However, we would wish any board ‘good luck’ if this is the route they choose to follow. After 20 years as a specialist consultancy working with boards to improve performance, we believe that identifying and assessing potential new board members require some time, application and experience. Johnson Partners can offer you an unparalleled knowledge of the non-executive director scene in Australia, continued with an ability to match qualified directors with suitable boards.

We specialise in finding the ‘unlikely suspects’ and have a hugely successful track record in this. Our focus is exclusively on the needs of the boardroom and the individual board members. Paying a fee for a high quality search is a good value investment for a number of reasons, as in commissioning expert assistance you:

• Demonstrate professionalism: starting as you mean to go on. Introducing objectivity and independence into the selection process sends a message about how you do business.
• Confirm your organisation’s direction: this process will force you to think about what the board really needs to take the business forward, rather than who you know who might be available, testing your assumptions about what your board needs in the way of skills, experience and capabilities.
• Accept an independent view: allowing you to make an objective choice and providing you with the opportunity to consider a range of candidates (ours and yours) against your criteria.
• Have access to a larger pool: Identifying multiple candidates for you to consider without alerting any of them to the process.
• Can be confident that the process will be confidential and that you control the process and will not be approached by people ‘wanting a seat at the table’.
• Can remain independent: Using a third party gives you the opportunity to select from short listed candidates rather than feeling obligated or compromised in dealing with suggestions from a friend or associate.
• Will have good quality control: Confidence you are making the right choice through a merit based selection. There is no easy or dignified means of removing a director who is not performing or does not ‘fit’ on a board in Australia.
• Will ultimately save time: you need only be involved at the important stages of selection and decision-making. Using experienced people to conduct a search, make arrangements and follow up will allow you to focus your time on the important task of meeting and comparing candidates.