Preparing to Be a Corporate Director

What does it take to succeed as a corporate director? For senior executives interested in joining a corporate board, preparation is key, as board service presents unique responsibilities, dynamics, risks, and opportunities. It also calls for a distinctive set of skills. This program will equip you with critical tools and insights that will enhance your readiness for corporate board service and enable you to make a lasting contribution at the highest level of an organization.

Summary: What does it take to succeed as a corporate director? For senior executives interested in joining a corporate board, preparation is key, as board service presents unique responsibilities, dynamics, risks, and opportunities. It also calls for a distinctive set of skills. This program will equip you with critical tools and insights that will enhance your readiness for corporate board service and enable you to make a lasting contribution at the highest level of an organization.

Key Benefits

This board-readiness program examines best practices for corporate boards and explores options and opportunities in corporate board service. You will gain a greater understanding of the role and responsibilities of corporate directors and the challenges you can expect to face in that role. By completing this program, you will signal that you are equipped with the core knowledge needed to be effective as a corporate director.

DetailsExpand All Collapse All

Maximize your contribution as a board director Maximize your contribution as a board director

Confidently assume the role of corporate directors, including legal and fiduciary duties
Develop the competence and knowledge to manage critical board tasks
Appreciate the role and function of the board chair and board committees, especially those related to audit, compensation, and nomination
Engage in collaborative decision-making with colleagues who may have differing perspectives

Expand your leadership capabilities Expand your leadership capabilities

Add value to an organization by overseeing its leadership and strategic direction
Deepen your awareness of current and emerging issues facing boards and companies
Balance the demands of shareholders with those of other stakeholders in driving long-term corporate performance
Interact more effectively with your company's board as a senior executive
Become "CEO ready" by using board service as an executive development tool

Analyze board opportunities Analyze board opportunities

Evaluate opportunities for board service in various contexts and organizations
Perform due diligence before joining a board
Assess the time and commitment required to serve on a board
Determine the ideal time to join a board and where you can make your greatest contribution

Develop a personal strategy for your board career Develop a personal strategy for your board career

Clarify your reasons and motivations for joining a board
Develop a thoughtful plan for integrating board service into your career
Plan how you will balance the board director role with a full-time position
Manage your personal reputation as a board director, especially in moments of organizational crisis

Expand your personal and professional network Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries around the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Key Benefits

Details

Maximize your contribution as a board director

Confidently assume the role of corporate directors, including legal and fiduciary duties
Develop the competence and knowledge to manage critical board tasks
Appreciate the role and function of the board chair and board committees, especially those related to audit, compensation, and nomination
Engage in collaborative decision-making with colleagues who may have differing perspectives

Expand your leadership capabilities

Add value to an organization by overseeing its leadership and strategic direction
Deepen your awareness of current and emerging issues facing boards and companies
Balance the demands of shareholders with those of other stakeholders in driving long-term corporate performance
Interact more effectively with your company's board as a senior executive
Become "CEO ready" by using board service as an executive development tool

Analyze board opportunities

Evaluate opportunities for board service in various contexts and organizations
Perform due diligence before joining a board
Assess the time and commitment required to serve on a board
Determine the ideal time to join a board and where you can make your greatest contribution

Develop a personal strategy for your board career

Clarify your reasons and motivations for joining a board
Develop a thoughtful plan for integrating board service into your career
Plan how you will balance the board director role with a full-time position
Manage your personal reputation as a board director, especially in moments of organizational crisis

Expand your personal and professional network

Extend your network by living and working with accomplished executives from various backgrounds, industries, and countries around the globe
Build relationships with a diverse group of peers who can provide wide-ranging insights into your business challenges and career decisions

Who Should Attend

Senior executives who are interested in serving on a corporate board
Executives who are retired or preparing for retirement and considering board opportunities
C-level executives who are board-facing (e.g., CEO, CFO, CHRO, CSO) and seek to strengthen their leadership capabilities
Partners from audit or consulting firms
Partners and executives of private equity and venture capital firms
Nonprofit board directors who aspire to serve as corporate directors

Dive Deeper into the Experience

Inside the Classroom

See how exchange with faculty and peers yields new insights into critical business trends.

We Celebrate New Ways of Thinking. Are You Ready?

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Understanding the Case Method

Read the case, discuss with your peers, and decide how you would address the challenges.

Who Should Attend

Senior executives who are interested in serving on a corporate board
Executives who are retired or preparing for retirement and considering board opportunities
C-level executives who are board-facing (e.g., CEO, CFO, CHRO, CSO) and seek to strengthen their leadership capabilities
Partners from audit or consulting firms
Partners and executives of private equity and venture capital firms
Nonprofit board directors who aspire to serve as corporate directors

Dive Deeper into the Experience

Inside the Classroom

See how exchange with faculty and peers yields new insights into critical business trends.

We Celebrate New Ways of Thinking. Are You Ready?

Thrive in a learning environment that welcomes diverse ideas and perspectives.

Understanding the Case Method

Read the case, discuss with your peers, and decide how you would address the challenges.

Learning and Living at HBS

When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.

Learning and Living at HBS: When you participate in an Executive Education program on the HBS campus, you enter an immersive experience where every aspect of the learning model has been carefully designed to facilitate your growth. Your learning will take place on your own, in your living group, and in the larger classroom, driven by the renowned HBS case method.

Admissions Criteria and Process

We admit candidates to specific sessions on a rolling, space-available basis, and encourage you to apply as early as possible. Although most programs have no formal educational requirements, admission is a selective process based on your professional achievement and organizational responsibilities.

Admissions Criteria and Process

Answering Your Questions

Our Program Advising team can help you at any stage of the admissions process—starting with identifying the program that best addresses your learning and development goals. Contact a program advisor via email or call 1.800.427.5577 (outside the U.S., call +1.617.495.6555).

Application Submission

We recommend that you apply at least four weeks before the program start date. You may use our online form or download an application. HBS maintains all application information in strict confidentiality. We acknowledge receipt of applications via email. In the unlikely event that you do not receive an acknowledgment, please email us at exed_admissions@hbs.edu or call us at +1.617.495.6226.

Application Review

To optimize the learning experience and maximize the exchange of ideas, our Admissions Committee makes selections that balance each participant's experience, scope of current responsibilities, and type of organization. HBS seeks candidates who reflect a broad range of industries, functions, countries, and backgrounds. We review applications monthly and will contact you via email with the Admissions Committee’s decision.

Fee, Payment, and Cancellations

The program fee covers tuition, books, case materials, accommodations, and most meals. No payment is necessary until you have been accepted. Payment is required prior to the program start date. If you need to cancel or defer participation, you must submit your request in writing more than 30 days before the start of the program to receive a full refund. Cancellations or deferrals received 14 to 30 days prior to the start of the program are subject to a fee of one-half of the program fee. Requests received within 14 days are subject to full payment.

What You Will Learn

Through interactive lectures and global case studies, this program will delve into board issues that apply to organizations from any industry or geography. In addition, during an evening panel discussion, a group of experienced executives will share how they have leveraged board service in their career strategy.

What You Will Learn: Through interactive lectures and global case studies, this program will delve into board issues that apply to organizations from any industry or geography. In addition, during an evening panel discussion, a group of experienced executives will share how they have leveraged board service in their career strategy.

Key TopicsExpand All Collapse All

Fundamentals of corporate governance Fundamentals of corporate governance

Examining the role and purpose of a corporate board
Understanding fiduciary and legal duties of the board
Reviewing the different types and structures of corporate boards
Recognizing how the role of a director differs from that of a corporate executive
Analyzing how board roles vary in companies at different stages of their life cycle, and in public versus private companies

Key Responsibilities for board directors Key Responsibilities for board directors

Overseeing corporate strategy and assigning strategic tasks to management teams
Managing CEO selection, succession, and compensation
Guiding mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate control events
Overseeing the renewal and evolution of roles on a board
Monitoring financial reporting and risk management functions

Group dynamics on a corporate board Group dynamics on a corporate board

Working in a position where authority is shared by multiple individuals
Succeeding as an influencer while operating as an outsider with part-time responsibilities
Collaborating effectively with highly accomplished peers
Transitioning from serving as an executive to serving as a board director

Influence of board committees Influence of board committees

Overseeing financial reporting on the audit committee
Managing executive compensation on the compensation committee
Shaping or changing corporate culture
Managing risk in the corporation

Opportunities on corporate boards Opportunities on corporate boards

Comparing how board seats differ on private boards versus public boards
Realistically assessing the duties and time involved in board membership
Weighing the pros and cons of joining a board during retirement versus earlier in a career
Evaluating board invitations and other prospective opportunities

Key Topics

Fundamentals of corporate governance

Examining the role and purpose of a corporate board
Understanding fiduciary and legal duties of the board
Reviewing the different types and structures of corporate boards
Recognizing how the role of a director differs from that of a corporate executive
Analyzing how board roles vary in companies at different stages of their life cycle, and in public versus private companies

Key Responsibilities for board directors

Overseeing corporate strategy and assigning strategic tasks to management teams
Managing CEO selection, succession, and compensation
Guiding mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate control events
Overseeing the renewal and evolution of roles on a board
Monitoring financial reporting and risk management functions

Group dynamics on a corporate board

Working in a position where authority is shared by multiple individuals
Succeeding as an influencer while operating as an outsider with part-time responsibilities
Collaborating effectively with highly accomplished peers
Transitioning from serving as an executive to serving as a board director

Influence of board committees

Overseeing financial reporting on the audit committee
Managing executive compensation on the compensation committee
Shaping or changing corporate culture
Managing risk in the corporation

Opportunities on corporate boards

Comparing how board seats differ on private boards versus public boards
Realistically assessing the duties and time involved in board membership
Weighing the pros and cons of joining a board during retirement versus earlier in a career
Evaluating board invitations and other prospective opportunities

The HBS Advantage

Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Cochairs

Lynn S. Paine

John G. McLean Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

General Management

Read Full Bio

Suraj Srinivasan

Philip J. Stomberg Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Accounting and Management

Read Full Bio

Faculty

David G. Fubini

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Organizational Behavior

Read Full Bio

Krishna G. Palepu

Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration

HBS Units:

Accounting and Management

General Management

Read Full Bio

The HBS Advantage: Our Executive Education programs are developed and taught by HBS faculty who are widely recognized as skilled educators, groundbreaking researchers, and award-winning authors. Through their board memberships, consulting, and field-based research, they address the complex challenges facing business leaders across the globe.

Faculty Cochairs

Lynn S. Paine

John G. McLean Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

General Management

Read Full Bio

Suraj Srinivasan

Philip J. Stomberg Professor of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Accounting and Management

Read Full Bio

Faculty

David G. Fubini

Senior Lecturer of Business Administration

HBS Unit:

Organizational Behavior

Read Full Bio

Krishna G. Palepu

Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration

HBS Units:

Accounting and Management

General Management

Read Full Bio

Apply Download Brochure

More Admissions Information

Program content, dates, fees, and faculty are subject to change. In accordance with Harvard University policy, Harvard Business School does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, sex or sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, veteran status, or disability in admission to, access to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities.

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Email: executive_education@hbs.edu

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Program Advising team

Email: executive_education@hbs.edu

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Summary

Summary

DetailsExpand AllCollapse All

Maximize your contribution as a board directorMaximize your contribution as a board director Dropdown down

Expand your leadership capabilitiesExpand your leadership capabilities Dropdown down

Analyze board opportunitiesAnalyze board opportunities Dropdown down

Develop a personal strategy for your board careerDevelop a personal strategy for your board career Dropdown down

Expand your personal and professional networkExpand your personal and professional network Dropdown down

Maximize your contribution as a board director

Expand your leadership capabilities

Analyze board opportunities

Develop a personal strategy for your board career

Expand your personal and professional network

Who Should Attend

Learning and Living at HBS

Learning and Living at HBS