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Brian McAndrews
Presiding Director at The New York Times Company, engaged in multiple directorial roles across prestigious companies.
Brian McAndrews is a highly experienced business executive and professional director who joined Xero's Board of Directors as an independent non-executive director in February 2022.24 Based in Seattle, Washington, McAndrews brings extensive experience from his career as an executive and CEO, driving growth and innovation for leading technology companies.34
Career Highlights
Current Positions::
- Member of the Board of Directors at Xero since February 20221
- Presiding Director at The New York Times Company (since June 2012)1
- Lead Director at Frontdoor, Inc. (since October 2018)1
- Member of the Board of Directors at The Wine Group (since August 2016)1
- Senior Advisor at Spectrum Equity (since September 2016)1
Previous Leadership Roles::
- CEO, President, and Chairman of Pandora (acquired by SiriusXM)1
- CEO and President of aQuantive (acquired by Microsoft)1
- Senior Vice President at Microsoft1
- Executive Vice President at The Walt Disney Company1
Education
Expertise
At Xero, McAndrews serves as a member of the Risk Committee.5 His appointment to Xero's Board brings valuable experience in driving growth and innovation for technology companies, which aligns with Xero's focus on cloud-based accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses.1
Brian McAndrews' diverse background in technology, media, and advertising, combined with his experience as a two-time public company CEO, makes him a valuable addition to Xero's Board as the company continues to expand its global presence in the accounting software market.36
Highlights
Congratulations to David Shim and the team for the great company they built!
Very interesting article from HBR. Key excerpts:
"A study of 161 teams found that employees following humble leaders were themselves more likely to admit their mistakes and limitations, share the spotlight by deflecting praise to others, and be open to new ideas, advice, and feedback. Yet instead of following the lead of these unsung heroes, we appear hardwired to search for superheroes: over-glorifying leaders who exude charisma...."
"Crises and other emotionally laden events increase our propensity to romanticize the grandiose view of narcissistic leaders. The paradox is that we may then choose to support the very leaders who are less likely to bring us success. In a time of crisis, it’s easy to be seduced by superheroes who could come and “rescue” us, but who possibly then plunge us into greater peril. While this may sound hopeless, there is another way of looking at it. Essentially, we have the leaders we deserve. As we collectively select and construct our leaders to satisfy our own needs and desires, we can choose humility or socialized charisma over narcissism."
