The program fee covers tuition, e-books, and online case materials.
This program includes live online classes, self-paced work, discussion groups, and virtual networking. Download brochure for detailed schedule.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 live online 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.
You may also be interested in the related program: Preparing to Be a Corporate Director.
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Summary
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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 live online 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.
You may also be interested in the related program: Preparing to Be a Corporate Director.
DetailsCollapse All
Maximize your contribution as a board directorMaximize your contribution as a board director
- Confidently assume the role of corporate director, 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 capabilitiesExpand 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 opportunitiesAnalyze 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 the opportunity where you can make your greatest contribution
Develop a personal strategy for your board careerDevelop 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 networkExpand your personal and professional network
- Extend your network by connecting 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 on corporate boards
- New board members who are in small and medium sized firms
Program for Leadership Development participants earn 2 PLDA Points on completion of this program.
Leaders in Virtual Learning
When you participate in a virtual HBS Executive Education program, you benefit from a powerful learning experience carefully designed with a virtual setting in mind. Through live, synchronous program sessions you'll engage directly with our renowned faculty to learn from their latest research, gain actionable takeaways, and facilitate your growth. In addition, virtual discussion groups will connect you to a global group of peers and build your network.
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Leaders in Virtual Learning
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When you participate in a virtual HBS Executive Education program, you benefit from a powerful learning experience carefully designed with a virtual setting in mind. Through live, synchronous program sessions you'll engage directly with our renowned faculty to learn from their latest research, gain actionable takeaways, and facilitate your growth. In addition, virtual discussion groups will connect you to a global group of peers and build your network.
Admissions Criteria and Process
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 a panel discussion, a group of experienced executives will share how they have leveraged board service in their career strategy.
Participants should expect to spend at least 9-12 hours on self-paced case preparation prior to attending the program. Case materials will be made available approximately two weeks prior to program start.
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What You Will Learn
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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 a panel discussion, a group of experienced executives will share how they have leveraged board service in their career strategy.
Participants should expect to spend at least 9-12 hours on self-paced case preparation prior to attending the program. Case materials will be made available approximately two weeks prior to program start.
Program Format
The program takes place over four days, with live, synchronous classes daily (10:15 AM to 4:15 PM ET, including two 30-minute breaks and one 15-minute break), a required welcoming session, and small group discussions for learning and networking. Class sessions will take place via the Zoom platform. You will also have ample opportunity for interaction with faculty and peers inside and outside the class sessions.
Collaborative learning is an integral part of the experience. To maximize the benefit for everyone, you are expected to attend every session, complete all assignments, and contribute effectively in the class and in small groups. We advise setting aside a total of 2-3 hours per day for program work in addition to the synchronous class sessions.
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Program Format
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The program takes place over four days, with live, synchronous classes daily (10:15 AM to 4:15 PM ET, including two 30-minute breaks and one 15-minute break), a required welcoming session, and small group discussions for learning and networking. Class sessions will take place via the Zoom platform. You will also have ample opportunity for interaction with faculty and peers inside and outside the class sessions.
Collaborative learning is an integral part of the experience. To maximize the benefit for everyone, you are expected to attend every session, complete all assignments, and contribute effectively in the class and in small groups. We advise setting aside a total of 2-3 hours per day for program work in addition to the synchronous class sessions.
Key TopicsCollapse All
Fundamentals of corporate governanceFundamentals 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 directorsKey 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 boardGroup 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 committeesInfluence 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 boardsOpportunities 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.
Baker Foundation Professor and John G. McLean Professor of Business Administration, Emerita
Philip J. Stomberg Professor of Business Administration
Senior Lecturer of Business Administration
Ross Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration
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The HBS Advantage
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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
Baker Foundation Professor and John G. McLean Professor of Business Administration, Emerita
HBS Unit:General ManagementPhilip J. Stomberg Professor of Business Administration
HBS Unit:Accounting and ManagementFacultySenior Lecturer of Business Administration
HBS Unit:Organizational BehaviorRoss Graham Walker Professor of Business Administration
HBS Units:Accounting and ManagementGeneral Management