Board Practice

The Board Practice brings together our most senior Consultants and works with Boards to appoint Non-Executive Directors and to evaluate Board effectiveness. In order to support our clients, we have developed the following specific services:

Non-Executive Director Search

In the past, outside Board Director appointments were often made on the basis of established contacts. In recent years, corporate governance has received higher priority and Nominations Committees are making greater use of Executive Search Consultants to identify, select and attract the best qualified candidates for non-executive roles. The AltoPartners Board Practice Consultants have many years of experience in working with Boards to ensure that candidates of the highest calibre are presented for non-executive appointments.

Board Evaluation and Development

Ensuring a balanced composition on the Board is not sufficient to ensure the desired performance or the expected corporate governance behaviour against the current global standards. The working processes and the quality of the relationships between the Directors are also key factors for good governance practice.

We have developed a robust model for evaluating Board effectiveness and for using this information as a basis for planning systematic Board development initiatives. Our underlying methodology relies on in-depth discussions with each Director to solicit their input around a series of topics, which have been identified as critical to the effective functioning of the Board. The process is challenging and provides a thorough review of the most important issues. It adds significantly more value than an approach designed to satisfy governance guidelines, which may not really impact on Board functioning. This diagnosis is supported by specific recommendations that can help the Chairman to deliver improved Board performance. By providing an objective diagnosis, we enable the Board to reflect on current practice and focus on improvement.

Each assignment is led by a Partner who is experienced in working at Board level. We recognise that each Board is different and that factors such as the stage of its development, size, the personal style of the Chairman and the sector in which it operates, will influence the approach to Board effectiveness and each assignment is designed to reflect this. We pride ourselves on giving exceptional service and meeting each individual client’s needs.

Executive Management Team Review

With the increasing challenges faced by companies and the frequent need to deliver significant change, many companies have adopted top management team reviews and individual assessment as a way to help deliver competitive edge and to achieve long-term success. Our Executive Management Team Review is a structured process designed to help top executives assess the quality and suitability of the management team and/or individual executives, in order to provide in-depth insight into their performance level, capabilities and development needs.

International coordinator: Ian Lloyd