News

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/bl.30133
• Published date: 01 May 2019
• Date: 01 May 2019

5 Strategic Talent

Imperatives for the

Boardroom

By John Barrett and Bryan Buck

John Barrett and Bryan Buck are partners at the executive search rm ON

Partners, where they work with public and private companies to identify and

recruit high-impact executives for board, C-suite, and other senior leadership

roles. Here, they discuss the ways that changing global conditions in 2019 and the

foreseeable future are combining to create ve strategic talent imperatives for the

boardroom. Whether companies seek growth or transformation moving forward,

their future success will rest to some degree upon their ability to create and

maintain boards that meet these essential imperatives.

At ON Partners, every one of the

partners—including ourselves—

has a long track record of working with

clients in solving their strategic needs

for leadership talent.

Keeping that perspective in mind,

it’s fair to say that these past few years

have been extraordinary—and per-

haps unparalleled—for the business

community. Technological innovation

has fueled rapid-fire transformation in

one industry and market sector after

another. Competition has been fierce,

with new competitors coming from

unexpected sectors and all directions.

Not surprisingly, the war for top

talent has been equally fierce, as

companies have struggled to woo

desirable executives to their boards

and leadership teams. For those com-

panies with the right leadership in

place—and business models that have

been innovative, nimble, committed to

excellence, and aggressively growth-

oriented—the opportunities have

seemed limitless.

As we progress through 2019, we

believe this is still an opportunity-rich

environment. But shifting global condi-

tions, intense competitive pressures,

and a host of other complexities are

combining to create new challenges

and pressures. Inevitably, these devel-

oping trends are impacting the stra-

tegic talent equation for companies

throughout the business community,

making this the right time for a careful

assessment of leadership at all levels.

The question is simple: As global fac-

tors and competitive dynamics con-

tinue to evolve, is the right leadership

team in place to take the company

from where it is now to where it aims

to be?

NUMBER 163, MAY–JUNE 2019

www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/bl

BOARD LEADERSHIP

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO GOVERNANCE

View this newsletter online at wileyonlinelibrary.com

Board Leadership • DOI: 10.1002/bl • May–June 2019

(continued on page 2)

NEWS

Board appointments at

Rasmuson Foundation,

California Endowment, and

more

Several leading philanthropic

organizations have added new

members to their boards of direc-

tors in the past few months, bring-

ing fresh insight and a diversity of

perspectives to help guide decision-

making at their organizations. Some

examples include:

•Actress and #MeToo advocate

Alyssa Milano has joined the

board of Spread the Vote, a Los

Angeles–based nonprofit that

helps members of communities

around the country get the

tools and resources they need

to vote. The group helps

educate citizens of voting

age obtain any necessary

IDs, registration, and polling

location information in order

to ensure they vote in local

elections.

•Curtis McQueen, chief

executive officer of Eklutna

Inc., and Marilyn Romano,

Alaska regional vice president

for Alaska Airlines, have joined

the board of directors of the

Rasmuson Foundation, based in

Anchorage.

McQueen brings more than

32 years of experience in busi-

ness, communications, project and

construction management, admin-

istrative management, and govern-

mental affairs. He also previously

worked in business development

(continued on page 6)

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

More InclusIve leadershIp

helpIng to advance WIsconsIn

coMpanIes .................4

calendar .................7

Food For thought ...........8