Hiring NEDs: Helping you realise the value of having Technology/Digital capability on your Board by hiring a Senior Tech leader.
It's all about rebalancing the conversation: First and foremost, a Digitally enlightened Board will help improve communication, trust and strategic business alignment between your business strategy and digital opportunity. Interactions between executive management and boards have historically been episodic, typically occurring only at quarterly board meetings. Overlay this with rapidly changing technology, and the evolving business landscape, and it might suggest that boards and technology leaders should stay connected and engaged outside of board meetings. So far at least, the evidence suggests, that when it comes to technology, many boards resort to a more defensive position at the expense of topics related to technology-enabled business growth and expansion, such as developing new capabilities, business models, and revenue streams. 
Our NEDTech proposition centres around the crucial necessity of incorporating technology leaders onto the board of directors within organisations, especially with the recent SEC ruling in the US that amplifies the significance of the board's cybersecurity competency. As technology is important to every facet of business, technology leaders bring invaluable knowledge in digital innovation, cybersecurity, and data management. Their presence on the board equips organisations to effectively steer cybersecurity challenges, align technology investments with strategic objectives, and harness technology as an asset to help guide companies rather than just an operational component.
Below are five examples of technology leaders within our network. If you’re a chairperson who recognises the importance of having technology representation on the board, or a technology executive who is looking for your next board seat, click on the button below to see a larger number of profiles within our network.
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Anthony Roberts, Rackspace Technology
SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTOR
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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Alejandro Martinez Galindo, Fortrea
DESIGN DIRECTOR
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.
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Toby Eduardo Redshaw, Verus Advisory
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Atul Bhardwaj, The LEGO Group
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Paula Bobbett, Boots UK
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Click here to view more profiles
6 Advantages of hiring a Technology or Digital Leader onto your Board
There are clear fiscal benefits being enjoyed by those companies that have technology representation on their Boards, a recent Deloitte study found that companies with a tech-savvy Board member performed better than those that didn’t, with an average of 5% greater revenue growth over 3 years.
Appointing a tech-savvy NED better equips the Board by providing effective guidance around digital and technology initiatives, and helping the Board to probe and advise the executive committee and technology department on these issues.
MIT identify strategy as the most important role of the Board, consequently a robust digital strategy strengthened by a tech-savvy Board will bring the most long-term growth and revenue to the company. Board members may also lack awareness of the latest trends in data management (CDPs/DMPs) a tech-savvy Board member can remedy this.
The traditional model of quarterly Board meetings and reports isn’t fit for the challenges of today, and a more digital mindset is required to rise up to the tests. Appointing a Board member with digital expertise will help to instil this kind of mindset from the top.
There is a disproportionately high number of diverse Board members with a technology background, appointing tech-savvy leaders to the Board can help combat the challenge of bringing greater diversity into the Boardroom. 
The startling numbers of security incidents in recent years have caused the SEC in the US to take action. Discussed regulations will see Boards required to disclose information about who is responsible for oversight of cybersecurity, whether this be a single director or the entire Board. 
