As boards look to achieve greater diversity around the board table, people from a wide variety of backgrounds are encouraged to consider a ‘portfolio’ work lifestyle, comprising of or including one or more board positions. Despite this, becoming a non-executive director is an increasingly challenging ambition and the perception of those seeking a seat at the table is commonly that positions are extremely hard to secure without already being ‘in the club’.

There are a range of reasons for this perception and a number of things that the aspiring or early stage director can do to increase their chance of success in securing that first or subsequent board position.

This book is designed to be a practical guide. It seeks to help the boardroom aspirant understand the key drivers behind director recruitment decisions that boards make, enabling them to ask the right questions before and after joining a new board and preparing them to the greatest extent possible for the governance, legal and business demands of those occupying the boardroom. It will also help the reader to understand and articulate their personal brand and to evaluate their board opportunity landscape. By doing this they develop the best chance for doors opening to board opportunities.

The book provides very practical tools to allow the reader to:

• Identify the boardroom landscape that is relevant to them;
• Learn how to articulate their personal brand as a director;
• Understand how board recruiters work;
• Write an effective CV that captures a board’s attention;
• Know what to look for when doing due diligence.