Rust as a language is great already as it is, it doesn’t need more features to be much better than C++ (compilation speed may be an exception...). So I guess my take is that corporate adoption is the most important thing to happen with it at this stage.
On the other hand, I do recognize that the board members are the ones bringing the funding to the table; maybe this was the best way to maximize their contributions. If the board's interests align well with the Rust community's interests, then this could turn out fine, at least at first.