On the 2026 board agenda

Few business leaders have experienced the scope, complexity, and combination of issues facing companies today. Disruption, volatility, and uncertainty will continue to test board agendas in 2026, upending the assumptions that have long driven corporate thinking—particularly the role of government, geopolitical norms, and the pace of technological change.

Economic uncertainty, recession risk, the cost of capital, advances in artificial intelligence (AI), elevated cybersecurity risk, climate severity, policy gridlock, and more, will continue to add to the challenge. In this volatile operating environment, demands for greater disclosure and transparency, particularly around the oversight and management of the company’s strategy and risks, will continue to intensify. The pressure on management, boards, and governance will be significant. The board’s role in helping provide big-picture context—from business model disruption risk to the impact of AI on the workforce—will be more important than ever to the company’s decisions and direction.

Drawing on insights from our conversations with directors and business leaders, we highlight seven issues to keep in mind as boards consider and carry out their 2026 agendas:

• Reassess the board’s engagement in strategy—particularly scenario planning, agility, crisis planning, and resilience.
• Understand the company’s AI strategy and related risks and opportunities, and closely monitor the governance structure and talent/workforce needs around the deployment and use of the technology.
• Consider the adequacy of the company’s data governance framework and processes.
• Assess whether the company’s cybersecurity governance framework and processes are keeping pace.
• Keep material sustainability issues embedded in risk and strategy discussions, and monitor management’s preparations for sustainability reporting requirements as well as shareholder expectations.
• Sustain a healthy board-CEO relationship.
• Revisit board and committee risk oversight responsibilities and allocation among committees.