Summary of board experience to date
My board experience spans over 12 years and started off in the non-profit world and eventually led me to listed corporate boards. My board journey has been gradual and I currently chair 3 organisations as well as Chair the Audit and Nominations committees of these organisations. I cover Telcoms, Agriculture, Insurance and the early stage Fintech sector in Africa, Europe and the US. My greatest impact has been in the early stage sector where I have supported over 15 organisations build up their boards and improve their governance as they grow and scale.
Can you share what initially drew you to pursue board leadership?
I’m excited about strategy and supporting the management of an organisation to identify risks and innovative strategies to help them succeed. Board leadership exposes me to multiple industries and networks that I wouldn’t have had access to. I feel completely comfortable in a boardroom set-up and believe that I add real value to the boards that I serve.
What were the foundational steps you took in your journey towards your first board appointment?
My foundational steps were mainly around talking to my mentor circle and understanding what it takes to be a high impact board member. When I joined my first board I watched seasoned members and understood the best way to be effective in a board setting. I also took steps to understand which forums I had to join in order to find board roles that were a good fit for my experience and growth path. My first boards were in the non-profit sector and served to hone my board competencies and allow me to understand how best I could create impact in the boardroom.
Diversification is key in any board journey and my advice is that once one is able to identify their value proposition at board level, those skills then become highly transferable irrespective of the sector that the organisation represents.
How have you built and diversified your board portfolio over the years?
I look out for board opportunities in thematic areas. My focus over the last 2 years has been the corporate listed boards and I have been lucky to join 2 listed companies. I started off serving in non-profits boards then graduated to serving in boards in the early stage ecosystem and continued to diversify my portfolio to listed corporate boards. Diversification is key in any board journey and my advice is that once one is able to identify their value proposition at board level, those skills then become highly transferable irrespective of the sector that the organisation represents.
From your experience, what are some unexpected insights you've gained from serving on different boards?
- Emotional intelligence is the most important board quality not the level of one’s qualifications, age or experience.
- The most effective board Chair listens more than they speak. The role of a board Chair is exactly that: to be the ear of the board.
- Risk-aware boards are rare and most boards focus on the rear view mirror rather than looking at future emergent risks and asking what it is that will come up to bite them next.
How has serving on boards impacted your personal and professional development?
The key result of serving on boards for the last 11 years has been that my networks have expanded exponentially and I’m also very comfortable helping set up and challenge strategy. I also bring rich experience to my day job as a result of the boards that I serve on, plus I have learned to manage my time skillfully to be effective in my day job and my board roles. Finally, my personal brand has grown as a result of the boards I have served on and I feel that I have personally grown and learned to listen and interact with all manner of individuals as a result.
