Jan Babiak is currently on the board of 2 public companies: Walgreens (which just announced it may go private) and also Bank of Montreal. Other private company boards she is on include, VillageMD, GHD Group Pty Ltd,. Mentore Advisory LLP, Nashville Cable and Summit Health Inc. Her community and civic boards are a very long list of organizations, from Tennessee to Oklahoma to London, UK!

Jan really does represent one of the most varied board careers I have seen! In my world, I call this a “Portfolio of Boards” and so many of my clients have life goals to achieve this. Jan proves that it can be done!

I had the pleasure of interviewing Jan Babiak in Nashville in April 2025. Here is a summary of our conversation. Email me to let me know what surprised you about her insights.

Background and Experience

• Jan Babiak is an experienced board member with a career spanning over 15 years across public, private, and family-owned companies in both the US and UK. She started her career in EY and was offered her first board BEFORE her retirement. She decided to take the leap and be a full-time board member.
• Her professional journey includes a strong foundation in technology, cybersecurity, and audit, and she has held significant roles in companies such as Walgreens Boots Alliance and Bank of Montreal.
• Babiak emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and staying relevant, regularly attending board conferences and taking courses to keep her skills up to date.

Motivation and Approach to Board Service

• Babiak’s motivation for joining boards is driven by a desire to provide value and intellectual challenge, rather than simply filling time or for status.
• She only accepts board roles where she believes she can make a meaningful contribution, stressing the importance of understanding what unique value she brings to each board.
• She advises others to be intentional and strategic about the boards they pursue, ensuring alignment between their skills and the board’s needs.

Advice for Aspiring Board Members

• Due Diligence: Babiak highlights the need for thorough due diligence before joining any board, especially private companies where information may be limited. This includes understanding the company, its leadership, and the board’s dynamics.
• Networking: Most board opportunities, particularly in the US, are secured through personal networks rather than formal recruitment processes. She recommends making it widely known that you are seeking board opportunities and leveraging every interaction to communicate your interest. In the UK, however, the recruitment firms seem to have a wider grip on board placements.
• Building Relationships: Babiak stresses the importance of building long-term relationships within the board community (even those who are seeking board roles now), as connections made years earlier have often led to her opportunities.

Navigating Board Opportunities

• She encourages candidates to be proactive, attend industry events, and apply even if they do not meet every criterion, as many board roles are filled through informal channels.
• She also warns against approaching board members with a sense of entitlement or overconfidence in one’s expertise; instead, she suggests being humble, open to advice, and clear about your value proposition.

Key Takeaways

• Be intentional about your board journey and continuously invest in your education and network.
• Understand your motivation for board service and ensure you can add genuine value.
• Conduct thorough due diligence before joining a board, especially in private settings.
• Leverage your network and be strategic about whom you approach for opportunities.
• Build relationships for the long term, as today’s peers may become tomorrow’s advocates.