In this episode of Hyphen Nation, Dave sits down with Caroline Tsay—Silicon Valley operator-turned-entrepreneur and board director who has served on four public company boards, including The Coca-Cola Company and Morningstar—to demystify what it actually takes to land a corporate board seat.
Caroline breaks down the biggest myths (like “you must be a CEO to qualify”), and explains how her first board opportunity came not from a recruiter, but from building visibility outside her day job—speaking on panels, getting known for a clear point of view, and making her expertise legible to decision-makers.
You’ll learn what boards really focus on—CEO succession, strategy, capital allocation, and risk—how board seats are commonly filled (often not through search firms), and why serving on a board is a long-term commitment where fit and governance dynamics matter as much as credentials. Caroline also shares hard-earned lessons from navigating activist shareholders, founder-controlled environments, and the fine line between giving oversight and getting too operational.
If you’ve ever wondered how to position yourself for board service—especially as a woman, person of color, or “non-traditional” candidate—this conversation is a practical, behind-the-scenes playbook on how the game is played and how to start playing it.
