No. This is an advisory board—not a legal or fiduciary board. ELE’s leadership team retains decision-making responsibility. The board’s role is to challenge, refine, and elevate direction and execution.

Employers are asking people leaders to do more with less — while every aspect of leadership is changing faster than traditional programs can absorb. Burnout is accelerating. Bottlenecks are ignored. ELE is forming an Advisory Board now to stay sharply aligned to what's actually moving work forward — and to ensure we keep delivering measurable value for members at every stage of their career.

The Advisory Board helps ELE stay accountable to strengthen:

• Member value (what’s most relevant, practical, and timely)
• Program quality (topics, formats, speakers, and outcomes)
• Community impact (confidence, capability, clarity—measurable growth)
• Responsiveness (faster feedback loops from practitioners)

Board members are typically ELE members who are:

• Senior People Peaders in OD/Org Effectiveness, HR, Talent Development, or Talent Management 
• Known for practical judgment, “been there” experience, and collaborative leadership
• Willing to contribute beyond attending events—through ideas, introductions, and feedback

 

Especially strong fit if you’re actively navigating AI-enabled workforce/work redesign or have experience scaling talent practices across multiple sites/regions.

We are recruiting 9 founding members for the initial cohort to keep discussions high-trust, high-quality, and efficient.

12 months for founding members, with an option to renew or rotate at term end (to keep perspectives fresh while preserving continuity).

Designed to be meaningful—but manageable.

Typical commitment:

• Quarterly board meetings: 4 per year, 75–90 minutes (virtual)
• One annual working session: 2 hours (virtual or in-person, if aligned with an ELE event)
• Occasional input: quick surveys or async reviews (2–4 times/year)

Total estimate: ~8–12 hours/year.

Board members are asked to:

• Attend and contribute to board meetings (prepare lightly, participate fully)
• Advise on priorities (topics, formats, audience needs, trends)
• Pressure-test ELE programming and member experience (what to improve, what to stop, what to scale)
• Bring 1–2 talent challenges from your organization to inform real-world breakouts and activities
• Make warm introductions when appropriate (optional, not transactional)
• Support two growth priorities (optional, based on interest): contribute ideas and occasional connections to help ELE advance Human-Centered AI Transformation and Local & Global Expansion.

We’re asking the founding board to help us accelerate two priority growth areas:

1) Human-Centered AI Transformation

Help ELE stay grounded in real AI adoption: what’s working, what’s risky, and what leaders need to practice judgment—not just learn tools. This can include suggesting high-value use cases for working sessions (e.g., AI Practical Labs), pressure-testing ethics/guardrails, and connecting us to peers doing responsible experimentation.

2) Local & Global Expansion

Help ELE expand beyond Chicago by identifying where local communities could thrive, connecting us to potential conveners, and shaping a repeatable “local host” playbook so experiences stay integrated with ELE’s platform and annual themes.

Global expansion fits here too—board members with multi-region/global scope can help us translate what works locally into a scalable approach across regions while protecting ELE’s trust and quality standards. (We’ll start with a few pilots and iterate.)

A great board member:

• Shows up consistently
• Offers candid, constructive feedback
• Helps ELE stay grounded in real constraints and real outcomes
• Has passion and interest in talent and learning industry trends
• Supports a culture of trust, generosity, and usefulness

How are board members selected?

We aim for a balanced mix across:

• Industry/sector
• Organization size and maturity
• Expertise areas (L&D, leadership development, early career, capability academies, performance, etc.)
• Diversity of lived experience and leadership perspective

Selection is based on alignment, contribution mindset, and ability to commit.

Yes—board conversations work best with trust.

We ask board members to:

• Treat board discussions as confidential
• Use a “share learnings, not attributions” approach (Chatham House style)
• Avoid sharing sensitive company details unless explicitly intended

(We can provide a simple NDA if your organization requires it.)

Board members should disclose any potential conflicts (e.g., vendor relationships that could create perceived bias). ELE may limit participation in decisions where a conflict exists.

Typically, no. This is a service role designed for impact, learning, and network value.

If ELE offers perks, they may include:

• Priority access to select sessions
• Early visibility into upcoming themes
• Recognition as a founding board member (optional)

Board members commonly value:

• Peer-level insight from other top HR/Talent leaders
• Influence on programming that supports their teams’ real needs
• Early signal on emerging practices and priorities
• A platform to shape “what good looks like” across the ELE community

Only with your permission. You can choose:

• Public listing (name + company)
• Name only (no company)
• Not listed publicly

This year, breakouts are shifting toward small-group, activity-based problem solving around “ELE Members’ Talent Challenges.” Board members can contribute challenge topics and help refine the format so it stays balanced and high-impact.

We understand schedules shift. We ask members to attend most meetings; if you miss one, you can:

• Send a delegate (if appropriate), or
• Share async input in advance

Consistent non-attendance may trigger a rotation so the seat stays active.

We will hold a meeting when a quorum is present, defined as 5 of the 9 Board members.

Reach out to Yolanda Mangram, Board Administrator. She’ll share next steps and can schedule a short call if helpful.

• Name, title, company
• A sentence on why you’re interested
• Any key expertise areas you bring
• Confirmation you can commit to the time expectations
• Indicate if interest in Advisory Board or a working sub-committee

Optional: Once confirmed, board members may add ELE to their LinkedIn profile using this link: https://www.linkedin.com/in/me/edit/forms/position/new/

Acting Managing Director: Dirk Tussing

We’re starting small and will add advisors as they confirm.

Live list: ELE Advisory Board Members

Look for the Advisory Board Member badge on their ELEfolio card/profile.

We’re filling seats on a rolling basis and will confirm the founding cohort once the 9 positions are committed.

Contact Matt Sernaker | ELE

We’re happy to do a brief 15-minute call to confirm fit and expectations.

Listing ELE on LinkedIn is optional and intended for leadership visibility and professional recognition—not employment representation.

Use this direct link to add ELE as a new position:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/me/edit/forms/position/new/

Suggested LinkedIn entry (copy/paste)

• Title: Advisory Board Member, Executive Learning Exchange (ELE)
• Company: Executive Learning Exchange
• Employment type: Part-time
• Location: Your preference
• Start date: Month / Year
• Description:

As an Advisory Board member for the Executive Learning Exchange (ELE), I contribute an independent perspective, practical insight, and trusted counsel to help shape a high‑integrity, peer‑driven leadership community.

This role focuses on advising—not governing or managing—by sharing expertise, challenging assumptions, and supporting ELE’s mission to advance talent, leadership, and workforce practices in an AI‑accelerated world. Advisory Board members serve as thought partners, helping ensure ELE remains relevant, credible, and grounded in real‑world leadership experience.

This position reflects a commitment to stewardship, contribution, and leader‑to‑leader learning—without fiduciary responsibility, operational authority, or commercial agenda.