Boardroom Governance with Evan Epstein

(0:00) Intro.(1:20) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(2:07) Start of interview. (2:58) Oliver's origin story.(7:00) His experience in private equity with PE-backed boards.(9:57) About the mission and focus of Nurole, the UK-based board search firm where he serves as CEO. (12:27) On Nurole's network of 65,000+ board leaders (two parts: free and paid offerings).(20:16) Demystifying the board search process, four key stages:Briefing stageSourcing processAssessment phaseOnboarding (ongoing support)(25:19) From a board candidate perspective.(28:14) On board evaluations.(32:44) Common characteristics of directors in board placements (they place ~1,000 directors per year).(33:50) On board culture and values of directors.(37:00) On specialized directors.(43:16) Differences between UK and US boards.Role of the ChairBoard searchBoard compensationLitigation Risk(48:35)  Other board issues to consider: 1) are boards generating value, and 2) revisiting board education.(52:48) About his podcast Enter the Boardroom.(55:15) His favorite episodes: Roger Martin,  Baroness Helena Morrissey and Sir Richard Dearlove.(59:20) Books that have greatly influenced his life: The Aeneid, by Virgil (19 BC)Mindset, by Carol Dweck (2006)How Will You Measure Your Life, by Clay Christensen  (2012)(01:00:30) His mentors. (01:02:13) Quotes that he thinks of often or lives his life by.(01:03:16) An unusual habit or absurd thing that he loves: the Eglu chicken coop.(01:04:45)  The living person he most admires.Oliver Cummings is the CEO of Nurole, a UK-based board search firm with 65,000+ members globally and about 1,000 board placements per year. He's also the host of the Enter the Boardroom Podcast. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

(0:00) Intro.(1:05) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(1:52) Start of interview. (2:28) Thompson's origin story.(3:42) His startup work at Quizlet (joined a 5 person team) and Stripe (from 2k to 8k employees). Joined Anthropic in early 2023.(6:25) On China-US relations, and the course he teaches at Vanderbilt Law School: Emerging Technologies, Law, and U.S.-China Competition.(11:04) On startup incorporations, Delaware, and other thoughts for entrepreneurs. Reference to Stripe Atlas.(14:18) Unveiling the AI investment landscape. Increase in capital and talent in AI technologies. "Companies at the frontier of building LLMs: Anthropic, OpenAI, Alphabet and Meta."(19:15) On the international AI landscape. China wanting to overcome its "century of humiliation."(21:55) Origin story and mission of Anthropic. The eight founders left OpenAI in 2021. Claude 3.5 Sonnet.(26:14) Anthropic's Public Benefit Corporation (PBC) and Long Term Benefit Trust (LTBT) model.(29:24) How to think about AI and its paradigm shift for corporate directors.(31:05) Claude products for consumers and enterprise.(33:36) On the future of work with impact of AI.(35:17) San Francisco's evolving role as a global tech hub.(37:37)  Is AI overhyped or underhyped? "The impact of AI will be somewhere between the internet platform shift to the next industrial revolution (...) and if the next internet is kind of the lower bound of the impact AI will have on society and the economy and technology more broadly, then that's a pretty significant impact."(40:05) On the "stay private vs go public" debate.(42:48) More thoughts for directors on AI. Prof Ethan Mollick: "The AI you're using today is the worst AI you will ever use." (43:48) Books that have greatly influenced his life: The Children, by David Halberstam (1998)Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler (2006)All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque (1929)(46:42)  His mentors. Chris Klein and Dan Crittenbrink (State Department). Chip Blacker (Stanford).(47:53) Quotes that he thinks of often or lives his life by.(48:40) An unusual habit or absurd thing that he loves: Antique maps and running everyday.(50:28)  The living person he most admires.Thompson Paine is the head of business operations at Anthropic, one of the leading AI companies in San Francisco. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

(0:00) Intro(1:20) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(2:06) Start of interview.(2:37) Natasha's "origin story." (6:25) On the risks and opportunities for AI.(8:39) On the regulatory landscape of AI in the US. Reference to President Biden's Executive Order.(11:40) On California's regulation of AI (SB 1047).(15:24) On the international AI regulatory landscape, including the EU AI legislation.(20:35) On the state of startups and venture capital in Silicon Valley.(25:34) On the 'stay private or go public' debate.(28:50) On the increased antitrust scrutiny by the FTC and DOJ, particularly in tech industry.(30:08) On the increased national security scrutiny via CFIUS reviews. The new geopolitics of dealmaking.(35:46) On the increased politicization of the boardroom, including ESG and DEI.(38:32) On boardroom diversity and challenges to SB-826 and AB-979 (California), and Nasdaq's Diversity Rule.(42:20) Books that have greatly influenced her life: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee (1960)The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Altwood (1985)Animal Farm, by George Orwell (1945)(42:57)  Her mentors.(43:49)  Quotes that she thinks of often or lives her life by: "Don't Self-Select."(51:17) An unusual habit or absurd thing that he loves.(44:17) The living person that she most admires. One of them is Michelle Obama.Natasha Allen is a partner at Foley & Lardner in Silicon Valley, serving as Co-Chair for Artificial Intelligence, Co-Chair of the Venture Capital Committee, and a member of the Venture Capital, M&A, and Transactions Practices. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

(0:00) Intro(1:06) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(1:53) Start of interview.(2:37) Tyler's "origin story." (4:50) His beginnings at Theranos.(7:07) On the culture of the Theranos, "the company was extremely secretive and paranoid."(9:41) On the lack of equity compensation for Theranos employees.(10:32) On Theranos' board of directors.(16:50) Some of the prominent investors in Theranos, and lack of due diligence.(19:24) On Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani fraud convictions, FOMO, and value of credibility from early backers (e.g. Channing Robertson, Don Lucas, George Shultz, etc).(23:57) How Tyler became a whisteblower at Theranos. His contact with John Carreyrou, at the time a WSJ reporter.(26:57) On his legal challenges (and high fees) as a whistleblower. George Shultz (his grandfather) would tell him: "I'm 90 years old. I ended the Cold War. I fought in a world war. I've seen a lot of things in my life. I've seldom been wrong. And I know what I'm looking at. And I know I'm right about this."(30:24) On the SEC's whisteblower program and his personal experience with this process. *Reference to E130 with Mary Inman (his Whistleblower attorney).(34:58) On the NDA and confidentiality agreements, "fraud is not a trade secret."(37:56) Why Elizabeth Holmes wanted Theranos to remain private and never go public.(39:04) Stanford's problematic connection to frauds. See: "What's the Matter with Stanford?"(42:14) The role of executive and board compensation in startups.(46:20) Book that he recommends reading: Salt in My Soul by Mallory Smith (2019).(48:00)  His mentors: George Shultz (his grandfather) and J. Leighton Read.(50:01)  Quotes that he thinks of often or lives his life by: "You Get What You Screen For"(51:17) An unusual habit or absurd thing that he loves.(52:53) The living person that he most admires: Dr Anthony Fauci."I often think back to a famous quote about character, which is, character is what you do when nobody's watching. And I actually think that the opposite is true. I think character is what you do when everyone's watching. And I experienced that."(53:57)  His current endeavors.Tyler Shultz is a former Theranos employee who became a key whistleblower, exposing the company's fraudulent practices. As the grandson of former Secretary of State George Shultz, who was on Theranos' board, Tyler's decision to speak out carried significant personal and professional risks. You can find out more about Tyler at his website: https://www.tyler-shultz.com/ You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Ilya Strebulaev, author of 'The Venture Mindset,' discusses the importance of home runs in decision-making for large organizations, types of innovation, independent directors' role in fostering innovation, errors of omission, and promoting the venture mindset. He also explores red flags in decision-making, the balance between formal and informal control rights in corporate governance, the stay private vs. go public debate, and key principles like 'bet on the jockey' and 'double down or quit.'

(0:00) Intro.(1:19) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(2:05) Start of interview.(2:58) Greg's "origin story." (5:31) His teaching focus.(8:04) Discussion on startups and venture capital and the era of AI. Behavioral finance and bubbles. (11:17) Bubbles in private (VC and PE) and public markets.(15:12) Staying private vs going public fundamentals.(20:05) The role of governance and advice from directors to CEOs.(22:43) On growth of private equity.(28:00) On the rise and importance of AI. Analogy to electricity. *Reference to Paul David's research.(29:31) On Elon Musk's compensation litigation and the recent Tesla stockholder comp ratification.(36:13) On the role of directors. "It's really hard to be a good board member." "[Directors] better darn well get comfortable with asking not only tough questions, but dumb questions."(40:32) On Texas and Delaware's corporate law competition.(42:04) On the politicization of the boardroom (i.e. ESG) and geopolitics involving China.(48:11) Books that he recommends reading: The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I  by Pollock and Maitland (1895).(48:57)  His mentors in the area of law.(50:47)  Quotes that he thinks of often or lives his life by.(51:57) An unusual habit or absurd thing that he loves.(54:16) About his podcast Unsiloed.Greg LaBlanc is a Lecturer and Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Berkeley, Stanford, HEC Paris and other prestigious institutions. Greg teaches a wide range of subjects, including finance, strategy, law, innovation, data science, and digital transformation. He is also the host of the podcast Unsiloed. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Jennifer Dulski, former COO of Change.org, shares her journey from Yahoo to leading Facebook Groups. She discusses her experiences serving on various boards, the importance of diversity, and effective board governance. Topics include board observer roles, setting norms, and dealing with politicization in the boardroom.

Sonita Lontoh, a seasoned expert in innovation, sustainability, and digital transformation, shares insights on board culture, handling politicization, and geopolitical challenges. She discusses AI in the boardroom, impacts on the workplace, and recommends influential books. Lontoh reflects on her entrepreneurial journey, guiding principles, and impactful mentors, offering a glimpse into her diverse and inspiring career.

(0:00) Intro.(1:14) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(2:02) Start of interview.(2:37) Coco's "origin story." (4:32) Her professional background with HR, comp and IT.(6:32) Her time at Taos, a professional services business in IT consulting (17yrs). Ultimately acquired by IBM in 2021.(8:35) The origin story of her founding Athena Alliance (2016) as a non-profit.(11:00) Three core issues with board placements: 1) access to opportunities, 2) positioning for the role, and 3) how to compete to win. *They have placed ~500 women to boards.(13:52) On the business model of Athena Alliance.(16:50) On transitioning from a non-profit to a for-profit model. (20:56) Distinguishing board service between companies with different capital structures (ie. public, PE, VC, ESOPs, etc).(22:18) The landscape for independent director board opportunities (~30,000 companies). On ESOP companies and closed corporations and/or family businesses.(28:18) On Athena's Board Readiness Course.(32:20) On in-person vs remote work, both on an executive and board level. "How do you scale intimacy?"(36:14) On the impact of AI in the boardroom. (39:48) Books that have greatly influenced her life: The Popcorn Report,  by Faith Popcorn (1991)The Science of Evil, by Simon Baron-Cohen (2011)(43:05)  Her mentors. "Different people for different things" e.g. Ivonne Wassenar and Scott Maxwell.(44:20)  Quotes that she thinks of often or lives her life by.(44:41) An unusual habit or absurd thing that she loves.(45:12)  The living person she most admires. Toni Townes-Whitley (CEO of SAIC)Coco Brown is the Founder and CEO of Athena Alliance, a company helping to position top 10% of executive women for advancement and board opportunities.  You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

(0:00) Intro.(1:17) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel.(2:03) Start of interview.(3:08) Greg's "origin story." (6:53) From the University of Georgia to Apple in Cuppertino.(10:50) The start of his entrepreneurial journey in 1992 with his first company.(13:03) The boom and bust cyclical nature of Silicon Valley. "[M]y father used to say that the stock market has predicted nine of the last three recessions. And, you know, I think in Silicon Valley, the investor and entrepreneurial class has predicted nine of the last three technology waves."(17:24) His first foray with startup boards. The role and influence of Don Lucas, and Bob Frick (former CFO of BoA), on his board.(21:49) On the shifting power dynamics in founder-investor relationships (ascendance of "founder ethos").(29:02) On the differences between private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC). "Control investors"(31:29) His experience as a director of public companies: Responsys, acquired by Oracle (2013), and Upwork (IPO in 2018).(34:57) On equity comp (stock options and RSUs)  in tech companies. *Reference to BG2 podcast episode.(47:35) IPOs, private markets and secondary markets. *You can check out my newsletter #52 on this topic.(54:24) On his investment in Cornershop (acquired by Uber) and Latin America market.(1:00:58) On AI as the next technology platform shift.(1:03:50)  Books that have greatly influenced his life: Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller,  by Ron Chernow (1998)Thinking Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman (2011)Black Boy, by Richard Wright (1945)(1:05:36) His mentors.(1:07:00) Quotes that he thinks of often or lives her life by: "Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want."(1:07:47) An unusual habit or absurd thing that he loves.(1:08:28) The living person he most admires.Greg Gretsch is a Founding Partner and Managing Director of Jackson Square Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm that invests in software businesses. You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License