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Don Yee

Independent Board Director
Blue Diamond Growers
Don currently serves as an independent board director for Blue Diamond Growers (2017 Private Company Board of the Year), OC Communications and NACD-Northern California, where he is Chair of NACD-Capital Valley and an NACD Board Leadership Fellow. At Blue Diamond Growers he serves as Chair of the audit committee and is also a member of the executive compensation committee. In addition, he also serves as an advisor to a range of ownership groups on business building, strategy, leadership and investments.

Don has been a CEO of several businesses, ranging from early stage to mid-market and Fortune 500 settings, as well as an independent director on numerous private company boards. He was also a Managing Partner at EY consulting with domestic and global companies on strategy, organization, process improvement, performance management and business transformations. Don has an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS in business from UC Berkeley.

SESSIONS

Improving Shareholder Relations Panelist

A board can help the CEO improve structures, systems and processes that in turn reduce strife in the family or ownership group. How, exactly, does that work? What are the lines a board shouldn’t cross? What can independent directors do to foster shareholder harmony that insiders can’t do? What are the most effective types of shareholder communications?

Takeaways:

• Independent directors can reinforce boundaries between board and family/owners’ council matters

• Independent directors can take the heat off the chairman/CEO by vetting tough decisions 

• Frequent communication is key to improved shareholder relations