One thing about an employee being on the board, especially if it is a large company, is that the board is not going to be where the real decisions are being mad

One thing about an employee being on the board, especially if it is a large company, is that the board is not going to be where the real decisions are being made. Many of the board members are together a lot outside the board. Many board members serve on the boards of several different companies. These board members likely see each other at expensive charity events and political events and cultural/art events. Their kids likely attend similar private schools or colleges. They will often go to the to the same ski resorts in Colorado or Switzerland. Having a board member who is not part of that socio-economic class, sounds nice in theory, but in practice will get left out of the real decision making and real discussions.