FractionalFRACTIONAL|MIAMI
Non-executive directors

Independent judgement, for exactly as long as it matters

Non-executive directors drawn from our collective of curated, vetted C-suite operators: years of hands-on leadership, brought to board level. Matched to the stage, sector and challenge of your business, and engaged for the time the role actually needs.

350+Vetted operators
1–2 daysA month, typically
WeeksTo appoint
A bright modern boardroom with a long table in soft morning light
Proven leadership

Our directors have led at

First Abu Dhabi Bank
Mubadala
Emirates NBD
Majid Al Futtaim
HSBC
Goldman Sachs
McKinsey & Company
PwC
A senior executive by a window, reviewing board papers
The definition

What a non-executive director is

A non-executive director is a board member with no role in day-to-day management. They govern rather than manage: challenging and supporting the executive team, bringing independence to the decisions that matter most, and giving investors confidence in how the company is run.

IndependentNo stake in the day-to-day, no reporting line, no conflict. Their value is a clear view from outside the management team.
On the boardA formal seat with directors’ duties, not an informal adviser. They share responsibility for how the company is governed.
Light-touch by designBoard work is naturally part time: typically a day or two a month, rising around defined moments and settling again after.
An operator by backgroundOur directors come from the collective: C-suite leaders who have run the functions boards oversee.
Governance as a service

Two lanes, one collective

In the business, our executives execute. On the board, our directors govern. Fractional embeds C-suite leaders who own outcomes inside the business. A non-executive director sits above the business: holding leadership to account, bringing independence to the big decisions, and giving investors confidence in how the company is run.

01

Governing, not managing

The director shapes and scrutinises the decisions; the executive team runs the business and owns delivery.

02

Independent, not embedded

A non-executive director stays outside the day-to-day on purpose. Distance is what makes the challenge credible.

03

Accountable oversight, not occasional advice

A board seat carries directors’ duties and a standing responsibility, not opinions offered from the sidelines.

When to appoint

When to appoint your first non-executive director

Most companies build governance in stages, and the right moment for a first board seat usually arrives earlier than founders expect. The ladder runs from a single trusted voice to an independently led board.

01

A trusted advisor

One experienced voice, engaged informally around specific questions. Right while the business is early and the decisions are still reversible.

02

An advisory board

A small circle of advisers with a rhythm but no formal duties. Right when you want breadth of experience without governance obligations.

03

A first non-executive director

A formal, independent seat. Right when investors arrive, succession is on the table, or the weight of decisions calls for accountable oversight.

04

An independent chair

Independent leadership of the board itself. Right as the board grows, ahead of a listing, or when the founder steps back from day-to-day control.

The comparison

A non-executive director, an advisory board member, a fractional executive, or a consultant

Four ways to bring senior experience to bear. They sit in different seats and carry different duties.

Non-executive director

Advisory board member

Fractional executive

Consultant

The seat
Non-executive director

A formal seat on the board, with directors’ duties.

Advisory board member

No formal seat and no legal duties.

Fractional executive

Embedded inside the business, in the leadership team.

Consultant

Outside the business, engaged for a defined piece of work.

The work
Non-executive director

Governs: challenges, scrutinises and holds leadership to account.

Advisory board member

Offers experience and connections when asked.

Fractional executive

Executes: owns the outcomes in their domain.

Consultant

Advises: recommends, then hands the work back.

Accountability
Non-executive director

Shares formal responsibility for how the company is governed.

Advisory board member

Goodwill only; no accountability for outcomes.

Fractional executive

Accountable for delivery in their function.

Consultant

Accountable to the brief, not the outcome.

The rhythm
Non-executive director

Typically a day or two a month, on a board cadence.

Advisory board member

Occasional sessions, as needed.

Fractional executive

Regular days in the business every week.

Consultant

Intensive for the project, then gone.

Right when
Non-executive director

Investors, regulators or the weight of decisions call for independent oversight.

Advisory board member

You want breadth of input without formal governance.

Fractional executive

A function needs senior leadership and delivery.

Consultant

A defined problem needs outside analysis.

A senior executive at the window of a bright boardroom before a meeting
The seat is part time. The responsibility is not.
How it works

From the brief to the boardroom

A structured search, run the way we run every appointment. Tell us where the board needs strengthening and we handle the rest.

01

The brief

We work through where the board is today, the decisions ahead, and the experience and independence the seat needs.

02

The match

We search the collective of 350+ curated C-suite operators for directors whose experience fits the stage, sector and challenge.

03

The meetings

You meet a short list. Fit with the chair and the executive team decides more than a CV does.

04

The appointment

You appoint. We put the structure around the engagement so it starts properly.

05

Ongoing support

We stay close for the life of the engagement, keep the structure working, and stand behind the appointment with the whole collective.

The local context

Governance expectations are local

Board expectations differ by market: what investors require, what regulators expect, and what independence formally means are all set locally. The appointment has to fit the rules and the culture of the market the company operates in.

We match directors with that context in mind. The brief is where we work through what your market, your investors and, where relevant, your regulator will expect of a Miami board seat.

Investor expectations

Term sheets and shareholder agreements increasingly specify independent board seats. We help you fill them credibly.

Family businesses

Independent directors who bring objectivity to succession and outside investment while the family’s mandate stays intact.

Right-sized governance

Start with a single independent voice and grow the board as the company matures. Governance should fit the company it serves.

Common questions

The questions boards ask first

Family enterprises benefit from independent board governance as they plan succession, bring in outside capital or expand internationally. The moment is often when the founder begins to step back, when the next generation enters leadership or when family capital needs to serve multiple shareholders with different interests. Many Miami family offices start with advisor relationships and evolve to formal director seats as complexity and capital scale.

A board advisor is informal, carries no fiduciary duty or legal accountability and offers counsel without a vote. A board director holds a formal seat, carries fiduciary duty and personal liability and has voting power. Family enterprises often start with advisors to test relationships and bring in outside perspective gently. A formal director seat is the right structure when outside capital arrives, when succession becomes active or when the company expands internationally.

Typically 2 to 4 board meetings per year (1 to 2 hours each), plus pre-meeting preparation (1 to 2 hours per meeting). On-call availability for the founder or CEO on major decisions is expected but unscheduled. The commitment rises during expansion to new regions, capital raises or major strategic transitions, then settles. Experienced directors prepare efficiently and understand cross-time-zone coordination.

Our collective includes executives who have built and scaled ventures across Mexico, Colombia, Brazil and the Caribbean. We assess for both operating depth (P&L management, regulatory navigation, team leadership) and cultural fluency. We also source directors without LatAm background but with strong family office or international capital experience who can learn the region and bring fresh perspective.

Yes. One of the core value-adds of an independent director on a family board is helping the family navigate succession planning. They bring objectivity to sensitive decisions, help balance family interests and business requirements, and create governance structures that protect the family mandate while supporting professional management. They also help the founder transition their role as the next generation steps up.

Compensation varies by stage and company maturity. Growth-stage companies typically offer modest cash retainers (USD 25,000 to USD 50,000 per annum) plus equity (0.1% to 0.5% vesting over 3 to 4 years). More established family enterprises and companies with international capital often offer cash retainers (USD 50,000 to USD 100,000+ per annum) plus equity or profit participation. These are market benchmarks, not our terms. The best directors care about the company, the family and the role as much as the compensation.

When family enterprises expand internationally, the board needs to evolve. It needs independent voices who understand the regulatory and cultural landscape of target markets. It needs expertise in foreign exchange, cross-border taxation and regional risk management. It needs connections to local relationships and partner networks. An independent director with LatAm experience helps the board navigate expansion decisions confidently and quickly, reducing the risk of missteps in unfamiliar territory.

For executives

Ready for board work?

Senior operators with the experience and independence for a non-executive seat can join the collective as a director.

A detail of a boardroom table with papers and a pen set out for a meeting
Get started

Tell us where the board needs strengthening.

A first independent seat, a stronger committee, or a chair for the next chapter. Outline the moment in the guided brief and we will scope the right appointment.

Brief a board search