Quick Look:
- Client: Beth Simermeyer, former EVP, Global Group President, Ecolab
- Services: Board Readiness
- Consultant: Mary Kloehn
- Value: Telling an impactful board story in-person and on LinkedIn
Beth Simermeyer’s board journey began three years before leaving her corporate leadership role. After 34 years with P&L responsibility at Fortune 250 companies in the consumer goods, healthcare and life sciences sectors, most recently as EVP, Global Group President at Ecolab, she started to consider what her next chapter might entail.
“I went through an exercise, thinking about what gives me energy,” she recalled. “I knew I would need some flexibility—time-wise and geographically. I knew I wanted to really stay engaged with business growth strategy and people development—those were the parts I loved.”
Fast forward to 2024.
Simermeyer currently holds seats on two boards: the privately held insurance company Securian Financial and the publicly traded ACCO Brands. She’s on the board of the Minnesota chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and active with the Women Corporate Director’s Association (WCD) and its innovative program for women board candidates. She also launched her own executive coaching practice and is pursuing a third corporate board seat.
Her pace is anything but slow.
Making a Pivot from Leading to Advising
Leveraging outside experts and starting to prepare while still working full-time helped Simermeyer fast-track her goals. In the months before leaving Ecolab, she completed an executive coaching certification and turned to Navigate Forward for Board Readiness support.
Simermeyer worked with executive consultant and Navigate Forward cofounder Mary Kloehn. She appreciated the one-on-one approach and the guidance she received, particularly around how to showcase her experience for board governance rather than an executive role.
Make an investment in your next chapter. The Navigate Forward team are experts in how to position and showcase yourself.
“That’s one of the hardest things to do,” Simermeyer recalled. “After decades of pitching yourself as a manager, it’s hard to switch over and talk about yourself in terms of thought leadership and oversight, as opposed to the one doing and creating the results.”
She added, “Working with Navigate Forward was extremely helpful in understanding my value and being able to talk about it in a way that was impactful but natural. They helped me recognize what was really special in my background and accomplishments.”
‘Phenomenal’ LinkedIn Training
Optimizing her LinkedIn presence was another valuable aspect of Simermeyer’s Board Readiness engagement. Professional networking plays a significant role in how most executives find public and private company board openings, both in connecting with industry peers and reaching out to executive search firms. Referrals and networking were key in both of Simermeyer’s board opportunities.
A few hours can make a world of difference. The Navigate Forward team know the LinkedIn algorithm.
The Navigate Forward team includes two LinkedIn experts, practice lead Richard Dodson and executive consultant Lisa Marie Carlson; both teach LinkedIn best practices tailored to the specific needs of senior executives and board candidates. Their recommendations cover all aspects of the platform, from creating a memorable profile, to using LinkedIn to research target companies, to demonstrating thought leadership.
Simermeyer was impressed by the depth of knowledge and the help she received.
“Richard Dodson has been phenomenal with LinkedIn,” she noted.
“A few hours can make a world of difference. The Navigate Forward team know the LinkedIn algorithm, they know behind the scenes. You can think you’re doing a great job, but you won’t understand the inner workings unless you’re an expert,” she added.
Matching Her Talents to the Right Board Roles
Simermeyer used her newfound positioning and board materials to land her board seat at ACCO. She joined in December 2023 and sits on the nominating/governance and finance committees. She joined the Securian board while still in her leadership role at Ecolab and is a member of the nominating/governance and audit committees.
Board service is great executive development. To see how it feels to be a board member gives you great insights as an executive.
Both boards leverage her unique strengths.
“My career was characterized by finding topline growth, both organically and inorganically,” she said. “I worked in consumer goods and B2B industrials; it’s less about any one industry and more about companies looking to change their growth trajectory or navigate a complex environment.”
In a short time, her efforts have paid off. This fall, Twin Cities Business magazine will honor Simermeyer as one of 2024’s Outstanding Directors.
Advises Execs Near Retirement to Create an ‘Off-Ramp and On-Ramp’
She advises other executives to make board service a priority while still employed, especially if their role requires interacting with their own company board.
“Board service is great executive development,” she explained. “To see how it feels to be a board member gives you great insights as an executive.”
Don’t retire—then start to think about it. Get an off-ramp and an on-ramp that make sense.
Simermeyer also recommends making post-retirement plans a priority so you can hit the ground running once full-time work ends.
“Don’t retire—then start to think about it,” she said. “Get an off-ramp and an on-ramp that make sense. I started building those bridges so that when I retired, I wasn’t starting from a standstill.”
Lastly, she believes in the value of learning, professional development and working with expert coaches, particularly for those seeking corporate board roles.
“Make an investment in your next chapter,” she said. “Get professional help like Navigate Forward. They are experts in how to position and showcase yourself.”
Read more great insights from outstanding corporate directors. Check out the board journeys and advice for aspiring board candidates from past Outstanding Directors honorees and Board Readiness alumni.
