San Francisco, CA June 30, 2026 --(PR.com)-- As corporate boards contend with an increasingly complex governance environment, Boardspan’s newest Board Performance Benchmark Report identifies an encouraging trend: despite growing governance demands, boards are becoming more effective with respect to their core roles and responsibilities.
The 2026 Board Performance Benchmark Report draws on extensive data collected through Boardspan’s assessment solution, tracking board performance across more than 60 governance dimensions. With benchmarking of this nature unique to Boardspan, this report enables boards across all sectors to gain a broad-based perspective on how governance practices are evolving, which is especially helpful in the current environment.
“We’ve known for many years that the job of the board is hard and getting harder,” said Abby Adlerman, CEO of Boardspan. “What’s encouraging is that boards are not standing still, much less falling behind. They’re pushing through these challenging times to strengthen core governance practices while remaining adaptable as new demands emerge.”
These findings challenge prior assumptions that complexity and increased demands are likely to take their toll on board performance. The Benchmark Report underscores that effective boards, like high-functioning executives, can rise to meet the challenges they encounter. With this backdrop and level of objectivity, these findings also allow boards to identify the critical areas where governance practices need further attention as they continue to evolve.
The report identifies three governance practices where boards have made notable progress:
1. Boards are making meaningful progress on management succession planning. Long considered one of governance’s most persistent challenges, succession planning is emerging as an area where boards are becoming more proactive and better prepared for leadership transitions.
2. Trust between boards and management is strengthening. Boards report stronger working relationships, greater candor, and higher levels of trust—creating better conditions for oversight and more effective decision-making.
3. CEO evaluations are becoming more structured and objective. Rather than focusing primarily on compensation, boards are increasingly using formal performance reviews to strengthen alignment, leadership development, and accountability.
The report also identifies two governance challenges that continue to evolve:
1. AI oversight remains a work in progress. Boards recognize that effective AI governance will require continual adaptation as the technology, its risks, and its strategic implications continue to evolve.
2. Boards are seeking greater insight into the competitive landscape. Directors increasingly expect deeper analysis of competitors, disruptive forces, and changing market dynamics to strengthen oversight of strategy, risk, and long-term positioning.
These findings underscore that governance excellence is not a destination but an ongoing process of self-awareness, action orientation, and high standards. The strongest boards continue to assess their performance, objectively challenge their own assumptions, and intentionally evolve their governance practices rather than relying on past approaches.
The 2026 Board Performance Benchmark Report is available at:
https://boardspan.com/2026-board-performance-benchmark-report
About Boardspan
Boardspan helps boards improve governance by combining advanced digital capabilities with expert advisory services. The company provides board performance assessments, individual director and CEO evaluations, board succession planning and search, skills analyses, and governance advisory services to public, private, and nonprofit organizations. Clients include Autodesk, Blue Shield of California, Colgate-Palmolive, HubSpot, e.l.f. Beauty, Roblox, KKR, Salesforce, the PGA, and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
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