You need to have a board of directors, but it doesn't have to be large. In fact, you can be the only member of your board when you're starting out.Some discussions are appropriately held just among the board members—without the CEO. Each director then serves a 2 or 3-year term. In this article in the Harvard Business Review, a law professor from the University of Calgary makes "The Case for More Company Insiders on Boards." In the past, company boards recruited nearly exclusively from the ranks of current or retired CEOs, CFOs or existing board members. A managing director is below the CEO in a corporate hierarchy. Their job is to manage the daily activities of the corporation. A board of directors is a governing body elected to represent a company's shareholders. For one, a complete departure allows the new CEO autonomy and complete ownership of company decisions.