With governance under pressure from rapid change and rising risk, the CGI Scotland Conference 2025 offers a space for professionals to connect, collaborate and stay ahead. In this comment piece, Gary Gray FCG explores how convening across sectors strengthens resilience and why community is now central to governance excellence.

This has been a month of listening at events, in surveys and across our community. I want to share the themes I’ve heard and explain how they will shape the direction of the Institute in the year ahead.

Ruairí Cosgrove FCG, President of CGIUKI, explains why becoming Chartered was the defining step in their career. From law and strategy to ethics and communication, the qualification opens doors to influential, purpose-driven roles across sectors.

Budget 2025 arrives at a moment of economic uncertainty and shifting expectations for public bodies and businesses alike. The Chancellor’s announcements will carry significant implications for governance, accountability and organisational resilience.

The Chancellor framed her Autumn Budget as one that would deliver stability. The reaction, however, has been anything but calm.

As boards face faster change and sharper scrutiny, the Institute will champion the value of Chartered status, modernise the International Qualifying Programme and expand practical support on AI, data governance and cybersecurity.

Oxfam GB’s handling of the departure of its chief executive has escalated into a wider boardroom concern, with a serving trustee resigning and calling for regulatory intervention.

In this comment piece, Sejal Rabone FRSA, Governance Professional at Children First Academy Trust, explains how gaining a deeper understanding of academy trust governance through training and experience helped her become more strategic, improve governance practices, and support better outcomes for pupils.

In this comment piece, Rebecca Paterson, Governance Lead at HEARTS Academy Trust in Essex, explores why applying for and receiving a bursary to undertake a CGI qualification improved outcomes for both her career and her trust.