John Clough, the CFO of NetRF, a tech firm in Salt Lake City, gets an offer he's not sure he wants to refuse. Benchmark, a Fortune 500 packaged goods company, is looking for someone to join its audit committee. "Would you be interested?" the executive recruiter asks. John's experience with publicly held companies is limited, but he's highly regarded in the financial community for his acumen and probity. At NetRF, a maker of wireless communications equipment, John had championed expensing stock options when it was uncommon for high-tech firms to do so; he'd received a lot of admiring press for that move. In mulling over the offer, the 39-year-old executive and flight enthusiast considers his situation. He loves his work, his Cessna time-share, and the skiing in the Salt Lake area. Board membership would confer a certain amount of prestige, but would he be spreading himself too thin? One colleague extols the virtues of board membership--the opportunity to learn and expand your business network. But the chief outside counsel to NetRF warns that the hours can be considerable and board members' responsibilities (post-Sarbanes-Oxley) substantial. Subsequent meetings with Benchmark's nominating committee, its CEO, and its audit committee leave John with more questions than answers. Should he join the board? This fictional case study outlines the risks and rewards of board service. Commenting on this fictional case study in reprints R0502B and R0502Z are Peter Goodson, a strategic adviser to corporate boards; John F. Olson, chair of the ABA Business Law Section's Corporate Governance Committee; David J. Berger, a partner at the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; and Charles H. King, managing director at Korn/Ferry International.

John Clough, the CFO of NetRF, a tech firm in Salt Lake City, gets an offer he's not sure he wants to refuse. Benchmark, a Fortune 500 packaged goods company, is looking for someone to join its audit committee. "Would you be interested?" the executive recruiter asks. John's experience with publicly held companies is limited, but he's highly regarded in the financial community for his acumen and probity. At NetRF, a maker of wireless communications equipment, John had championed expensing stock options when it was uncommon for high-tech firms to do so; he'd received a lot of admiring press for that move. In mulling over the offer, the 39-year-old executive and flight enthusiast considers his situation. He loves his work, his Cessna time-share, and the skiing in the Salt Lake area. Board membership would confer a certain amount of prestige, but would he be spreading himself too thin? One colleague extols the virtues of board membership--the opportunity to learn and expand your business network. But the chief outside counsel to NetRF warns that the hours can be considerable and board members' responsibilities (post-Sarbanes-Oxley) substantial. Subsequent meetings with Benchmark's nominating committee, its CEO, and its audit committee leave John with more questions than answers. Should he join the board? This fictional case study outlines the risks and rewards of board service. Commenting on this fictional case study in reprints R0502B and R0502Z are Peter Goodson, a strategic adviser to corporate boards; John F. Olson, chair of the ABA Business Law Section's Corporate Governance Committee; David J. Berger, a partner at the law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; and Charles H. King, managing director at Korn/Ferry International.

Jared Gordan, the president of the Industrial Products Division for Compunext, is a first-rate manager. In just three years, he's turned around a flagging division and increased sales and profits by 50%--a dramatic shift from five years earlier, when analysts were suggesting that the company sell the division. But that's not all. In addition to being a turnaround expert, Jared has shown a special aptitude for recruiting and developing talent. Many executives have noticed this faculty, and--unfortunately for Jared--those running Compunext's biggest, most glamorous divisions are poaching his best managers. In fact, Industrial Products has just been raided for the tenth time in two years, and Jared is spitting mad. This time, the Telecommunications Division has wooed--and won--Stan Simpson, Industrial Products' VP of sales. Jared, right or wrong, confronts Hank Dodge, president of Telecommunications, for not coming to him before offering Stan the job. Still furious, Jared then meets with Sue Patel, Compunext's VP of human resources, to discuss what can be done to avoid future raids. Does Jared have good reason to be angry? What lies at the root of the problem, and how can Jared solve it? In R0203A and R0203Z, Peter Browning, Frank Morgan, Hubert Saint-Onge, and Charles H. King weigh in on this fictional case study.

Jared Gordan, the president of the Industrial Products Division for Compunext, is a first-rate manager. In just three years, he's turned around a flagging division and increased sales and profits by 50%--a dramatic shift from five years earlier, when analysts were suggesting that the company sell the division. But that's not all. In addition to being a turnaround expert, Jared has shown a special aptitude for recruiting and developing talent. Many executives have noticed this faculty, and--unfortunately for Jared--those running Compunext's biggest, most glamorous divisions are poaching his best managers. In fact, Industrial Products has just been raided for the tenth time in two years, and Jared is spitting mad. This time, the Telecommunications Division has wooed--and won--Stan Simpson, Industrial Products' VP of sales. Jared, right or wrong, confronts Hank Dodge, president of Telecommunications, for not coming to him before offering Stan the job. Still furious, Jared then meets with Sue Patel, Compunext's VP of human resources, to discuss what can be done to avoid future raids. Does Jared have good reason to be angry? What lies at the root of the problem, and how can Jared solve it? In R0203A and R0203X, Peter Browning, Frank Morgan, Hubert Saint-Onge, and Charles H. King weigh in on this fictional case study.