Posts Tagged ‘board of directors’

A Director is…

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

A director is someone who makes blockbuster hits, true, but the kind of director we’re talking about is someone who helps run a company. A company or organization normally has a board of directors, which is a group of men and women who are elected by shareholders or other members of the organization to oversee its activities and make major decisions about how it operates. A director is one of those board members.

The word is used in a lot of different ways, though, and it can also refer to someone at the management level in charge of… directing things!

When You Think “Activism,” Is Corporate Strategy The First Thing That Comes To Mind?

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011

“On Monday J.C. Penney said it would add Mr. Roth and hedge fund manager William Ackman to its board, news that sent its stock up 7%. The pair, who have a track record of buying big stakes in companies and then pressing them to make strategic changes, surprised markets and Mr. Ullman Oct. 8 by saying they had amassed a 27% holding in the retailer.”

What do you think?

When you think of activism, is corporate strategy the first thing that comes to mind? Would you be willing to invest in a company that has taken a step toward major changes in the way it operates?

How can you get on a charity board?

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

To get on a charity board, you generally have to be recruited by well, that charity’s board. One of the responsibilities of board members is to find and recruit new board members – usually they look for people who bring needed skills, enthusiasm, and influence to the organization. Celebrities are sometimes asked to be board members because they bring attention to that charity, while others are asked because skills from their professional life or other experiences can benefit the charity. Some might be asked simply because they have given lots of money and have demonstrated a true interest in the cause. In essence, there are many ways to a nonprofit board, any of which require determination, interest, dedication, and a bit of money wouldn’t do any harm either.

What do nonprofit boards do?

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

The board of a nonprofit has many of the same responsibilities as the board of a corporation: they pick the chief executive, ensure that the organization is fulfilling its mission statement, and provide financial and legal oversight. They make sure the chief executive is doing his or her job running the charity’s programs, managing its money, and executing its stated purpose in its mission statement.

Nonprofit board members are often integrally involved in fundraising and raising awareness of the organization. Frequently they ask others to donate, appear at fundraising events, and donate themselves. In looking for more people to support their organization, they also find and recruit new board members.

Nonprofit boards, as you’d expect, are unpaid positions. Serving on these boards can be a gratifying and essential way to serve a cause that you care about deeply.

A Chairman of the Board is…

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

A Chairman of the Board runs the board of directors for a corporation. He hires the CEO and along with the rest of the board, makes sure the company is in good financial shape and is doing its best to fulfill its mission statement. He is like the General Manager of a sports team, who hires the coach and makes sure the team business is being run efficiently. It goes without saying, of course, that the Chairman can be a woman (in which case she’d likely be referred to as the Chairwoman, Chair, or Chairperson of the Board).

A Board of Directors is…

Monday, August 17th, 2009

A Board of Directors is a group of individuals elected by the shareholders of a company to represent the interests of the shareholders and also to govern the affairs of a corporation. The Board is an overseer not a manager of the corporation.