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Get on Board

Join our half-day workshop to develop your personal plan to build the board career you aspire to.

Date and Time
16 Nov 2023
09:00 - 12:00
Location
Virtual
Venue
Not Specified
Capacity
20
Pricing
Director’s Circle
£ 225
Full Member
£ 225
Digital Member
£ 299
Guest
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Registration closed for the event.

Terms & Conditions

Refunds for all our individual events are available if notice is given three business days prior by email or telephone, or one month prior to first session of our programmes. After this, a transfer to another event will be given. Cancellations on the same business day will not generally be eligible for a refund or transfer, however you may substitute someone to come in your place. In the case of exceptional circumstances let us know and we will consider a refund/transfer.

We know our approach works – 8 of our members secure a new NED role every week. This workshop shares how you can do it too.

You will come away from this highly practical session with a strategy to secure a NED role. This workshop has been specifically designed to simplify governance and, importantly, to refine your board pitch – which is what will aid you in securing the roles. 

We will focus on targeting the more competitive and remunerated positions, and how to overcome the ‘experience trap’ if you do not have prior NED experience. During the session, we will also briefly consider how to best approach non-executive headhunters. 
 
You will identify where and how to pitch yourself as a non-executive, guided by:

  • Fiona Hathorn, Founder and CEO of Women on Boards UK,
  • Alison Thorne, Women on Boards Presenter and Lead for Wales

Specifically, you will consider and receive expert advice in a limited group of your peers on: 

  • the role, duties and legal responsibilities of director and protecting yourself as a non-executive director;
  • which type of boards will value your skills and align with your goals;
  • where to find the opportunities, including how best to approach non-executive headhunters;
  • what boards are looking for, in terms of both hard and soft skills;
  • your individual boardroom value-add and how to pitch yourself as a prospective NED.


The workshop is practical, strategic and interactive.  Participants are engaged and supported by the Women on Boards team and encouraged to make use of our wider “network of influence”.

Suited to people:

  1. Thinking about or already on a board       
  2. Seeking strategic and practical advice
  3. Looking for an influential support network
  4. Looking at long-term career options

Speakers

Fiona Hathorn

Co-founder and CEO, Women on Boards UK

Fiona is the CEO of Women on Boards UK alongside advising a number of different boards and organisations. Currently she is an Advisory Panel Member for the FRC (Financial Reporting Council), advisor to Peel Hunt (mid-cap stockbroker) and Chair of Hanx‘s Nominations Committee (FMCG start-up). She is an expert in the areas of Governance, Regulation and Talent Management who has sat on both marketing and audit & finance committees. Fiona was formerly a director for Hill Samuel Asset Management. She has advised the board of the Thai Euro Fund and is a Judge for the Non Executive Director Awards, sponsored by The Sunday Times. In 2020 Fiona joined King’s College London’s ‘Global Institute for Women’s Leadership‘ Advisory Board.

Alison Thorne

Alison Thorne is a Chair and Non Executive Director. Currently she is Chair of the National Dance Company Wales and Chair of Barcud Housing Association plus Senior Independent Non Executive director for the Welsh Rugby Union and a Governor for Cardiff Metropolitan University. Alison builds on her equality work as the Wales Lead for Women on Boards and as an Independent Panel Member for Public Appointments for the Welsh Government.

Previously a board member for Sport Wales where she Chaired the Facilities Review, a trustee and then Chair at Chwarae Teg (Wales leading equality charity), Non-Executive Director for Thought Provoking Consulting, and a trustee at Tropical Forest Trust (sustainable forest management).

She has had a corporate global career in retail, holding executive board roles at Mothercare, George at Asda and Otto UK with executive leadership roles at Kingfisher and Storehouse specialising in Operations, Buying, Merchandising and Sourcing.

Her career then developed into Executive search as a partner in a boutique search firm, prior to setting up ‘atconnect’ a business that supports companies to delivers successful teams through executive search and mentoring working in Media, Retail, Housing and Health Care sectors.