As vice president of engineering for Apple, Inc., Isabel Mahe spends her days steeped in technology. She came to Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education to take a break from the tech world and focus on a specific task: preparing to be a best-in-class board member. She fulfilled that goal and more in the Women on Boards program. She shares her thoughts about the program.
I had three main goals. I wanted to learn how to be elected to a board position, how to be a great board member, and how to make good friends while expanding my network.
There were several things that surprised me, including how much fun I had and how many friendships I forged during the short week. I was also impressed with how much support we got from one another and from the program faculty. Many of the professors have real-world experience, and even helped us make modifications to our cover letters. Much of what I learned led me to reexamine myself, including how I approach my career, network, and relationships. Finally, I was excited to see how well organized HBS is—we had such a productive week!
It helped me develop a greater understanding of the differences between non-profit boards and corporate boards.
I really enjoyed the discussions with my living group, and I learned a great deal from others in my diverse group. The living group also enabled us to forge deeper connections with each other.
In this program, you learn a lot about how to become a great board member—at the same time, you forge amazing friendships and have a lot of fun. The program gives you the time and tools to engage in self-reflection in order to better understand who you are, how you are doing, and what else you should be considering in your career. It was absolutely the best investment I could make in one week!
