How an Advisory Board Adds Value to Your Business
What is an advisory board? Ideally, it’s a collection of individuals who bring unique knowledge and skills to the table that complement the knowledge and skills of formal board members, resulting in a structure that more effectively governs an organization and supports the CEO.
Unlike a board of directors, an advisory board does not have the formal authority to govern an organization; that is, the advisory board cannot issue directives to the CEO. Rather, especially in a start up or small and medium enterprise (SME), the group serves as sounding board for the CEO, working as a set of trusted personal coaches and mentors to the CEO until he orshe is comfortable enough to reduce the group, and to rely more and more on senior executives and the board of directors.
When forming an advisory board, it is important to resist the
temptation to stockpile “big names” for brand and recognition, if
they don’t supply needed support and value to the CEO. First-time
startup CEOs in particular want and need validation in their space,
so they are more prone to lean on celebrity advisory
members, but a smart CEO will release soon enough that it’s
not worth releasing equity to retain a board of advisors if they
are not adding tangible value.
It is recommended to start with a small advisory board with
expertise that is crucially needed at the current junction, for
example, retired CFOs to advise on business, legal and financial
issues, retired or active business executives who can advise on
organizational, legal, compensation, and leadership, or retired or
active marketing executives, etc. Other advisors
can always be added later on, as the CEO discovers
more company needs.
Ideally, a good set of advisors should:
- Consist of recognized industry thought leaders
who add immediate validation and credibility to the venture at a
stage when there is typically none.
- Open doors, make introductions, and assist
with crystallizing strategy and business guidance.
- Add value in making introductions to sources of
capital, or serving as a due diligence reference during
fundraising.
- Know people. The more third parties talking
about your venture the better.
- Understand and work within the legal
restrictions of company governance and board obligations,
refraining from acting as a shadow board of directors.
- Participate with the CEO informally; this
relationship is mostly not regulated by governing bodies and should
be left to the CEO to initiate and manage.
- Be compensated in an appropriate way that doesn’t impact the equity or financial resources of the company, and is approved by the board of directors.
In the MENA region, it is particularly hard and not customary to assemble an advisory board for a startup or SME. There are numerous reasons for that: local culture and tradition, as SMEs have historically been opaque family businesses, an ecosystem that facilitates the process of matching CEOs with involved advisors, the dominance of more immediate issues of building a company including financing and survival, and the historical lack of available talented advisors in emerging sectors, namely technology.
Yet these guidelines offer a simple roadmap to get startups and small businesses started forming a board of advisors that can add substantial value to their vision.