In 2017, I was on two corporate boards and looking for more to build a portfolio of boards to fill my time. I was spreading the word that I was looking for more boards and at a cocktail reception held at a mining conference, I mentioned this to a colleague of mine whom I had known for many years. He looked at me and said, “It would be good if you had a board certification.” I was surprised he said that, since he knew me well, knew that I was on two boards already and had recommended me for other top roles in the industry. Right then I realized that having a certification as a qualified board member would help build confidence for others, that I “knew” what to do in a corporate board room. It would be a short cut to show my credibility.
I also knew that if I were to train other women to get on boards, a certification would help them win a board seat. I did research and could not find any board certification in the US, so I engaged a group of governance experts and asked them to do it. That is how the Corporate Directors Int’l board certification came about. It launched in 2018 along with the ACE Board Certification Program and since then, over 300 executive women from ten countries have received that board certification and many of them have told me that in their board selections, the certification helped them win the seat.
Is board certification necessary or required?
No, it is not. It is nice to have. And it is a benefit to eliminate another barrier to entry. People who have a board certification are looked to as being well rounded and educated to board matters and regulations. Since 2018, when Corporate Directors Int’l Board Certification became available with the CDI.D* designation, it has become more commonplace for directors to have extra training and education.
A nominating committee weighs one essential question about every candidate: can we rely on this person with the company’s future? Certification answers that question before you ever walk into the room. It tells a nominating committee, a CEO, or a search firm that you have done the work. You understand fiduciary duty. You read financial statements with a director’s eye. You know how audit, compensation, and governance committees function, and you arrive ready to contribute from the very first meeting.
For women, this credential carries even greater weight.
The most capable women I meet have built remarkable careers as CFOs, general counsels, operators, entrepreneurs, and functional leaders. For decades, boards recruited from a narrow pool of sitting and former CEOs. Certification widens the lens. It translates deep operating experience into the language boards speak, and it hands a nominating committee a clear, objective reason to put your name on the shortlist.
The value continues long after you win a board seat. Today’s boards oversee AI adoption, cybersecurity, evolving regulation, activist investors, and shifting trade policy, and the expectations for director knowledge rise every year. A designation such as the CDI.D signals to shareholders, fellow directors, and future boards that you stay current and hold yourself to a professional standard. It strengthens your standing when the board refreshes its skills matrix, and it positions you for committee leadership.
A Close Call That Sharpened My Thinking
This year I shared how close I came to a sophisticated recruiting fraud built on a stolen identity. That experience sharpened my thinking about credentials. In a world where AI makes it easy to invent a résumé, a verifiable certification from a recognized program carries real weight. Recruiters and boards can confirm it, and that confirmation builds trust in both directions.
I built ACE Board Certification and founded Corporate Directors International because I saw so many talented women ready to serve and waiting for the right invitation. Certification turns waiting into preparation, and preparation into opportunity. Every certified woman brings us one step closer to my goal of 1,000 qualified women seated on corporate boards.
Your experience earned you a place at the table. Certification helps the board see it.