"Boards need 21st Century upgrade to meet today’s challenges"

Tuesday 04 August 2015

A new report released by Grant Thornton finds that the composition of boardrooms around the world needs upgrading to reflect today’s digital economy and diverse business community.

The report highlights significant opportunities for improvements to performance and growth to those who meet the challenge.

It also points out that, without revision, boards will struggle to meet the diversity of thinking and skills required to effectively advise management teams in meeting the challenges of today’s economy.

Grant Thornton’s new report, "Corporate governance: the tone from the top", draws on interviews with business leaders and board members around the world. The research reveals a desire for board members to have current industry knowledge – 62% of those surveyed cite this as an important factor. Furthermore, 86% think board members should bring new ideas to the table with which to challenge management. However, a significant concern raised in interviews with board directors is the lack of technology experience among boards today.

Gail Chadwick at Grant Thornton said: “The role of boards is to set the tone from the top, but also to advise and guide management teams. A lack of digital savvy in the boardroom is a glaring hole. Digital has disrupted markets, and the way we do business, but it hasn’t yet changed boards. The digital sector is also among the most entrepreneurial; generating ideas and innovation. Harnessing this at a strategic decision making level is vital to firms that have an interest in exploiting technology to drive growth.  The truth is, board experience and wisdom on how to run businesses successfully remains as important as ever. However, boards need a 21^st Century upgrade.

“This means boards making best use of their digerati, Chief Digital Officers and other experts. People immersed in the digital dimension must have appropriate influence. If your business only has junior management with digital expertise then your business likely has untapped potential, and you need to reflect on your talent mix, recruitment and people development accordingly. Companies with digital acumen on the board will be better placed to embrace and exploit new technology to drive productivity and performance.

Grant Thornton’s research also exposes a gap between perception and reality when it comes to the gender composition of boardrooms. While they remain overwhelmingly male – only a sixth of directors globally are women – more than two thirds (68%) of business leaders believe they do an effective job of encouraging diversity.Grant Thornton’s new report, Corporate governance: the tone from the top, explores three major aspects of corporate governance – the role of culture, board composition and strategic planning - and how they are affecting businesses around the world. It draws on interviews with over 1,800 businesses across 36 economies and 82 in-depth discussions with board directors. It is available here.