← Back to Services

Board Advisor & Independent Board
Member

Most boards have financial expertise. Few have operators who've actually built and scaled AI-native products, navigated platform-level transformations, and led teams through the messy middle of reinvention. I bring 25+ years of building B2B SaaS businesses — from $0 to $700M+ — to the boardroom. Not as a passive observer, but as an engaged strategic partner who helps founders and leadership teams make better decisions at the highest level.

Who This Is For

For leaders who know they need to move — but need clarity on where and how

Growth-Stage Startups

You've found product-market fit and raised your Series A or B. Now you need board-level guidance on scaling, AI-native strategy, and avoiding the mistakes that derail promising companies during hypergrowth.

SaaS Companies in Transformation

Your traditional SaaS model is under pressure from AI-native competitors. You need a board member who understands both the legacy you're protecting and the future you're building toward — not just financial oversight, but strategic conviction.

Founder-Led Companies Preparing for Scale

You're building your first real board or advisory bench. You need someone who's sat in the operator's seat — who can challenge your thinking without losing sight of the founder's vision and the realities of building a company.

What We Work On

A comprehensive approach to transformation — tailored to your needs

AI-Native Strategy & Product Direction

Deep fluency in AI-native product transformation — from pricing model shifts to agentic architecture decisions. I help boards ask the right questions about AI strategy, not just the obvious ones.

Governance & Decision Frameworks

Structured approaches to board governance that balance speed with rigor. I bring frameworks for capital allocation, risk management, and strategic prioritization honed across companies from startup to $700M+.

Go-to-Market & Growth Oversight

Pattern recognition for what works in B2B SaaS growth — and what doesn't. From pricing strategy to partnership models to international expansion, I provide the lens of an operator who's built and scaled these motions.

Executive Team & Organizational Health

Perspective on leadership team composition, culture during transformation, and the organizational design decisions that make or break a scaling company. I've built teams from 5 to 350+ and know what breaks at each stage.

What You Walk Away With

Not a deck that collects dust. A living strategy with clear priorities, decision frameworks, and the alignment you need to execute with conviction.

An operator's perspective at the board level — not just financial analysis, but product and strategy depth
Pattern recognition from scaling businesses across Microsoft, Cisco, Chargebee, and high-growth startups
Honest, direct counsel rooted in 25+ years of building — not theory, not politics
A bridge between board expectations and operator reality during transformation
Deep AI-native fluency to pressure-test strategy and product direction
A board member who's invested in your success, not just your metrics

How It Works

Board Advisor

Strategic counsel without a formal board seat — flexible, high-impact

Independent Board Member

Formal board role with fiduciary responsibility and governance participation

Cadence

Quarterly board meetings + ad-hoc strategic sessions as needed

Commitment

Minimum 1-year engagement to drive meaningful impact

Why ilim

I've sat in the operator's chair at every stage — from pre-revenue startups to $3.5B valuations. As CPO at Chargebee, I scaled product and engineering from 60 to 350+ and drove revenue from $8M to $80M.

At Microsoft, I launched the company's first SaaS offering to $250M ARR. At Cisco, I built a UC business from $0 to $700M.

I don't advise from the sidelines. I bring the pattern recognition of someone who's built, scaled, and transformed — and the empathy of someone who knows how hard it actually is.

Let's see if there's a fit.

Great board relationships start with honest conversations. Let's talk about your company, your challenges, and whether my experience aligns with what you need.