Board of Directors: Responsibilities, Opportunities, and 23 Questions to Ask the CEO

Summary

What makes for a successful board of directors, and how is it accomplished? In only 60 minutes of conversation and instruction, learn the answer to this question from the author of The Entrepreneur's Guide, who helped bring American Power Conversion public in 1988, a company that recently sold for $6.1 billion. Few books have been written on this important subject. Few areas of business are as misunderstood as the legal functions of a Board of Directors. Unless a Board voluntarily takes on responsibilities other than to the shareholders, they have no others in most states. Boards do not have responsibilities to management, employees, suppliers, customers, or communities. The most common problem Boards have is getting too close to management, to the disservice of the shareholders. Making a CEO the chairman, too, is fraught with conflict of interest problems. This presentation will help identify the proper roles, and improper roles, for Boards.

Featured Tracks: 1. Introduction; 2. Issues; 3. Stay on Strategy or Sell the Company; 4. Board Members should be judge-like: flexible, open-minded, and not side-takers. 5. Board Meetings: What should be done? 6. The tone: contributors and cheerleaders; not auditors by and large; 7. Imperial CEOs are doomed by a good Board; 8. 23 questions to ask at Board Meetings; 9. How to get on a Board.