76% of U.S. Corporate Directors Cite Growth as a Top Priority This Year, Outpacing Efficiencies and Cost-Cutting

Boards also show increased concern around succession planning and geopolitical threats in a post-election landscape

Approximately three-quarters of U.S. corporate directors say pursuing growth opportunities is a priority in 2025, as boards view the coming year with renewed optimism. This is according to a new survey of more than 200 U.S. public company directors conducted by Diligent, the leading GRC SaaS company, Corporate Board Member, a market-leading publication for public company board members, and FTI Consulting, a global business consulting and advisory services firm.

“After years of navigating crises, most U.S. public company directors are approaching 2025 with a positive outlook, prioritizing growth and expansion,” said Dottie Schindlinger, Executive Director at Diligent Institute. “However, challenges persist, including gaps in understanding strategy, difficulties translating information into action, and inefficient board meeting and oversight processes. In 2025, board education and tools that provide actionable insights will be critical to enabling leaders to make faster, more confident decisions.”

Strategy ranked as the leading oversight challenge for directors, with 42% of respondents citing it as their greatest difficulty, highlighting the importance of understanding how different risks and opportunities interconnect.

“In a business environment where disruption is the name of the game, planning around a 10-year strategic vision has become nearly impossible to do. Companies are having to be much more agile than they have in the past, and that is adding tremendous pressure on boards to keep management on their toes,” said Melanie C. Nolen, Head of Research for Corporate Board Member and Chief Executive Group.

Key findings from the report include:

Directors are increasingly concerned with succession planning.

• Succession planning at the CEO and executive level rose to the second most challenging issue for directors, up from fourth last year. Nearly 70% of directors say a sudden CEO or key executive departure would pose a significant risk to their strategy.
• 34% of directors rank improving CEO and board succession planning as a top priority in 2025, and 43% would ensure CEO and C-Suite succession is a pressing topic on the next board meeting agenda.

Most boards of internationally exposed companies see geopolitical events as a strategic threat.

• Among directors whose companies have international exposure, 79% view geopolitical events as a threat to their business strategy, with 30% identifying them as a “significant to detrimental” risk. Yet only 10% are making managing geopolitical risks a priority in 2025.
• Eight in ten directors surveyed cited renewed supply chain disruptions as a risk, underscoring the fragility of supply chains and the need for contingency plans. Yet alarmingly, one in five said they didn’t know whether their firm regularly audits its supply chain for bribery and corruption.

Boards view taking a political stand as an increased risk.

• With heightened political and social divisions, 85% of respondents see greater risk in speaking out compared to staying silent (15%) impacting how boards and leadership approach social issues.
• 61% believe corporate officers should consult boards and leadership before making public statements that could pose a risk to the company, and 50% believe the board should have the right to take action against a CxO, including the CEO, who makes a public statement that harms the company (up from 30% in 2017).

Being aware of cyber threats isn’t enough, boards must act.

• For the first time in recent years, cybersecurity fell to third on the list of most challenging issues for directors to oversee. This could be due to greater awareness —71% of directors regularly meet with cybersecurity leaders to discuss evolving risks and strategy.
• However, there is a gap between awareness and action: 51% of board members have reviewed their incident identification and disclosure processes, including reporting updates, risk assessments, and response exercises.

"The survey highlights what we’ve been seeing from many boards: a refocus on growth, competitive and geopolitical dynamics, and C-suite and board refreshment," said Brian Kushner, a Senior Managing Director at FTI Consulting. “Effective boards know how to leverage strategic planning to navigate these evolving challenges and opportunities and grow their business.”

To view the full report, visit: https://www.diligent.com/resources/research/WDT-2025

Sign up for the exclusive webinar, Emerging from Chaos: How Boardrooms Have Changed and What’s Next in U.S. Governance, on March 19, 2025, from 1:00–2:00 PM ET, to explore the evolution of boardrooms and the future of U.S. corporate governance.

About Diligent

Diligent is the leading governance, risk and compliance (GRC) SaaS company, empowering more than 1 million users and 700,000 board members to clarify risk and elevate governance. The Diligent One Platform gives practitioners, the C-suite and the board a consolidated view of their entire GRC practice so they can more effectively manage risk, build greater resilience and make better decisions, faster. Learn more at diligent.com.

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About FTI Consulting

FTI Consulting, Inc. is a global business advisory firm dedicated to helping organizations manage change, mitigate risk and resolve disputes: financial, legal, operational, political & regulatory, reputational and transactional. With more than 8,300 employees located in 34 countries and territories, FTI Consulting professionals work closely with clients to anticipate, illuminate and overcome complex business challenges and make the most of opportunities. The Company generated $3.49 billion in revenues during fiscal year 2023. In certain jurisdictions, FTI Consulting’s services are provided through distinct legal entities that are separately capitalized and independently managed. More information can be found at www.fticonsulting.com.

About Corporate Board Member

Corporate Board Member, a division of Chief Executive Group, has been the market leader in board education for 20 years. The quarterly publication provides public company board members, CEOs, general counsel and corporate secretaries decision-making tools to address the wide range of corporate governance, risk oversight and shareholder engagement issues facing their boards. Corporate Board Member further extends its thought leadership through online resources, webinars, timely research, conferences and peer-driven roundtables. The company maintains the most comprehensive database of directors and officers of publicly traded companies listed with NYSE, NYSE Amex and Nasdaq. Learn more at boardmember.com.

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