Back to Global Corporate Governance Trends for 2026
As boards adapt to a more volatile and complex environment, they are shifting away from process-heavy practices toward a clearer emphasis on purpose, focus, and values-driven governance. In this context, the most effective boards will evolve to function more as councils of trust and judgment, where challenge and reflection are prized equally. Chairs stress that effective governance will feature the willingness to hold difficult, purpose-anchored conversations on strategy, risk and culture. The chair’s role is expected to shift further from procedural facilitator to coach and connector, building alignment among the board, CEO and shareholders, particularly amid generational transitions.
Boards also are increasingly treating organizational culture as a core governance domain—a determinant of risk management, growth and innovation. Chairs say sustainable performance hinges on cultural adaptability, inclusion and leadership renewal. This extends to family-owned and listed companies alike where generational handovers, new ownership structures and next-gen involvement demand more structured governance around culture, purpose and leadership style. The board’s oversight of culture is evolving from a safeguard to a strategic discussion on how it enables—or constrains—execution.
As directors grapple with leveling up their skills, well-prepared boards across all industries are investing in collective learning to raise their baseline fluency in AI and digital transformation. Rather than recruiting AI specialists, Belgian chairs are favoring directors who can grasp the strategic implications of technology for business models, clients and data integrity and serve as true sounding boards for management.
Boards across sectors report a growing tension between short-term performance pressures and long-term purpose commitments. Economic uncertainty and tighter financing conditions are forcing renewed scrutiny of sustainability investments and ESG programs. Yet few Belgian chairs see this as a retrenchment. Rather, boards are reframing sustainability as a strategic capital allocation, not compliance. The emphasis has moved from reporting toward prioritizing initiatives with clear business impact. The discussion also is broadening beyond carbon and reporting metrics to include circularity, pollution management and energy resilience. The question for boards is how to pace and finance sustainability responsibly.
Belgian boards expect global volatility to remain a constant through 2026, requiring sound discernment in navigating uncertainty. Geopolitical fragmentation—particularly Europe’s shifting position between the US and China—has moved from macro backdrop to daily business reality. Experts emphasize a more pressing need for scenario-based strategy discussions that integrate geopolitical, regulatory and supply chain risk. For highly regulated sectors, differing rules are creating more complexity. The result is a more hands-on board posture, as directors demand clearer briefings on risk resilience and stakeholder expectations while maintaining the discipline not to encroach on management’s operational remit.
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