Directors Australia Board Recruitment Principal, Michael Pearson shares his insights on trends, focus areas and advice for boards and their directors.
What key trends are you seeing in your work with boards at present?
Boards are increasingly focused on strengthening governance frameworks to remain agile in today’s complex environment. There’s a clear shift toward more rigorous board evaluations, sharper alignment between governance and strategy, and a renewed emphasis on director capability – especially in public and private companies navigating heightened stakeholder expectations.
What do you suggest boards should be focussing on?
Now more than ever, boards should prioritise clarity of roles, robust policy frameworks, and regular performance reviews. A proactive approach to risk, culture, and stakeholder engagement is essential. Ensuring the board has the right mix of skills and that its dynamics support open, constructive dialogue is key to effective oversight.
Do you have any other advice for boards or their directors?
Invest in continuous governance education and seek independent evaluations to benchmark performance. Drawing on my experience across ASX-listed and global entities, I encourage directors to foster a culture of integrity, transparency, and strategic foresight – ensuring boards are not just compliant, but truly effective.
Directors Australia provides board and governance advisory and specialist recruitment services to the boards of publicly listed, government, private, APRA-regulated and for-purpose organisations across all sectors and industries Australia-wide. For further information on our services, contact us here.
