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Women's Director Development Program

Enhance Your Effectiveness in the Boardroom

Professor MedvecDiscover the keys to unlocking the boardroom doors in this program for senior-level women executives. Designed and powered by the Kellogg Center for Executive Women, this course serves as both a boot-camp and gateway for women who aspire to serve on boards as well as those looking to expand their range of directorship opportunities. During this collaborative and rigorous program, you will interact with experienced board directors and senior Kellogg School faculty as you explore the roles of boards, ways to structure boards for high performance, and strategies for maximizing effectiveness as a board member.

Participants will be inspired to improve their understanding of board governance and future director prospects, while learning how to make the leap onto nominating committee radar screens.
Upcoming Sessions (Fee includes lodging and most meals)
Session Date Cost
November 13-15, 2013 $6,000 Apply
November 12-14, 2014 $6,300 Apply

Program Materials

The program is designed for senior-level women with the business or management experience to be effective director, this program is for you. Participants seek to position themselves to serve on boards or may be directors and wish to serve on additional Fortune 1000 boards. Participants should possess the financial literacy, business acumen, perspectives and experience necessary to perform well in a governance role.
In this program, you will learn to:
  1. Gain insights into the operations, roles, and structure of boards
  2. Make yourself more visible to executive search firms and nominating committees
  3. Detect “red flags” in financial statements
  4. Maximize your credibility and contributions as a board member
  5. Create a profile within the Kellogg Center for Executive Women’s Corporate Director Database, a free directorship search tool made available to corporations, nominating committees and search firms to help them identify and reach out to qualified female board candidates
The Three Pillars of the Program
This program is structured to provide an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of board governance, tools to be an effective director and practical guidance for obtaining directorships.

Characteristics of the Most Effective Boards and Board Members
  1. Understanding operations, roles and structure
  2. Exploring critical roles of directors in:
    1. Selecting, compensating, evaluating, and overseeing the CEO
    2. Strategy and change
    3. Mergers and acquisitions
    4. Crisis management
  3. Examining emerging governance challenges and trends
  4. Maintaining ethical standards


Making the Best Decisions

  1. Gathering and analyzing information to be an effective contributor
  2. Interpreting and assessing balance sheets, income statements, cash-flow statements, notes and auditor reports
  3. Deciphering “creative accounting”: revenue recognition, channel stuffing, inventory accounting problems, and account receivable issues
  4. Synthesizing performance information and effectively applying it to identify and anticipate problems and shape solutions
  5. Maximizing your contribution in meetings
  6. Asking the right questions


Making the Nominating Committee Radar Screen

  1. Understanding what search firms and nominating committees are seeking
  2. Building credibility, evaluating board opportunities, and selecting the right boards to join
Victoria Medvec - Academic Director; Adeline Barry Davee Professor of Management & Organizations; Executive Director of the Center for Executive Women

Marian Powers - Adjunct Professor of Executive Education

Brian Uzzi - Richard L. Thomas Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change; Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, McCormick School (Courtesy); Professor of Sociology, Weinberg College (Courtesy); Co-Director, Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems (NICO)

Edward Zajac - James F. Bere Professor of Management & Organizations; Chair of the Management & Organizations Department; Director of Kellogg’s Center for Strategic Alliance Research

Michael Dockterman - Partner and Executive Committee Member, Wildman Harrold

Georgia Nelson - President and CEO, PTI Resources LLC

Sheli Z. Rosenberg - Former Vice Chairman and CEO, Equity Group Investments; President of the Center for Executive Women

Kenneth J. Stephens - Senior Vice President, Chubb & Son, Inc.

Ken Taylor - Taylor Meyer Associates

Featured Faculty Video

  • Professor Vicki Medvec: The importance of framing in board decision making

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