KPMG Reports Outline Critical Agenda Issues for Boards and Audit Committees in 2026

NEW YORK, NY, December 17, 2025 – The KPMG Board Leadership Center today released its new reports, "On the 2026 Board Agenda" and "On the 2026 Audit Committee Agenda," highlighting key issues that should be top of mind for corporate directors in the coming year.

In 2026, boards will be navigating a landscape of heightened disruption, volatility, and uncertainty, driven by economic pressures, geopolitical shifts, and rapid technological advancements.

"From the integration of artificial intelligence to the increasing complexity of cybersecurity threats, boards are engaging more deeply in strategy and focusing on long-term resilience,” said John Rodi, Partner and Co-Leader of the KPMG Board Leadership Center. “This report can help boards  calibrate their agendas to focus on the most critical issues."

Audit committee agendas continue to expand beyond traditional financial reporting oversight responsibilities to include oversight of emerging risks and opportunities in areas like artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and sustainability reporting.

"The relentless pace of change, from geopolitical uncertainty to disruptive technologies, is putting immense pressure on companies and their audit committees," said Anne Zavarella, Partner and Co-Leader of the KPMG Board Leadership Center. "Our 2026 agenda can help audit committees to not only meet their core responsibilities but also to provide the critical oversight necessary to foster long-term value and maintain investor confidence."

The "On the 2026 Board Agenda" report details seven key priorities:

• Strategy: Deepen board engagement in strategy with a focus on resilience and crisis preparedness.
• AI Oversight: Understand the company's AI strategy, associated risks and opportunities, and governance structures.
• Data Governance: Help ensure robust data governance frameworks and processes are in place.
• Cybersecurity: Assess whether the company’s defenses are evolving to keep pace with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
• Sustainability: Embed material sustainability issues into boardroom conversations on strategy and monitor reporting preparations.
• Board-CEO Relationship: Cultivate a healthy relationship between the board and CEO by building trust and confidence and setting clear expectations.
• Risk Oversight: Refine board and committee risk oversight responsibilities for an increasingly complex and interconnected risk landscape.

The "On the 2026 Audit Committee Agenda" report highlights eight critical issues:

• Volatility: Address the financial reporting impacts of economic and geopolitical volatility.
• SEC Actions: Monitor SEC deregulatory and regulatory initiatives and their potential company impact.
• Clarify Oversight: Define the audit committee's oversight role in AI, cybersecurity, and data governance.
• Technology impact on finance: Understand the finance organization’s AI and digital transformation capabilities and strategy.
• Sustainability Reporting: Oversee management's readiness for new climate and sustainability reporting and standards.
• Audit Quality: Reinforce audit quality through regular, robust communication with the external auditor.
• Internal Audit Focus: Help ensure internal audit focuses on the company’s critical risks and related controls.
• Committee Composition: Reassess whether the committee has the skill sets and bandwidth to oversee its expanding agenda.

Also, you can learn more about considerations for private companies.

The reports draw on insights from KPMG's ongoing dialogue with directors and business leaders, providing practical insights for boards to enhance their effectiveness and drive long-term value creation.

About the KPMG Board Leadership Center

Center The KPMG Board Leadership Center (BLC) champions outstanding corporate governance to drive long-term value and enhance stakeholder confidence. Through an array of insights, perspectives, and programs, the BLC promotes continuous education and improvement of public and private company governance. BLC engages with directors and business leaders on the critical issues driving board agendas—from strategy, risk, talent, and sustainability to data governance, artificial intelligence, audit quality, proxy trends, and more. Learn more at kpmg.com/blc.

About KPMG

KPMG LLP is the U.S. member firm of the KPMG global organization of independent member firms providing audit, tax and advisory services. The KPMG global organization operates in 142 countries and territories and has more than 275,000 people working in member firms around the world. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. KPMG International Limited is a private English company limited by guarantee. KPMG International Limited and its related entities do not provide services to clients.
  
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