Media Coverage: Kevin Hall, Managing Partner AltoPartners Canada, lends his insights and expertise as part of a panel discussing current best practice in board placement. Kevin Hall offers detailed tips to all candidates looking to become board members and for those who are wanting to find their next board seats.

This webinar is part of the AESC BlueSteps Executive Search webinar series. To listen to the original webinar, click here

On April 27, 2016, Kevin Hall represented AltoPartners Canada when he participated on a panel discussion with business leaders from 3 other well-regarded Executive Search firms. The webinar served to highlight the changing, and competitive, nature of board placements; the necessary skills that candidates should possess to enhance their chances of placement on boards; as well as the benefits associated with using Executive Search firms to find those candidates (and some recommendations of how candidates can effectively work with Executive Search firms).

Boards are increasingly becoming more sophisticated in the process of searching for a new board member and value is placed on conducting a thorough skills assessment (determining the skills they currently have on the board and the skills that they should be looking for) to ensure find members with skills that compliment the existing skill set. Targeted recruitment methods are then undertaken to get the best candidate.

Board members are increasingly viewed as the best value placements in the corporate world, largely due to their extensive skill set, their vast experience and their network of contacts. The benefit of using an Executive Search firm to assist with these board placements includes:

• Access to a broader selection of the “biggest, brightest and best” candidates from across multiple sectors and industries
• Lower risk
• A diverse pool of candidates – not only from a race and gender perspective, but also from a broader sector base

To remain relevant and competitive, today’s boards are searching for members that possess different sets of skills to those that were given prominence in the past. While the functional and technical skills are still valued, we see a swing away from the strong focus on compliance and regulatory issues to a focus on board members focused on strategy, innovation and long-term corporate growth. Indeed, the so-called “softer” skills around HR (compensation, succession planning, talent management), marketing, PR and brand are now also being sought at a board level, as are newer skill sets around IT and cyber security. These new focus areas see boards opening up, becoming more inclusive and often attracting younger board members. Additionally, as the world becomes more global, boards are recruiting foreign board members as they provide new perspectives and a global frame of reference. Boards of today are increasingly looking for members who bring “diversity of thought” to the table and many board placements are now being made with candidates from outside the specific industry or sector. While it is valuable to have specific sector expertise, it is now as crucial to seek the transferable knowledge and skills that are brought in by people who aren’t traditionally from that specific corporate sector. This helps boards avoid “group think” and enhances diversity of thought.

Do’s and Don’t’s for candidates looking for their next board seat

• Do conduct a thorough, and honest, self-analysis - where do you bring the most value, what are the skills you possess, what are your strengths, what are you weaknesses, how do you close the gap?

• Do protect your personal brand - be aware of your reputation in the market, be cautious of what you post on social media

• Do join professional associations and industry bodies - this enhances your credibility and your network of contacts and influence

• Do join a board because you are passionate about the company or industry

• Do have an updated, functional board biography - set out the timelines, activities and areas of responsibilities of your leadership and board positions

• Do actively contribute - show up, contribute and ensure you have a proven track record. Future boards will seek references of your level of contribution and the impact that you made.

• Do network with executive search consultants

• Do assess the reputation and the culture of the company you are considering joining as a board member

• Don’t join a board for financial reasons

• Don’t commit to a board position but then don’t show up or devote enough time to meet your board obligations

To learn more about what Kevin Hall and his expert peers believe are important, listen here

---

About Kevin Hall

Kevin is the Canadian Managing Partner of Bluestone Leadership Services, bringing over thirty years of board and executive recruitment, management consulting and executive development experience to the firm.

His experience includes:

• Board Member placement,
• Executive and Senior Leadership placement,
• Board assessments and evaluations,
• Board and Executive compensation,
• Leadership assessments, and
• Succession planning, integration and transformation.

Kevin is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He qualified in England with Ernst & Whinney and worked in their consulting practices in Bristol, London and Calgary. He is an alumnus of Ernst & Young, KPMG and Bearing Point. Kevin became Managing Partner of the Business Consulting Group where he qualified as a Canadian Certified Management Consultant.

After spending a number of years in executive finance and operations roles with XL Food Systems, Centennial Foods and AdWall Capital Corp, Kevin entered executive search in 2001. In 2003, he co-founded Odgers-Berndtson Calgary and Bluestone Leadership Services in 2012. Since 2009, Kevin has completed over 75 Non-Executive Board Member placements drawing from a global talent pool. He has also completed over 30 board assessments and evaluations for publicly traded corporations and public sector organisations.

Kevin leads the AltoPartners Global Natural Resources practice.