Our Assessment of Governance 2026: Highlights

 Governance 2026 held in London by The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland (CGIUKI) brought together company secretaries, board leaders and industry experts for two days of insights focused on the future of corporate governance. We were glad to attend this conference as exhibitors and delegates.

The conference opened with a welcome address by Linda Ford, Chief Executive of The Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland.

The conference covered artificial intelligence, leadership, geopolitical uncertainty, board effectiveness reporting and professional development among other major themes. The conference also explored how governance professionals are evolving into strategic advisers who help organizations navigate uncertainty, strengthen decision making and build resilient governance.

Artificial Intelligence Is Transforming Governance

Artificial intelligence remained one of the strongest themes throughout the event. Multiple sessions examined how AI is influencing governance functions, board oversight and the future workplace.

One of the standout discussions was ‘Demystifying the Next Generation of Governance’ moderated by Bunmi Obisesan. The session explored how governance professionals can embrace AI while maintaining human judgment, ethical leadership and effective oversight.

Another keynote by Anjli Raval (Management Editor, Financial Times) examined how boards are actively shaping the future of work. The discussion reinforced that AI should be viewed as a strategic governance issue rather than purely a technology initiative.

The conference also highlighted research presented by Peter Swabey FCG, Policy & Research Director, Kayla Schembri, Head of Policy and Dr Valentina Dotto, Policy Adviser at The Chartered Governance Institute.

A separate session on governing cyber risk featured Helen Barge, Head of Risk, Inderpreet Bedi FCG, Head of Governance & Secretariat Services at Barnett Waddingham and Liz Murray, Chief of Staff for the Security Awareness and Special Interest Group (SASIG). Their discussion addressed deepfakes, AI enabled fraud and emerging regulatory challenges.

Governance Must Respond To A Changing World

The conference opened with Derek Leatherdale (Senior Geopolitical Risk Adviser, Sibylline) discussing the growing impact of geopolitical uncertainty on organizations.

His session highlighted how global conflicts, supply chain disruption, energy markets, cyber threats and political instability have become governance issues that boards can no longer ignore. Effective governance now requires organizations to monitor external risks continuously while strengthening resilience and improving strategic decision making.

The discussion emphasized that governance professionals play a critical role in helping boards understand emerging risks before they become significant business challenges.

Cybersecurity governance was another important area of discussion. George Quigley, Head of ICA at IASME, presented Ethics in Cybersecurity, highlighting the importance of cyber resilience, regulatory compliance and governance frameworks in managing digital risks.

Governance Professionals Continue To Gain Strategic Influence

One of the strongest themes throughout the conference was the changing role of governance professionals.

While responsibilities continue to expand, many governance teams still face limited resources. Speakers of this session encouraged professionals to position governance as a strategic business function rather than simply an administrative requirement.

The overall message was clear. Governance professionals should actively participate in strategic conversations and demonstrate the value they bring to organizational success.

Elevating The Governance Profession

Several discussions also focused on strengthening the profile of governance professionals across organizations.

Industry experts highlighted the growing importance of governance within environmental, social and governance initiatives, corporate accountability and regulatory oversight. As expectations increase, governance professionals are becoming trusted advisers who guide organizations through increasingly complex business environments.

The conference also explored how governance expertise contributes directly to organizational resilience, stronger compliance and better board performance.

In Elevating the Governance Profession, Joshua Domb, Founder and Managing Partner at Gen-R Law and Kayla Schembri, Head of Policy at CGIUKI, discussed the often overlooked contribution of governance professionals to successful businesses and responsible corporate leadership.

The conference also addressed regulatory developments through Modernising Corporate Reporting, presented by Nis Bandara, Deputy Director, Company Law & Governance at the Department for Business and Trade.

Board Evaluations Must Deliver Meaningful Outcomes

Board effectiveness remained another important topic throughout the event.

Speakers, including Laura Higgins FCG (Founder, The CoSec Coach), Claire Phillips (Head of Corporate Governance – Insurance, Wealth & Retirement (IWR), Aviva UK plc) and Perrin Carey (Founder, CoSteer) discussed how organizations can improve internal board evaluations by moving beyond standard questionnaires and focusing on practical insights that drive measurable improvements.

While evaluations are seen as routine compliance exercises, organizations were encouraged to identify a limited number of meaningful improvement areas and use findings to strengthen reporting oversight and board performance.

The discussion demonstrated how well designed evaluations can improve governance processes while supporting continuous board development.

Better Board Reporting Creates Better Decisions

Another important session examined the growing volume of board reporting and the need for more effective communication.

Jason Wright FCG, Group Society Secretary at Nationwide Building Society and Loren Wulfsohn, Director at Bridge Governance, contributed perspectives on how board reporting practices have evolved and the challenges organizations continue to face.

Speakers explained that boards increasingly receive large amounts of information yet often lack concise, decision focused insights. Governance professionals were encouraged to improve reporting, improve clarity and ensure board papers support better strategic discussions instead of overwhelming directors with excessive information.

Improving report quality requires collaboration between management, governance teams and board leadership to create reports that genuinely support informed decision making.

Another session, When Everything Matters: Mindful Exclusion and the New Rules of Boardroom Prioritisation, featured Justine Lutterodt, Founder and Managing Director of the Centre for Synchronous Leadership, Ije Nwokorie, CEO of Dr. Martens plc and Kate Sargent, Chief Data Officer at the Financial Times. Their discussion explored how boards can prioritize competing issues and focus their attention on the matters that have the greatest strategic importance.

Professional Growth Extends Beyond Technical Skills

The conference also explored career development and the evolving expectations placed on governance professionals. Jon Moores, Founder and Managing Director and Mariza Dimaki, Director and Recruitment Partner at The Core Partnership, presented findings from The Governance Market Survey 2026.

Findings from The Governance Market Survey 2026 showed that governance teams continue managing broader responsibilities despite limited resources. As organizations rely more heavily on governance expertise, investment in career development, recognition and professional growth becomes increasingly important.

Another session, Connected Leadership Masterclass, featured Leigh Smyth FRSA, Founder of ImpactMatch and Co-Founder of ActionAble and Em Wilson FRSA, Director of Digital at ImpactMatch. They discussed building professional visibility through authentic networking, digital presence and effective use of LinkedIn.

Career development was further explored in Creating a Governance Career That’s Right for You, moderated by Terri Le Couteur FCG, Founder and Director of TLC Governance, with speakers Lesley Stephenson, CEO of Governance Publishing and Rachel Tranter, Head of Member Success at Nurole and Co-founder of Women on Boards UK.

The session highlighted alternative career pathways, professional development and opportunities to pursue non-executive director roles.

Leadership Requires Courage, Diversity And Collaboration

Day Two concentrated on leadership board priorities and organizational culture.

The session What’s Keeping Your Board Awake? was moderated by Kerry Round FCG, Founding Director of Round Governance, alongside Sophie Gauthier-Beaudoin, Director and Head of Board Leadership Centre at KPMG, Tim Greenwell, Consultant at Squire Patton Boggs and Jaime Tham FCG, Former Company Secretary at Kier Group and Tate & Lyle.

The conference reinforced that trust, transparency and open communication remain essential characteristics of effective governance.

Another session, Leadership, Legacy and the Power of Diversity, was moderated by Kayla Schembri and featured Gary Ford, Co-founder of Men for Inclusion, Kako Mavalla ACG, Deputy Company Secretary and Eileen Mullan Cdir, Director at Strictly Boardroom.

Practical Lessons From Real World Governance

A memorable session featured Bradley Boyle FGIA FCG (General Counsel & Company Secretary, Royal Flying Doctor Service) who shared practical experiences from leading governance within a complex healthcare organization operating across remote regions.

His presentation demonstrated that regardless of industry governance professionals must balance operational complexity, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity risk and limited resources while maintaining strong governance standards.

The session concluded that investing in governance capability, practical training and legal awareness strengthens organizational resilience and improves decision-making.

A further session on Trust, Culture and Connection Between Boards and Teams featured Laura Higgins FCG and Divya Mahendran, Co-founder of CoSteer, discussing the importance of transparency, shared values and effective relationships between boards and executive teams.

Strengthening Compliance and Entity Governance

Compliance, regulatory change and entity management also featured prominently throughout the conference.

In Guilty Until Proven Adequate: Responding to the Failure to Prevent Fraud Offence, Nicola Lambourne ACG, Group Company Secretary at Law Debenture and Paul Tenconi ACG, Company Secretary at Law Debenture, explored fraud prevention responsibilities and the practical implications of directors’ duties.

Another discussion examined how reliable entity data can strengthen compliance, improve oversight and support more informed governance decisions.

The conference also examined the future of share ownership through a session on dematerialisation featuring John Britton, Governance & Industry Director at Computershare, Anne-Marie Clarke ACG, Industry Director, Registrar Services at Equiniti and Lee Cooper, Industry and Strategy Lead at MUFG Corporate Markets.

Their session addressed the implications of evolving share ownership practices for issuers and governance professionals.

Sustainability and Responsible Governance

Sustainability remained an important discussion as organizations navigate political uncertainty, regulatory expectations and increasing scrutiny of environmental commitments.

The session Sustainability Under Siege featured Tracey Groves ACA, Director and Founder of Intelligent Ethics, in conversation with Richard Young, Editor, Governance & Compliance at CGIUKI.

The discussion explored how governance professionals can maintain responsible sustainability practices while managing litigation risks, changing regulations and external pressures.

It emphasized the importance of credible reporting, evidence based decisions and integrating sustainability into long term business strategy.

Creating A Culture Where Every Voice Matters

The closing keynote by Tracey Groves ACA (Director and Founder, Intelligent Ethics) focused on psychological safety and its importance in governance.

Organizations perform better when people feel confident speaking openly, raising concerns and sharing different perspectives. Boards that encourage honest conversations, curiosity and constructive challenge are better equipped to identify risks, improve decisions and strengthen long term governance.

The session provided a fitting conclusion to the conference by highlighting that effective governance depends not only on frameworks and policies but also on creating environments where transparency, trust and accountability thrive.

Dess Digital At Governance 2026

Dess Digital was proud to be a sponsor of Governance 2026 and exhibited throughout the event. Our team connected with company secretaries, governance professionals, directors and industry leaders to discuss the future of board governance, AI enabled governance solutions and digital transformation. The conversations highlighted the increasing demand for well organized governance processes and technology that empowers boards to make faster, better informed decisions. Participating in the event allowed us to exchange valuable insights while demonstrating how Dess Digital supports organizations in improving board and committee governance.

About Dess

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