Diversitas Consulting

If you’ve ever tried to write a Board CV, you’ll know it’s not just your career CV with extra pages. A strong Board CV tells a different story—one of governance, strategic oversight, and contribution at the board table.

It’s common for professionals in mid-career (often 35–55) to start considering a board or committee role. By this point, you’ve built valuable experience and judgement. The challenge is shifting from executive framing (delivery, management) to director framing (governance, risk, strategy, and stewardship). That shift starts with how you tell your story.

Why Your Board CV Matters

A Board CV is not a longer version of your career CV—it’s a different document. While a career CV highlights operational achievements, a Board CV shows how you think and govern: your judgement, independence, and the value you add to collective decision-making.

Common Pitfalls

Aspiring directors often submit applications that:

• Over-emphasise management and delivery, rather than governance and oversight
• Fail to make a clear case for fit with the organisation’s strategic challenges
• Miss opportunities to demonstrate transferable, board-level capabilities and committee fit

Boards look for directors who can add value from day one. Your CV needs to read like you belong at the table.

A Practical Way to Start

Keep your Board CV to two pages and structure it for impact:

• Capability & Value Statement (4–5 short paragraphs)
• Core Director Skills (4–6 bullets)
• Sub-Committee Capabilities (where you can contribute and why)
• Board & Committee Experience (scope, governance contribution, outcomes)
• Executive / Major Project Experience reframed in governance terms
• Education & Qualifications and Professional Memberships

Use AI as Your Personal Board-CV Coach

AI won’t replace your voice—it sharpens it. Treated well, it’s a fast, focused writing partner that helps you translate experience into governance language, pressure-test your fit, and tailor for each role.

Step 1 — Reflect Before You Draft

Clarify where you add board value (e.g., strategy, risk, finance, people & culture, technology, ESG). Decide which sectors and organisation types you’re targeting and why.

Step 2 — Draft the Core Sections

Write a concise Capability & Value Statement, list Core Director Skills that align with your target boards, and map your Sub-Committee strengths (e.g., People & Culture/Nominations, Risk & Audit, Strategy, Remuneration).

Step 3 — Set Up an “AI Project”

Create a dedicated workspace titled something like BoardCV_[Focus]_[Year]. Keep your draft CV, the board/committee brief, annual report excerpts, and strategy notes in one place.

Step 4 — Give AI Context

Upload or paste:

• Your current Board CV draft
• The board or committee position description
• Relevant background (e.g., strategy snapshots, governance charter, recent reports)
• Your AI business briefing pro forma

Step 5 — Use Focused Prompts

Try these five prompts to lift quality quickly:

1. Match Capabilities
   “From the [board brief] and my [Board CV], match my governance capabilities and strengths to this role. Identify any gaps.”
2. Generate Tailored Board Capability Statements
   “Write 4–6 tailored board capability statements using my experience that best demonstrate fit for this role.”
3. Build a Board CV Summary
   “Draft a concise 3–4 paragraph Board CV Summary for this specific role, reflecting my governance experience, people & culture strengths, and alignment with the organisation’s purpose.”
4. Audit for Board Readiness
   “Evaluate my CV for relevance, clarity, and alignment to the role. Suggest improvements using a board-readiness lens (governance language, evidence, committee fit).”
5. Align to Key Director Capability Areas
   “Assess how my experience aligns to seven director capability areas—Enterprise, Strategy, Oversight, Decisions, Dynamics, Systemic, Adaptive. Recommend phrasing and examples to strengthen weak areas.”

Step 6 — Translate Executive Wins into Governance Value

Ask AI to reframe operational achievements into board-level outcomes.
Prompt: “Rewrite these achievements in governance language—what was overseen, assured, guided, or enabled; risks addressed; and enterprise-level impact.”

Step 7 — Tighten, Evidence, and Tailor

Have AI:

• Cut filler and tighten phrasing
• Prioritise governance verbs (governed, oversaw, ensured, guided, chaired, evaluated, strengthened)
• Tailor page one to the board’s strategic context and committee priorities

A Final “Board CV Audit” Before You Apply

Run a last pass with these questions (or ask AI to score you against them):

• Relevance & Fit: Does page one make a clear case for your appointment to this board?
• Clarity & Impact: Are your contributions evidenced and easy to skim?
• Alignment & Differentiation: Do you sound like a peer at the table—and distinct from other nominees?

The Smart Partnership: You + AI

Used thoughtfully, AI acts like a mirror—reflecting your experience in sharper, more strategic ways. It helps you write with governance clarity, emphasise the value you bring, and present a concise, confident story that signals you’re board-ready!