Steps Taken to Secure a First NED Role.
From Preparation to Purpose: How Senior HR Leaders Secure Their First Board Role
Breaking into the boardroom isn’t just about ambition; it’s a strategic journey shaped by executive support, governance insight, and a readiness to contribute at the highest level.
Securing an NED or Independent Director role can be challenging. For many senior HR leaders, it is the outcome of a deliberate blend of strategic preparation, executive endorsement, and personal initiative. The journey often begins with the support of the C-suite. Jun Aoki described a formalised selection process, involving interviews with the Chairman of the Board and members of the Nomination Committee, underscoring the rigour with which such appointments are made. Similarly, Angie Risley highlighted the importance of leadership backing, recalling that at Sainsbury’s, “both the Chairman and CEO supported me in taking on a non-executive role and gave me the time required to do it well.” She noted that the experience gained through her breadth of sector exposure, as well as managing CEO exits, CFO appointments, and board transitions was “invaluable,” ultimately enhancing her effectiveness as an NED. For others, the route was less structured but no less grounded in experience. Mikko Pelkonen attributed his board invitations to a career marked by breadth and close collaboration with governance bodies, including time spent serving as secretary to a board committee - exposure that proved instrumental in building boardroom credibility. Katariina Kravi described her steps of expressing interest to the board of directors and to a few members of nominations boards and committees, and then to head hunters. She also completed a board of directors degree qualification.
Training, Mentorship and Readiness
Preparation for board service is increasingly recognised as a structured process, often involving formal training, mentoring, and early exposure to governance dynamics. Celia Baxter underscored the value of gaining boardroom insight while still in an executive role, noting that “understanding the agenda from the other side is extremely useful.” She attended a programme delivered by a third-party advisory firm in the UK, funded by her employer, and arranged one-to-one mentoring focused on the specific contribution Chief People Officers can bring to the board. With the support of her CEO and Chair, she felt equipped to step into her first NED role, though she cautioned that “the recruitment process can be disheartening due to its competitiveness and therefore the likelihood of rejection.”
Isabel Barros described her own induction as a process of “observation and role modelling,” supported by a robust onboarding programme that gave her “a clear understanding of what it means to serve on a board.”
Margaret Chiu also took a deliberate approach, leveraging her network and undertaking targeted training in governance, technology, and marketing within the insurance sector to broaden her readiness for board responsibilities.
Patience, Fit and Informal Pathways
For some HR leaders, the journey to the boardroom has been more measured and introspective. Camilla Grönholm approached the process with deliberation, taking time to seek advice from her network and prepare a board-appropriate CV and personal pitch. While still in a demanding executive role, she was permitted to take on one NED position, provided there was no conflict of interest. Though she described herself as “not an active networker,” she trusted that “with patience,” the right opportunity would emerge. Jin Montesano’s path was similarly unplanned. Her opportunity arose through an internal conversation at Lixil Corporation. She “hadn’t initially considered becoming an NED for an external company,” but after raising the idea with her boss, she was encouraged to pursue it - so long as it did not interfere with her executive responsibilities. In Japan, the process can be protracted. Yukari Yomo explained that Japanese companies often begin their search for outside directors more than a year before the official nomination at the shareholders’ meeting. She initially joined as an HR consultant before formally assuming the role of independent outside director.
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