What the Next Generation of Boardrooms Look Like: Inside America’s Boardrooms

What is a Next Gen board member? I discussed this and more in a recent interview at the Nasdaq for “Inside America’s Boardrooms” with TK Kerstetter, former chairman of NYSE Governance Services.

Today as companies look for specialized expertise to fill board roles, they’re looking to younger generations with experience in technology, digital marketing, cybersecurity and more.

Now we’re seeing board members emerge from Generation X and the Millennial Generation to complement the skill sets of generations before them in the boardroom.

So critical are the perspectives of this next generation of directors that Nasdaq has launched the Next Gen Board Leaders initiative in partnership with SpencerStuart and Boardroom Resources.

The focus of the Next Gen Board Leaders initiative is to create a community for public company directors in their 30s and 40s. The members can connect and discuss key governance issues, including with their generational perspectives.

Representative of this community of directors is the Next Gen Advisory Council made up of 10 men and women who serve on public company boards. I am honored to be a member of the Advisory Council and to have taken part in the first annual “Mini Summit” in June.

The June meeting brought Next Gen directors together to discuss boardroom issues, many of which are similar to the issues that most board members typically discuss, including at conferences such as Stanford’s Directors’ College.

The lens, however, can be slightly different from the one used at traditional board conferences due to the experience of Next Gen directors. Cyber is a good example of where this is especially true, but it’s not limited to this topic.

Post-summit, the community’s goal is to provide a forum to carry on the conversation in our own geographies and circles. In doing so, Next Gen board members can demonstrate what they can offer public company boards.

Today, Next Gen directors are diversifying boardrooms all across the United States. They bring crucial skills and experiences that help public companies grow and thrive in the modern economy.

If you’re interested in staying connected with this community, you can get on the Next Gen Board Leaders mailing list here, or connect on Twitter or LinkedIn.

You can learn even more in the recent episode of “Inside America’s Boardrooms” with Next Gen Advisory Council Chair Caroline Tsay and Julie Daum of SpencerStuart:

For more on this topic and for information about other issues relating to public companies and the directors and officers who serve them, check out “Inside America’s Boardroom.”

Recent interviews from Next Gen Advisory Council members include one about change in the boardroom with Jennifer Dulski, and one about artificial intelligence with Dr. Anastassia Lauterbach.