Our guest today is Tom Bakewell. Tom is an Independent Director at First Bank, a family-owned 100+ year old bank serving family businesses in the Midwest and California. His consulting includes many private companies, small-cap public companies, top nonprofits, historic 4th and 5th generation family businesses, employee-owned, private equity, and start-ups across multiple industries in the US and internationally.

Tom is the author of Claiming Your Place at the Boardroom Table: The Essential Handbook for Excellence in Governance and Effective Directorship. It is #1 on Amazon in governance.

In this episode of Family Business Today, Tom will:

· Expand on one of his governance definitions – “Governance is experiential, and reality based”

· Share how bringing independent advisors in can offer wisdom, challenge the group, and set high standards

· Explain the difference between Family Council, Family Assembly, and a Board of Directors

· Share what to look for in a Board Member such as diverse backgrounds and people who have accomplished similar goals in their business lifecycle

· And more…

You can find out more about Tom Bakewell here. To learn more about his book, visit Claiming Your Place at the Boardroom Table.

At the Tennessee Center for Family Business our passion is to help business owners create a positive environment in which their family THRIVES, their business performs and working together create a lasting family legacy. To learn more about the Tennessee Center for Family Business visit www.tncfb.com.

Would you like the opportunity to be in a small group community of like-minded family business owners/leaders and get access to years of experience and wisdom from other family business executives just like you?

If you answered yes, I would like to invite you to consider joining a family business mastermind group. To learn more visit our website at www.thefamilybusinessmastermind.com.

Until next time, There’s No Business Like Family Business…..We Know!