How to Craft a Board-Ready CV (Without Putting the Board to Sleep) 

By Nadia Cassim

Let’s be honest: a board-ready CV is not your regular “I did my job and here’s the proof” document. This is not about listing responsibilities, squeezing in every role since 1998. 

A board-ready CV answers one simple question: 

Why should we trust you with governance, strategy, and reputation? 

If your CV doesn’t clearly answer that in the first 30 seconds, it’s not board-ready yet. The good news? Fixing it is more about clarity than creativity. Let’s break it down. 

First, What Makes a CV “Board-Ready”? 

A board CV is not an executive CV with a few bullet points deleted. It’s a different document with a different purpose. 

A board CV should show that you: 

• Think strategically, not operationally 

• Understand risk, governance, and fiduciary responsibility 

• Add perspective, not just horsepower 

• Can influence without authority 

Translation: boards want judgment, not job descriptions. 

Start With a Strong Board Profile (Not a Career Summary) 

The top third of your CV is prime real estate. Don’t waste it on vague phrases like “experienced senior leader” or “results-driven executive” (everyone is, apparently). 

Instead, write a Board Profile of 3–5 punchy lines that answer: 

• What perspective do you bring? 

• What problems do you help boards solve? 

• In what contexts do you add the most value? 

Follow With Your Board-Relevant Skills (Not All Your Skills) 

This is where many aspiring board members go wrong. They list everything they’re good at. 

Boards don’t need everything. They need complementarity. 

Create a short section titled “Board Capabilities” or “Key Governance Strengths”, and limit it to 6–8 items such as: 

• Strategy & long-term value creation 

• Risk & compliance oversight 

• Financial literacy (not “expert” unless you are) 

• Digital / technology governance 

• ESG & sustainability 

• M&A or capital allocation 

• Culture, people & remuneration 

This section should map cleanly to what boards actually discuss in the room and provide evidence under each section of where you have evidenced this in your career.  

Reframe Your Executive Roles for Board Impact 

Here’s the big mindset shift:
Boards care less about what you did and more about how you thought. To coin our mentor Jeremy Canning, you are not on the dance floor, but watching from above.  

For each senior role, include: 

• The context (scale, complexity, industry, regulation) 

• The strategic challenges 

• The governance exposure 

Instead of this: 

Led a team of 300 and delivered annual revenue targets. 

Try this: 

Executive leadership role within a $500m organisation, with accountability for strategy execution, risk management, capital prioritisation, and executive decision-making. Regular engagement with the Board on performance, investment trade-offs, and transformation progress. 

See the difference? Same job. Balcony, not dancefloor.  

Make Your Board and Committee Experience Crystal Clear 

If you already have board or advisory experience, give it proper weight. Don’t bury it. 

Create a dedicated Board & Advisory Roles section and include: 

• Organisation name and dates you were active.  

• Your role (Director, NED, Advisor) 

• Committees (Audit, Risk, People, etc.) 

• One line on contribution or focus 

Boards love committee experience. If you’ve chaired one, say so. Quietly hiding it is not humility, it’s a missed opportunity. 

Education: Relevant, Not Exhaustive 

Yes, list your degrees. Yes, include governance qualifications (AICD, IoD, etc.). 

No, you don’t need every short course you’ve ever done, not your college, A-Levels and O-Levels. 

For boards, education signals: 

• Financial literacy 

• Governance grounding 

• Commitment to continuous learning 

Length, Layout, and Tone (The Unspoken Test) 

A board CV is typically 2–3 pages 

Keep the tone: 

• Professional but human 

• Confident, not self-congratulatory 

• Clear, not complicated 

The Final Test: The “So What?” Scan 

Before you send your CV anywhere, do this: 

1. Read only the first page. 

1. Ask yourself: Would I invite this person into a boardroom conversation? 

1. Then ask: What would I rely on them for? 

If the answer isn’t obvious, revise. 

A board-ready CV isn’t about being impressive. It’s about being useful. 

And when a board sees you as useful?
That’s when the real conversations begin. 

Browse all of our NED microcourses here, keep ahead of the curve and industry trends from just £30 per course.

Take your board career to the next level with our Non Executive Director ILM Level 7 Award.

Interested in learning what Actuate can do for you?

Schedule your discovery chat with us!