What advice do you have for someone who is qualified to navigate the public and private board selection process to get noticed and elected?

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In 2022, more women reached new heights than ever before: 46 percent of new independent directors are women and they represent 32 percent of S&P 500 directors. This is an increase from 30 percent last year and 16 percent a decade ago. It’s an exciting time for many people, as boards continue to elect individuals from historically underrepresented groups.1,2,3Traditionally, board search committees considered candidates with experience as a CEO or CFO (and, to a lesser degree, COO). As companies face new strategic challenges, shareholders have pressured their boards to diversify so they’re better equipped to tackle them. Today’s boards are looking for diversity in terms of both background and experience. Diversity in terms of experience has created many opportunities for women who have not held the title of CEO or CFO but have managed a P&L, have a background in technology and transformation, have deep expertise in supply chain and procurement, and fit a broader definition of financial expert. Boards are also looking to add marketing and ESG functional knowledge and expertise to navigate new digital, social, and environmental challenges.Now that more women are qualified than ever before, here are some ways to get noticed and elected.Expand your network and get exposure to decision-makers.It’s critical to communicate your ambition and tell people why you want to serve on a board. Remember to be authentic to who you are at the core, and don’t try to be everything to everyone. Create your public persona aka your personal leadership brand, then maximize your exposure online and in person by maintaining a digital presence (LinkedIn et al.) while also attending in-person conferences including NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors).Make your values visible.How you achieved what you did is more important than the achievement alone. Values highlight are who you are at the core and speak to your intrinsic motivation for serving on a board. Concentrate on connecting why you want to serve on a board with how your expertise, values, and achievements add value or fill a specific need. Don’t just list your credentials; share your grounding principles, the values that act as a compass, guiding your leadership style and decisions.Prepare for unusual questions during the candidate filtering and selection process.Anything goes during board interviews, including disclosing your age! Gender, race, age, experience, and more are common factors for ensuring a diverse candidate pool for consideration. Fifty percent of S&P 500 boards reported having a policy like the “Rooney rule” to include individuals from underrepresented groups in the candidate pool when recruiting new directors, a significant increase from 39 percent last year.Ask for advice from current board members.Current board members can share stories and examples of how they found and landed their first board director position. People love talking about themselves, and love to share ideas and tips and tricks they learned along their journey. Asking for advice encourages a deeper connection and requires minimal effort for maximum insight.Start your journey early; you might be board ready before you think you are.The proportion of “next-generation” directors (those aged 50 or under) has risen. Although a board position is often seen as a “retirement job,” it’s a critical role that shapes the direction of the firm, and board members have a profound and legal responsibility to the shareholders; a well-structured board has a combination of short-, medium-, and long-tenured directors. When seeking to fill a board position, there will be a unique sweet spot of career length and contribution years remaining that reflects the current board members. Starting your board director journey early will expose new opportunities, including service on nonprofit boards and advisory boards, and will build credibility while expanding your network.1Forty-three percent of women new elected independent directors were from racial/ethnic backgrounds.2Twenty-five percent of women on S&P 500 boards of directors were from racial/ethnic backgrounds.3Underrepresented groups are defined as individuals who self-identify in one or more of the following categories: women, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, or the LGBTQ+ community.