Independent Director and Chair – Viamo Board of Directors
About Viamo
At Viamo, we are using technology to better connect global communities with information and with one another. We are a for-profit social enterprise, focussed on enabling positive human impact by bringing the benefits of digital communication, interaction, and the digital economy to previously under-served people in emerging markets. Since 2013, we've worked with hundreds of clients and impact organizations to create feedback loops, make information and training available to broad audiences, and enable life-improving transactions.
We focus on reaching people through the mobile devices they already have and use: often, the most basic mobile phones. We build and operate a leading technology platform for mobile communication over multiple channels (voice, text, and social chatbots), although it's our interactive voice capabilities that are truly exceptional: by making interactive information accessible in local languages, we've been able to serve tens of millions of otherwise disconnected people. Viamo is more than a technology company: we use a human-centered design approach to help clients conceive, optimize, and scale communication programs that have a real impact. Our consulting layer provides turnkey support for organizations and businesses to achieve transformative results.
Viamo's flagship service is the Viamo Platform, also known as '3-2-1' in many countries. Delivered in a strategic partnership with mobile network operators, the Viamo Platform provides millions of end-users with free access to life-improving information on demand: health, nutrition, agriculture, news, weather, and more. We are deliberate about the quality, accuracy, and reliability of platform content, and we're privileged to have earned high trust from our users. As we've grown the active subscriber base over the past years, the Viamo Platform now allows non-profit organizations and businesses to engage with targeted audiences, getting their message across to the right people at the right time.
Viamo is in the midst of a strategy pivot to a platform-oriented business model, and this guides our search for key staff and board members who can provide the expertise and experience to help us succeed in this change and scale-up.
Our Impact
Over the past years, Viamo has helped improve lives and livelihoods for some of the world's hardest-to-reach people: By sharing essential information in an accessible way, the platform has trained community health workers at scale, delivered timely health guidance to expecting mothers, educated populations about COVID-19, equipped farmers with weather forecasts and climate-aware agriculture advice, empowered citizen journalists, and much more, serving 35 million people per year with nearly 300 million key messages. On the feedback side, Viamo surveys have amplified the voices of millions of people to improve policy decisions, development priorities, project planning, and customer responsiveness. Our infrastructure network provides ready-to-use communication services in more than twenty countries.
Looking to the future, Viamo aims to become the most trusted platform for underserved people to benefit from the digital economy. Completing the loop, we aim to be the most effective platform for both commercial and development-sector organizations to engage with them. We are focussed on achieving this at scale, reaching 100 million people with 1 billion monthly valuable benefits by 2026. As we scale, we're focussed on a user-centered approach to ensure the platform remains trusted and highly valued by our end-users.
Viamo's Board
Viamo is governed by a five-member board of directors that includes founders, investors, and an independent member. The board views its purpose as:
- Ensuring the company has an effective strategy and awareness of risks
- Advising, mentoring, and supporting the executive team
- Ensuring accountability and assessing performance
- Core governance and decision approvals
The board meets for four regular meetings per year, and board members are often involved more frequently in giving advice or supporting key initiatives. The board has three permanent committees: Impact, Audit, and Compensation.
About the Director/Chair
We are looking for an independent director and Chairperson who brings valuable strategic insight to the board, combining technology and platform experience with a deep understanding of the end-users in emerging markets that Viamo is accountable to serving. We are looking intentionally for a director that grows the diversity of our board in multiple dimensions.
Term: 2 years, with potential for renewal.
Compensation: Competitive package including cash retainer and equity options.
Director Profile and Selection Criteria
Essential:
- Is a current Canadian resident (statutory requirement)
- Combines an ability to challenge and critically provoke new insights, with active listening and deeply respectful long-term relationships
- Expands the diversity of the board
Desirable
- Is (or has been) a CEO or senior leader in a startup that has scaled successfully through Viamo's path and beyond (highly preferred)
- Prior board experience (highly preferred)
- Comes from or has lived experience in Viamo's operating markets. Understands the context, needs, and aspirations of Viamo's end-users
- Has substantial experience within platform business models
Note: We recognize that this is a very specific list. For all candidates, we would love to see your application even if you don't feel you hit every point above.
Responsibilities
- Review materials, actively prepare for, and participate in four regular board meetings per year (held via video conference or in-person)
- Participate on one or more board committees
- Respond promptly to review written resolutions in between board meetings
- Mentor and assist the CEO and executive team
- Review and advise on Viamo's platform, market, and product strategy
Adding Value
In addition to core governance, the executive team has these current priority hopes for assistance from board members:
- Through their networks, assist in recruitment searches for key senior roles
- Active participation on compensation and/or audit or impact committees
- Creation of a platform strategy advisory board
- Reviewing our product strategy
- Through their networks, assist in identifying enterprise clients
Application Process
Please apply online by April 30, 2024 with your CV and a cover letter answering the following:
- Why are you interested in serving on Viamo's board of directors?
- What is your view of the important trends you foresee affecting mobile communication and digital connectivity in developing countries over the next 3 - 5 years? How can Viamo harness these to amplify impact?
Note: applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.