The path to the boardroom.

• Position: BOARD LEADERSHIP

Bonnie Gwin (moderator): What are the best networking tactics that you recommend for women to get onto public company boards? What should they do? What should they not do?

Maggie Wilderotter: There are multiple ways that you can "build a portfolio" to be considered. Getting involved with associations in your industry is critical. This lets you be a voice that is looked at as an expert. This also gives you access to CEOs who are in your field or industry and is an opportunity to display your skill set that CEOs would find helpful in their board situations. Another initiative is to make a list of the top 10 boards that you would like to setve on. Take a look at who their directors are and make a commitment to get to know some of those directors. And something I did when I was young was I met with the Bonnies of the world. (They were all John and Joes, then.) Go and meet with the executive search folks who actually put candidates in front of boards. All this takes time, effort and energy, and you have to get out of your comfort zone.

Donna James: You should not send your resume to a board and say, "Hey, I want to go on your board," It is not like applying for a job. Most people know that, but I am still surprised at the number of people who don't understand that it is not about sending in a resume.

Lulu Wang: The hardest thing is to break into your first corporate board. Serving on high-quality not-for-profit boards is the perfect way to get your training before you make the move onto a corporate board. And if you have served a large not-for-profit organization, you likely have all the experience and skill sets that a public company board would need--expertise in strategic planning, budgeting, personnel, etc.

James: The nonprofit needs to be of a size and complexity that demonstrates you can handle size and complexity. Also, there needs to be other members on the board of that nonprofit who are already on public company boards, private company boards, or who do searches for private or public company boards.

Wang: When I was a candidate for my first corporate board, the usual women's names were put before the nominating committee. Two men on the committee had served with me on not-for-profit boards. They immediately said, "She is an experienced board member, she can do investments, she can do finance, she is terrific," That is how I moved into the corporate board world. I would encourage people to get board experience in not-for-profits.

Eileen...