An experienced Board member, executive and consultant, Elaine Eisenman is Managing Director of Saeje Advisors, which provides strategic advisory services to companies seeking to capitalize on new growth opportunities. In addition, she is a member of the core faculty team of Scalerator a workshop series by Entrepreneurship Policy Advisors whose mission is to drive economic growth by rapidly growing and scaling companies. Elaine has a passion for high growth enterprises, and is most interested in Boards that enable their companies to grow through ensuring the alignment of people, purpose and profitability. 

Elaine is currently Chair of Compensation Committee and member of the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of DBI, Inc. (NYSE), a vertically integrated footwear manufacturer and retailer. She is also Board Chair of the Private Directors Association. Until recently, she served on the Board of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, a $1.5 Billion non-profit health care organization, serving as the Chair of the parent, Atrius Health, Board Compensation Committee. She has served on the board of UST, Inc. (NYSE), chairing both the Compensation and Nominating and Governance Committees. She has served on the boards of a diverse group of private companies, including Active International, a privately held international barter ESOP company, HRLogic, a Fidelity Capital start-up, and The Center for Creative Leadership, as well as the boards of several private family-owned businesses. As a Board member, she has led numerous CEO successions and transitions, and typically is the Board liaison for strategy. 

Previously, she was Dean of Executive and Enterprise Education and Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership at Babson College and was also responsible for the management and profitability of the highly rated 220 bed executive conference center, which was repeatedly rated in the top ten global centers by the Financial Times. Prior to her academic/general management role, Dr. Eisenman held senior executive positions at both public companies such as American Express, Enhance Financial Services Co., and The Children’s Place, and private companies, such as PDI International, a global consulting firm, where she was General Manager of the Northeast region, and Management & Capital Partners, a retained executive recruitment, management consulting, and venture capital firm, where she was Chairman and CEO. 

Elaine is also deeply committed to advancing good governance and, to this end, is involved in many other initiatives and commitments. She is the Chair of the Board of Private Director’s Association (PDA). She is a founding member and chapter co-chair of the Women Corporate Directors (WCD) Foundation, a global organization for women public board members. She served as a commissioner for the WCD reports, Seeing Far and Wide: Moving to a Visionary Board, and The Visionary Board: developing a Culture of Leadership. 

Elaine is a frequent contributor to articles on business and governance in the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week. She has also been interviewed for a wide number of webinars and podcasts on topics on the intersection of governance, innovation, risk and resilience. She recently participated in podcasts focused on the role of the independent board member on Private Equity Boards and on the Board Basics series focused on how successful Boards work. 

Elaine is the co-author of two books: The most recent, Betrayed: a survival guide to lying, cheating, and double-dealing, is based on interviews with over 50 people who were betrayed either personally or professionally. Her earlier book, I Didn’t See it Coming: the only book you’ll ever need to avoid being blind-sided in business, is also based on interviews and case studies focused on understanding and surviving organizational politics.