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WACL NED Talk – The impact and influence of marketing DNA on the Board – members only – 21st March 2023 @12:15

March 21, 2023 @ 12:15 pm - 1:30 pm

The impact and influence of marketing DNA on the Board

Our next NED session focusses on a key topic of interest for WACL members: the critically important benefit of having NEDs who bring marketing DNA to the boards they serve.

At a time when UK and international markets are becoming increasingly complex and dynamic, the experiential diversity and perspective a Marketing NED brings with their ability to look outside a company at the evolving landscape, spot change and opportunity, and interpret what they see to position the company to its greatest advantage, underlines their importance to the creation and development of effective strategy.

As the ‘consumer champion’, they balance the need to create value -for the brand, for its employees, and for its customers – and are central to company success and revenue generation.

To explore this topic in more depth, we are hugely fortunate to have two stellar speakers joining us who will share their perspectives – Mark Allen OBE, Non-Executive Chairman of A G Barr and Halo Foods, and Smriti Vicari, Consultant in the Financial Services Practice at Egon Zehnder.  The discussion will be facilitated by Kerry Glazer, WACL member and Non-Executive Chair of AAR and Untold Studios.

Event Key Insights

What’s special about the NED opportunity in 2023 for our WACL members? 
‘Now’ is the moment for female marketers as boards have dramatically shifted in their appreciation of gender and ethnic diversity but also neuro-diversity.
Covid was a particular catalyst as it raised up the importance of the need to understand but also empathise with consumers.
ESG is quick growing in terms of investor interest and is a good competency for marketing NED’s to build, it’s also quite new.
The NED Process: 
Your NED CV is very important and needs to be different to an Exec CV , spend time on your CV and make sure your experiences speak to the competencies boards need which are much broader than exec roles . Therefore, look to ‘build out’ what you have to offer and bring your whole self, for example, experiences around building purpose and people in organisations, digital transformations, M&A , ESG which go beyond the basic delivery of revenue targets.. ‘‘Have your full identity on display’’ 
 
Boards and looking for and appreciative of versatility and agility in background, therefore working across sectors, across big and mall businesses, different ownership structures -PE backed, PLC , Family businesses are all valued.
 
Your contacts and network are very important in getting onto the short lists for roles , having someone credible ‘vouch’ for you is very valuable.
Take the pressure off the first one , it doesn’t have to define what sort of NED you do for evermore, it is a place to build from.
It is very important to do you own due diligence and view the somewhat extensive interview process as an opportunity for you to get to know the company and its people , is there integrity in the business and its people, can you see where you can add value ?
Once you are in position: 
Avoid the need to be the ‘cleverest in the room ‘ and to outwit / threaten the Exec team, invest the time to work outside of the board and build trust and influence.
Being CEO is often a lonely tole, be there to support first and challenge as appropriate.
Consider graduation through to chair/ what is important in unlocking a Chair position?
Most often boards look for empathy with the CEO , therefore having ‘lived’ experience of being a CEO in the same sector is an advantage. There are also lots of examples internal succession candidates , if this is of interest , look to make this ambition clear and take opportunities to broaden your remit on the board.
 
And finally, 
Non Execs unlike some Exec positions are a long term commitment, you are going to be sitting around that board table and at board dinners for a fair few years and may have some very tricky situations to deal with as a team,  therefore , chemistry and the board make up is really important – bring your whole self to the process and make sure the company and its people bring theirs too.

Speaker Biographies

Mark Allen OBE

Mark’s early career in the police force sparked an interest in law. After completing a law degree Mark’s career has spanned a variety of senior executive corporate roles, initially with Shell and latterly with Dairy Crest where he was CEO from 2007 to 2019.

He has also held a number of Non-Executive roles, including Non-Executive Chair at Norcros plc, and Non-Exec Director at Warburtons.  Mark is currently the Non-Executive Chair of Halo Foods, having joined the board in November 2020, and he was appointed as Non-Executive Chair of A G Barr in July 2021.

Mark brings with him a deep understanding of consumer goods, as well as significant public company experience.

 

Smriti Vicari

Based in London, Smriti Vicari is active in Egon Zehnder’s Financial Services Practice. Drawing on her industry experience, she focuses on partnering with clients to resolve critical leadership challenges, transforming organisations and enabling talent to thrive.

Prior to joining Egon Zehnder, Smriti worked at Visa Europe, where she successfully led the Strategy and Corporate Development team, served as Chief of Staff to the European CEO, and built up the FinTech & Strategic Partnerships division. Before that she gained experience in the financial services industry at global institutions including State Street Bank and Moody’s Investors Service.

Smriti earned a BSc in finance from the University of Southern California and an MBA from London Business School. Besides English, she has a conversational command of Italian. When not working she devotes herself to her husband and two young sons and enjoys meditating, practicing Pilates and listening to classical music.

 

Details

Date:
March 21, 2023
Time:
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
Event Category:
Event Tags:

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