Name: strategy for getting on boards_fix
Uploaded: 2014-12-03
Duration: 5 min 11 s
Description: strategy for getting on boards_fix

So I'd like to start with you Gerri just getting a little background on how you have come to be on very suddenly three, three corporate boards. So explain what happened there. So it was something that I've wanted to do for a really long time. I couldn't do it at Microsoft. We called it moonlighting. And so they weren't very supportive of, of serving on corporate boards. And before that I was on IBM and we weren't allowed. Unless you were the top, top executive, you couldn't be on a corporate board. So it wasn't until I got to Juniper that I, that I thought this would be a natural progression for me on my, in my career. And it was something I really wanted to do for the experience, for the impact, et cetera. And I thought that if I just told my small circle of friends. That I wanted to be on a corporate board it would happen. And as I said crickets. For about six months. Nothing. And so I realized that I had to put a plan in place. A very thoughtful plan in place. If I wanted to serve on a corporate board. So I did eight steps, and I won't take you through all of the. But the, but the very first one was, I had to figure out. I had to soul search a bit and say, what type of boards could I be of value to? What industries did I have expertise in? Of course, I've been in tech for 34 years. But what particular companies would I be very interested in serving? And what value could I provide? And I had to have that value proposition in my head. So that's. That's point number one. Point number two was I, I went to my CEO and Chairman of my curr, current board and asked for their support. And that's extremely important to do. Cuz I can't tell you how many times you'll get down the path, talking to a board. And go back to your company and say I'd like to serve on this board. And you may be surprised that they, they may not let you do that. So it's super important to get that, that sponsorship. I then presented to my board every opportunity I could get. Every course. So I've been in every board meeting in on my companies for probably the last 12 years, either presenting or attending. And that was extremely important to have that- So what did you say to those Juniper directors? I, I went to almost every single one of them and said, I'd really like to get on a corporate board, would you support me? Mm hm and, and they said yes. And that's important, because your reference list. To get on a corporate board is very different that your reference lists to land your next operating gig. So, you really have to think thoughtfully about, about who that is, right? And then I went and got education. I, I went to the Stanfords of the world or the Kelloggs of the world that, that will offer director education, and I did that long before I had my first interview. That will give you better questions to ask. It'll give you better insights into, into the experience itself. Catarina, now that you are looking to go on other boards, what is the most important thing you know, that you didn't know, when you were originally going on boards? I would say, I was, I was. Agree to less deliberate than Jerry in my joining the boards that I did. I was, it was, it was opportunistic. I was approached rather than, you know, kind of deciding deliberately to join boards. I felt that a lot of the boards that I had joined were maybe not the best boards for me to be on. How do you prevent that going forward? I think that you have to have, I, I think that you know, frankly Jerry's method was better than mine. You know, actually compiling that list of these are the companies. So you're actually kinda going after. After them, rather than them going after me. And so I feel as if the, you know, kind of phase two of this will be a great deal more deliberate. A great deal more proactive, strategic, really kind of looking at the company, meeting all of the individual board members. Understanding the companies much more deeply. Clara, okay, you have an unusual situation where you. A, a fantastic, a great board position, Starbucks. Didn't land in your lap. But you had a very valuable connection in Sheryl Sandberg and a valuable, valuable opportunity. So many board, boards when they're doing searches, one of the top criteria that they look at is someone who's already served on a board. So it's this chicken and egg problem. So I had never been approached for a board position prior to Starbucks. After joining Starbucks, now I think you know, a few times a quarter, I'll get pinged and I think for me, I'm just entering my fourth year on the board and there's still. So much for me to learn from a public company, governance perspective, plus I am running my own startup and I think those who are the best entrepreneurs know how consuming that is, so I haven't actively pursued any of those additional opportunities. I have tried to funnel them to other women.