Public company boards are required to have designated financial experts, and I was fortunate that my career as a CFO and CPA positioned me as a natural candidate. My advice to aspiring executives is to be intentional early about developing deep, credible expertise in an area that boards genuinely need — whether that is finance, risk, technology, or operations. Beyond the technical credentials, get active on nonprofit and civic boards as soon as you can; the governance experience and pattern recognition you build there translates directly to the boardroom. Equally important is building a strong professional network and being involved in organizations where future board opportunities surface. The path to a public board seat rarely comes from a cold application — it comes from being known and trusted by people already in those rooms. The question I get most from aspiring executives is 'How can I get on public boards? The most practical advice I received — and still follow — is to always let people who are already serving on public boards know that you are interested in expanding your board service. The key is doing it in a way that does not put them on the spot: you are simply planting a seed so that when an opportunity arises, your name comes to mind. That seemingly small habit opened doors I could not have knocked on directly.