- 23 June 2026
Artificial intelligence is part of our daily lives, it is reshaping how we work and organisations are grappling with how to use it safely and effectively. Responsible, ethical use requires good governance ensuring both transparency and accountability.
Organisations who recognise the value of effective governance as a stabilising force and a strategic enabler will be better prepared to weather the turbulence of rapid technological advancements, geopolitical and economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions and ESG considerations.
Governance professionals have an important role to play in helping organisations navigate these issues and establish effective safeguards that protect the integrity of decision-making whilst harnessing the opportunities technology can provide.
Governance 2026: insights, research and practical guidance
This years Annual Conference, Governance 2026, taking place on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 July in London will bring together members of our governance community, industry leaders and external experts to share insights and practice advice e
We will hear from Anjli Raval, Management Editor at the Financial Times, in her keynote address reflecting on how AI is influencing the future of work and the role of the board. Having had opportunity to speak with Anjli ahead of the conference, I was struck by just how quickly the boardroom discussion is moving beyond systems, tools and technical risk to culture, workforce skills and long-term resilience
As companies automate tasks, redesign roles and rethink hiring, boards will need to consider the wider consequences for their people strategies and determine how to balance efficiency gains with being ethical employers? How can directors ensure decisions about AI support the future health of the organisation, rather than short-term operational convenience?
Alongside Anjli’s external perspective, the Institute will be launching exclusive research in AI governance and publishing our latest toolkit to support governance professionals in leading board-level conversations on AI. Our Policy team, including Peter Swabey FCG, Kayla Schembri and Dr Valentina Dotto, will present new work designed to help governance professionals support effective oversight, ask the right questions and ensure AI adoption is considered through the lens of accountability, culture and long-term organisational resilience.
Together, Anjli’s keynote and the Institute’s research reflect the same underlying point: AI is not simply a technology issue. It is a governance issue.
Responding to a complex and evolving risk landscape
In addition to AI, this year’s conference programme reflects the broader issues now defining modern governance. Sessions will explore ethics in cyber security, crisis communications, how geopolitics and global risk is shaping business and how organisations mustn’t lose focus on culture, diversity and inclusion. These are live pressures facing boards, leadership teams and governance functions across sectors. Organisations are operating in an environment shaped by technological disruption, regulatory change, geopolitical uncertainty and rising expectations around transparency, accountability and trust. Good governance is central to how they respond and we will explore what this means for future skills, career opportunities and professional growth.
The conference will also include important new Institute work on managing statutory governance duties during extended leave, including maternity leave. This is another example of the practical, evidence-led insight the Institute should be producing: grounded in the realities of the profession, but focused on the issues organisations need to address next.
The programme will feature findings from the Governance Market Survey 2026, delivered in partnership with The Core Partnership. Drawing on insight from professionals across sectors, the survey will provide a valuable data-led view of how the governance profession is evolving, including pay, progression, recognition, team structures, ways of working and the changing expectations placed on governance functions.
In parallel, we will be encouraging delegates to take part in our Boardroom Bellwether survey. This year, the survey has been broadened to capture the views of governance professionals across all sectors and organisation types, reflecting what governance looks like in practice and the pressures it is under in the current environment.
Strengthening the profession and its global impact
That evidence matters. The governance profession is becoming broader, more strategic and more visible. Governance professionals are being asked to support boards through workforce transformation, technology adoption, changing stakeholder expectations and increasingly complex risk environments. The Institute’s role is to help ensure our members and the wider profession have the knowledge, confidence and professional standing to meet that moment.
Governance 2026 is therefore more than a conference programme. It is an opportunity for the profession to come together around the questions that will shape the future of governance practice.
That conversation will also continue internationally. In September, the inaugural CGI Global Governance Summit will take place in Kuala Lumpur and virtually, bringing together governance professionals, regulators, corporate leaders and international delegates to explore governance, sustainability and value creation in a global context.
The connection between these two moments is important. Governance challenges may look different across jurisdictions, but the core principles of effective oversight, ethical leadership, accountability and trust are shared. As organisations operate across borders and respond to global risks, our international network gives us a powerful opportunity to share insight and strengthen standards.
I also want to take this opportunity to remind members that nominations are open for this year’s CGIUKI Awards. If Governance 2026 is about the future of the profession, the Awards are about recognising the people, teams and projects already demonstrating excellence in practice.
Good governance often happens quietly. It is present in the advice that improves a decision, the challenge that strengthens oversight, the process that protects integrity, and the professional judgement that helps an organisation do the right thing. The Awards give us an opportunity to bring that work into the light.
I hope to see many of you at Governance 2026 in July. It will be an important moment to learn from one another, test our thinking and continue shaping the future of governance.