Kathryn Foster has had a lashing of the latter – two decades as a senior lieutenant for Microsoft in the US, where her achievements included tripling global subscription and gaming revenues for the XBox, a stretch at Amazon and 18 months at the helm of her own start-up. She's been headhunted for board positions at a string of companies, both high tech and traditional, since she relocated to Australia last year.
She currently sits on the boards of ASX-listed Class Ltd and iWebGate and has received approaches from other companies in the technology, entertainment and retail sectors.
"I've been lucky enough that quite a few companies have reached out to me to see if there's something I could do to help them," Foster says.
As a woman in her 40s with heavyweight high tech credentials, she ticks multiple boxes for businesses looking to up their boardroom diversity quotient.
"My skillset and probably my diverse background from the international and strong business experience [perspective] but also because I am a female, makes me very attractive, at least, to have an initial conversation with," Foster says. Get on board
For her part, Foster says she's only interested in getting on board with companies which genuinely want a broad base of expertise at the top.
"Any board that I would be interested in aligning myself with is one that does appreciate the skills that they have in the executive team and the skills that they need on the board," she says.
"So it is about diversity and it is also about the skillset – where does the company want to go and what are the conversations that you need to have to get there?"
Tapping more under-50s talent can also pay dividends for companies looking to be in closer step with the Gen Xs and Ys who comprise an increasing proportion of the workforce and consumer market, XY on Boards CEO Paul Smith says.
His organisation runs training and networking events for executives with their eye on a spot at the top table.
"Increasingly in the world we live in … boards need more imagination and that comes from diversity, but all kinds of diversity, not just gender," Smith says.
"It's about new ideas, new perspective – that's why we're trying to empower the next generation of directors, to be able to have that change now. Not to have to have this long distinguished career as a CEO, accountant, lawyer [before] you can join a boa
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