Developing and fostering relationships with KOLs will help you more effectively select consultants for specific roles, including the chairperson for your advisory board. Once you have a relationship established, your thought leaders can offer their external perspective of your brand and its science, provide unique insight into the competitive landscape, and connect you with other leading experts who can help fill the gaps. The greater your relationship, the more candid your chair will be. In the lifecycle of every brand there are times when tremendous insights from KOLs will help you steer your brand’s ship and you’ll see those strong relationships as the most important tools you have. 
The right chairperson will impact attendance from other advisors who may have competing priorities. Your chair should review your objectives and help you fine-tune them in a way that is more understandable for the advisor attendees and, therefore, more achievable for you. A chairperson will also help you determine agenda topics, faculty speakers, and connect you to other possible attendees who can help you fill in content gaps. The time you or your agency invests in working with your KOLs is an opportunity to build on your relationships.
Selecting the right chairperson is important for the advisory board. People, by nature, follow strong leaders. We’ve known top KOLs to attend meetings simply because they know that the chairperson is someone they respect. Attendees have made similar statements; that they came to a particular advisory board because the chair is extraordinary. However, be careful whom you choose. Use this grid of Do’s and Dont’s for selecting an Ad Board Chair:
When selecting your advisory board chairperson, you should look to your KOLs that you have strong relationships with. These health care professionals will help you to select the right consultants for various roles, including the selection of an advisory board chair. There are a number of factors to consider in each KOL, but finding the right chairperson will attract a more influential audience and help communicate your message effectively to them. Choosing this strong leader will inspire other KOLs to more passionately advocate for your brand.
