Today’s ThursdayThoughts highlights how board-ready women plan to pursue board seats this spring. By then, decisions will already be finalized.

I’ve been thinking about this lately as we enter the board appointment season, which most people overlook. Most people assume that board seats are filled at AGMs in May and June, when appointments are announced. The actual decisions, however, happen months earlier, behind closed doors at nomination committee meetings.

Q4 conversations lead to Q1 shortlists, which lead to Q2 announcements. January and February are when nomination committees finalize their shortlists for spring AGMs. If you’re not on their radar by the end of this month, you’re likely waiting until 2027.

For board-ready women, I recommend the following three actions for this month:
1. Refresh your board resume. A board resume should highlight your governance value, fiduciary skills, and industry knowledge rather than a chronological list of positions. Nomination committees look for what you bring to the boardroom table.
2. Reach out to your sponsors. I’ve been writing about the distinction between mentors and sponsors lately. A sponsor’s phone call on your behalf in January, when committees are finalizing their lists, carries more weight than months of mentoring. Signal your active availability for 2026 seats.
3. Review last year’s proxy circulars from target companies. This publicly available information reveals which terms are expiring, board composition gaps, and stated diversity commitments. It’s strategic intelligence most candidates overlook.

For detailed guidance on each step, I invite you to download the 8th edition of my e-book, How to Get Yourself on a Board: https://tinyurl.com/4n5w56ym