Enter the Boardroom with Nurole 139. Fiona Hathorn: How and why to get board roles: mastering applications, transitioning to paid roles and building a plural career
Sep 10, 2025
Fiona Hathorn, CEO and co-founder of WB Directors, shares her passion for promoting diversity in boardrooms. She discusses how her own experiences shaped her mission to support women in securing board roles. Fiona highlights a success story of a woman transitioning from maternity leave to board positions. She addresses misconceptions CEOs have about board roles and the importance of culture in governance. Listeners will gain practical tips on crafting a compelling board CV, moving from pro bono to paid roles, and the common pitfalls during interviews.
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Origin Story That Sparked WB Directors
- Fiona discovered the board diversity problem after witnessing biased investor behaviour and hearing Claire Braund challenge the room at a Mercer conference.
- That moment planted the seed that led her to found Women on Boards UK (now WB Directors) to support women into many kinds of boards.
Community Boards As Career Launchpads
- Tracy Watkinson used a community board role as an 'intelligent hobby' and a visible career lever after maternity leave.
- Those small boards led to larger governance roles and executive promotion to global COO over many years.
Start Small And Demystify The Boardroom
- Demystify board roles and start with community or society boards to build confidence and governance know-how.
- Give pragmatic, simple guidance and targeted hand-holding at interview stage to convert interest into action.
