Meet Elise Perraud- Chief Operations Officer at NEDonBoard, a professional membership and development body for non-executive directors and board members.
Elise grew up in a caring and loving environment in the West of France. After studying in Paris and moving to London when she was 24, she secured a place in the graduate training programme at Goldman Sachs. There, she learnt about the various facets of the corporate world.
With this, she started her career in a highly competitive industry dominated by alpha males and amidst the culture of (very) long working hours and the challenge of having her voice heard. She developed a passion for business governance during her executive career in the City. She got the opportunity to experience what good governance can deliver for companies and their stakeholders- ultimately benefiting local communities, society, and the planet.
She identifies herself as a risk manager and governance practitioner with a background of 15 years with Goldman Sachs and Rothesay Life (a Goldman Sachs spin-off), with extensive executive committee and board experience as Credit Officer, Executive and Board Committee Secretary and Chief Credit Officer. In 2018, she decided to associate herself with a cause that she herself related to and which she felt was the need of the hour.
Her current organisation NEDonBoard is a professional membership and development body for non-executive directors and board members from different industries. “We support board directors at every step of their career at board level, from being a first-time non-executive director to an experienced board chair. Our mission is to accelerate global sustainable development and we do this by sharing wisdom and knowledge across generations of board leaders,” she says.
Being in the capacity of NEDonBoard’s Chief Operations Officer, Elise is involved in all functional areas of the organisation. Her passion (and mission) is to inspire professionals from diverse backgrounds to consider their transition to non-executive directorship and contribute their skills, experiences, and expertise to do the right things for all stakeholders, local communities, society, and the environment.
NEDonBoard became a professional body in 2017 and a recognised institute in 2020- which are marvellous achievements for any organisation in just a span of 3 years. Talking more about the intention behind the board, Elise says:
“NEDonBoard was set up to disrupt an industry that was historically dominated by insiders, selected within close networks leading to group thinking and lack of diversity. We believe in corporate social responsibility, sustainability, accountability as well as the transfer of knowledge across generations.” The organisation promotes modern and contemporary business governance practices.
Elise enjoys a flexible lifestyle with still very long hours of work but a passion for the mission of NEDonBoard and the positive impact she is creating on professionals’ lives and the boards on which they serve, together with her colleagues and the broader NEDonBoard team.
“I have a strong ‘why’ or a purpose with which I am aligned. I know what I want and to ensure this, I keep contributing to a positive change which is both fulfilling and rewarding to me!” she says.
Elise strongly believes that there is a boardroom for any professional that wants to contribute to his/her skills, expertise and experience to accelerate the long-term sustainable performance of an organisation. With the right tools, guidance and strategies, one can secure a role on a board that they can enjoy- and that is what she intends for aspiring non-executive directors.
