Before you begin searching for Non-Executive Director (NED) roles or writing your NED CV, you must have a compelling NED profile. You also need to be able to articulate it to anyone, in any situation, as your NED pitch. This is one of the most significant challenges I see potential board members struggle with.
NED profiles are powerful and can make a difference when gaining a board appointment, particularly when decision-makers are selecting candidates to put forward for a board interview.
The key elements of a powerful NED profile
To be powerful, there should be no such thing as a static NED profile. Your profile should be modified depending on who the reader is and what organisation you are targeting. In saying that, your NED profile must still address the five core elements a Chair or decision-maker wants to see in a successful candidate: Prior Governance Experience, Executive Skills, Networks and Connections, Demonstrable Passion, and Cultural Fit.
There are several other elements to consider – Industry Experience, Governance Qualifications, and Diversity. When addressing any of these elements, consider the Chair’s motivations, not your own. Being able to articulate formally and informally will be your NED or board pitch – the reason you should be appointed to a board.
My proven template for writing a NED profile
The 1st Sentence
The most powerful opening for a written NED profile mitigates risk by assuring people that you have done the role before. This is easy if you have board experience. If you haven’t, then you need to get creative, perhaps leveraging your Committee, Governance, or board-level experience.
You should then continue your introductory sentence with the amount of experience you have in this space. Following, within the same sentence, a list of your past significant executive titles such as CEO, Director, Accountant, Lawyer, HR Director, or the like. Only refer to titles, not a description of what you did. This sentence is about providing comfort that you have the skills required at the board level.
It is essential to be clear about your board-level experience (executive or non-executive) so that others can grasp it quickly and ‘peg’ you accordingly. For this reason, being able to demonstrate some form of governance experience, such as on a board or committee, is valuable when writing your profile. Ideally, you want to begin this sentence with “I am a Non-Executive (or equivalent board-level title that you have).”
The 2nd/3rd Sentences
A strong opening sentence needs to be supported by providing some details of your board experience and value at the board level. Here, you must convince people that you are not an aspiring non-executive director but rather a successful board-level professional.
In order to write this section of your profile, you must understand specifically how your skills and experience can contribute at the board level. Being unclear or too broad is a killer. Ensure not to make assumptions that the reader understands precisely what you do and what you can do for the board. Articulate it succinctly, and don’t forget to qualify it with your successes.
I suggest you use these two statements:
At board level, what I do is…
I do that by…
Together, your first three sentences are key. Start strong by stating as clearly as possible that you have been working on and with boards, and that you know your value at the board level. It’s the most powerful way to start any NED profile.
The 4th Sentence
You need to provide further details of your experience at board level. The best way to do this is to provide examples of board-level or strategic success. By way of guidance, you might say something like “At board level, highlights include (add the key board or board level roles you have held)”. Then, state what your contribution to each was.
Bear in mind that this is an exercise in succinct writing, so you cannot include everything. Just include your most significant (or most relevant) successes or the things you are most proud of – a few highlights should suffice.
To do this, consider your successes in 3 ways:
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- What was the reason you were previously appointed, and have you, or did you, meet these expectations during your appointment?
- What reasons would you give the Chair for getting a pay rise? (This is a hypothetical question.)
- Link your success to the organisation’s success while you were a director.
The 5th Sentence
This sentence should be easier to write than the previous sections, as most of it should be in your executive CV. Essentially, it is a summary of your executive experience. Make it readable and impactful by focusing on the highest-profile roles you have held, with the highest-profile organisations you have worked for first. Not everything you have ever done should be included here. If other roles are relevant, include them in your NED CV.
If you are currently a consultant but were previously a CEO or Director, then lead with information about your highest-profile or most relevant positions.
If necessary, you can include a quantifiable statement of success as an executive. Your sentence might read like this: “As CEO of ACB Corp, I …”
The Final Sentence
Boards want intelligent and educated people, so you should demonstrate this. If you have an MBA or other degrees, include them here. Likewise, if you have completed any form of governance training, include it here as well. This final sentence of your NED profile summarises your educational background.
The importance of a governance qualification should never be underestimated. So, if you have one, this is the place to show it off, along with your other qualifications and memberships. If you don’t have particularly good educational qualifications, I recommend leaving them out. You should also name the industry or governance bodies you are a member of. These can be leveraged to demonstrate intent and commitment to governance.
Summary
Your NED profile is the pivotal language you will use during almost every step of the board appointment process, both formally and informally. It will also form the crux of the ‘elevator pitch’ you will use when introducing yourself to prospective connections. Further, it is also the foundation from which you will write any board application and will be at the centre of your NED cover letter and NED CV. Without a well-crafted and easily articulated board profile, your board search will likely stagnate.
Getting your board profile right can take some time. Not only should it be adaptable, but it should always answer the question “Why should you be appointed to this board?” By answering this question, you will dare them not to appoint you.
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About the Author
David Schwarz is CEO & Founder of Board Appointments – The UK’s leading board advertising and non-executive career support firm. He has over a decade of experience of putting people on boards as an international headhunter and a non-executive recruiter and has interviewed over one thousand non-executives and placed hundreds into some of the most significant public, private and NFP roles in the world.