Raising the bar: Meredith Low

(L-R) Dean Leonard Waverman, Meredith Low, and Michael Hartmann.

Meredith Low

Meredith Low is a highly experienced management consultant. She focuses on helping organizations understand the strategic and tactical planning necessary to govern small to large companies, professional associations, and other not-for-profits. She wanted to increase her knowledge of how to make a positive impact on business, especially in the boardroom.

Meredith wanted to benefit from the subject matter experts – those informed and diverse perspectives of accomplished leaders with experience across various industries, roles, and board structures. The Directors College was the place to do that. It prepares senior executives with the knowledge, insights, and credentials to make a positive impact in the boardroom. Meredith wanted to focus on the professional standards and dynamic relationship between corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.

Meredith strongly believed that this corporate social responsibility is an essential function of the Board of Directors. It is crucial to help organizations and non-profits in understanding how, when, and where to grow in the context of good strategy and decision-making.

“The role of a Board of Directors is increasingly demanding. As stewards of an organization, they need the skills to accelerate the mission while making more complex decisions,” said Meredith Low. “That is where I come in. I now have the practical tools and respected credentials to help these organizations and those who are the final decision-makers.”

Although Meredith understood the role and responsibilities of a Board member, she wanted to learn more. She gained fresh outlooks about Board governance through collaborative sessions, new case studies, and unique board simulations at The Director’s College. She cares about the mission of the organizations that she works with and is inspired to work with people who make a difference. Meredith wants to engage the Board of Directors to think beyond being figureheads of an organization to being leaders of change. To make a difference in society by having difficult conversations and going forward confidentially when making decisions.

“The sense that there are going to be wrong answers makes decision-making daunting for the leadership, at the best of times. The prospect of being held accountable will understandably send a lot of senior leaders diving under the duvet. No matter what they do, there will be critiques after the decisions are made. What we need to talk about right now is: what does a good decision look like?” asked Meredith.

Meredith was recognized for raising the bar for professional standards in corporate governance while at The Director’s College. She is the recipient of the 2019 Gil Bennett Gold Standard Award, which is presented to a graduate who received a top grade on the Chartered Director exam. She also demonstrated the technical and personal characteristics needed to be a capable board director and mentor.