-level executives and board nominees.

Westgate Executive Branding and Career Consulting Inc. would like to acknowledge that we are located in Mi'kma'ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi'kmaq People. We are all Treaty people.