2025 NACD Public Company

Board Practices and Oversight Survey

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Surveys & Benchmarking / 2025 Public Company Board Practices & Oversight Survey

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2025 NACD Public Company Survey

Public company board agendas continue to expand, highlighting the need for the board to implement effective governance practices while adapting their oversight to cover rapidly evolving areas. This 2025 Public Company Board Practices and Oversight Survey report presents benchmarking data and insights to help directors improve their governance practices. The 2025 survey takes deep dives into four key areas, each covered in its own article, accessible below:

  • The Board-CEO Relationship

  • AI (Artificial Intelligence) Oversight

  • Cybersecurity Oversight

  • Supply Chain Oversight

Explore the Findings

The Board-CEO Relationship

Effective governance hinges on a strong relationship between the board and the CEO. The board’s role in this relationship includes a delicate balance of support and oversight of the CEO, and survey results indicate CEO performance is facing greater scrutiny.

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AI (Artificial Intelligence) Oversight

Boards now stand at the inflection point of transitioning from AI education and awareness to more strategic and integrated AI governance within the board’s operations.

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Cybersecurity Oversight

Directors are more confident in their board’s cybersecurity oversight capabilities. However, in an ever-changing threat environment, directors acknowledge the need for improvements in key areas.

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Supply Chain Oversight

Faced with an uncertain trade policy outlook and associated economic impacts, companies are focusing on managing supply chain exposures.

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About the Survey

The 2025 NACD Public Company Board Practices and Oversight Survey report presents results from our annual questionnaire. This report details responses from 201 individuals who serve on or support public company boards.

Data Collection

Leveraging its proprietary member database as a sample frame, NACD sent email invitations to directors and those that support the work of the boards of publicly traded companies, asking them to participate in the 2025 Board Practices and Oversight Survey. The survey was distributed via email, and it was in the field from May 8 to June 2. Respondents were instructed to respond on behalf of one of the boards on which they serve.

Analysis

Percentages are based on the total number of responses specific to each question. For example, if a question received responses from only 100 out of 201 total respondents, and 75 respondents answered “yes” while 25 answered “no,” the result is reported as 75 percent affirmative. In some cases, survey responses totaling fewer than 5 percent are not represented in graphics for the sake of clarity.

About the Respondents

Respondents hold a variety of roles on boards of publicly traded companies of a wide variety of sizes and sectors. See respondent details below:

Sector



2025 NACD Public Company Board Practices and Oversight Survey, n=199

 

Financials

2025 NACD Public Company Board Practices and Oversight Survey, n=201

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