The Role of Boards — Fit for the Current Times

 Note: This was an invitation-only event

Boards of directors are navigating an era of profound disruption — from shareholder activism and geopolitical fragmentation to the rapid deployment of artificial intelligence and growing scrutiny of board composition and dynamics. Against this backdrop, fundamental questions are being raised about whether boards are truly fit for the challenges of our time.

The discussion was held under the Chatham House Rule and convened participants — including leading practitioners, policymakers, and scholars — to examine three interconnected dimensions of board governance: the evolving market for corporate control and the lessons from Japan's landmark governance reforms; the implications of geopolitical competition and AI deployment for board oversight and corporate strategy; and the human dynamics behind board composition, recruitment, and effectiveness that statistics alone cannot capture.

* The talking points of Yuelin Yang, prepared for Session 2: Boards and the New Geopolitics – Governing in the Era of AI at the ECGI Patrons Council Roundtable (15 June 2026), are available here for reference.