In the context of standalone board chairs now being the norm among the S&P 500 (p33) (as well as the norm among public companies of all sizes), with the majority of those qualifying as independent under NYSE or Nasdaq standards, Spencer Stuart’s “The Independent Board Chair” discuss how the independent chair role differs from that of the typical lead director; the primary responsibilities of the role and how that manifests in practice; processes used to select the independent chair; and desirable qualifications for the individual filling that role.