I Was Recruited by AI

Recently, I returned from a family trip and began the familiar process of digging through a crowded inbox.

Like most executives and directors, I receive countless emails from people I do not know. Most are trying to sell something, promote a service, or convince me that my website needs help. Over the years, I have become fairly skeptical. Most of those emails are deleted before I reach the second sentence.

One email, however, caught my attention.

It was from a CEO.

The message was brief. He indicated that he wanted to speak with me regarding opportunities within his company.

My first reaction was skepticism.

But before dismissing it, I did what many of us would do. I conducted my own due diligence.

I looked up the company website. It was legitimate. I reviewed the leadership team. I checked LinkedIn. I verified the CEO's profile and location. Everything aligned.

So, I sent a short reply indicating that I had some time available if he would like to connect.

His response was immediate.

Within a short time, we were on the phone.

What I expected to be a quick introductory conversation turned into an hour-long discussion about leadership, governance, executive talent, and board composition.

Then he told me how he found me.

Artificial Intelligence.

He had used AI to identify potential candidates for both an executive leadership role and a board position.

Before our conversation, he had already reviewed my website, researched my background, and explored the profiles of several candidates connected to our ACE community. By the time we spoke, he knew quite a bit about my experience and qualifications.

What struck me most was how quickly the process had happened.

The traditional search process often involves recruiters, referrals, networking events, introductions, and months of relationship building.

AI compressed much of that discovery process into minutes.

Instead of searching through hundreds of profiles manually, he entered a series of criteria and asked AI to identify individuals with the experience he needed.

Somewhere within those search results was my name.

That realization got me thinking.

Many board candidates are still approaching networking and visibility the same way they did five years ago. They focus on attending events, collecting business cards, and updating LinkedIn occasionally.

Those activities still matter.

But something fundamental has changed.

Today, executives, recruiters, investors, and nominating committees are increasingly turning to AI as a research tool.

They are asking questions such as:

• Who has public company board experience?

• Who has expertise in compensation, governance, or audit?

• Who has led companies through growth or transformation?

• Who has experience in mining, energy, technology, healthcare, or manufacturing?

• Who would be a strong independent director for our board?

The answers are increasingly being generated by AI.

Which leads to an important question:

What would AI learn about you?

If someone searched for the ideal board candidate in your area of expertise, would your experience be visible?

Would your LinkedIn profile clearly communicate your value proposition?

Would your professional biography highlight your governance expertise?

Would your online presence reflect the board-level experience you bring?

AI cannot recommend what it cannot find.

The lesson for board candidates is simple.

Your digital presence is no longer just a marketing tool.

It is becoming your searchable professional reputation.

The good news is that this creates tremendous opportunities. Board candidates who clearly communicate their expertise, accomplishments, and governance experience can now be discovered by people they have never met.

In my case, a CEO found me through AI.

I suspect it won't be the last time.

And if the trend continues, many future board opportunities may begin not with a recruiter or a referral, but with a prompt entered into an AI platform.

The question is: when that prompt is written, will you be found?