As mutual fund governance continues to evolve, selecting the right trustees is more important than ever. With over two decades of experience working alongside some of the industry’s most respected fund boards, our Mutual Fund Trustee practice combines deep expertise with an extensive network of industry leaders.

Our successful trustee placements draw from a diverse talent pool and bring broad functional expertise to the boardroom. Those candidates have come from investment management, financial services broadly, and a wide range of other industries. By focusing on a select number of assignments, we dedicate the full attention and resources of our firm to each client, ensuring tailored, high-quality outcomes.

Diversity and inclusion are central to our approach. Over 70% of our placements in the last five years represent diversity, reflecting our clients’ commitment to fostering inclusive and innovative boards that are equipped to navigate today’s dynamic investment landscape.

Recruiting mutual fund trustees has become highly competitive and great talent moves quickly. Based upon the most successful processes and outcomes we have witnessed, here are some recommendations for your next search:

• Start Yesterday – Effective boards recruit before an upcoming retirement. By developing a candidate pipeline well in advance of departures, boards are better able to manage transitions, provide useful overlap of trustees, and ensure effective on-boarding activities.
• Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail – Aim to recruit trustees with leadership potential. Avoiding succession planning may lead to future issues in board leadership.
• Add What You Need; Not What You Lost – With retirements, focus on current board needs and goals while recruiting new trustees. Open seats afford boards the chance to enhance skills and refresh in a non-disruptive fashion. Take advantage of that opportunity.
• Conflict Free – As always, and as soon as possible, it is critical to carefully select and ensure that potential trustees are truly independent and free from any conflict of interest.
• Diversity Always Matters – Successful boards have a true mix of talents and abilities. They benefit greatly from the recruitment of a broad array of C-suite and senior leadership professionals with a variety of functional backgrounds and skills. Boards continue to work to capture diversity of thought and experiences to achieve a goal of building a more inclusive and representative culture.

The right trustees can future proof a board and strengthen its foundation. We are here to help you navigate these trends and recruit trustees who will add lasting value.