Independent Director Services
An independent director earns the seat in two ways. Steady judgement when the room is hot. Specific commercial experience that fills a gap on the board. Most boards have plenty of generalists. Few have a director who has carried commercial accountability through a downturn, a CEO succession, or a regulatory shift.
Andrew Seerden takes independent director appointments where commercial growth oversight, CEO succession experience, and crisis judgement are the gaps that matter.
Where Andrew sits
- NZ private B2B companies with ambitions beyond the domestic market.
- NZX and ASX listed boards seeking independent commercial expertise.
- Global multi-country boards where fluency in English, Dutch, and German shortens distance to European operations.
What he brings
Thirty years of senior commercial leadership at HP, Compaq, and IBM. Eleven years chairing a national charity through major change. Direct experience of CEO succession, executive compensation, M&A, channel transformation, and the conversations boards avoid until it is too late.
An MBA from Newport University Utrecht. Member of the Virtual Advisory Board (VAB).
What changes when the right director joins
The board stops drifting. Risks get named earlier. The CEO has a director they can call between meetings without it becoming political. The chair has a peer who shares the load on the harder conversations. Succession planning moves from the parking lot to the agenda.
Fit and conflict
Andrew takes a small number of director appointments to keep the work serious. He does not sit on competing boards. Conflicts are tested early and disclosed plainly.
Appointment process
Most appointments follow a structured path: a chemistry conversation with the chair, a board interview, references, and a clear agreement on term, fees, and induction. We do not shortcut it.
Book a call – or a confidential coffee chat
Thirty minutes with the chair, lead director, or nominations committee chair. Discuss the gap on the board and whether Andrew is the right fit.