Paula Boggs will be one of the panelists on “Winning the Board Game: Making the Best Moves Toward Board Service,” which will be on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 30.
Paula is the retired general counsel of Starbucks Corp. and a philanthropist, musician and Army Airborne veteran. She founded Boggs Media, LLC in 2013 and is a seasoned executive, lawyer, board member and public speaker. She took some time out of her day to answer a few questions related to board membership. Her responses offer a glimpse into the types of discussions we will have during the event.
What are some of the early steps lawyers should take when striving toward board membership?
It is often easier to join a nonprofit board than a corporate one, and the best nonprofit director is one who cares about the organization on whose board she or he serves. Most people, including lawyers, do not have unlimited free time. And so, I suggest lawyers identify organizations they like and where they can add value that are also the source of learning and networking. Every corporate board I've served on was the result of a connection I had with someone on a nonprofit board or through a work relationship.
What qualifications must lawyers possess to serve as effective/successful board members?
Successful board members do their homework; are financially literate; know and honor the respective roles of board member and management; are strategic thinkers; comfortable with risk management; and are team players. For most boards, a lawyer board member is not “the lawyer.” You are the client and should have that mindset.
What are some of the strategies lawyers can implement to influence board composition and ensure qualified women are represented on the board?
I have served on and as a legal advisor to board nominating committees. Lawyer advisors may know of worthy candidates who would not otherwise come to the board’s attention and when the lawyer has earned enough credibility, she or he will be heard when in the room.
What role can outside counsel play in helping an in-house counsel work toward her goals of becoming a board member?
The in-house lawyer has one client and will not likely be invited to serve on that client's board. The outside counsel has many clients hopefully and at any given time one or more of them may be in the market for a new board member. Thus, the outside counsel can be the eyes and ears in keeping the in-house lawyer abreast of opportunities and can also advocate for the in-house lawyer when he or she aspires to join the board of an outside counsel's client.