• Aspiring board candidates with the financial literacy, business acumen, perspective and experience necessary to perform well in a governance role
• Senior executives committed to supporting women seeking directorships, including opportunities on Fortune 100 boards
• This program is limited to participants with specific business experience. You must receive approval from Kellogg to participate. This will require a completed Kellogg application and a recommendation from either your CEO or a sitting board member of your choice endorsing you as qualified for the program. Please visit the program website for more information.

• Broaden one’s understanding of the role of the board
• Hone skills crafting and delivering a value proposition for a board seat
• Increase visibility with executive search firms and nominating committees
• Analyze opportunities to harness one’s network to identify and create board opportunities
• Learn to detect red flags and read between the lines in financial statements

Characteristics of the Most Effective Boards and Board Members

• Explore critical roles of directors in strategy and change
• Examine emerging governance challenges and trends

Your Value Proposition

• Develop a compelling board profile highlighting governance competencies
• Hone a concise value proposition to use within one’s network and with other influencers
• Practice delivering a value proposition to people in one’s network, search firm executives, CEO and directors

Board Interview

• Prepare for an interview that is unlike other interviews; get ready to answer questions about roles in governance
• Practice in a setting with experienced directors to prepare for the interviews to come

Earning the Nomination

• Build credibility, evaluate board opportunities and conduct the due diligence to select the right boards to join

Be an Effective Director

• Gather and analyze information to maximize contributions in meetings and ask the right questions
• Identify red flags in financial statements with a careful analysis of balance sheets, income statements and cash flow

SPECIAL FEATURE:

Listing In Database Of Women Directors
As a participant in this program, you can create an individual profile in the Kellogg Center for Executive Women’s Database of Women Directors, an extensive repository of information on exceptionally well-qualified female board candidates. The Kellogg Center for Executive Women uses this database to provide information on qualified directors to search firms, nominating committees and CEOs free of charge. The Kellogg Center for Executive Women also proactively reaches out to companies to encourage them to consider qualified women for their boards.

Below are examples of boards on which former participants of the Women’s Director Development Program currently hold seats:

• Apogee Enterprises, Inc.
• Bed Bath & Beyond
• CDW Computer Centers
• CIGNA Corporation
• Honeywell International
• Ingredion Incorporated
• Mutual of Omaha
• Optima Bank and Trust Co.
• Oshkosh Corporation
• Salesforce.com
• Sargento
• Southwest Airlines
• Weyerhaeuser
• Whirlpool
• Xcel Energ

Admissions Decisions and Process
An admissions committee thoroughly reviews each application and considers the nature and scope of the applicant's responsibilities for admittance to this competitive program. As part of your application to this program, you are required to submit a letter of recommendation from either your CEO or a sitting board member of your choice to endorse your qualifications. Class size is limited to maximize participation, so early application is encouraged. The Women’s Director Development Program applications are accepted on a rolling basis and are reviewed upon submission until the program fills.

Program Fee
The program fee covers class materials, most meals and accommodations. Travel expenses (including airfare) are the responsibility of the participant. Payment is due in US dollars upon receipt of invoice.

Enrollment in Kellogg programs is highly competitive, and seats will not be guaranteed until your payment is received.

It is expected that applicants have their own health insurance valid in the United States. The University is not responsible for medical expenses incurred by participants during the program.

Cancellation Policy
Because attendance at a Kellogg executive program requires significant advance preparation and demand often exceeds capacity, it is important that you contact us in a timely manner if you must cancel or defer your attendance. To receive a full refund of program fees, notice of cancellation must be received more than 30 days in advance of the program start date. Participants who cancel less than 30 days in advance will not receive a refund but may nominate an acceptable substitute or attend a future session of the same program within the next year.

Gail Berger - Academic Director; Clinical Associate Professor of Management & Organizations; Deputy Director, Center for Executive Women; Associate Professor of Instruction, Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences, McCormick School of Engineering

Victoria Medvec - Academic Director; Adeline Barry Davee Professor of Management & Organizations; Executive Director of the Center for Executive Women

Marian Powers - Adjunct Professor of Executive Education

Edward Zajac - James F. Bere Professor of Management & Organizations

Participants in this program can create an individual profile in the Kellogg Center for Executive Women’s Database of Women Directors, an extensive repository of information on exceptionally well-qualified female board candidates. The Kellogg Center for Executive Women uses this database to provide information on qualified directors to search firms, nominating committees and CEOs free of charge. The Kellogg Center for Executive Women also proactively reaches out to companies to encourage them to consider qualified women for their boards.

Below are examples of boards on which former participants of the Women’s Director Development Program currently hold seats:

• Abbott Laboratories
• CDW Corporation
• CF Industries, Inc.
• Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
• Cintas Corporation
• Dover Corporation
• Duke Energy Corporation
• Honeywell International Inc.
• McDonald’s Corporation
• The Boeing Company
• The Cigna Group
• Travel + Leisure Co.
• Tyson Foods, Inc.
• WEC Energy Group, Inc.
• Whirlpool Corporation

“This program is a fantastic combination of how to be a good director and how to get the role. The participants in the course are amazing — talented with really diverse backgrounds. The network coming out of the program is worth the price of admission.”
President US, Welch’s