Administrador não-executivo.

Não executar é fantástico.

é esta a conclusão que se tira de um artigo publicado hoje no Guardian, que goza de modo quase voraz com o cargo de administrador não executivo, resumindo-o a duas linhas e um extra: ganha-se bem, não se faz nada e o extra é que podem acumular-se.

Mesmo que o artigo comece com a importância do cargo...

'Non-executive directors are the police officers on company boards, protecting the interests of the shareholders and ensuring that the boss does not run away with the cash'.

No entanto, a coisa descalabra: 'They have famously been compared to Christmas tree decorations: attractive to look at, but ultimately useless. Michael Grade, who is now chairman of ITV, has had a string of non-executive roles, and he once said that they were like bidets: "You're not sure what they're for, but they add a touch of class."'.

'But that was in the old days, when non-execs were recruited by the chairman of the board from among his pals at the golf club. These days, things are more professional'

'In return for their attendance at board meetings, which take up between 12 to 15 days a year, non-execs are usually paid £28,000 to £35,000, although the biggest companies can offer more. A non-executive chairman or woman can earn up to £500,000 a year'

'Meanwhile, informal appointments are being replaced by a more formal recruitment process. The Higgs review of corporate governance reported four years ago that almost half of non-execs were recruited through personal contacts or friendships and only 4% had a formal interview for the role. Sir Derek Higgs, who conducted the review, labelled the majority of non-execs as "pale, male and middle-aged", and called on companies to look further afield'

'A lot of the business can be done in the corridors and the board is called on just to rubber stamp," says one former non-exec'.

'It can be an interesting life for a sensitive soul who doesn't mind meetings and is prepared to speak up. And the hours aren't bad, either.'

'Welcome on board: Five leading non-exec directors

Brent Hoberman, who co-founded lastminute.com with Martha Lane Fox, made £26m when they sold the travel and leisure website in May 2005. Born in South Africa and educated at Eton, Hoberman is now a non-executive director of Guardian Media Group, publisher of the Guardian. He is said to be so focused on his work that he wears loafers, not lace-ups, to save time in the mornings.

Allan Leighton, who made his name at Asda, is one of the kings of the non-exec world. At one point in 2003, at the height of his attempts to "go plural", he held 10 boardroom posts, including roles as non-exec chairman at lastminute.com and a non-executive director of BSkyB. He now has just four non-exec jobs, his biggest role being chairman of Royal Mail.

Alison Carnwath regularly features in the Guardian's survey of FTSE 100 boardrooms as one of Britain's busiest non-exec directors. A former investment banker, she took home more than £280,000 last year from her four non-exec directorships at a range of companies.

Ian Strachan is another executive who regularly earns himself a place in the Guardian survey as a non-executive director for four companies. Before he took on a string of roles at media group Reuters, materials company Johnson Matthey, miner Xstrata, and engine-maker Rolls-Royce, Strachan's full-time day job was as chief executive of BTR, an engineering conglomerate. He takes home £413,000 in total from his non-exec roles.

John Buchanan helps to demonstrate how having a big job in the boardroom of a FTSE 100 company can open the door to a string of others. The former chief executive of oil company BP, Buchanan still keeps himself busy in the boardrooms of a number of high-profile companies. According to last year's Guardian survey, Buchanan has part-time jobs on the boards of four companies: telecoms group Vodafone Group; pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca; miner BHP Billiton and medical equipment-maker Smith & Nephew, where he was promoted to non-executive chairman in April 2006. He makes £340,000 from his non-exec roles'[*].

A vida pode ser bela.


[*] in 'Nice work if you can get it?', Deborah Hargreaves, Thursday May 24, 2007, The Guardian