Savvy CEOs know they need diverse boards that reflect a wide range of expertise and perspectives to successfully navigate these issues.The result? The modern boardroom is starting to reflect the full vibrancy of the markets and customers they serve. Of course, current and former CEOs and CFOs will always be tapped for board service. But increasingly, independent operators with specialized domain expertise in product, digital transformation, talent, ESG, and even the voice of the customer are the most in demand.
Diversity of thought and perspective has always been a necessary ingredient for innovation and success, and the board room is no exception. The data is clear: companies with diverse boards across expertise, gender, race/ethnicity, and age are better positioned to succeed and beat the odds. And truly successful boards are moving beyond diversity to ensure inclusivity. It's an effort well spent. Companies with well integrated boards experienced 10% higher stock returns, and their shareholders were 8% less likely to formally dissent to board decisions, than those that diversified without prioritizing real inclusion.
If you are seeking to enhance your board for optimal advantage, look no further. These powerhouse individuals are highly sought after as independent board members. Let us know if you’d like to meet them!
Lauren Antonoff
Lauren Antonoff has nearly 30 years of technology operating experience, bringing a product design orientation to everything from organizational design to strategy. She was recently President at GoDaddy. An advocate for DEI, she founded the innovative Step Up Program during her tenure at Microsoft, designed to increase the number of women in senior management roles. She currently serves on the Board of Momentive.
Aarti Borkar
Aarti is a recognized leader, expert, and speaker on cybersecurity, currently serving as VP, Customer Success, Security Solutions at Microsoft. She has a proven track record of leading digital transformation, sitting at the forefront of emerging technologies in security and AI and their global implications. In addition, she is a frequent commentator on issues of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Poulomi Damany
Poulomi is a seasoned leader driving digital transformation and product innovation for global solutions serving millions of customers. She brings a wealth of experience scaling businesses over her 20 years in Silicon Valley, currently serving as the general manager of Credit Karma's Money business unit. A strong DEI advocate, she is passionate about bringing girls and women into tech, data for good, and financial inclusion.
Michelle Grover
Recognized as one of the 100 People Transforming Business in Emerging Tech, Michelle is a sought after expert and 20 year veteran of data transformation, digital transformation and technical operations across global markets. She is currently CTO at Slalom and previously oversaw business systems integration, data, security and infrastructure strategies as CIO at Twilio. An active advisor, she currently sits on the boards of Apptentive and Onymos and the technology councils of Greycroft and Sierra Ventures.
Rashida Hodge
Dubbed the “Superhero of IBM Watson AI”, Rashida sits at the forefront of data driven digital transformation and currently leads Microsoft’s Data and AI. She brings international expertise to board service, having conducted business in over 50 countries, including living in Shenzhen, China and Bratislava, Slovakia. Rashida currently sits on the boards of Girls, Inc, Duke University Fuqua School of Business Minority Advisory Board and North Carolina University College of Engineering Robotics.
Maia Josebachvili
Maia is a sought after strategic advisor to CEOs on a range of issues including M&A, talent & culture, and strategy. Her superpower lies in helping companies develop strategies and operational excellence for scale - having seen growth from 1 to 8000+ employees. Currently at Stripe, she oversees all Strategic Operations and previously led M&A and People. Maia currently sits on the board of Brightwheel and the Dartmouth Magnuson Center, and is a board observer at Pulley and TrueLayer.
Anne Kornblut
Anne Kornblut is a senior technology executive and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. With more than 20 years helping drive digital transformation strategies in both traditional media and Silicon Valley, she offers strategic guidance in pushing enterprises forward with new technologies, navigating regulatory shifts, and evolving their strategies using AI. Anne has served on the boards of several global non-profit organizations, including the International Center for Journalism, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Olivia Nottebohm
Olivia has a 20 year track record running high impact organizations and efficiently scaling iconic technology companies to billions in revenue as the CRO of Notion, COO of Dropbox and Head of Strategy and Operations for Googe’s Americas Business. As a Partner at McKinsey she worked directly with tech company boards and is a sought after expert on growth strategies, M&A and global multi-product scaling. Currently she serves on the board at Lightmatter.
Zaina Orbai
As a Chief People Officer, Zaina is a strategic partner to CEOs, leading business transformation driving operational effectiveness, and scaling late-stage start-ups to publicly traded companies. She’s led hyper-growth technology companies through IPOs at Yelp and The Real Real and has deep experience in executive compensation and managing Board Compensation Committees. Recognized as a 2022 HRO Today Leader of Distinction and Top 25 Influencer Humanizing the Future of Work, Zaina serves as an strategic advisor and angel investor to startups.
Yolis Ruiz
Yolis is an accomplished finance and operations executive with over 20 years experience in technology and digital transformation. She is currently the Vice President of Financial Planning and Operations at Coursera where she helped take them public. An advocate for diversity and inclusion in tech, she serves on the board of Latino Community Foundation and the Opportunity Fund.
Leah Sutton
Leah is a strategic advisor to CEOs on issues related to global organizational design, talent strategies, HR operations, ESG leadership and M&A. As SVP, Global HR at Elastic she has scaled 10x people growth through an IPO and 6 acquisitions. She has a passion for building distributed teams at high growth companies and helping founders think through their approach to leadership hiring and development. She is currently a board member at the Make A Wish Foundation in the Greater Bay Area and a trusted advisor to several tech startups.
Tracy Williams
Tracy is a recognized leader in people strategy, diversity, equity and inclusion, and culture building. Currently leading HR at New Relic, she’s expert at advising CEOs from start-ups to F500 companies in building cultures and communities that address the critical needs of the business and achieve goals while developing passionate employees. Tracy is a thought leader in the practice and successful integration of DEI strategies.
