83. Matching Board Members with Public Company Boards with Suzanne Brown
Release Date: 05/20/2025
83. Matching Board Members with Public Company Boards with Suzanne Brown
On Boards Podcast
In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaik welcome Suzanne Brown, Director of New York Stock Exchange Board Services. She shares her unique career journey from law and the nonprofit world to board placement leadership at the New York Stock Exchange. Suzanne unpacks how NYSE Board Services was created to bridge the gap between talented board-ready individuals and the NYSE companies that need them. Suzanne also explains their unique “CEO-vetted” approach, the powerful influence of the NYSE brand, and the structural components that make their board placement program...
info_outline
82. Reimagining AI Board Intelligence with Raffaela Rein
On Boards Podcast
In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Raffaela Rein, a seasoned entrepreneur and board member with expertise in frontier technology and innovation-driven leadership. Raffaela began her career as an analyst at BlackRock, and launched three companies for the world's largest incubator, Rocket Internet, across China, Australia, and Taiwan before becoming an entrepreneur. She serves on multiple corporate and private equity-backed boards, including Porsche, Mutares and International University IU. As the founder of WildWildVentures and CareerFoundry, she has...
info_outline
81. Building a High-Performing Board with Lynn Clarke
On Boards Podcast
In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Lynn Clarke, an experienced leader in family board governance who has served on more than a dozen family and private equity-backed boards including as an independent chair and lead director. Lynn is also a strategic advisor and mentor and has served on boards spanning from beverage and food services to e-commerce and manufacturing. Lynn has mentored next generation board members and leaders throughout her career and was named the Private Company Director of the Year by National Association of Corporate Directors in...
info_outline
80. Mastering Robert’s Rules of Orders with Susan Leahy
On Boards Podcast
In this episode hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Susan Leahy, the founder of Robert’s Rules Made Simple. Susan has trained and advised thousands of board members, board chairs and others on how to master Robert’s Rules of Order, to help lead and participate in productive meetings. Key Takeaways 1. History of Robert’s Rules of Order Robert’s Rules of Order is a decision making process developed in the 1800s by General Henry M. Robert, who was frustrated by disorganized meetings. Roberts created a guide, first published in 1876, which summarized and simplify...
info_outline
79. Enhancing Board Composition and Strategies for Board Leadership
On Boards Podcast
In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Tom Rosedale, a partner at the law firm of Nutter McClennen & Fish. Tom serves as chair of the firm’s Corporate and Transactions Department and is a member its Executive Committee. Tom has 27+ years of experience as a corporate attorney and regularly advises public and private company boards of directors in tech, life sciences and more. He has also served on the board of directors of multiple companies including Caring Cross, Vector BioMed, and AMD Global Telemedicine. The discussion with Tom...
info_outline
78. AI in the Boardroom with Andrew Sutton
On Boards Podcast
In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Andrew Sutton, an attorney with the law firm McLane Middleton and an expert on AI ethics and the use of AI in law. As a founding member of his firm’s AI practice group, Sutton brings his knowledge of AI to this discussion of the ethical, legal and governance aspects of AI. As AI continues to gain prominence, boards will have to consider how they can incorporate AI into companies and in the boardroom. Our discussion dives into the management of AI, implementation strategies and how to develop trust in the AI...
info_outline
77. The Win-Win Workplace: How Thriving Employees Drive Bottom-Line Success
On Boards Podcast
In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Dr. Angela Jackson, founder of Future Forward Strategies, an award-winning social entrepreneur, a global C-Suite executive, and an experienced board member. She discusses the board's role in holding leadership accountable for “people strategies” and ensuring companies remain competitive in a rapidly evolving business environment. Her new book “The Win-Win Workplace: How Thriving Employees Drive Bottom-Line Success” will be published on March 11, 2025 and will be available from all major book retailers. Key Takeaways...
info_outline
76. Unlocking the value of Risk Governance and the DCRO Qualified Risk Director Program
On Boards Podcast
In this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaikh welcome Lucie Claire Vincent, a global leader in consumer products and an independent board director, to discuss the vital role of risk governance in board effectiveness. Lucie Claire shares insights from her distinguished career at Fortune 100 companies, her experience as an independent director, and her work with the Directors and Chief Risk Officers Institute (DCRO). Lucie Claire also delves into the importance of earning the Qualified Risk Director (QRD) designation and the impact it has on boardroom discussions and...
info_outline
75. Marc Schneider on Empowering Entrepreneurs and Building Mission-Driven Companies
On Boards Podcast
Episode Summary In this episode of On Boards, Joe and Raza welcome Marc Schneider, an accomplished e-commerce and fintech executive with decades of experience building and scaling mission-driven companies. Marc shares his entrepreneurial journey, including his tenure as co-founder and CEO of Zebit, a transformative e-commerce and fintech platform, and his current role as an Operating Venture Partner at Ulu Ventures. The discussion dives into governance challenges in venture-backed startups, the evolution of boards from early-stage to IPO, and how founders can effectively leverage board...
info_outline
74. Navigating Board Stages of Startup Boards: Insights from Chris Cuddy, Board Chair of ezCater
On Boards Podcast
In this episode of On Boards, Chris Cuddy, a seasoned executive and board leader with over 25 years of experience growing technology-enabled companies in both the private and public sectors shares invaluable insights into the evolution of a company’s board as it progresses through different growth stages. He discusses how the board’s role shifts over time from hands-on support to formal governance. His unique perspective is informed by his extensive career, including key roles in companies like Cheapflights, Engage, and ezCater, as well as his background in consulting,...
info_outlineIn this episode of On Boards, hosts Joe Ayoub and Raza Shaik welcome Suzanne Brown, Director of New York Stock Exchange Board Services. She shares her unique career journey from law and the nonprofit world to board placement leadership at the New York Stock Exchange.
Suzanne unpacks how NYSE Board Services was created to bridge the gap between talented board-ready individuals and the NYSE companies that need them. Suzanne also explains their unique “CEO-vetted” approach, the powerful influence of the NYSE brand, and the structural components that make their board placement program effective and trusted.
Suzanne leads an extensive network of over 1,000 CEO-vetted candidates. The service averages 2 board searches a week for NYSE listed companies and since 2019 has helped place 50+ professionals on corporate boards.
Key takeaways
1. NYSE Board Services background
-
NYSE Board Services was created in response to an obvious but under-addressed problem: many qualified candidates were being overlooked for board roles due to lack of network access, not lack of ability. The service is free for NYSE listed companies.
-
Every candidate that enters the NYSE Board Services network has been vetted by the CEO of a listed company, who personally nominated them. The Board Exchange connects C-suite professionals with board opportunities, focusing on readiness, visibility, and long-term support.
-
The program is made of 3 C’s: Council, Candidates and Companies. The council is made up of a group of 24 prominent NYSE CEOs, the program has over 1,100 candidates and there are 2,400 companies with which the NYSE has built longstanding relationships.
2. Education is core to board readiness
-
Suzanne explains that many of the candidates are first time board members. The NYSE Board Services team personally onboards each candidate and helps them prepare their profile and present their background, skill set and industry focus.
-
Candidates are also offered education through webinars and panels on topics such as global trends, governance, board culture, etc. All services are free of charge.
3. Board tenure is rising, CEO tenure is shrinking
-
The average tenure for a board member has increased from 8 to 10 years and continues to increase while the turnover rate for CEOs has gone down to 4.8 years as of last year, the lowest ever.
-
The board holds the continuity, but Suzanne encourages startup and pre-IPO companies to proactively set board term limits and retirement ages. This removes the need for awkward conversations years later and helps institutionalize clear expectations for rotation and rejuvenation.
4. Future of NYSE Board Services
-
Suzanne’s vision for the program is that every nom/gov of an NYSE-listed company will reach out to NYSE Board Services to refresh their board because the service is high-quality, high touch and successful.
Quotes
“Our defining feature, our secret sauce, is that any candidate in our network has to be CEO vetted, and that means that a CEO of a listed company just has to personally vouch and stand for that person.”
“We're a trusted resource. It's a natural extension for listed companies to look to us.”
“Part of what we do is make sure that our candidates… are aware of trends and understand what it's like to be in the boardroom, which is a unique culture.”
Links
Guest Bio
Suzanne Brown is the Director of NYSE Board Services, an exclusive resource dedicated to connecting highly qualified board candidates with NYSE-listed companies. She partners closely with CEOs and Board Directors to enhance governance practices and strengthen board leadership.
Suzanne leads an extensive network of over 1,000 CEO-vetted candidates, facilitating strategic matches between talented individuals and companies in need of fresh board perspectives. Since 2019, NYSE Board Services has successfully placed 50+ professionals on corporate boards.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate, Suzanne, earned a B.A. in History from the University of Vermont and a J.D. from Cornell Law School