Executive and Board Candidate Bios:

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD

CANDIDATE BIOS:

EXECUTIVE PRESENCE ON DISPLAY

Published in

Career Planning & Adult Development Network Journal

Summer 2014

By Paula Asinof

www.yellowbrickpath.com

(214) 526-8690

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS:

Executive Presence On Display

Career Planning & Adult Development Network Journal Summer 2014

www.yellowbrickpath.com 2

ood executive bios are hard to ﬁnd. Bad ones are everywhere. Bios are found on websites,

in marketing brochures, in sales presentations, in public proﬁles, and in promotional press

releases—and sometimes are used for job searches. Bios are often requested by professional

and philanthropic organizations considering an executive for membership or leadership roles.

Given the plethora of personal information easily available to the global community, often in the

form of a bio, it is essential that executives attend to managing the presentation and content of this

information. For those executives who have shied away from a public presence, it is more important

than ever to establish themselves visibly. For a career to be vibrant and successful, especially in today’s

“Free Agent Nation” (Pink, 2002), the executive needs to be easily found and professionally presented.

And a bio gives the reader their ﬁrst impression of the executive. As Susan Bixler, a pioneering coach

in the ﬁeld of professional image, points out, although people should be judged by their innate worth,

it is often a ﬁrst impression that determines whether someone will stick around long enough to let

them reveal it. (Bixler, 2001)

As career professionals, wise and competent counsel on the use of professional bios is no longer just a

“nice to have” skill, but rather it is an essential competency for working with executives on an upward

career trajectory. Bios are an important tool for enhancing executive visibility in numerous ways. More

than ever before, strong positive visibility is a key component of successful lifetime career management.

Characteristics of Effective Bios

Most bios are dull and boring, providing little insight into the person behind the words. Bios often say

“held this job, did this, held that job, did that, went to school there, grew up somewhere, married the

high school sweetheart, and has 1.8 children.” Change the names and locations and those bios could

be about 80% of executives. While they can be impressive in the display of credentials, essentially a

mini-resume, they are not likely to engage the reader with the person.

One reason for the overwhelmingly blandness is that bios are frequently written by third parties who

do not necessarily understand the executive’s story or the targeted audience. ese bios are simply

comprised of data that has been dropped into a more or less predetermined format. In addition, many

are too long with too much information. With the rise of LinkedIn, even recruiters are now turning

there ﬁrst, and interest in this type of bio for recruiting purposes has radically diminished.

While a “mini-resume” bio may be useful in certain circumstances, as a professional marketing tool,

it is not enough. e best bios tell a story that entices the reader to want to get to know the executive

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS:

Executive Presence On Display

Career Planning & Adult Development Network Journal Summer 2014

www.yellowbrickpath.com 3

personally and understand his or her unique talents and value. It is the executive’s “personal press

release” designed to wow the reader.

Whether used for business purposes, for advancing an executive’s visibility through professional or

community activities, or for job search, executives these days must reach beyond being a commodity

in an overcrowded market of similarly accomplished peers. Executives must visibly position them-

selves and be recognized as thought leaders in focused areas and truly stand apart from the competi-

tion (Armon, 2008). In addition, the concept of “personal branding” that was taken mainstream by

Tom Peters in 1997 (Peters, 1997) has spawned an entire industry. e notion is now so pervasive that

it took its place in the “Dummies” series in 2012 (Chritton, 2012). A well done executive bio is a key

document for articulating an executive’s personal brand.

Bios and Executive Presence

e development of a personal-branding-focused bio, especially when the executive participates in

the development process, often moves it from a piece of marketing communications to a vehicle that

helps strengthen “executive presence”. As described in “She’s Gotta Have ‘It’,” a BusinessWeek article

(Conlin, 2002), “It” is executive presence, and the lack of “It” can prevent even the most qualiﬁed exec-

utives, especially women, from achieving promotions for which they are otherwise strong contenders.

As BusinessWeek describes it, “Executive presence refers to… making a polished entrance… taking

hold of a room, forging quick personal connections… inspiring that I’ll-follow-you-anywhere-loyalty…

conveying an aura of warmth and authenticity….” Notably, the article points out that self-conﬁdence

and self-promotion are critical.

A well written executive bio frames a personal brand that is presented with conviction and panache.

And, furthermore, the process of developing one with the executive fully engaged strengthens his or

her ability to deliver it in person with style and conﬁdence. Career coaches can be instrumental in

assisting their clients in developing and internalizing their professional personas.

David D’Alessandro, the former Chairman and CEO of John Hancock Financial Services, makes the

point explicitly: “Everyone in organizational life is constantly being watched and evaluated by bosses,

clients, vendors, peers, and subordinates. Every day, with every bit of human interaction you engage

in, some member of this crowd forms an opinion about you.” (D’Alessandro, 2008)

So whether it is the bio itself, the process of creating it, the inﬂuence on how the executive presents

him or herself in person, or all of these, there is no doubt that this document properly designed,

developed, and used addresses essential aspects of career management.

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS:

Executive Presence On Display

Career Planning & Adult Development Network Journal Summer 2014

www.yellowbrickpath.com 4

Executive Bio Sample

So, what does this type of executive bio look like? Below is a classic example, which would be appro-

priate for a variety of executive uses as well as for Board of Directors candidacy.



RHONDALEVENE



COO&CFO

DaymonWorldwide



ConsumerProducts

TransformationthroughBrandStrategy



BOARDEXPERIENCE

 GS‐1,GlobalIndustryStandardsAssociation

SupplyandDemandChains



DaymonWorldwide

AuditCommitteeESOPInvestmentCommittee



UniversityofNorthTexas,BoardofGovernors

SchoolofHospitality&Merchandising



RHONDA LEVENE takes a vision and makes it reality through sound strategy development. She intuitively

sees the threads of opportunity that wind through an organization, brings them together into a coherent

whole, helps others extend their thinking, and drives material business advantage.She is an inspirational

leaderwho tells stories that inspire action while at thesame time is groundedin financial information that

levers the business.Respected as a credible voice in decision making, finding strategic financi n g partners,

andestablishinggovernanceboundaries,Rhondaearnsaseatatthetablewhereversheserves.

Currently, as COO and CFO at Daymon Worldwide, a privately‐held, global retail branding and sourcing

company,Rhondaoverseestheoperationsofabilliondollarplusorganizati o n .Sheledthesuccessfulbuyout

of the founder and transitioned the company to a 100% employee‐owned company.She is now

spearheadingmajorstrategicshiftsfortransformingITfromafunctionalfocusto

anenablerofinnov a t i o nfor

thebusinessandintegratingthefinanceorganizationsothatitsupportsatrulygloba lcompany.

Previously, as Senior Vice President and General Manager, Rhonda led business development for  the

foodservicedivisionofPepsiCoafterheadingtheir$1.5billionU.S.‐basedmulti‐channelbusiness.Duringthis

time, she drove the acquisition of market share from Pepsi’s largest competitor, repositioning Pepsi as a

recognizedandcredibleplayerin the foodservice industry.Earlier sherosethrough the ranks of The Coca‐

ColaCompanytransitioningfromfinancetosalesandmarketing.Shebeganhercareerinpublicaccounting

withErnst&Whinney.

Rhonda holds an MBA from the University of Dall a s , BBA from Southern Methodist University, and a CPA.

Sheserveson severalBoardsofDirectorsincludingGS‐1, aGlobalIndustryStandardsAssociation,theAudit

and ESOP Investment Committees of Daymon Worldwide, and the University of North Texas Board of

GovernorsfortheSchoolofHospitality&Merchandising.

555.555.5555 [email protected]

Bio included with the permission of Rhonda Levene, 2013

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS:

Executive Presence On Display

Career Planning & Adult Development Network Journal Summer 2014

www.yellowbrickpath.com 5

Here’s another example that is always a favorite. It was created from information gathered from

Internet sources that researched and compiled data on the Potter character in the acclaimed televi-

sion show M*A*S*H.



ColonelShermanT.Potter,MD



AssociateMedicalCenterDirector

HarryS.TrumanMemorialVeterans’Hospital



GeneralSurgeon–HospitalAdministrator–DecoratedWartimeFieldOfficer



ColonelShermanT.Potterisbothanexcellentsurgeonandleader,whoisfrequentlycalleduponforhis

knowledge of wartime surgery.He leads mainly by example, always doing his best and encouraging

others to do the same.While easygoing by nature, no one doubts his authority – he is direct and

decisivewhenheneedstobe.Heisrespectednotonlybyhistroopsbutbyhispeersandth o s eupthe

ranks.Heis recognizedforhisabilitytobalancethe spiritofarmyregulationswiththedifficultiesoflife

inawarzone.Potterisamanofintegrityandabletomakethetoughcallswhennecessary.

RecentlyappointedAssociateMedicalCenterDirector,ColonelPotterleads  theorganization,direction,

and coordination of all administrative functions of the hospital, including acting as liaison with the

Veterans’BenefitsRegionalOffice.Priortohisappointment,heheadedtheMASH4077

deployedto

Korea.Under his command, this unit consistently ranked among the top performing units during the

KoreanWar.EdwardR.

 Murrow, one o f broadcasting’s most illustriousjournalists, covered the 4077



afterreturningfromtouringtheKoreanbattlefields.

Previously, Potter completed medical school and served in various Army administrative roles after

returningfromactivedutyinFranceduringWorldWarI.Hebeganhismilitarycareeratayoungagein

thecavalryandhisloveofhorsescontinuedthroughouthislife.

Potter was decorated numerous times during his career and proudly wears the Army Commendation

Medal,PurpleHeart,ArmyGoodConductMedal,NationalDefenseServiceMedal,KoreanServiceMetal,

andtheUnitedNationsServiceMedal.He servedhismedicalresidencyinSt.Louisandestablishedhi s

surgicalpracticein1932.

555.555.5555 [email protected]



Previously developed by Paula Asinof and published in BE SHARP: “Tell Me About Yourself ” in Great

Introductions and Professional Bios by Paula Asinof and Mina Brown

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS:

Executive Presence On Display

Career Planning & Adult Development Network Journal Summer 2014

www.yellowbrickpath.com 6

Bio Structure

e basic structure of an executive bio is a document of about 350 words that ﬁts onto a single page

using an appropriate font and point size. Currently, a good choice is Calibri (a hybrid font that reads

well both in a printed document and on an electronic screen) using a point size of 10.5 or 11.

Bios are written in the third person, consistent with the literary genre of biographies.

Bios may or may not include headshots. Generally a professional headshot is recommended. It serves

to reinforce the executive’s professional stature and helps to engage the reader. e well-known adage,

“a picture is worth a thousand words” is especially relevant.

ExecutiveandBoardCandidateBios:ExecutivePresenceOnDisplay

CareerPlanning&AdultDevelopmentNetworkJournal,Summer2014 Page6



www.yellowbrickpath.com 214.526.8690



BioStructure

Thebasicstructureofanexecutivebioisadocumentofabout350wordsthatfitsontoasinglepageusingan

appropriate font and point size.Currently, a good choice is Calibri (a hybrid font that reads well both in a

printeddocumentandonanelectronicscreen)usingapointsizeof10.5or11.

Biosarewritteninthethirdperson,consistentwiththeliterarygenreofbiographies.

Bios may or may not include headshots.Generally a professional headshot is recommended.It serves to

reinforce the executive’s professional stature a n d helps to engage the reader.The  well‐known adage, “a

pictureisworthathousandwords”isespeciallyrelevant.



NAME



Title

Company



Keywords



Paragraph#1:Positioning

Paragraph#2:CurrentorMostRecentPosition

Paragraph#3:RestofCareer

Paragraph#4:Credentials

Contactinformation



Thecoreofthepersonalbrandappearsinthedescriptorsthatalignwiththeheadshot.Thereareasmany

variations as there are people and situations – with or without Board experience, currently employed,

retired, or in transition, title, company, functional area, areas of expertise, or “tag line”.The goal of this

sectionistodescribetheexecutivewithlaserfocussuchthathisorhervalueisgraspedimmediatelybythe

reader.Thisinformationisthensupportedinthebodyofthebio.

Hereareafewadditionalexamplesofheaders:

JOHNM.SMITH

PartnerandManagingDirector

ConsultingSolutionsLLC



e core of the personal brand appears in the descriptors that align with the headshot. ere are

as many variations as there are people and situations—with or without Board experience, currently

employed, retired, or in transition, title, company, functional area, areas of expertise, or “tag line”. e

goal of this section is to describe the executive with laser focus such that his or her value is grasped

immediately by the reader. is information is then supported in the body of the bio.

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS:

Executive Presence On Display

Career Planning & Adult Development Network Journal Summer 2014

www.yellowbrickpath.com 7

Here are a few additional examples of headers:

JOHN M. SMITH

Partner and Managing Director

Consulting Solutions LLC

Business Development Executive

Strategy—Business Capture—Major Accounts

KEISHA C. JACKSON

Chief Learning Oﬃcer

Big Church of Los Angeles

Learning Organizations

Enterprise Strategy—Adult Learning—Leadership Development

GEORGE MARTINEZ

President/CEO

Small to Medium Business

Manufacturing & Distribution

Business Performance

Shareholder Value—Operational Excellence—Customer Experience

CHARLES LEE

Healthcare Management Executive

Hospital Systems

Cooperative Business Strategies

Alliances—Joint Ventures—Partnership Execution

DIVYA KATDARE

Senior Partner & Program Director

TDGC

Large Scale Program Management

Engaging Diverse Constituencies in the Dynamics of Change

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS:

Executive Presence On Display

Career Planning & Adult Development Network Journal Summer 2014

www.yellowbrickpath.com 8

Structuring the paragraphs is straightforward, keeping in mind that the goal of the document is to

create “WOW” in the mind of the reader. For example, “WOW”, you did that? “WOW”, I’m impressed!

“WOW”, I need to talk with you right away. e bio should immediately and accurately create a

picture of the person being described, portray a person with distinguishing capabilities and qualities,

and communicate the subject’s level of authority, responsibility, and expertise. Taken as a whole, it

showcases an accomplished, polished, authentic, and personally powerful executive.

In creating the ﬁrst paragraph, Positioning, it is important to keep in mind that this where the execu-

tive comes to life. It is easy to slip into a rehash of competencies or experience overviews, so it is

necessary to be vigilant to stay focused on the person. Here are some questions for brainstorming

that are eﬀective for surfacing the right information. e best results come from drilling down into

the speciﬁcs beyond the initial, often general, responses. Simply ask, “Speciﬁcally what do you mean

by that?”

1. What do you love about what you do? What is your mission, your passion? What about your

work gets you up in the morning and keeps you motivated?

2. What makes you good at what you do? What innate abilities, unique talents, or special gifts do

you have that others don’t have? How speciﬁcally do you think about things that contribute to

your success?

3. Why do people like to work with you? Not just subordinates but also peers, bosses, customers/

clients, vendors, regulators, politicians, etc.

4. What do people say about you? What would a reference say? What positive things get

documented in performance appraisals and letters of recommendation? How does the press

characterize you?

Essentially, an executive’s brand includes the following three factors (Asinof, 2008):

1. Essence Factor—who they are

2. Guru Factor—what they know

3. Star Factor—what they do and how they do it

Speciﬁcity is the key. Words like “leadership skills” or “communication ability” are too broad to be

descriptive. It is essential to highlight exactly what makes the executive a great leader or outstanding

communicator. It is the speciﬁcs that set the executive apart from other great leaders and outstanding

communicators. In the best bios, the reader will come to the conclusion that the executive is excep-

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS:

Executive Presence On Display

Career Planning & Adult Development Network Journal Summer 2014

www.yellowbrickpath.com 9

tional based on the information presented rather than being told by the executive that he or she is

great. After all, one’s personal opinion of one’s own greatness is surely suspect.

e second and third paragraphs cherry pick the executive’s accomplishments for the couple of contri-

butions that had real impact—the more impact, the better. ese should be earthshaking, company-

saving, award winning events supported by quantitative results where possible and be related to the

interests of the targeted audience. Sensitive corporate information, especially ﬁnancial numbers,

strategic programs, or company statistics that are not a matter of public record and that could inﬂu-

ence the market or stock price of the company should not be included in the bio or should be stated

in generalities such as “multi-million dollar”. is also applies to client company names that would

provide competitive intelligence or which the company or client views as conﬁdential. e bio is not

the place for Wall Street analysts to ﬁnd out what the executive’s company is doing or planning to do.

Usually, the second paragraph deals with the executive’s current or most recent position while the third

paragraph sums up all the rest, with attention to providing a concise career progression and one or two

truly signiﬁcant and relevant achievements. e fourth and ﬁnal paragraph should include education,

certiﬁcations, languages, professional aﬃliations—whatever credentials are important. In almost all

situations, faith-based aﬃliations and family information are not relevant to a professional bio.

Board Bios

For Board candidate bios, the credential section is critical and as a result usually longer than in a

standard executive bio. For a Board candidate, the career portion may be shortened to achieve the

targeted length and focus. In particular, Boards like candidates who have already been discovered by

other organizations, so including corporate or not-for-proﬁt Boards on which the executive currently

or previous has served is beneﬁcial. In addition, leadership roles in industry, civic, or charitable insti-

tutions that demonstrate ability to guide an organization strengthen the bio. Additionally, Boards like

executives who have been recognized for their accomplishments, especially with awards or honors

from outside their own companies. Personal media coverage, publications, and speaking engagements

should also be considered.

With notable Board experience, the bio might include a paragraph like the one below. Its placement

in the bio will depend on its importance and relationship to the purpose of the bio and how it ﬁts into

the overall career progression.

Since 20xx, [name] has been a member of the Board of Directors of ABC International, where he

currently chairs the Nominating & Governance Committee, serves on the Compensation and

EXECUTIVE AND BOARD CANDIDATE BIOS:

Executive Presence On Display

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Executive Committees, and previously served on the Audit Committee. In the decade he has served,

ABC has made a well-managed CEO transition, grown organically and through acquisition, diversi-

ﬁed its portfolio, and expanded its geographic footprint.

Finally, in evaluating a Board candidate bio, it is useful to consider the key qualities that Boards are

looking for and judge how the executive, as presented in the bio, compares to those criteria.

1. Cachet: Boards want their members to be well recognized so that they bring an element of

stardom and credibility to the company.

2. Functional Expertise: On a Board, it is important to have many business functions repre-

sented so that decisions are made with a balanced perspective.

3. Valuable Relationships: Board members are expected to be able to open the right doors for

their company. ey are often selected because they know who to call and can get things done

through their networks.

4. Skilled Governance: A company’s strategic policy decisions are made by its Board, with each

board member contributing to the overall governance of the organization. e Board is respon-

sible for bringing thoughtful sophistication to the process of leadership.

For not-for-proﬁt Boards, two additional criteria are applicable.

1. Passion for the Mission: Not-for-proﬁt Boards want Board members who believe in the

organization and serve as its voice, both formally and informally, internally and externally.

2. Monetary Contributions: Not-for-proﬁt Boards generally expect their Board members to

make material personal monetary contributions in addition to helping the organization raise

money from other sources.

Finally, the bio for a Board candidate needs to be assessed from the perspective of a Board selection

committee and possibly shareholders. Why would a Board want this executive to join them anyway? What

is the most important and diﬀerentiating contribution the executive would be making to the group? If the

Board bio is targeted to a speciﬁc company or organization, the assessment should be even more speciﬁc.

What are the needs of this particular Board and how would this particular executive contribute to that?

It is crucial that Board candidates not simply assume that executive expertise in a functional area makes

them attractive to a Board. A useful question is “If a Board member does “that”, then what does the CEO

(or CFO, CMO, CIO, CPO) do? Board contributions must always be viewed from a strategic governance

perspective, not from an organizational or functional leadership point of view.

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Executive Presence On Display

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One organization that has embraced the Board bio is e Board Connection (TBC) (www.

eBoardConnection.org) in Dallas, Texas. e Board Connection is a not-for-proﬁt founded

to increase the number of women serving on corporate boards through programs designed to

develop, inﬂuence, and connect qualiﬁed credentialed women with board governance opportunities.

Membership is by application only, and acceptance is based on an assessment of Board readiness. Since

its founding ﬁve years ago, this organization has provided opportunities for its members to attend

workshops, participate in working sessions, and obtain additional personal guidance in creating their

Board candidate bios in a standard TBC format. TBC maintains both a library of member bios for

distribution for speciﬁc opportunities as well as publishing a comprehensive Board Bio Book that is

shared with executive recruiters and Board search committees. Recently, the Board candidate bio has

been integrated into TBC’s proprietary Board Readiness Assessment program.

Conclusion

Business today moves fast. And it is unforgiving. First impressions, good or bad, are diﬃcult and

perhaps impossible to change. In a competitive market for talent and the glut created by the increasing

ease of disseminating information, personal branding and marketing has moved “front and center” for

executives in managing careers. e executive bio as a “personal press release” provides a vehicle for

displaying executive presence and standing out from the crowd with polish and pizzazz.

Bibliography

Armon, K. (2008). Market Your Potential, Not Your Past. AuthorHouse.

Asinof, P. and M. Brown. (2008). Be Sharp: Tell Me About Yourself in Great Introductions and

Professional Bios. BookSurge Publishing (now CreateSpace).

Bixler, S. and L.S. Dugan. (2001). 5 Steps to Professional Presence. Adams Media Corporation.

Chritton, S. (2012). Personal Branding for Dummies. For Dummies.

Conlin, M. (2002, July 22). She’s Gotta Have It. BusinessWeek.

D’Alessandro, D. (2008). Career Warfare: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand on the

Business Battleﬁeld. McGraw-Hill.

Peters, T. (1997, August/September). e Brand Called You. Fast Company.

Pink, D. (2002). Free Agent Nation: e Future of Working for Yourself. Business Plus.

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About the Author

Paula Asinof, Principal & Founder

Yellow Brick Path

www.yellowbrickpath.com

Paula Asinof is the founder of Yellow Brick Path, a career coaching, leadership consulting, and resume

services ﬁrm. Clients appreciate her straight talk, often unconventional perspectives, and the depth of

her “real world” executive experience.

Paula is distinguished by her ability to identify, leverage, and develop talent. roughout her career, she

has helped clients, peers, and subordinates recognize their unique capabilities and position themselves

as “A” players by addressing career strategy, leadership development, professional positioning, and

visibility. She has a contagious enthusiasm and passionate belief in people that inspires them to become

prouder, stronger, and more valuable contributors to their organizations. She has also led innovative

initiatives to build top-performing organizations with management “bench strength” and staying power.

Her background includes co-founding Coach Academy International, a cutting-edge accredited coach

training program, ten years of Executive Search Recruiting, and serving as Director of a college career

services department. Earlier, she held leadership positions in IT and Finance with GTE (now Verizon), Rand

McNally, and the Midwest Stock Exchange after beginning her career in public accounting. Paula holds an

MBA from e Wharton School, an MA from Columbia University, and a BA from Washington University

in St. Louis. She received the prestigious designations of Credentialed Career Manager (CCM) and Master

Career Director (MCD) and is an Associate of Career ought Leaders (CTL). She is also an NLP Practitioner,

a Certiﬁed NLP Coach (NLPC), and a member of the International Coach Federation (ICF).

Paula is also the co-author of the practical and popular books Be Smart: Sail Past the Hazards of

Conventional Career Advice (editions in English and Spanish), Be Sharp: Tell me About Yourself in

Great Introductions and Professional Bios, and Quick Start Coaching Kit: e Fast Track to Coaching

Success, all available on Amazon.com.