Деловой иностранный язык

Broadly directors’ activities can be separated into two categories – the performance roles, in which the board is focusing on strategic and policy issues for the future, setting the corporate direction and contributing to the performance of the business; and the conformance roles, in which the board is ensuring that the company is conforming to policies, procedures and plans laid down by the board and being properly accountable for its activities.

In deciding on board nominations, the balance of skills, experience and personal talents of the various directors need to be considered.

B. The Performance Roles

The first set of roles can be thought of as contributing to the overall performance of the business. We can usefully distinguish a number of different roles within this category, giving each a label for reference.

Contributing know-how, expertise and external information

The first role involves bringing knowledge and experience to bear on issues facing the board. Here the director is drawing on his accumulated experience in business and other similar situations generally. We might call the role that of "the wise man". Long-serving directors may find themselves cast in this role by newer board colleagues.

The second role is that of "the specialist". Here the director relies on his particular professional expertise, skills and knowledge. For example, the expertise might be from the realms of accountancy, engineering or law; or stem from specialist knowledge of a particular international market, technology or financial matter. In some growing companies outside directors are appointed to the board specifically to provide such specialist inputs, until such time as the company acquires such skills at the executive level.

Then there is the role which we could call "the window-on-the-world". Here the director is being used as a source of information on issues relevant to board discussions. Often this will be on matters external to the business, such as insights into marked opportunities, new technologies, financial and economic concerns or international matters.