Board Oversight of Emerging Technologies

In brief: Digital technology is dissolving traditional boundaries between industries and creating more opportunities for disruptors to displace incumbents. Although technology has historically been viewed as an enabler of business operations, it is widely seen as a critical driver of growth today.

A PwC survey finds that the highest performing companies are more likely to have “broader definitions of digital, encompassing customer-facing technology activities and going beyond technology and into an organizational mindset.” This memo explores emerging approaches for board oversight of emerging technologies to help companies effectively reap the long-term benefits of transformative, new technologies.