Two 1-on-1 sessions to progress past a specific issue with support from an experienced female leader to help you start, or step-up, in your non-executive board career.
This 1-on-1 ‘Boardroom breakthrough’ mentoring package will help you position yourself for the non-executive role/s which are right for you, and/or get support on a specific barrier you are facing in the boardroom.
Comprising a Board CV Review and a one hour mentoring session, this package offers support around your non-executive career from one of our quality mentors who are experienced NEDs and Board Chairs themselves.
The aim is to help you to take your non-executive career to the next level – whether you are wondering where to start, looking to step-up to the more competitive roles or wanting to break out of a ‘pigeon-hole’ in your portfolio or other individual issue.
“Incredible insights, specific feedback and forensic input, great strategy and advice, empathetic and personable – just wonderful and empowering!”
Member feedback
What is included?
TWO 45 min 1-on-1 sessions
You are in the driving seat when it comes to your career, so we offer total flexibility on how you use this time. Common approaches are:
- Board CV Review with our experienced mentor to work out what is working well and what could be improved*;
- Elevator pitch review and coaching;
- Advice on which boards to target to get your first non-executive role;
- Strategies for stepping up to more competitive and paid board positions;
- Interpreting and actioning interview feedback;
- Resilience after rejection, and considering re-positioning;
- Developing a personal plan to make the move to a portfolio career;
- Breaking out of a ‘pigeon-hole’ in your non-executive portfolio;
- Building your profile and reputation as a NED.
*Ideally, you will produce your initial draft using our ‘Building a Board CV’ online learning course (included in our Full Membership).
Your mentor
You will be matched with one of our mentors, who both have extensive experience in coaching and mentoring, as well as being Board Chairs and NEDs themselves. Do let us know if you have a preference at booking or we can match you with the mentor most suited to you.
Julie Ashworth
Julie is Chair of the Board of the University of Aberdeen and Vice-Chair of the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Scotland, as well as being an Advisory Board member for the Scottish Business Network. Julie is CEO of Broadreach, providing specialist leadership consulting services to global blue-chip companies. Julie works extensively as an Executive Mentor and coach with various FTSE 100 companies.
Julie has previously held non-executive roles with George Watson’s College , the Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh among others, and spent 3 years as Chair of an award winning retail tech start-up. She has held Retail Director roles with Liberty of London and Punch Taverns and was Executive Partner at IBM with responsibility for retail across EMEA and the US. She began her corporate career with Tesco, leaving her role as a senior executive to compete in the Round the World Yacht race.
Julie leads Women on Boards ”Getting to the C-Suite’ Leadership programme and delivers different types of our Board CV support offer, as well as offering mentoring. She lives in Edinburgh and is our Women on Boards Lead for Scotland.
Alison Thorne
Alison has developed a non-executive career and is currently a Governor of Cardiff Metropolitan University; an Independent Panel Member of the Welsh Government’s Public Appointments service; and a Board Member of Sport Wales. Until 2021, she was Chair of the leading equality charity Chwarae Teg and a trustee for six years.
Alison previously held executive board and leadership positions at Otto UK, George at Asda, Mothercare, Lego Retail, and Kingfisher with B&Q. Following 2 years as a partner in a boutique executive search company, Alison set up ‘atconnect’ an executive search and people development company in 2010 which includes mentoring individuals at transition points in their careers.
Alison is based in Cardiff and is the Women on Boards Lead for Wales. She delivers Women on Boards’ CV Masterclass and our ‘Becoming an Effective Chair’ programme, as well as providing 1-on-1 Board CV reviews and mentoring across non-executive and executive careers.