PR pros passed over in board representation: it's woeful that in today's trust-heavy environment these senior counselors don't occupy a director's seat.

• Author: Grates, Gary F.
• Position: Guest Column

GIVEN THE current skepticism about the way business is being conducted, the need for transparency is more important than ever before. Independent directors are more likely to encourage such openness. The mere act of appointing additional independent directors to boards isn't sufficient, however, if the executive pool from which these appointments are selected remains more or less the same as it has been.

Given the much-stated desire for a renewed commitment to corporate governance and stakeholder representation, the time has come for companies to extend beyond the "usual suspects" and think non-traditionally as they appoint their directors. More than ever, boards desperately need the perspective of external senior public relations counselors.

Think about it: A public relations counselor's whole purpose revolves around building and sustaining relationships with the organization's key stakeholders, including employees, customers, prospects, influencers, NGOs, media, government, communities, and investors. These professionals can provide penetrating insight into all of the audiences and issues that concern boards and provide companies with a perspective on how their business is perceived by stakeholders and how future actions will likely impact their credibility.

Despite this, public relations professionals are woefully under-represented on corporate boards. "Woefully underrepresented" is, in fact, an understatement. GCI/Boxenbaum Grates reviewed the composition of the boards of 50 companies culled from the Fortune 500 list. Combined, these 50 companies have more than 500 board members (with a few executives pulling double duty). These directors include the usual assortment of lawyers and investment bankers, along with a number of academics, media types, ex-politicians, and even an athlete and a psychotherapist. The number of public relations professionals--who spend their days obsessing over stakeholder relationships--in this board universe? Zero.

When I refer to public relations professionals, I'm talking about senior counselors to CEOs--people who themselves are often CEOs of large, international organizations. More than ever, senior public relations professionals have a seat at the CEO's table, along with the attorneys and financial officers. It's time for that participation to extend to the boardroom.

Public relations people are in the business of building relationships and influencing behavior, and as such are uniquely trained to serve...