IPO, Acquisitions & Board Membership: Nithya Das, Chief Legal & Administrative Officer, Diligent

Key insights

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1. Embrace the "GC Plus" Remit Early.
Nithya’s move into broader executive leadership was driven by a CEO who challenged her to "punch in a weight class above" her station. By taking on HR, Corp Dev, and strategy, she transitioned from a legal advisor to a core business operator responsible for the company's operating cadence.

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2. Board Seats are Secured through Active Networking.
You cannot wait for a board opportunity to find you; you must explicitly tell your CEO, board directors, and venture capital partners about your aspirations. Clear articulation of your specific value add—such as expertise in DEI, compensation, or public company governance—is essential to standing out.

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3. Transparency Engenders Team Loyalty.
Navigating the loss of her father during the AT&T deal taught Nithya that being upfront about personal obligations builds deep trust. By trusting her team to handle work while she was away, she fostered a culture where employees knew they would be equally supported in their own lives.

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4. Hiring for Humility in New Functions.
When Nithya took over product and engineering teams at Olo, she lacked subject matter expertise. Success required the humility to ensure the functional leaders had a direct seat at the C-suite table rather than filtering their strategy through her, allowing them to remain peers while she focused on scaling the team's performance.

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5.Closing insight

Board service is the ultimate capstone for a legal career, but it requires you to own your narrative and explicitly signal your readiness to move from advisor to independent director. Start building your board-ready bio today by leaning into high-stakes executive projects outside of pure law.