Liz Gebhard – Get to know our VAB member
We would like to introduce our member Liz Gebhard, who joined the VAB community from London, UK. For those of you who don’t yet know her, Liz is a very active member of our community and serves as country co-chair for VAB’s UK chapter. She has also been an active contributor to VAB events speaking at a recent learning session on evolving cultural perspectives in the boardroom. With 20+ years of executive experience across commerce and technology, Liz currently sits on a number of advisory boards, ranging from the FMCG/retail space (ChicP) to a global non-profit supporting young founders partnering with organisations in the retail and corporate sectors. She is passionate about topics including DEI, Digital Transformation, AI, the Future of Work and ESG and would like to connect with her VAB peers in discussions on these topics. Feel free to reach out to Liz to learn more about her board journey and pursue common interests.
What inspired you to become a member of the Virtual Advisory Board community?
I joined the Virtual Advisory Board (VAB) to expand my personal network on my journey towards building out my portfolio career. I was inspired in particular to do so across a diverse group of global leaders across industries. I was also excited to see the opportunities to learn from others in their executive and board careers, to get deeper knowledge of trending issues in the boardroom and to build skills to better prepare myself for larger board roles in the future.
In what area do you feel board advisors can add the most value for Boards of Directors (BoDs) and executive teams?
Board advisors add significant value to executives and boards through applying their experience, leveraging their ability to look around corners and see problems through a different lens; and build collaboration across leaders and teams to support sustainable solutions. They also provide CEOs and Board Chairs a safe space to seek advice, support and guidance.
What would be your dream company/organisation to work with as a board advisor/NED?
In my passion to support ESG and equity on a global scale, I would love to be a board advisor/NED with the Yield Giving Foundation (MacKenzie Scott's foundation), the Gates Foundation or the Malala Fund.
What book or podcast would you recommend to VAB members that might improve their skills in corporate governance, board advisory or boosting board-to-executive team communications?
I would recommend Beyond Diversity: 12 Non-Obvious Ways To Build A More Inclusive World by Jennifer Brown and Rohit Bhargava.
