Many people ask me how to find board opportunities. I explain that this is a process rather than an event. The cultivation process is constantly in motion. It is hard work that needs to be treated almost as a full-time job. Begin with the fundamentals: 

During my first few months at Harvard, I discovered four wonderful board opportunities, through various channels.

My first new corporate board assignment came through LinkedIn. I do not usually respond to requests to connect from people I do not know. However, a request from Miguel García Ruiz caught my attention. Miguel is the co-CEO of Infosel, an information, data, and technology company headquartered in Mexico.

Ordinarily, that might have been enough for me to dismiss the request. But upon some additional company research, I became intrigued by the nature of the company and its growth prospects in South America. Miguel had reached out believing that my experience with leading large investment and investment services platforms could be helpful to them. After several interviews with other investors and management, I was asked to join the board.

The second opportunity came through a former board member at Scottrade. Claire Huang called to see if I was interested in discussing the possibility of joining the board of Prosper Marketplace. Prosper is one of the original fintech peer-to-peer lending organizations, based in San Francisco. Claire was kind enough to recommend me to the CEO, David Kimball, who thought my operational and client service background would be helpful. I went through an exhaustive interview process and was asked to join the board.

The next opportunity, with Edelman Financial Engines, came through the traditional recruiter channel. The company was looking for someone who had deep knowledge of financial services and had successfully led large sales and service organizations. I had long admired founder Ric Edelman and the great brand and business he created. I was thrilled to be considered for this opportunity. There was, however, one complication. Given the potential competitive nature with Schwab, I would need to get clearance from Schwab prior to accepting any appointment. Schwab could not have been nicer: They granted the waiver.

The final board opportunity was referred to me by a friend, Horacio Marquez. Horacio and I met in Florida at a sailing regatta in which our daughters competed some years earlier. We sailed together during the event and had kept in touch over the years. This opportunity would be initially to engage with a company called Onepak, an emerging leader in reverse logistics. Over time, I became an investor and board member.

The important message in these stories is that finding board opportunities takes a multichannel approach. Infosel found me through LinkedIn. I was referred to Prosper by a former colleague. A traditional recruiter reached out to me for the Edelman Financial Engines opportunity, and an acquaintance who had become a friend introduced me to the fourth. Another important trait is that these are all private companies. I have found it much easier to find private board opportunities than public company opportunities. Private company boards, which I have found easier to navigate, also come with a lot less scrutiny than public company boards.

–Excerpt from Taking Stock: 10 Life and Leadership Principles from My Seat at the Table. Available on Amazon.com