Preparing a board presentation without sacrificing expected rigor.
Controlled density, strict information hierarchy, language calibrated for fast-reading executives: the boardroom has its implicit codes. Here's how Paul follows them, in your template, from your raw data.
A slide that passes the boardroom without questions
A board meeting is not a team standup. Slide formatting follows unwritten rules that every C-level recognizes instantly:
- 01
One slide = one decision
No summary slides. Each slide frames a topic requiring a decision or approval. If the slide has no actionable outcome, it shouldn't exist.
- 02
Controlled density
Neither empty nor saturated. The 6×6 rule (max 6 lines, 6 words per line) is too loose for a board. Target ~30-50 useful words per slide, paired with a data visual.
- 03
Immediate hierarchy
The reader must understand the slide in 3 seconds: title = the decision, subtitle = the context, body = the evidence, margin = the recommendation.
- 04
Calibrated language
No hedging ('it would appear that', 'we believe'). Direct, conclusive, owned sentences. The C-suite expects a position, not a neutral observation.
- 05
Institutional footer
Logo, classification (Confidential · Restricted distribution), slide number, board date. Present on 100% of slides, without exception.
- 06
Appendices separated
Main deck body = decisions (8-12 slides). Appendices (detailed charts, vendor tables, methodology) go after a clear separator slide, never mixed into the main flow.
What we observe in board contexts
Consumer AI generators produce slides that immediately fall outside board register. Four structural mismatches observed consistently:
- Slides too verbose.The AI paraphrases your brief into multiple sentences where the board expects one number + one action verb. The deck runs 30 slides instead of 12.
- Flat hierarchy.All titles look visually identical. The CEO reads diagonally and doesn't know where to focus attention.
- Consultative tone, wrong register.'It should be noted that...' instead of 'Recommended decision: approve the Q3 budget envelope.' The board makes decisions, not meeting notes.
- Appendices mixed in.The AI produces a linear flow with no main/appendix separation. The board doesn't know when it can 'stop reading closely'.
Your chief of staff spends 2-4 hours per deck reformatting it to board standards. The AI benefit evaporates before the meeting.
How Paul builds an executive board deck
Paul natively applies board grammar, in your corporate template. In practice:
- 01Step 1
You load your raw data
Quarterly KPI spreadsheets, framing memos, arbitration minutes, previous board slides. Paul ingests multiple sources, identifies key figures and decisions to be made.
- 02Step 2
Paul proposes a board outline
Typical structure: 1 cover slide, 1 agenda, 3-5 quantified findings, 2-4 decisions to approve, 1 next steps slide, separated appendices. You validate or adjust the plan.
- 03Step 3
Generation in your corporate template
Corporate fonts, palette, masters, institutional footer: all respected. Slide density is calibrated for board format, not a startup all-hands.
- 04Step 4
Quick review before distribution
Your chief of staff reviews the deck, fixes by hand what needs fixing and asks Paul for any slide rework. The adjustments are editorial, not structural. Natively editable PPTX export.
A typical quarterly board meeting with Paul
Representative example observed at a 1,200-person French industrial company:
- D-3The chief of staff uploads the quarterly KPI spreadsheet and 3 business arbitration memos. Paul produces a first 11-slide deck in under 5 minutes.
- D-3 · reviewEditorial review: four rewordings fixed by hand, one appendix slide promoted to the main flow, one decision reworded as a "recommended decision" by asking Paul. Version 2 is ready within minutes.
- D-2Deck distributed to board members 48 hours ahead. Annotations and questions received by email are compiled by Paul into a FAQ slide added to the appendix.
- Day of board meetingThe deck passes without a single question about form. The 90-minute meeting is about substance. The decision record is exported within minutes after the meeting, from the notes taken on the deck.
Your chief of staff's questions
- Does Paul understand figures or just paraphrase them?
- Paul uses your figures as-is, it does not recalculate, round, or aggregate without explicit instruction. Every value shown on a slide is traceable to its source in your original spreadsheet or PDF, with a direct link.
- How do we handle sensitive board data?
- All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256), hosted exclusively in the EU. No data is used to train any model. See the dedicated security page for details.
- Can we impose a board format different from the default?
- Yes. If your board has its own grammar (e.g., always a scorecard slide on page 2), you load a previous board deck as a reference template. Paul reproduces the structure for future decks.
- Can Paul draw on our previous board decks to reproduce the format?
- Yes. You load an existing board deck as a template, Paul extracts the structure, masters, typography, and palette. Subsequent board decks automatically follow this model.
- What about supervisory boards (full Board of Directors)?
- Same logic. The Board of Directors format is generally even more demanding (lower density, more appendices, higher classification level). You manage multiple templates in your Paul organization: exec committee, board, project steering, etc.
Let's prepare your next board meeting together
- 01Import your template
- 02Describe the presentation
- 03Export the .pptx