In today’s turbulent, fast-changing corporate governance environment, the need for highly qualified, informed candidates for corporate board membership has never been greater. Meanwhile, increased scrutiny of corporate governance makes many business leaders leery of committing to board service. Are you ready to serve at the highest level of business—in the corporate board room?

WBL is excited to announce the fourth edition of Answering the Call - with new input from exciting new organizations!

The new edition incorporates discussion of the Dodd-Frank Act and other recent developments in the corporate governance arena, discussing topics such as:

•    Why should a busy executive want to serve on a corporate board?
•    What are the risks of serving on a board?
•    How do directors best counter that risk? (contributed by Allied World Healthcare, a leading D&O insurance firm)
•    How does SOX and Dodd-Frank affect director responsibilities and boardroom practices? (Contributed by guest author from EBG, Lola Miranda Hale)
•    What are additional requirements for members of an audit committee (contributed by Deloitte)
•    Are there special duties and responsibilities for non-profit corporation directorships? (contributed by guest author from EBG, Jesse Caplan)
•    How do you best prepare and position yourself for your own board search? (contributed by K. Fehling & Associates)
•    What is the business case for gender diversity in the boardroom? (contributed by WBL)
 

“We believe that for the informed person, the rewards of serving outweigh the risks,” said author, attorney, and board recruitment expert Lynn Shapiro Snyder.

“Answering the Call,” coauthored by Snyder and her Epstein Becker & Green, P.C., colleague Robert Reif, is a guidebook for senior executives (both men and women) pondering board service.

Media Inquiries: If you are a member of the press and would like to review Answering the Call or Advancing Women in Business, please contact Eleanor Whitley of the WBL Foundation at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Author Lynn Shapiro Snyder collected the wisdom of a hundred women business leaders in her newest book, Advancing Women in Business. This helpful guide outlines best practices for boosting women’s careers in the workplace and for getting on board nominating committees’ radar screens. It includes tips on advancing to the corner office and to the board room.

The book covers topics such as the following:

• Navigating the C-suite
• Self-promotion
• Cultivating business relationships
• Delegating
• Work–life balance

Part Two of the book focuses on Horizontal Advancement™ into corporate boardrooms. It covers topics such as the following:

• Addressing knowledge and experience gaps
• Networking strategically for the boardroom
• Using nonprofit and local boards as stepping stones
• Starting conversations about gender diversity

From the Book

• Table of Contents
• Excerpt
• Ten Tips for Making the Board Nominating Committee’s Radar Screen

Book Brochure

Press for Advancing Women in Business

Article: “Is a health care executive on board?”

Press Release

2007

December 13: “Roadmap Released for Senior Executives Who Want to Reach the ‘Pinnacle’ ”

Media Inquiries: If you are a member of the press and would like to review Answering the Call, please contact Eleanor Whitley of the WBL Foundation at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

About the Authors

Lynn Shapiro Snyder

Lynn Shapiro Snyder is recognized as one of the most influential people in the health care industry for her roles as both a senior health law member of the law firm of Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. and as the founder and President of the Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation (WBL). With the support of EBG, Ms. Snyder created the WBL Foundation to address the unmet needs of senior executive women and women board members who do business with the U.S. health care industry and to increase the number of these women who serve on the boards of directors of companies worldwide. Snyder has been at Epstein Becker & Green, the largest health care and life sciences law firm in the country, for more than 28 years. She has been lead health care counsel for some of the largest health care deals and lead defense counsel for some of the largest health care fraud cases. She was named as one of Modern Healthcare’s “Top 100 Most Powerful People in the Healthcare Industry” in 2003. She serves on the boards of Trustmark Mutual Holding Company, the Maryland/Israel Development Center, and on the board of her law firm, as well as on numerous advisory boards.

Robert Reif

Robert D. Reif chairs EBG’s National Business Law Practice and is a member of EBG’s Health and Life Science Practice, heading the Corporate and Transactions subgroup. Mr. Reif represents a variety of health care companies, including managed care organizations, hospitals, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, prepaid dental plan companies, preferred provider organizations, utilization review companies, nursing homes, private equity companies, and lenders in health care. He also serves as the Secretary for the Executive Compensation Committee of a major academic medical center/integrated health care system. He has also been named as an “Outstanding Health Care Transactions Lawyer” by Nightingale. Mr. Reif has been at Epstein Becker & Green for more than thirty years and serves on the firm’s board of directors.

The Press Room

Press Releases

2007

December 13: “Roadmap Released for Senior Executives Who Want to Reach the ‘Pinnacle’”

2008

March 4: "Champion of Women Business Leaders Releases Guide for Career Advancement"