Wilson: Public board time commitments spike unpredictably during corporate crises
Michelle Wilson · a16z Podcast | Public or Private? Finding the Right Board Seat · Jan 2, 2019 · at 24:16
Former Amazon general counsel Michelle Wilson discusses the variable time commitments required of public corporate board members during an a16z podcast discussion on board governance.
0:00 / 0:15exact quote · 15.7s
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube → 720p mp4 · rendered on demand · StarZero watermark
“I think the answer on your time commitment question, I think it's an important question because it really varies, especially for public company boards. I think you can be sailing along and spending really not very much time, but If something big happens, you're gonna have to focus on it, and you're gonna have to focus on it now.”
quote is from the automated transcript, cleaned for reading: filler sounds and stutters are removed, nothing is rephrased. names can be misheard (the analysis reads context, assessments check outside sources). how →
More from Michelle Wilson
Wilson: Board Seats Offer High-Leverage Value to Younger Leadership Teams
“Being on a board is just a really highly leveraged way to use your time and help some younger companies and help contribute in ways and bring experiences that maybe the management team can't.”
Michelle Wilson: Being an effective board director happens mostly between meetings
“You need, you can't, you have to participate in the meetings, obviously, but so much of it is just what you do between meetings, really making sure you understand what's going on and you're up to speed and can contribute.”
Wilson: Board recruitment is lengthy, erratic, and provides poor feedback
“The hardest thing for me has been that even though I understand the board recruiting process, and I was in charge of a lot of it at Amazon, working really closely with the outside directors, I just, it is a long process, and it's really in fits and starts, and…”