Jeffery Perry discusses his background growing up in Cleveland, Ohio as the youngest of 5 children. His parents instilled the importance of education and advancement, leading all 5 siblings to earn college degrees and 4 to earn advanced degrees. Perry earned his undergraduate degree from Babson College and MBA from Harvard Business School. He then had a 30-year consulting career focused on strategy and mergers & acquisitions, retiring as a partner from EY in 2020. Upon retirement, Perry launched an advisory firm and began building a portfolio as a corporate board director, serving on the boards of Fortune Brands Innovations, Equitable Funds, and MasterBrand.
In the interview, Perry stresses the importance of articulating your value proposition and board relevant experience when seeking a board role. He advises leveraging professional networks and relationships with search firms. Perry suggests being selective about your first board opportunity to align with your background and interests. He emphasizes contributing meaningfully in the boardroom while taking time to listen and learn, as well as building relationships and allies among board members.
Perry discusses the benefits of racial diversity on boards in bringing additional perspectives. He feels Black board representation will remain relatively stable with some companies advancing diversity as a priority while others pull back. Perry advises search firms to connect with organizations representing Black talent. He suggests sitting Black directors can promote diversity by mentoring aspiring candidates and referring them for open board roles.
