Directorship Profile: George L. Davis

What is your background and how did you get into the recruiting business?

Prior to joining Egon Zehnder International, I held various senior management roles for The Walt Disney Company. Previously I worked for Time Inc., A.T. Kearney, and Manufacturer’s Hanover Trust. I joined Egon Zehnder in our Chicago office and came to Boston about 10 years ago as the founding office manager. I migrated into board work as a natural extension of the CEO work I do. There is a natural synergy and extension of advising and working with chairmen and directors. The two practices are very symbiotic.

How is Egon Zehnder different from other search firms?

It’s very intriguing to be at Egon Zehnder because of our model. It’s a lock-step firm based on the team concept and not the individual, which is a great approach for conducting any search. It’s not a hunter-killer method, but all about the team. With the lockstep model, everyone gets paid on the same scale whether you execute more searches or play a supporting role. We think the team approach helps solve complex human-capital problems faster and much more effectively than an individualistic approach.

What do you look for in ideal board candidates?

We invert the pyramid when we go out to recruit for directors. The first thing we like to do is a needs assessment of the board. We look at the competencies, skill sets, and functions that the board currently has and then match those to the strategy of where the company is going. Next, we articulate a clear, transparent profile of what they are looking for. We have a very specific process and we come in and we work with each party—with the chairman, the nomination chair, and the full board—to gain transparency and build consensus.

Has the post-SOX era changed the caliber of directors?

Yes, I think it has. It’s now “game on” for directors. There can be no bench warmers. The stakes have been raised and directors have had to step it up. And most have. If they don’t, they start self-selecting out fairly rapidly.

Do directors need to think more about succession planning for the board?

Many companies have begun to initiate the recruiting process much earlier. Finding a truly outstanding director in a period of two to three months is a rare if not impossible achievement. Nominating and search committees often look 12 to 24 months into the future and are beginning to seek candidates for multiple seats.

Are more companies looking to get international experience on the board?

Egon Zehnder was founded in Switzerland, 40-plus years ago. But now the United States is the largest billing region for the firm. We’re in the right place at the right time. The majority of U.S companies are looking to grow overseas. That is their growth market for the next decade and so we’re matched up perfectly in terms of finding global directors for U.S companies. They don’t know how to do it and it’s hard to do it. There are cultural customs on boards that are completely different in Scandinavia, Germany, Europe, and Asia than they are in the United States. In a way we are redefining another aspect of diversity on the board.