Next Generation Governance

Overview

Our series on the Future of Governance explores key governance issues and asks what needs to be done to address them.

But do different age-demographics have differing perspectives on the challenges ahead? And how can we equip members at the start of their careers to tackle those challenges, now and throughout their working lives?

These are the questions that inspired the Next Generation Governance project.

Research

Our research examines the perspectives of millennial and generation Z company secretaries, in contrast to more established practitioners. We wanted to identify similarities and differences in members’ understanding of the role of governance – especially when it comes to addressing broader social issues, such as demographic and technological change, and environmental sustainability.

Younger company secretaries see a stronger connection between these pervasive social issues and the governance landscape of the future. At the same time, members across all ages are concerned about reputational risk and the increasing volume of regulation.

Could organisations be more proactive about their role in addressing the social issues younger governance professionals have flagged as urgent – before being required to do so by regulation or suffering the reputational consequences of being out of step with public sentiment? How might this be achieved?

What's next?

Through events and other initiatives, this project aims to offer inspiration and space for collaboration to the next generation of governance professionals, helping you stay on the front-foot in response to evolving expectations of what governance is all about.

Events

Next Generation Governance Events complement our existing programme by looking further ahead. They address some of the same topics as our regular CPD events and conferences, but aim to push the boundaries of the discussion by envisaging the challenges and responsibilities governance professionals could face in the future.