Stepping away from an executive role to pursue a portfolio lifestyle—blending board service, advisory work, and independent projects—can feel like a leap into the unknown. This Director Candidacy webinar explores the emotional and logistical transitions that come with redefining your leadership journey.

In this candid fireside chat, NACD Advisor and Bright Spots Coaching founder Susan Paley sits down with seasoned board director Rima Qureshi to unpack what it really takes to build a purpose-driven portfolio career.

Whether you’re actively preparing for the transition or considering the shift down the road, this session offers tools, insights, and encouragement to help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the internal mindset shifts that come with moving from executive to portfolio leadership.
Learn how to identify and pursue meaningful advisory and board opportunities.
Gain practical strategies for managing a portfolio lifestyle, including how to navigate a new kind of calendar.

Who Should Attend:

Aspiring and new directors preparing to leave executive roles
Leaders exploring board service and advisory opportunities
Executives seeking fulfillment in the next phase of their careers

Key Benefits

Candid Insights

Hear firsthand from a director who successfully navigated the transition

Practical Tools

Gain real-world strategies for building a sustainable portfolio career

Connection to Content

Complements the summer Directorship magazine article on portfolio transitions

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Event Speakers

Advisor, NACD

Susan Paley

Susan Paley serves as Advisor to NACD, the nation’s premier organization for board members. She previously served in leadership roles at NACD for more than a dozen years...

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Former Chief Strategy Officer, Verizon; Former President & CEO, Ericsson North America; Board Member, Loblaw Companies Limited and Mastercard

Rima Qureshi

Rima is a seasoned independent board director and strategic visionary with a distinguished career in the mobile industry. As Chief Strategy Officer at Verizon and CEO North America at Ericsson, she has led corporate strategies, mergers and acquisitions, and managed multibillion-dollar P&Ls, driving transformative change and product innovation…

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NACD Credits

NACD will award 1 NACD credits toward achieving and maintaining NACD Directorship Certification^® and NACD Board Leadership Fellowship for in-person attendance. Credits will be applied after the event based on attendees' overall session attendance.

NASBA Continuing Professional Education (CPE)

Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits (i.e. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)) are available. NACD is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.NASBARegistry.org

Instructional delivery methods: Group Internet
Number of Hours: 1.0
Field of Study: Personal Development
Level: Basic
Prerequisites: Directors with at least one year of experience in a public, private, and/or NFP board
Advance preparation: None

Event Policies:

All registrations must be completed by clicking the "Register" button. Registrations are not accepted by email or over the phone. A receipt will appear in your confirmation email.

Event Cancellation:

Cancellations must be completed online via the cancellation/modified registration button. Click the "Already Registered?" link to access the cancellation form.

Taking the Leap: From an Executive to Portfolio Lifestyle

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NACD and the NACD Chapter Network organizations (NACD) are non-partisan, nonprofit organizations dedicated to providing directors with the opportunity to discuss timely governance oversight practices. The views of the speakers and audience are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of NACD.