INSEAD Directors Forum - Boards of Tomorrow: Shaping the Future of Governance
13-14 November 2026 | INSEAD Europe Campus, Fontainebleau
Register and join us for the INSEAD Directors Forum this November, where we bring together board directors and senior executives for two days of thought-provoking insights, interactive exchange and valuable networking opportunities. The forum will examine key global shifts and how – from geopolitics to technology and macroeconomics – and their impact on business strategy and risk. In parallel, we will consider how these evolving dynamics are redefining the role of the board and raising new expectations on board practices for governance effectiveness.
Welcome to INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre (ICGC)
Research and Education in Corporate Governance
The ICGC combines INSEAD’s institutional visibility and exceptional faculty to develop thought leadership and a global educational platform in corporate governance. These initiatives support directors and senior leaders in addressing complex governance challenges.
The Centre’s mission is to:
- Develop world-class teaching content
- Promote the latest research using innovative scholarly materials
- Enrich public discourse through forums, conferences, corporate governance webinars, peer-to-peer exchange, and expert-to-practitioner dialogue
The ICGC also addresses emerging technologies, including AI governance, through executive programmes that help directors and boards to navigate AI-driven disruption and its associated risks.
A Multidisciplinary and Global Approach to Governance
Our activities harness INSEAD’s expertise in multiple disciplines across areas such as strategy, risk-management, decision making, finance, economics, family governance and corporate social responsibility. This provides directors and boards with in-depth insights and sustainable responses to today’s complex and volatile challenges. The ICGC brings an unmatched international viewpoint to its activities thanks to INSEAD’s position as The Business School for the World, with its footprint across the Europe, Asia, and Middle East campuses.
Key Offerings & Initiatives
- Corporate governance programmes for board members and senior leaders – covering strategy, risk, and board effectiveness.
- International Directors Programme (IDP-C) – INSEAD’s flagship certification for global board directors.
- Corporate governance webinars and workshops, including sessions on AI governance
- Peer-to-peer exchange and networking for directors and boards
Senior Affiliate Professor of Strategy
Numbers at a glance
4000+
Board directors community network
3000+
participants who had joined our corporate governance programme
2009
Certified Directors (IDP-C/IDBP-C )
800+
Research publications
10
global events a year virtual and face-to-faceCorporate Governance Related Articles
Essential Lessons for Non-Profit Boards
How can board directors in non-profit organisations perform their governance role with effectiveness to achieve achieve their mission of doing well by doing good? Read latest article by INSEAD Professors Erik van de Loo and Jaap Winter, together with co-author Arjan Groen, as they outlined the practices and key enablers for successful oversight.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/essential-lessons-non-profit-boards 
A Revolution in Governance: How AI Will Make Boards More Effective
Boards that harness the power of AI are positioned to perform their roles more effectively. Knowledge article by INSEAD Professors Theodoros Evgeniou, Ville Satopää and Ludo Van der Heyden, together with co-author Peter Nathanial explored how AI has the capability to to empower boards to meet the five core challenges they face.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/revolution-governance-how-ai-will-make-boards-more-effective 
Getting Shareholders on Board With Your Sustainability Vision
How can board directors help executives strike the right balance and find ways to bring shareholders on board? Professor Thomas Keusch highlights the approach to get shareholders buy-in to the sustainability vision.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/responsibility/getting-shareholders-board-your-sustainability-vision 
How Forward-Thinking Boards Are Using AI
The integration of AI into boardrooms presents real challenges, but even greater opportunity. INSEAD Professor Stanislav Shekshnia and Valery Yakubovich, Wharton School illustrate how forward-thinking boards are harnessing the power of AI to improve preparation, discussion and decision-making in the boardroom.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/how-forward-thinking-boards-are-using-ai 
For-Profit Executives on Non-Profit Boards: A Win-Win?
Serving on a non-profit board can be deeply fulfilling and beneficial to the cause – but only if you’re fully committed and prepared for the role according to Knowledge article by Ron Soonieus, Director-in-Residence INSEAD, Caelesta Braun, Leiden University and Agota Szabo, The Hague University of Applied Sciences and Leiden University.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/profit-executives-non-profit-boards-win-win 
Ten Questions Boards in Emerging Economies Must Ask
Steering towards effective governance in the face of global disruptions is a daunting task for board directors today and more so for emerging markets. Knowledge article by Ron Soonieus, highlighted 10 top questions boards should ask in emerging economies based on practice-based research study by ICGC, BCG and Heidrick & Struggles.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/ten-questions-boards-emerging-economies-must-ask 
When Psychological Safety Has a Seat on the Board
Psychological safety isn't just about feeling good – it's also about performing better. INSEAD Professor Stanislav Shekshnia shares tips on how smart boards can build psychological safety without “drowning” in it.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/when-psychological-safety-has-seat-board 
The Boardroom Mindset Blocking Climate Action
The scale of the sustainability and climate change challenge is daunting. Read knowledge article by Jaap Winter as he shares the importance of having boards embrace the “moonshot” mentality to see real change happen.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/responsibility/boardroom-mindset-blocking-climate-action 
Turbulent Times Ahead: Call for a Governance Update
Amid uncertainty and complexity, boards can get overwhelmed – or get moving. By adopting a more forward-looking approach, boards can capitalise on these disruptions to enhance the company’s strategic direction and long-term value. Read Knowledge article by Ron Soonieus and Sonia Tatar as they highlight the key findings from recent ESG Board Pulse report.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/leadership-organisations/turbulent-times-ahead-call-governance-update 
Is Your Board Stuck in the Wrong Gear?
Knowledge article by Timothy Rowley, Rotman School of Management and INSEAD and Laurence Capron, INSEAD, highlight the need for boards to have appropriate modes of involvement to optimise engagement.
https://knowledge.insead.edu/strategy/your-board-stuck-wrong-gear Case Studies
Assembling the Sandoz Jigsaw: Beyond the Spin-Off
By Stanislav Shekshnia, Elizabett YashnevaAfter its listing, Sandoz embarked on a new phase focused on governance in action. The task shifted from board formation to performance — establishing routines, defining its role in strategy and oversight, and deepening its collaboration with management. The case explores how a newly created board functions, learns, and adjusts its processes and composition.
https://publishing.insead.edu/case/assembling-sandoz-jigsaw-beyond-spin 
Unlocking Value at BAYER AG through Investor Activism
By Massimo Massa, Ben Lazarus, Patrick Branch, Simon McWilliamsBayer is reeling from the aftermath of the acquisition of Monsanto, which has produced a series of unexpected lawsuits that are threatening to bring down the conglomerate. What to do with a former symbol of Germany’s industrial might that is now plagued by problems and whose stock price is hugely undervalued? Is it an opportunity for an activist investor? How is its predicament related to the governance of the company?
https://publishing.insead.edu/case/unlocking-value-bayer-ag-through-investor-activism 
The Forced Kiss that Rattled Women's Football: FIFA, Gender and Governance in Crisis
By Felicia A. Henderson, Kaisa Snellman, Ximena Medina BardalezOn August 20, 2023, Spain’s women’s football team won the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the very first time. Their triumph was overshadowed by scandal when the president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) forcibly kissed player Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony in front of a global audience, an act for which he was ultimately convicted of sexual assault. The case documents how entrenched governance models and power dynamics at both FIFA (football’s global governing body) and the RFEF persisted for decades, enabling a succession of domineering male leaders and a culture of impunity to emerge at international, national, and team-management levels.
https://publishing.insead.edu/case/forced-kiss-rattled-womens-football-fifa-gender-and-governance-crisis 