In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Keith Dorsey, founder and executive advisor at Boardroom Journey, as he discusses charting an intentional path toward corporate board service. Keith explores how board recruitment has evolved from a “club” of familiar faces to a more skills and strategy-based process, emphasizing the importance of self-reflection, understanding one’s unique value, and being intentional about board aspirations. He shares insights on how uncertainty reduction theory influences board selection, the growing demand for diverse expertise, especially in areas like technology and cybersecurity, and the need for corporate athletes who can contribute broadly. Keith also addresses the complexities of diversity, equity, and inclusion on boards, dispelling myths about meritocracy versus diversity, and encourages aspiring board members to ensure alignment with board cultures before committing.

Dr. Keith D. Dorsey is a researcher, author, advisor, and active board member focused on issues of diversity, governance, and strategic growth for private and public corporate boards. His recent research examined women executives’ pathways to securing corporate board seats, yielding powerful insights about the barriers and facilitators unique to women candidates seeking these positions. His book, The Boardroom Journey: Practical Guidance for Women to Secure a Seat at the Table, combines his research insights with his extensive executive, board, and industry experience. He speaks on topics related to governance and navigating the path to the C suite and boardroom. As an executive advisor, he is focused on increasing Optimal DiversityTM within corporate senior management, executive, and board-level roles.

Board Experience and Certification

Keith is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Certified Director and was recognized as an honoree of the 2023 NACD Directorship 100, an annual recognition of 100 leading corporate directors and corporate governance experts who impact boardroom practices and performance. He serves as a board member at Vimly Benefit Solutions, a private technology and third-party administration company; Continu, a private learning management system SaaS company; Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School, Pacific Crest Trail Association; and the Chair of the City of La Quinta’s Financial Advisory Commission. Former Board Member, Orion Talent, a recruitment process outsourcing and talent acquisition firm. Keith is also an Executive Leadership Council (ELC) member and a graduate, mentor, and advisor of Santa Clara University’s Black Corporate Board Readiness program.

Corporate Experience

Keith founded the Boardroom Journey, a leadership development consultancy dedicated to helping professionals access board education, gain needed certifications, and make efficient progress to the C-suite and the boardroom. As a senior advisor at Boyden, a global executive search and consulting firm, he also helps executive teams and boards enhance their governance quality through a comprehensive set of board consulting services, including full-scale governance review, board, committee, and director assessments, M&A governance planning, board refreshment, and CEO succession planning.

In his former role as President and Executive Advisor for Dorsey Management Consulting, he mentored and advised CxOs on their sales growth and go-to-market strategies, helped businesses align their strategies with sales expectations, aggressively grew their bottom line and shareholder value during significant periods of change, and optimized leadership and sales team effectiveness.

He has over 25 years of sales leadership experience in the Human Capital Management industry, such as at Alight Solutions (formerly Aon Hewitt and Hewitt Associates), a $2.3B leading provider of human capital solutions where he served as the Executive Vice President, Global Head of Sales responsible for the overall sales growth strategy and execution. Under Keith’s executive leadership, his sales teams consistently produced double-digit annual growth. Prior to joining Hewitt Associates, Keith worked with Paychex, Inc., a Fortune 1000 payroll and HR outsourcing company, for 16 years. He was a Zone Sales Manager responsible for the growth and delivery of revenue in their Human Resource Service Division. Before Paychex, Keith spent three years in the insurance industry and five years serving his country in the U.S. Air Force.

Education

Keith has a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership at the University of Southern California. His dissertation research examined gender and ethnic diversity on corporate boards. He also holds an MBA from Pepperdine University and a BS in Business Administration from Charter Oak State College.