Broadly, NED functionality falls under three categories: counselling, coaching, and mentoring. The best NEDs might be able to help with all of these areas.

• – Counselling is where an NED draws on their own experiences to help a company make the right strategic decisions.
• Mentoring is where they share skills or help a company advance to the next stage of development.
• Coaching, meanwhile, tends to see the NED act as a sounding board for new ideas.