# Why and How Manufacturers Should Choose an Outside Board Director w/ Tate Pursell

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2026-10-27
- Length: 37m
- Episode: 333
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-01a15538-a914-73f9-a3aa-aaf6d4bd4304

## Summary

Tate Pursell, a former manufacturing CEO and private equity operating partner, explains that manufacturers should appoint outside directors only when facing specific inflection points like succession, rapid growth, or acquisitions, rather than following textbook advice. He contrasts the governance needs of family-owned companies, which focus on long-term stability, with private equity-backed firms, which require directors with intense operational experience and the ability to challenge both management and sponsors. Pursell outlines the critical mistakes owners make, such as hiring friends instead of skilled candidates, failing to define fiduciary roles, and neglecting proper onboarding processes.

## Chapters

- [0:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell#t=35) Introduction and Industrial Marketing Summit Sponsor Read
- [4:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell#t=286) Tate Pursell's Background and the Trigger for Outside Directors
- [7:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell#t=454) Value of Outside Directors in Family-Owned Manufacturers
- [13:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell#t=807) Governance Differences: Private Equity vs. Family-Owned Boards
- [21:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell#t=1282) Modernizing the Board Search Process and Candidate Specifications
- [24:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell#t=1488) Common Mistakes: Hiring Friends, Unclear Roles, and Poor Onboarding
- [29:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell#t=1767) Motivations for Executives Seeking Board Seats and Unique Value Propositions
- [35:21](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell#t=2121) Pursell's Book and Resources for Aspiring Directors

## Topics

- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

established companies

## Mentioned

- Gorilla 76 (company)
- Industrial Marketing Summit (other)
- Masco (company)
- GE Lighting (company)
- Thomas and Betts (company)
- Unilever (company)
- Private Directors Association (other)
- Tate Pursell (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S6E38 Wally Waldron | How to Successfully Exit A Manufacturing or Industrial Services Business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-09-19-s6e38-wally-waldron-how-to-successfully-exit-a-manufacturing-or-industrial-servi) (Being an Engineer)
- [Selling Your Company and Creating the ‘Netflix of Manufacturing’ with Darrin Mitchell](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-01-11-selling-your-company-and-creating-the-netflix-of-manufacturing-with-darrin-mitch) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [157: Building Your Business to Sell with Bob Goldsmith, Founder & President of Northern Edge Advisors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-10-17-157-building-your-business-to-sell-with-bob-goldsmith-founder-president-of-north) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [148: Why Your Manufacturing Business Should Be Boring with Marc Bowers, Executive Director of St. Louis Makes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2023-08-08-148-why-your-manufacturing-business-should-be-boring-with-marc-bowers-executive) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Buying a Manufacturing Company with No Experience featuring Everyday Technologies' Cody Lee](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2022-11-01-buying-a-manufacturing-company-with-no-experience-featuring-everyday-technologie) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-10-27-why-and-how-manufacturers-should-choose-an-outside-board-director-w-tate-pursell. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Manufacturing Executive.