You're Not Being Overlooked. You're Being Misunderstood.

You walk into the Institute of Directors networking event. Another one. You're in the room with the right people - chairs, CEOs, other NEDs. Your experience speaks for itself: 25 years in operational leadership, board-level oversight during critical transitions, deep sector expertise. You've done the work. You know you're qualified.

Three months later, you hear through the grapevine that the board appointment you were perfect for went to someone else. Someone less qualified. Again.

Here's what I've learned after 25+ years working with L'Oréal, Colgate, Volkswagen, and Ryanair, and now positioning executives for their next role: you're not being overlooked. You're being misunderstood. And the gap between those two things is costing you opportunities you've already earned.

The Language Mismatch No One's Telling You About

Let's be honest about what's actually happening. You're describing 25 years of board-level contribution using executive delivery language. Your CV says "directed," "led," "delivered," "held responsibility" - all the words that got you promoted throughout your career.

But here's what nominating committees hear: operational. Hands-on. Still in execution mode.

I see this constantly with senior executives transitioning to NED roles. They're spot on about their experience - they've provided oversight, guided boards through complexity, challenged thinking when strategy drifted off course. But their positioning still sounds like they're the one doing the work rather than advising on it.

The fix is simpler than you think, but it requires precision. "Directed crisis management" becomes "provided board oversight during operational transition." "Led stakeholder engagement" becomes "advised on stakeholder communication strategy." Same work. Completely different positioning.

Here's where it gets interesting - most executives don't realise they're doing this. They're so used to demonstrating delivery capability that they can't hear themselves defaulting to operational language. Even when they think they've made the shift.

The Missing Piece: Your NED Identity

The profiles that land board roles have something in common - they complete this sentence: "I'm the kind of NED who..." Not in theory. In their actual CV opening and LinkedIn headline.

Here's what doesn't work: "Experienced non-executive director with strong governance background and strategic oversight capabilities." Technically accurate. Completely generic.

Compare that to: "Boards bring me in when stakeholder expectations are rising, delivery risk is high, and culture must evolve without losing integrity." Or: "I'm the integrator - I bring departments together when territorial thinking is blocking strategic progress."

The second version tells a nominating committee what you solve and when you're relevant. The first tells them you exist.

What "Too Operational" Actually Means

When qualified NEDs aren't landing roles, there's usually a positioning gap nobody's articulated to them. They're still speaking like they're in the room delivering strategy, not guiding it.

NEDs don't create strategy - they listen, input, guide, and ensure the executive team is better informed. It's a real step back from doing. Even the most hands-on advisory work is fundamentally about oversight and input, not execution.

I see this with qualified executives regularly. They're applying to roles they're perfect for. Decades of relevant experience. But nothing's landing. When we look at their positioning, every sentence positions them as the person making things happen - "developing strategies," "driving change," "creating alignment."

They're not wrong about the work. But boards don't hire NEDs to drive. They hire them to guide. We shift every active verb to advisory language. "Developing strategies" becomes "guiding strategic direction." "Driving change" becomes "advising on organisational evolution." "Creating alignment" becomes "providing oversight of cross-functional integration."

Same expertise. Different role. Immediately clearer positioning.

When Boards Need to Know Your Sector

The other positioning gap? Sector specificity. Or rather, the lack of it.

"Business transformation NED" positions you for nothing. "Wellness sector NED with health product commercialisation expertise" positions you for something specific - and the right boards know immediately whether you're relevant.

I get it. You're running a serious business. You don't want to narrow your options. But here's what actually happens when you try to appeal to everyone: you appeal to no one. Nominating committees need to place you quickly in their mental map of "who we need for this specific board challenge." Vague positioning forces them to guess. And when they're guessing, they're moving on to someone whose positioning is clearer.

I'm working with one executive now who kept avoiding sector specificity because she had experience across multiple industries. Valid concern. But watch what happens when positioning gets specific. Another client realised during our work together that his pharmacy turnaround and manufacturing NED experience wasn't accidental - it's his positioning. That's now deliberately in his LinkedIn profile. Not vague "business transformation." Specific sector expertise that tells nominating committees exactly when he's relevant.

The wrong opportunities stop wasting your time. The right ones know where to find you.

Positioning That Actually Filters

Here's what good NED positioning does - it filters. It tells the wrong boards you're not for them. It tells the right boards you're exactly who they need.

If you don't want to be in large corporate governance-driven environments where the NED role is ticking a box, say that. Position yourself for founder-led, purpose-driven organisations that need pragmatic oversight. If you're the calm, pragmatic voice that bridges ambitious strategy and grounded delivery, make that your opening line. If you're the challenger who won't let groupthink derail strategy, own that explicitly.

The NEDs who land roles quickly aren't the ones trying to appeal to every board. They're the ones who make it immediately clear what kind of board needs them and what happens when they're in the room.

After 25+ years in media strategy - not theory, but actual planning for global brands - I can tell you this: positioning either does the work for you or it wastes your time. There's no middle ground. Either nominating committees know immediately what you solve and when you're relevant, or they're scanning past your profile to find someone whose value they can place in three seconds.

Your expertise commands respect in person. I've no doubt about that. But board opportunities don't happen in person first anymore. They happen in LinkedIn scans, CV reviews, and nominating committee discussions where you're not in the room. Your positioning needs to do the work when you're not there to explain it.

So here's what to check. Open your LinkedIn profile and your NED CV. Read the opening summary. Can you complete the sentence "I'm the kind of NED who..." based on what's written? Does your language signal advisory contribution or operational delivery? Could a nominating committee figure out your sector focus and what you solve in three seconds?

If the answer to any of those is no, you've found the gap. And closing it is entirely within your control.

About Elaine Walsh-McGrath

Elaine Walsh-McGrath is an Executive Positioning Strategist and Visibility Expert who helps CEOs, MDs, NEDs, and senior consultants close the gap between the authority they've built and the recognition they deserve. After 25+ years in media strategy with L'Oréal, Colgate, Volkswagen, and Ryanair, Elaine now works with executives whose expertise has evolved beyond how they're currently positioned. Through her Executive Visibility Framework, she helps senior leaders reposition for their next role - so when opportunities arise, their name comes up for the right reasons.

Work with Elaine

If you're a NED whose experience is exceptional but your positioning doesn't reflect it, let's talk about closing that gap. I help senior executives reposition for their next role - so when board opportunities arise, their name comes up for the right reasons. Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn or visit elainewalshmcgrath.com to explore how strategic visibility repositioning works.