Tips to educate the board of directors on emerging technology

1. PRESENTING EMERGING TECH
TO THE BOARD

2. IS YOUR BOARD READY FOR
A FUTURE WE CAN’T YET DEFINE?
Unprecedented rate of change
 Technology
 Workforce
 Urbanization
 Climate change
 Demographics
 Political
 Economic

3. GENERAL
RULES WHEN
PRESENTING
TO THE BOARD
 What is their goal in having you?
 Education? Decision approval? Etc.
 How will they use your information?
 How much do they already know on the
topic?
 What is the full board agenda?
 Where do you fit?
 Don’t repeat what others have said. Build
on it.
 Do due diligence on the board members

4. GENERAL
RULES WHEN
PRESENTING
TO THE BOARD
 Plan your message: keep it strategic
 Crisp, clear, concise. Visuals where
appropriate
 Details in the board book
 Align with the strategy
 Keep it high level and simple, and be
prepared to dive deep and be interrupted
 The average board presentation is 7
minutes
 Also prepare a 2 minute version
 Understand what questions could be
asked and prepare answers

5. DISCUSSING EMERGING TECHNOLOGY:
MAKE IT RELEVANT
What is it?
How could we use it?
What is the strategic benefit?

6. LET’S TALK THROUGH SOME EXAMPLES…
 Blockchain
 Artificial intelligence
 Internet of Things
 Robotics
 Augmented and/or virtual
reality
 Drones

7. THANK YOU
MARIAN F. COOK
MARIANFCOOK@GMAIL.COM

8. ADDITIONAL TERMINOLOGY
 Director – a person appointed to serve on the board of an organization, such as an institution or business.
 Inside director – a director who, in addition to serving on the board, has a meaningful connection to the
organization
 Outside director – a director who, other than serving on the board, has no meaningful connections to the
organization
 Executive director – an inside director who is also an executive with the organization. The term is also
used, in a completely different sense, to refer to a CEO
 Non-executive director – an inside director who is not an executive with the organization
 Shadow or de facto director – an individual who is not a named director but who nevertheless directs or
controls the organization
 Nominee director – an individual who is appointed by a shareholder, creditor or interest group and who
has a continuing loyalty to the appointor/s or other interest in the appointing company
Source: Wikipedia