Two decades ago, business leaders and corporate boards took notice of this new “Internet” thing they’d been hearing about, and they sought to add such expertise in the boardroom. Today the business world sees a second wave of interest in what is now known as the “digital director.” This 2.0 version is viewed as a universal boardroom savant who can give wisdom on everything from social-media marketing to why you keep getting pop-up ads at websites. A major corporate governance magazine has even published a special section on recruiting this new digital director.
No doubt many boards need these skills. Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker predicts 129 percent annual growth in mobile and tablet advertising platforms. Advertising and marketing budgets are now solidly invested in the new e-commerce, mobile. and social-media tools, which have their own set of new capabilities, including greater customization and the ability to capture more consumer data. And any business today will face crippling liabilities without attention from the top to digital security.
