Kelvin Westbrook, a lawyer by training, grew up in Tacoma, Washington as one of 11 siblings. After graduating from the University of Washington and Harvard Law School, he practiced law in New York City for 12-13 years before transitioning into business, forming companies in the telecommunications and broadband space. His first board opportunity came through a referral after impressing a CEO with his strategic insights and probing questions. Subsequent board roles came through a combination of search and referral.
When evaluating board opportunities, Westbrook looks for good people, chances to add value, and intellectually engaging challenges that will further his professional development. While he was the first racial minority on the boards he joined, Westbrook believes his diversity of experience coupled with his race makes him unique. He sees his role as educating and enlightening from an African-American perspective when relevant issues arise.
Westbrook believes board diversity leads to richer conversations, better decisions, and improved company performance. To increase diversity, he thinks minority directors should actively sponsor qualified candidates, search firms should be pushed to look beyond traditional pools, and boards should treat diversity as a strategic imperative measured like any other business priority.
His advice to aspiring directors is to deeply understand their unique value proposition beyond ethnicity, broaden their perspectives, and tap into their networks. Board service is challenging work that requires dedication, but knowing oneself and one’s motivations is key to making an impact.
