Board and Governance Development

With 30 years of business experience, Barnett Consulting has developed the critical competencies to support the wide range needs of corporate and non-profit boards of directors.

For-Profit Boards

Board of Directors, elected by shareholders, is the ultimate decision-making body of the company except with respect to those matters reserved to the shareholders. The Board selects the senior management team who are charged to conduct the Company’s business. The Board acts as advisor and counselor to senior management and ultimately monitors their performance.

The fundamental role of Directors is to exercise business judgment to act in what they believe to be the best interests of the company and its shareholders. Directors rely on the honesty and integrity of the company’s senior management and expert legal, accounting, financial and other advisors to perform these responsibilities.

The need for external assistance frequently is associated with the intersection of management and board responsibilities. An external perspective often leads to a more cooperative relationship between board and management. Ultimately, this intervention also improves the overall company performance.

Barnett Consulting has performed assessments and advised company boards and their management teams.

Non-Profit Boards

Many agencies owe their existence to the dedication of individuals who served as board and staff members when their organization was a “kitchen table” enterprise. As organizations mature, roles and responsibilities often become co-mingled and confused. In some cases, governance boards may lose their way and fail to function for the purpose for which they were established.

Boards have legal, moral and ethical responsibilities. Barnett Consulting has the experience to assist in sorting out the responsibilities of board members and staff to achieve high levels of cooperation.

Answers to “What is acceptable board member behavior?” are likely to be very different even within the same board. Contact us to clarify and establish a consistent view of board and staff responsibilities.