eMagazine

Promote your career as a director

The Esade-PwC Program for Directors and Program for Boards of Directors in Family Businesses are not only training but also the start of a process of continuous development that provides the necessary keys to successfully rise to the challenges of good go

With a practical, rigorous approach led by top-tier experts, the Esade-PwC Program for Directors and Program for Boards of Directors in Family Businesses prepare participants to successfully fulfil their responsibilities on boards by combining knowledge, the exchange of experiences, and reflection. 

The Directors Club: A benchmark community 

Upon completion of these training programs, the participants join the Esade Alumni Directors Club, a community associated with the Esade Center for Corporate Governance which promotes lifelong learning, professional projection, and connection with a network committed to good corporate governance.

Main benefits

·      Updating your knowledge: lifelong learning and tools to enhance decision-making. 

·      Connecting, participating, and contributing: an active, segmented network where you can exchange experiences and provide mutual support. 

·      Career management: partnerships with executive search firms and training in key skills for the transition from executive to director. 

Directors Club Mentoring Program: Accelerating the transition 

For alumni who want to take the leap from executive to independent director and for directors who want to share their experience, Esade Alumni offers the Directors Club Mentoring, a program that showcases the value of exchange within the alumni community, which entails:

·      A network of mentors: directors with proven experience who support executives in their transition to governance bodies.

·      A community of mentees: senior executives with experience in managerial positions who after training in corporate governance want to accelerate their development and prepare themselves to reach positions on boards. 

This support facilitates: 

·      Personalized reflection to define a “roadmap” for the transition

·      The transfer of practical experience 

·      Support in managing your network of contacts

The mentoring program also includes practical workshops (2 sessions) on personal branding focused on accessing positions on boards or advisory bodies, and it ends with a networking session with headhunting companies.

First-hand experiences

The mentor's view: Ramón Aznar (Programa Consejeros 21) 

Ramon Aznar“My role as a mentor is not to provide recipes but to ask the right questions so that each mentee can identify their real situation and design their strategy. The journey to a board is personal and depends on each person’s experience, aptitudes, and goals.”

Ramón highlights key skills that each director has to cultivate today: 

·       Strategic vision and critical thinking. 

·       Corporate governance and regulatory compliance. 

·       Digital transformation and sustainability. 

·       Leadership, communication, and teamwork. 

Regarding the challenges, he highlights geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory changes, and talent retention as decisive factors for the future of corporate governance.

He also shares practical examples of the support he has provided:

·      Helping the mentee reconsider how to activate their network of contacts. 

·      Role-playing exercises to prepare for their speech before a board chair, approached not as an executive but as a director. 

The mentee's voice: Luis Esteban (Programa Consejeros 23) 

Luis Esteban“Mentoring was a unique opportunity to reflect in a trusting environment. It enabled me to identify what about my role as an executive I had to transform to serve as a director and how to organize my next steps.” 

Luis underscores three key lessons learned from this experience: 

·      Powerful questions that lead to reflection and change, more than a list of tips. 

·      Activation of networking, with an approach aligned with the types of boards where he can bring value. 

·      Awareness of a change in mindset, going from executive action to a strategic contribution. 

“Leadership on a board requires active listening, a strategic vision, and the ability to contribute without interfering in management. The mentoring helped me understand and prepare for this transition.” 

A proven value proposition 

The Directors Club activities and mentoring program serve as leverage for positioning, learning, and connection. Thanks to the Center for Corporate Governance and the alumni community from focused training programs, the participants find the support they need to progress towards the next stage in their professional careers.

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