Elaine Loft, Staff Writer
Jonathan Foster ’79, who has been on more than 50 boards, including those at Fortune 500 companies, private companies, and companies involved in restructuring, has written his first book, entitled, On Board: The Modern Playbook for Corporate Governance. Scheduled for release on June 24, a reviewer noted, “Good governance is the foundation of a great company. This playbook flushes out the essence of good governance.”
Recounting the impetus for his book, Foster shared, “I am fascinated by the leadership of organizations.” As someone who has served on numerous boards, he has firsthand knowledge of the machinations of corporate governance. Since 2008, Foster has been a managing director at Current Capital Partners LLC, a company he founded. Additionally, he spent a decade at Lazard, primarily focused on mergers and acquisitions advisory work.
Foster began his book project by drafting a contemporary history of boards, then, drawing upon a large body of research material, he analyzed the core roles of corporate directors and major board committees. He then interviewed 77 people, to gather their insights on topics ranging from the growing importance and impact of institutional investors, to environmental, social and governance issues. The book also includes case studies and anecdotes drawn from Foster’s own corporate experience.
As far as his career aspirations when he was a Derryfield student, Foster confessed his (vague) plan was, “Something like graduate from college, work on Wall Street, return to New Hampshire and run for governor,” which he said was, “greatly influenced by my avid reading of the Wall Street Journal.” In truth, after Derryfield, Foster graduated from Emory University with a degree in accounting, and went abroad to obtain his MSc in accounting and finance from the London School of Economics.
Foster concluded, “Writing a book is hard! Thorough research takes a lot of time and effort. Establishing your structure early on is the key. The most interesting part is all the great stories that are out there, just waiting to be told. I also have to say I am deeply grateful to (former Derryfield English faculty member) Mr. Bell, who required us to write 500 words each week. But for Mr. Bell, this book may not exist.”
Jonathan Foster resides in New York City with his wife and a Goldendoodle; he has two adult children. He is an avid cyclist.
