Professional Governance Certificate

The Dilemma

• Most former professional athletes (“former pros”) have not personally experienced professional governance culture; and, it is hard to understand what a professional director is without being exposed to this unique culture and engaging with professional directors;
• There are more qualified board candidates than board positions available in Corporate America (public and private companies);
• Not having a professional governance certificate from an accredited academic institution can be a competitive disadvantage for a board candidate;
• Even among credentialed board candidates, there is a need to be differentiated with an enhanced level of corporate governance competency; particularly, how to govern effectively “with AI”;
• Finding good board positions is not easy; it takes time and effort.

The Solution

Through the UTD Professional Governance Certificate Program, former pros will:

• Develop confidence that they can be an excellent corporate director by demonstrating an enhanced level of corporate governance competency governance competency;
• Be exposed to professional governance culture and learn who a professional director is;
• Know how to position themselves as a differentiated professional director candidate based on their former pro background plus their professional director credentials;
• Know how to communicate they can be a value-add professional director in board recruiting interviews;
• Know how to effectively work with board search firms to find and be placed in targeted board positions;
• Know how to develop and leverage a personal professional director network.

The Outcome

After completing the UTD Professional Governance Certificate Program, former pros will:

• Receive a certificate from an accredited university that notes the former pro has an enhanced level of corporate governance competency;
• Be a member of the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance and the American College of Corporate Directors, recognized professional governance communities;
• Have a personalized board resume and bio;
• Have access to board search platforms and resources to effectively find board positions;
• Have a personal professional director network that can be leveraged to find board opportunities and advance their professional governance career.

Overview

The UTD Professional Governance Certificate Program is sponsored by the Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance (IECG) at UTD’s Jindal School of Management in partnership with the American College of Corporate Directors (ACCD) and Corporate Board Member (CBM). This program is targeted to former professional athletes from the NFL, NBA, WNBA, NHL, MLB, NWSL, and Olympic athletes who aspire to be candidates for corporate board positions. In addition to a robust academic curriculum, the program also incorporates board service preparation and search support, and professional director mentoring, events and membership affiliations.

Ideal Candidates

• Former pro athletes who are specifically seeking to advance their professional careers by serving on a corporate board;
• Individuals with good personal judgment, ethical decision-making and intellectual curiosity;
• Typically, have at least 10 years of business experience after their pro athlete career;
• Individuals who are willing to commit to 2 semesters (8 months) of full engagement in the program.

Program Components

• Two-Semester Online Academic Curriculum: a first-semester Director Fundamentals course, and a second semester SIQ Governance Model course
• Monthly Group Cohort Learning: virtual group meetings once a month to help former pros stay on track with the academic curriculum, and to simulate board discussions on relevant corporate governance topics
• Corporate Governance Workshops: to build, and implement a governance model for a hypothetical company case study; and, how to effectively govern with AI,
• Board Service preparation and search support; including how to develop a personal board resume and bio;
• Professional Director mentoring, events and membership affiliations

Tuition cost is $5,000 per semester ($10,000 total program cost); that includes registration to select UTD and CBM corporate governance events.

About IECG

The Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance is an Academic Center within the Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas. IECG is known within the corporate governance community for what its name expresses – “excellence” in corporate governance. IECG adds value through its academic thought leadership for developing and implementing a comprehensive, actionable, measurable governance model framed around organizational resiliency, competitive advantage and stakeholder relationship trust.

Gregg Ballew
Executive Director
gregory.ballew@utdallas.edu
972-883-5967

Kellie Parrick
Program Manager
kellie.parrick@utdallas.edu
972-883-3902

About Corporate Board Member

Having served the corporate governance community for more than 20 years, Corporate Board Member connects the community of 25,000 U.S.-based public company directors to each other and to leading governance experts. Through peer networking opportunities and a suite of best-in-class tools and resources, Corporate Board Member aims to inspire corporate leaders to make an impact in the boardroom and beyond. Corporate Board Member’s membership network provides an educational and collaborative platform tailored to every director’s level of expertise, encouraging continuous learning regardless of experience. BoardMember.com

About ACCD

Since 2008, the American College of Corporate Directors credentials have been the “gold standard” in corporate director education, and those executives who earn them are highly valued in the corporate board member community. ACCD is the credentialed arm of Corporate Board Member, a division of the Chief Executive Group, which includes resources for boards, CEOs, CFOs and other C-Suite executives. www.boardmember.com/accd

Jamie Tassa
Publisher, Corporate Board Member, and Executive Director, ACCD
jtassa@chiefexecutivegroup.com
615-592-1506

Liz Fallon
ACCD Credentials Coordinator
efallon@chiefexecutivegroup.com
203-405-8831

Program Information

For Information About The Program, Please Contact:

Brad Oates
Chairman at Stone Advisors
boates@stoneadvisors.com
214-727-5827

Program Academic Curriculum

UTD Professional Governance Certificate Program Summary

1-Professional Athlete Program – This Unique Corporate Governance Certificate Program Is Specifically Designed For Former Professional Athletes (Former Pros) From The NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, NWSL, And Olympic Sports;

2-Two-Semester Online Academic Curriculum

Group Cohort Learning Model

Former pros will meet virtually each month as a group cohort:

• To review the academic curriculum, and stay on track with the curriculum.
• To have group discussions that simulate “real world” board meetings and professional director decision-making;
• To foster a “team culture” that enhances group learning;
• To provide an opportunity for expanded friendships and a support structure to timely complete the program.

Program Workshops

At the end of both semesters, former pros will meet together, virtually as a group, in a 3-hour workshop led by professional director instructors

Hypothetical Company Case Study

• A hypothetical company case study, (“Hypo”) will be presented that includes range of board management corporate governance issues the Hypo Board needs to address;
• Former pros will learn how to build, validate, and implement a governance model for Hypo that fully addresses the governance issues presented;
• Former pros will learn how to build, validate, and implement a Hypo governance model using AI;
• Former pros will also learn how to effectively govern Hypo with AI after the governance model is fully implemented.

Professional Director Mentoring, Events and Membership Affiliations

• Former Pros will have the opportunity to be paired 1 to 1 with experienced professional directors for the following purposes:
• To understand corpoate governance culture, and who a best-in-class professional director is.
• To learn the nuances of corporate board discussions and professional director decision-making from an experienced professional director’s point of view;
• To receive tips from an experienced professional director on how to be placed in board positions that are the right fit.
• Former pros are specifically invited and encouraged to attend select in-person professional director events
• Institute for Excellence in Corporate Governance annual conference;
• Corporate Board Member annual Directors Forum;
• After program completion, former pros will receive an official UTD Professional Governance Certificate.
• After program completion, former pros will receive a ACCD Director Qualified Credential, and become a Designated Professional Director after being selected for a board position

Tuition

• Program tuition is $5,000 per semester ($10,000 total program tuition);
• The UTD Program is approved for tuition scholarships, and assistance, that may be available to eligible former pros from their respective professional sports leagues (e.g. NFLPA Players Trust Tuition Scholarships).

Application

• Apply for the program via this link:
Apply Here
• Your application will be reviewed, and you will be contacted about acceptance into the program;
• Upon acceptance, you will receive additional instructions regarding tuition payment, and cohort preparation.

Program Benefit Testimonials

“As the leading provider of board education for public company directors, Corporate Board Member seeks to inspire corporate leaders to make a positive impact in the boardroom and beyond. As such, we are honored to partner with UTD to deliver a best-in-class Director Fundamentals Program to prepare professional athletes for the next stage of their career journey.”

Jamie Tassa
VP Events & Publisher at Chief Executive Group

“The UTD Governance Certificate Program was designed by former professional athletes specifically for former professional athletes and Olympic athletes. The program will help former pros and Olympic athletes develop championship governance competencies to be a best-in-class corporate director….just as they were a best-in-class athlete in their sports career.”

Brad Oates
Former NFL Player
Chairman of Stone Advisors, LP

“The Director Fundamentals Program provided me a different way to think about board work at a higher level. My questions for my board are now different because of the perspective I’ve gained from both the curriculum and the exposure to sitting directors who were doing what I wanted to do. As I was going through the process, I found someone I could connect with as a coach/mentor. The program also helped me understand how to build relationships with people who could help me on my journey of becoming a corporate director.”

Mike Kelly
Managing Partner at Right Path Enterprises

“As a former professional athlete, I lived every day in a world where discipline, preparation, and teamwork weren’t optional-they were essential to success. Those qualities shaped who I am. Through the UTD Professional Governance Certificate Program, I discovered how to translate that professional athlete mindset into the boardroom. The UTD Program gave me a clear path to apply the leadership, strategic thinking, and accountability I honed on the playing field, and in my business career, to the world of corporate governance, an arena where those same traits are just as vital.”

Bradford Banta
Former NFL Player