Your Board is one of the most valuable parts of your company. They help you steer, make decisions, and could get you that first investment. Or they can push you off a cliff, vote incorrectly, and cost you your company. We will help you get to Plan A. The revered Professor Les Charm will talk you through how to know who to put on (and keep off) of your Boards, and much more. Expert - Les Charm, Babson University

1. BOARDS AND HOW TO
MAKE THEM
BETTER!!!!!!!!
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2. WE NEED TO BE CLEAR
Public, private, family owned, venture-backed, etc?
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3. In my belief, they are
fundamentally
different!!!!!!
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And the answers to many of the questions I would
ask, would be different for each.

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5. ADVANTAGES
u 1.
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6. DISADVANTAGES
u 1.
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7. THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR
u 1.
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Is the board meeting or the dinner the night before?

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Why Build a High-Impact Board?

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12. Sounding Board
u For you and your senior managers, helping you set your
company’s top strategic goals and challenges and advise
management about execution
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13. Forum
u For problem solving and management support
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14. Source
u Of critical market and operational expertise
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15. Resource for Identifying
u Recruiting, and onboarding top managerial talent
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16. Resource for Networking
u With the key people outside your company who can help
your company succeed
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17. Bad board
dynamics result
when:
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18. Bad…….
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u 1. The board is set up for “control” or other “non-
impact” purposes.
u 2. Board members are not committed to spending the
appropriate time and energy to participate and be
helpful.
u 3. One or more board members monopolizes the board
discussion.
u 4. Board members are not aware of or not held
accountable for what’s expected of them.

19. BAD……Part 2
u 5.There is poor alignment between various board
members around the company’s short-and long-term
goals and aspirations.
u 6. The management team does not properly prepare the
board to have a meaningful conversation about the
company and its markets.
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20. Charm’s Main points
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u The more time spent on financial statements, the less
the meeting accomplishes
u The more the board understands the metrics of
prediction, the better the discussion .
u Running the meeting is very important
u Term Limits are critical
u The board needs to be involved in the strategy
discussions way earlier than CEO’s allow or think about
u If there are outside investors, every meeting can not be
a scorecard on the CEO

21. Directors
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22. AGENDA
u 1. #####
u 2. Issues that concern CEO
u 3. Issues that the board thinks are
important
u 4. Senior management team rotate
throughout the year
u 5. Other…….
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23. What one factor will most
influence whether or not a board
succeeds?
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10%
17%
18%
23%
31%
creating the board at the right time
other
Having the right mix of management,
independent, and investor board
members
Having effective board meetings
Having a cohesive board
Having diverse board members with
the right skill sets and experience

24. Setting Clear
Expectations,
Demanding Full
Accountability
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25. u Four to eight hours per month for board-related
activities and responsibilities
u One day per quarter for on-site board meetings
u A couple of hours per month to provide ad hoc
operational or strategic advice
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26. Charm’s point of view
u For private and family-owned, there are no votes….
u whether formal or informal
u Major job, help the CEO with what he or she thinks is
important at the moment and ( sometimes point out
other issues that should be discussed)
u Running the meeting is most important along with
boards expectations.
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27. For other boards
u VC’s don’t act like ( nor in my mind should they) like
regular shareholders
u THEY DON’T REPRESENT ALL THE SHAREHOLDERS
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28. Public
u By The Numbers
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29. SOURCES:
Many, many…….
u Many materials written on the subject
u Many discussions with experienced CEO’s and Directors
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