Appeared on June 30, 2009
Companies recruiting celebrities to their board often are seeking to burnish their image, said David Becher, associate finance professor at Drexel University in Philadelphia. “If I’m a firm that needs to raise money, a star may help you because of their public profile,” he said. “If a defense company is trying to get an Army or Navy contract, what better person is there than a retired general who has government contacts?”