Daniel Boggan emphasizes the importance of building relationships, listening, and gaining the trust of fellow board members and the CEO. Boggan highlights the significance of having a diverse board that reflects the community and consumers the company serves. He also stresses the need for intentionality in diversifying boards and the challenges faced in achieving this goal.
Boggan shares memorable experiences from his board service, including dealing with environmental sustainability issues at Clorox and the sale of Yellow Freight due to pension problems with the Teamsters Union. He believes his most significant contributions were in the areas of governance, finance, and advocating for issues such as reducing the company’s carbon footprint. Boggan also discusses the role of race in his board selection, noting that while it was a factor, competence and building relationships were equally important.
Throughout the interview, Boggan underscores the value of informal relationships and networks in identifying potential board candidates. He suggests that search firms need to be more open to considering a broader range of qualified diverse candidates. Boggan expresses skepticism about the long-term impact of the George Floyd moment on increasing board diversity and believes that consistent, intentional efforts are required to create lasting change. He emphasizes the importance of mentoring and supporting new diverse board members to ensure their success. Boggan concludes by expressing his concern about the slow progress in increasing board diversity and his desire to find ways to accelerate the process.
