Professional Title

VP of Product, Architecture, Engineering

What’s one thing you’re learning right now — professionally or personally?

Both professionally and personally, I am currently learning a lot about AI and it's significant impact on our future. Whether it's as a leader, an employee, a board member, or I'm taking a personal vacation and need help establishing an itinerary, it's a technology that was met with skepticism, but will make major impacts in the near future.

In your view, what makes a truly effective board member?

Someone that has both the moral and fiduciary responsibility as their utmost concern for the organization. Someone that is cooperative and collaborative but not afraid to have and share a dissenting opinion.

Beach, mountains, city, or countryside — what’s your ideal getaway?

Mountains for sure - just got back from the Swiss Alps and the Italian Dolomites recently. I love weather that is a bit cooler, mountains, and adventure when I get away. Hiking and being outside are my ideal type of getaway.

What’s a small daily habit that makes a big difference for you?

Prioritizing my time, attention, and activities daily. I am often double-booked throughout my day. Deciding before my day starts where I need to spend my time allows me to focus and inform others that I will not be in attendance. It's created a significant amount of transparency and trust, rather than just not showing up.

What’s a book every board member should read?

First: Boards That Lead, by Ram Charan, Dennis Carey, Michael Useem (role clarity + board/CEO dynamics)

Then: Handbook of Board Governance, by Richard Leblanc (technical breadth)

Later: Owning Up: The 14 Questions Every Board Member Needs to Ask, by Ram Charan ... plus ... Bad Blood, by John Carreyrou (practical judgment + pattern recognition)

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

Be present wherever you are. If you are in a meeting, pay attention, don't multi-task. If you are on vacation, set work aside and enjoy the time with family/friends. When you try to do it all, you set yourself up for failure.

In your experience, what differentiates great board chairs?

1) Average directors run the agenda vs. Great directors shape the agenda. 
   - Intentionally designs the agenda around decision points and strategic inflection moments.
   - Ensures time is spent where the board can add the most value (strategy, risk, capital allocation).

2) Average directors facilitate discussion vs. Great directors orchestrate outcomes.
   - Creates productive tension (encourages challenge without dysfunction).
   - Ensures diverse perspectives are heard and synthesized into better decisions.
   - They move from discussion management → decision quality leadership.

3) Average directors partner with the CEO vs. Great directors manage the CEO relationship.
   - Acts as coach, sounding board, and challenger.
   - Balances support + constructive pressure.

4) Average directors ensure governance vs. Great directors turn governance into advantage.
   - Uses governance as a tool for value creation.
   - Aligns board structure, talent, and processes to strategy
   - Treating governance as a living system, not a checklist.

5) Average directors manage the room vs. Great directors build a high-performance team.
   - Builds trust, cohesion, and accountability across directors.
   - Invests in 1:1 relationships, board development, and candid feedback.

6) Average directors avoid conflict vs. Great directors harness it.
   - Encourages constructive dissent and minority viewpoints.
   - Uses disagreement to improve decision-making quality.
   - They understand that groupthink is the real risk, not conflict.

7) Average directors react to issues vs. Great directors stay ahead of them.
   - Brings forward-looking topics to the board early (technology shifts, talent gaps, strategic pivots).
   - Pushes management to think around corners.

8) Average directors lead formally vs. Great directors lead through influence.
   - Leads a group of peers through credibility, judgment, and emotional intelligence.
   - Draws out the best from each director without dominating.

9) Average directors stay steady vs. Great directors anchor the organization in crisis.
   - Provides calm, clarity, and direction during disruption.
   - Keeps the board aligned and decisive under pressure.

10) Average directors oversee vs. Great directors shape the company’s future.
   - Research shows chairs are moving from passive oversight to:
        - Strategy co-creation
        - CEO development
        - Stakeholder balancing
        - Reputation stewardship

Great chairs are now playing chess, not checkers.

If you had an extra free hour every day, how would you spend it?

Learning. I will build tools/agents to assist me with things I love or am interested in.

What’s the most unforgettable trip or experience you’ve ever had?

I've had many, but my 25th anniversary trip through Italy is still my all-time favorite trip/experience.