My contribution to a board
I would help a board examine the resources a service promise has already committed. In my sector, a price may describe kilometres or pallet positions while the actual obligation includes time, availability and recovery from disruption. A board does not need to manage every route to understand that difference. It needs a reliable account of the assumptions behind significant contracts and investments, and an explanation when those assumptions change. I have presented such matters as CFO but have not yet served as a director. I would therefore begin with a defined audit or risk committee contribution under a chair who understands both the business and the responsibilities of the appointment. I would bring financial and operating questions, while recognising that transport safety, food quality and legal conclusions require the appropriate expertise. The value I hope to add is a clearer connection between what the company has promised, what it can deliver and how it funds the period between service and payment.
Capacity and preferences
- Time available
- 20 days per year
- Current directorships
- 0
- Sectors
- Logistics and storage · Asset-dependent business services
- Company type
- Private or emerging public company with a distinct board and executive remit
- Company stage
- Adding capacity or reviewing the obligations behind major service contracts
The seat I am pursuing
A first appointment would suit me where the board wants a practical financial perspective on service obligations and capital commitments. I would consider a logistics, storage or adjacent business whose chair can explain why another director is needed and how the committee contribution fits the wider board. I am not seeking an honorary title or an outside route to manage a finance team. I would prefer to join an audit or risk discussion under experienced leadership before considering any chair responsibility. For an Indian independent appointment, I would complete the applicable databank and assessment process and review eligibility and independence with qualified advice; this profile does not claim that preparation has already been completed. A listed company's requirements would need their own review rather than being inferred from my private-company experience. The opportunity should allow me to contribute relevant questions, learn the company's particular obligations and take responsibility for decisions with the rest of its board.
Judgement in practice
01Questioning availability before accepting the price model
The distribution proposal appeared to use a familiar cost-per-kilometre approach, but the assumed monthly activity did not reflect the observed turnaround. The board question was whether the company understood the service it was promising, not whether finance preferred a higher price. I would ask how the operating team had supported the assumption and whether the customer had agreed the conditions needed to achieve it. I would also want the alternative stated fairly: a different service pattern, additional capacity or a smaller contract could each have a cost. A useful board discussion should leave the executive team with a clear decision and responsibility. It should not invite directors to redesign daily dispatch or imply that safety and quality requirements become optional when the financial model is under pressure.
02Keeping a credible recovery case separate from funding certainty
The cargo incident required us to pursue a claim while making a funding decision that did not depend on its best possible outcome. I would bring that distinction to another board facing disputed receipts or contingent recoveries. Directors should understand the evidence supporting the claim, the advisers responsible and the possible timing, without treating management's confidence as a bank balance. I would ask whether the business could meet its obligations if the process took longer, and what the alternative funding would cost. The eventual receipt of part of the claimed amount would not justify rewriting the original uncertainty out of the record. Nor would a delay prove that pursuing recovery was mistaken. The board's task is to oversee a supportable decision using the evidence then available, while keeping unresolved obligations and outcomes visible.
My first year on a board
I would start by learning the company's service and ownership model, then follow a small number of important contracts through the board information. I would want to understand how a promise becomes an asset commitment, how an exception is escalated and what reaches directors when the expected economics change. Site and operating visits would be arranged through the chair and management, with a clear learning purpose. During the first budget cycle, I would compare major capacity assumptions with the commitments actually received from customers. I would also ask how the board distinguishes routine management estimates from questions requiring specialist advice. I would not introduce a familiar logistics reporting format into a different company without understanding what its directors already find useful. At the end of the first year, I would seek feedback from the chair on whether my contribution improves scrutiny and decision clarity. My learning needs would remain explicit, particularly where the new company's technical or regulatory obligations differ from those I have encountered.
Conflicts and their management
Our business deals with food producers, distributors, warehouse owners, vehicle suppliers, lenders and insurers. A prospective appointment could create a connection through any of those relationships even if the company does not describe itself as a logistics competitor. I would disclose my executive position and relevant interests, obtain employer consent and work with the prospective chair and advisers on the review. I would not bring confidential pricing or customer information from one organisation into another board's discussion. If a recurring exclusion would prevent me from contributing to the matters the board most needs examined, I would reconsider the appointment rather than rely on repeated absence from decisions. The twenty-day allowance also needs to be tested against preparation, committee work and unexpected demands, not just scheduled meeting dates. My current employer's reporting and funding calendar would remain a real constraint. The suitability of a seat depends on attention and judgement that can be provided consistently.
My independence statement
I would assess the proposed relationship with the company, its promoters and counterparties before accepting any description of independence. My current CFO position and associated commercial relationships must be disclosed and reviewed.
Committee contribution
Chair and member readiness| Capacity | Committees |
|---|
| Ready to join | Audit and financial reporting · Risk and capital commitments |
|---|
Board and committee exposure
Presented to the Board or a committee
Taranvelli Cold Chain
Board financial and investment discussions
June 2022–present
Presents funding, contract and capacity recommendations as CFO; not a director.
Governance learning and readiness
IICA Independent Directors’ Databank: Not yet registered
I have not registered with the IICA Independent Directors' Databank or passed its proficiency assessment. Before pursuing an independent appointment, I would complete the applicable process and obtain advice on the requirements for my circumstances.
- I am studying the distinction between preparing a financial recommendation and exercising collective board judgement.
- My preparation includes the Companies Act framework, the responsibilities of independent directors and the application of listing requirements where relevant.