The contribution of a good non-Executive Director can make a huge difference to a small to medium sized business. But who should fulfil the role? Someone steeped in the culture and methods of a large corporation may not be able to make a valuable contribution to the governance of a small company. If someone already has a job, will they have time to do the role justice? This book addresses the question of what the input of the non-Executive Director should be and how their strengths can best be accessed and applied. The result is a well-researched yet personal discussion of what is entailed, in theory and in practice, in the role of the non-Executive Director.

JOHN SMITHSON joined PA Consulting in 1978 and became a freelance consultant seven years later. He now has many years' experience as a non-executive director in small and medium sized enterprises. He has worked in several countries in Europe, and in addition to his consultancy work he has served as a Director of more than thirty organisations in the private, public and voluntary sectors, ranging from the smallest start-ups to an NHS hospital trust.