The conversations I am having with local government leaders about non-executive director (NED) roles have changed significantly in recent years.
Board appointments were once seen as something to consider towards the end of an executive career. Today, more chief executives, directors and monitoring officers are exploring NED opportunities alongside their substantive roles, recognising the value they bring to both current and future leadership.
Organisations across the public, private and third sectors are grappling with financial pressure, service transformation, workforce challenges, digital change and increasing scrutiny. This is familiar territory for local government leaders, who have spent more than a decade rethinking services, organisational design and long-term sustainability in response to austerity. As similar pressures affect sectors including higher education, health and housing, boards are increasingly recognising the value of leaders who have already navigated this complexity.
The benefits also flow both ways. Board service exposes executives to different perspectives, governance approaches and strategic challenges, while their employers benefit from wider networks, cross-sector insight and new partnership opportunities.
Wallace Sampson, former Harrogate BC chief executive and a NED, says: ‘Taking on a NED role while serving as a chief executive gave me exposure to different perspectives, governance approaches and strategic challenges. My council was highly supportive because they recognised the value of the cross-sector relationships and partnership opportunities that came from serving on an NHS trust board. The benefits flow both ways, to the individual and the organisation they lead.'
Many of the skills developed in senior local authority roles are exactly those boards need. Yet many executives still underestimate the contribution they can make.
From managing to providing assurance
For a first-time NED, the adjustment is often not learning something new but unlearning something familiar. Successful executives are problem solvers. They are used to stepping into complexity, making decisions and driving delivery. The boardroom demands something different.
A NED is not there to run the organisation, but to bring independent judgement, constructive challenge and professional curiosity. Their role is to seek assurance that the organisation is well led, well governed and delivering its objectives.
Counter-intuitively, that means resisting the instinct to solve operational problems and instead asking the questions that test assumptions, strengthen governance and provide assurance.
In many ways, the greatest contribution a board member makes is judgement rather than expertise.
What boards are really looking for
There remains a perception that boards primarily want candidates with private sector backgrounds. Commercial experience is valuable in some settings, but it is only part of the picture.
Boards increasingly want different perspectives and leaders who understand complexity. Local authority executives bring extensive experience of governance, transformation, public accountability and decision-making under scrutiny.
Ada Burns, former chief executive of Darlington BC and a NED, says: ‘Political exposure gives local government leaders a resilience and comfort with challenge that many organisations need more of. The role of a NED is not passive oversight. It's about providing assurance, testing assumptions and helping organisations deliver on their objectives.'
As organisations grapple with digital transformation and artificial intelligence, boards increasingly value leaders who can provide informed challenge and strategic oversight in these areas.
The challenge is often not capability, but positioning. Boards are not recruiting another chief executive, director or monitoring officer. They are looking for independent judgement, challenge and perspective. Successful candidates articulate not just what they have done, but how their experience will strengthen the board.
Start with values, not vacancies
One of the most important considerations when exploring a first NED appointment is deciding where you genuinely want to make a contribution.
The most effective NEDs are drawn by an organisation's purpose – whether that's a housing association tackling housing inequality, a charity supporting vulnerable communities, an education trust improving outcomes for young people or a commercial organisation with a clear social purpose. Shared values matter because boards need people willing to offer both support and challenge, and because board membership requires a significant investment of time and energy.
Candidates should therefore assess the organisation as carefully as the organisation assesses them. Its culture, purpose and ambition should matter as much as the role itself.
Understanding the commitment
Effective NEDs contribute well beyond board meetings through committee work, stakeholder engagement, site visits, development activity and support to executives.
They also invest time in understanding the organisation's culture, people and performance. First-time applicants can underestimate this commitment, so being realistic about their capacity is essential if both parties are to gain maximum value from the appointment.
Taking the first step
Securing a first board appointment can take time.
Building relationships with chairs, existing NEDs and executive search professionals provides invaluable insight into how appointments are made and what boards are seeking. Candidates also need a board-focused CV and must become comfortable talking about governance, culture, strategy and oversight rather than concentrating on operational delivery.
The market is competitive, and many successful board members experienced several unsuccessful applications before securing their first appointment.
Richard Carr, chief executive of Woking BC and a NED, says: ‘For me, taking on a NED role was part of a deliberate strategy of looking for ways to expand my horizons and experiences and I have found it to be both rewarding and enriching.'
Most importantly, don't assume you need to wait until the latter stages of your career.
Some of the strongest NEDs continue to hold significant executive responsibilities, bringing insights that strengthen both their day jobs and board contributions.
Local government has developed leaders who are accustomed to complexity, scrutiny and transformation. Boards increasingly need those qualities. The question is no longer whether local government experience belongs in the boardroom, but whether more local government leaders are prepared to step into it.
Sally Wilson is a partner with GatenbySanderson's interim leadership practice
