The Way I See It… by Michael C. Volker
Building a better
board starts with better compensation
Assembling
an able and committed board of directors is one of the first, and most
important, steps an entrepreneur must take when building a viable venture.
However, it is becoming increasingly difficult for a young company to attract
quality board members. Due to the poor governance practices we have seen lately
in corporate boardrooms, more rules and regulations are imposing an increasing
burden on the shoulders of board members. This increased emphasis on good
governance is spilling over into the junior public markets and even private
companies.
At a recent
An ideal board for an emerging technology firm is a small,
three to five person team composed of experienced and committed directors who
can also serve as mentors to the CEO. The panelists noted that low profile
hands-on directors are much better than highly visible but less involved
people. They also noted that chemistry among board members is very important
meaning that they respect each other’s views and welcome different
perspectives. That’s why board members with complimentary backgrounds,
expertise and skills make an invaluable team.
A board’s first task is to define its mandate. What is
expected of board members? What’s their role? How can they best contribute
their talents? It was noted that, especially for public companies, directors on
audit committees must have not only knowledge of
accounting matters but also directly related experience. Strategic guidance was
noted as being a key part of a board’s mandate – helping the CEO formulate the
company’s vision and monitoring its strategy. And, of course, compliance with
all applicable laws is a given responsibility.
Being a director of a company, especially a small closely
held one, used to be a loosely defined and not particularly onerous
undertaking. That’s no longer true. Company directors are facing increasing
personal liabilities. These might arise from a company's failure to remit
taxes, labor/wage disputes, or defective and claims for harmful products just
to name a few. Although Directors and Officers (D&O) insurance may cover
some liabilities, it's virtually impossible to get 100% protection. D&O
insurance is very expensive – if you can get it. Corporate indemnification may
also help somewhat but for cash-starved companies, it provides little support.
Bottom line: there is no safety net for a director.
Active directors know that they’ll be spending anywhere from
one to three, maybe more, days per month if they’re serious about their role.
And, they’re always on call and at risk.
So, what attracts someone to a company’s board? An
entrepreneur who exudes passion and commitment to his vision is a great start.
An exciting project with interesting people draws others in. Sharing
financially in the success of a possible big win, helps too. It’s not a
charitable proposition with only remote prospects for a distant payoff.
What is a fair compensation package for a director? Historically,
companies have been content to simply allocate a percentage of equity (around
5%) in stock and options to the entire board. Cash fees are rarely given. This
is rapidly changing to reflect the increased involvement and liability taken on
by directors. Although the panelists offered numerous models for coming up with
a fair deal, they all equated to a very practical rule of thumb: take the CEO’s
compensation package – stock options and salary – and divide it by a factor of
three to five (depending on the number of directors) and use this number of
stock options and fee for each director. For younger companies, the fee
component may be reduced in favor of increasing the options. In essence, the
company is recognizing that a team of five directors would be at least
equivalent in value to the CEO. Although time they spend may be less than
one-fifth of the CEO’s, the difference is made up by industry experience and
know-how.
The
way I see it, a start-up venture’s board can make the difference between success
and failure. Given the increased risk, commitment, and contribution that
directors face, company founders and shareholders will have to revisit their
compensation policies.
Michael Volker is a high technology entrepreneur and
director of