This article “A Field Guide to Identifying and Integrating Independent Board Members” is the sort of typical post we provide to readers of our Facebook company page. Located here http://www.facebook.com/CreativeCapitalAssoc/ we post not so frequently to annoy, but certainly enough to bring our readers fundamental, reasonable business resources and information that go beyond the usual click bait.
So onto this guest post from First Round Review:
Every day is graduation for early-stage founders. The sequence of notable moments flows like a fire hose: releasing a beta, launching a product, closing a deal, onboarding a critical hire. Rarely on that list is ‘appointing an independent board member.’ So, like a ready source of knowledge at graduation, the advice turns into wisdom only as it becomes relevant to the recipient. But it behooves founders to know where that tome sits on the shelf — and leaf through it before it’s needed. That’s why we spoke to Michelle Wilson, who serves as an independent board member for Pinterest and Okta (their first), as well as for Zendesk. Before that, she was an SVP and General Counsel for Amazon for over a decade, and a partner at law firm Perkins Coie.
In this exclusive interview, Wilson defines an independent board member and shares why it’s a key role for a founding team and a startup’s board of directors. She outlines when and how startups should pursue an independent board member, and the attributes and profiles to seek as you begin your search. Lastly, she unpacks the motivations of independent board members — and what to ask to make sure they align with your company.