1.  Develop a strategic plan to take you there.

2. Develop a reputation for excellence and show leadership in your main job and industry.

3. Educate yourself on board responsibilities and learn what it is like to be on a board.

4. Assess your skill set - what can you bring to the table? Fill in any gaps that you are lacking with the necessary skills.

5. Bring your "A" game to whatever you do because people are watching you. Dress well, be prepared, show up for every meeting. Do not work the BlackBerry under the table; people always notice.

6. Build your profile, your personal brand and have a board resume.

7. Tell people you know and respect, especially sitting directors or those who interact with directors, that you are seeking a board seat. Identify and meet all women directors in your city or region, because women directors often make it their mission to get other women on boards.

8. Work to get on a government commission or committee, whether local, county, state or national.

9. Seek out acquaintances who own their own companies, and volunteer to start or serve on their advisory boards.

10. Get to know recruiters at search firms.

For more information on what you can do to prepare, email Sheila at [email protected].

SIGNATURE EVENT IN NEW YORK CITY

Wednesday, April 17 at 3:00 PM ET

Panelists who will speak on their board experience are:

Cathleen Black (IBM, Hearst, Coca-Cola, Gannett and Vibrant Media board experience); Betsy Bernard (United Technologies, Principal Financial Group, Telular Corporation and Zimmer Holdings board experience); Hope Taitz (Liberty Life, Athene Holdings and Apollo Residential Mortgage Group board experience)

CONNECTIONS EVENT IN MINNEAPOLIS

Wednesday, May 1 at 6:00 PM CT
Topic: Developing Your Inner Leader in Today's Challenging Business Environment
Speaker: Doug Baker, Founder and President of True North Groups Institute

Thursday, May 9 at 6:00 PM ET
Topic: The Three E's of Authentic Leadership: Engagement, Empowerment and Execution
Speaker: Kathie De Chirico, COO and Executive Vice President of Business Development for Robin Baron Design Group

MetLife is the host sponsor for our April 17 Signature Event. Can you tell me why it is important for MetLife to participate in events such as this?

It is important for MetLife to participate in these events as it helps to showcase the company's commitment to diversity and inclusion and contributes to the development and advancement of our senior women leaders.

The mission of Women in the Boardroom aligns with MetLife's Global Women's Initiative to ensure that women receive the training, tools and connections to help them achieve their professional goals.

Many of our senior women leaders who have participated in past events have indicated that the sessions are very informative and instrumental in helping them to identify the skills and expertise needed in order to serve on a board.

Our new coaching programs have garnered a lot of attention. Learn more about how our Master Leadership Coaching Program can help you develop your leadership skills with a free informational video. Watch our CEO & Founder Sheila Ronning and our Director of Leadership Coaching Alejandra Crisafulli as they give a brief overview to the program.

Click here to access the free online video on coaching.

What can I expect to happen at a Signature Event?

A Signature Event includes networking, wine, hors d'oeuvres and a fantastic educational program. This event usually lasts a total of three hours depending upon the amount of networking you do.

What is the program content at a Signature Event ?

The Signature Event consists of a forum of board experts who have been there, done that. They share their stories on how they got to board-level positions. They are eager to provide you with advice and direction on what you need to do to get there too. This event provides a good basic overview of boardroom service and each of our speakers share their own unique opinions, so even if you have attended a Signature Event in the past, you can be sure every program is different.

Who attends Signature Events?

Our goal is to connect you with other women at your level. We target senior-level executive women to attend our events.

Worried you can't make our scheduled webinar times? We record the live version and send the recording out to all registrants afterward, so there is no risk of missing our valuable information.

Upcoming live Virtual Events include: How Women Lead: The Eight Essential Strategies Successful Women Know and Achieving Excellence in the Boardroom. See all our upcoming live virtual events on our events page.

Missed registering for a Virtual Event you really wanted to see? Our past Virtual Events are available for purchase on our Past Virtual Event page. Topics include:

- Personal Branding

- Hactivism

- How to Land a Board Seat

- Effective Communication

- Success Under Stress

- Leadership and Influence

- Develop Your Interpersonal Skills

- Thriving in the Social Era

- Financial Storytelling

Women in the Boardroom is the facilitator for executive women who want to advance their professional and personal future into the boardrooms of corporations. We do this by providing opportunities for knowledge building and networking in real life and virtual settings. This includes innovative educational programs with world-class professionals, high-end networking events, and coaching programs for leadership and executive development.