A key lesson for organizations keen to undergo a digital transformation is that it’s also critical to have a digital executive sponsor at the board level. Digital transformation needs to be wholesale. Digital innovation needs to permeate and recast every aspect of the business and that also means your board.
As companies now look to incorporate their early digital investments into a more systematic, data-driven, end-to-end strategy, boards and board leadership needs have evolved. Rather than placing an emphasis on disruptive forces, boards must have in their mix leaders like Joshua Lowcock who have strategic digital skills, general management backgrounds; but who also bring commercial and investment acumen. Something Joshua can bring to your private or public company board.
Independent research by Russel Reynolds Associates states 63% of executives say that the partnership of the board is critical to the success of transformation efforts. What is concerning is that only 27% report that the board serves as an advocate for current strategies. Meaning you should ask yourself, do you have the Board of Directors you need for a digital transformation?
In Joshua’s experience, similar to research from the Harvard Business Review, you require these attributes of a board director for successful digital transformation.
- Digital thinker. A director who understands how to think and operate strategically in digital and can apply this to your current business challenges and opportunities.
- Digital disruptor. The director brings first-hand experience from a pure-play digital operation. Either founding or participating in a startup.
- Digital leader. A director who has had substantial experience running a traditional business that leverages digital in a significant way (e.g. retail or media).
- Digital transformer. The director has led or participated in the transformation of a traditional business. This could be in any aspect from applying data, creating business units, even new product development.
Joshua Lowcock has experience as a digital board director in all of the above capacities. As a leader, Joshua brings strategic, general management experience across Australia, China, and the US, a unique global perspective on digital transformation. as well as having successfully exited two (2) digital startups. Commercially focused, Joshua’s leadership style focuses on results from the customer perspective, developing the digital vision and strategy, and driving leadership and cultural change.
As an experienced digital board director for publicly listed companies, Joshua also serves on the client advisory councils of organizations such as Facebook, Verizon, Roku, and more. This enables Joshua sits sees first-hand broad transformation developments before they come to market giving your company a unique advantage.
You can also engage with Joshua Lowcock as a digital board member with confidence. As a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (MAICD) and an experienced digital director, Joshua serves as the Chief Digital & Innovation Officer for a global media agency, but also as the Non-Executive Director (NED) of a number of publicly listed companies.
For a no-obligation and confidential discussion about digital board and director opportunities, you can contact Joshua Lowcock here.