About theboardiQ
Are you ready to unleash the full potential
of your board and executive team?
Today, more than ever, there is a need for a platform that promotes hiring based on the foundational pillars of "equal opportunity" (everyone has access to opportunities), "égalité" (state of being equal - everyone has the same rights and opportunities) and "equity" (fairness in outcomes - providing resources to ensure everyone has a chance to succeed). The thought process of enabling a world where finding the perfect mix of experience and future-focused talent is swift, efficient, and aligns with your values.
A platform that is fair in assessing the best of the best fit candidates based on your core skills and knowledge irrespective of your age, religion, political affiliation, color, gender and physical ability.
theboardiQ makes this a reality. The cutting-edge, zero-code platform unlocks a global network of ready-now and future-ready leaders, experts in sustainability, tech innovation, transformation and domestic resilience. By building more egalitarian boards and executive teams that align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, World Bank's Ease of Doing Business and the World Economic Forum's vision, theboardiQ paves the way for a more just and equitable future.
But it's not just about values. The platform is faster, more accurate, and more cost-effective than traditional methods. It leverages AI-powered insights to streamline the search process, saving you valuable time and resources.
The Story
A Legacy Forged in Fire: The Story of Smitashree Menon and theboardiQ
The grit and brilliance woven into Smitashree Menon's DNA are no accident; they are the indelible mark of a powerful lineage. Born in India, to Indian parents and moving to America a decade ago, her life's journey is a testament to the transformative power of determination, a story that begins across oceans.
The Pioneers: A Foundation of Unyielding Strength
Her father, the late Chief Justice Dr. Justice Braja Nath Misra, embodied the audacity of ambition. He left the shores of India with a mere GBP 5 in his pocket, a monumental gamble that paid off spectacularly. Achieving dizzying heights in his legal career, he became the youngest Research Assistant to Tom Denning, Baron Denning, the jurist Margaret Thatcher lauded as "the greatest English Judge of modern times." His was a journey from scarcity to profound influence, instilling in his daughter the belief that excellence knows no bounds.
Beside him stood the equally formidable figure of her mother, the late Ms. Pramila Misra. A mother of five girls, she was a stellar, resilient woman who defiantly shattered the gender stereotypes of her era. Upon returning from England, her vision and strength were so renowned that the Governor of the Eastern Province of Orissa, India, called upon her to establish a progressive educational institution—a powerful statement on her commitment to social change and empowerment.
Corporate Leadership
This inheritance of grit, intellectual rigor, and boundary-breaking spirit shaped Smitashree (Smita) through a stellar career in the corporate world. From the dynamic trenches of global Conglomerates and Multinational Corporations, Smita was a force of strategic transformation.
Significant Firsts
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Established and launched IBM's first Research Lab (Solutions Research Center), initiating its operations from a single room at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
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Appointed to the role of one of India's youngest CHROs (Chief Human Resources Officer) at the age of 29 at Phoenix Global Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Phoenix Home Life (Hartford, CT)
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Facilitated the rapid growth of the Sun Microsystems India Engineering Center, scaling it to become the largest outside the United States.
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Selected as one of 1,17,000 international employees to join a Top Talent Global Leadership Consortium at Smith College, Northampton, MA, during her tenure as CHRO of MetLife India.
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Expertly navigated complex global restructuring, mergers & acquisitions (M&As), and strategic cultural interventions across Motorola Inc., Motorola Google, and Motorola Lenovo. Delivered seamless organizational transitions within her purview, maintaining a perfect record without a single instance of adverse press or legal issue
theboardiQ - the birth
theboardiQ was born out of Smitashree's, Founder and CEO's own experiential and immersive experiences in corporate leadership roles at Motorola (Motorola Inc, Motorola Google, Motorola Lenovo including serving on their India legal entity boards), MetLife, Sun Microsystems and IBM as well as doing executive search in the valley, to make a difference in getting the right skilled and knowledge executives into positions of influence and power for board and executive roles.
The name "theboardiQ" (iQ signifying intelligent boards) was a gift from Frank Orozco, former CTO at Slickdeals, a Goldman Sachs investee company, who she helped hire into that role. Frank is of Latino origin and has served as an Advisor with theboardiQ.
The platform is a reflection of Smita's strategic genius, featuring proprietary innovations and power tools that set a new standard for executive development:
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"Edge Strategic Coaching": A module incorporating game-changing ACE learning paths and Compass, designed to help leaders thrive across five generations in the workforce.
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TheboardiQ Economic Relevance Score: Ranks 50 U.S. states across 11 key economic indicators.
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TheboardiQ Tariffs Dashboard: Promotes geo-political acumen, facilitating ease of doing business across 185+ nations and powering mutually beneficial global trade.
Smita's humble efforts in launching theboardiQ Hall of Fame in late 2020, with the clear intent to move the needle in recognizing and shining the spotlight on the best executive talent in Corporate America, has met with success and harnessed 600+ Media Press Releases, 40+ Official Corporate Communication Releases | 20000+ LinkedIn Likes | 1,000,000+ views | 500+ Tweets and Retweets.
Smita has herself, been conferred many Regional and Global Leadership Awards during her Corporate Tenure, recognizing her ability of strong domain, strategy and technical skills, which she has used extensively to create theboardiQ, ground-up.
She has also generously dedicated her time to others, serving as President-Elect at the Bay Area HR Executive Council (a SHRM affiliate organization) and as a Global Advisor at How Women Lead, in addition to being a visiting guest faculty at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business MBA Program.
Smitashree Menon is more than a CEO; she is the powerful culmination of a family legacy—a life dedicated to using intelligence, resilience, and strategic vision to transform the landscape of corporate leadership.
Timeline
2019
Inaugural edition of theboardiQ Hall of Fame
2021
2nd Editions of the Hall of Fame - 600+ Media Press Releases, 40+ Official Corporate Communication Releases | 20000+ LinkedIn Likes | 1,000,000+ views | 500+ Tweets and Retweets
2021
On-boarded second paying customer on to the Platform
2023
Launched theboardiQ's ACE Learning Paths - Your Place | Your Pace | Your Time
2024
Launched theboardiQ's "Economic Relevance Score" - Ranking 50 States across 11 Key Indicators
2025
Incorporated as a California LLC
2020
Conceptualized Zero Code Platform Design and Vision for theboardiQ
2021
On-boarded first paying customer on to the Platform
2022
Launched theboardiQ's "Edge Strategic Coaching" module on the Platform - with first paying client
2024
Launched theboardiQ's "Compass" Tool - thrive with wisdom excellence across 5 generations at the workplace
2025
Launched theboardiQ's "Tariffs Dashboard" - Powering Mutually Beneficial Trade across 185+ Nations - Building Domestic Resilience