Inside Access to the Decisions Driving Fortune 500 Boards

Held under the Chatham House Rule, directors engaged with a leading activist investor who recently completed a successful campaign. The discussion emphasized effective governance hygiene, proactive engagement on capital allocation, and preparedness for increasingly assertive investor strategies.

Directors visited the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a confidential discussion with Acting Chair Mark T. Uyeda on regulatory priorities and expectations in the new Trump administration, who offered critical insight into emerging disclosure, compliance, and enforcement trends.

Directors explored the shifting role and expectations of the U.S. Supreme Court in American business and society, including how judicial interpretation and precedent may reshape corporate governance obligations.

Geopolitics dominated the fall Exchange meetings, including a session at the United Nations that focused on the rise of a multipolar world, evolving alliances, and the implications for corporate strategy, global operations, and national security risk.

In the aftermath of the December 2024 murder of Brian Thompson and the July 2025 shooting at 345 Park Avenue, directors met with New York Police Department leadership to understand how municipal law enforcement partners with the private sector to enhance workforce safety and protect corporate assets.

A session with Chancellor Kathaleen St. J. McCormick of the Delaware Court of Chancery explored Delaware’s historic and central influence on US business law, board oversight expectations, fiduciary duties, and the legal standards directors must prepare for, from executive compensation to strategy to the use of technology in the boardroom.

NACD members traveled to London for high-level discussions with UK and European directors, investors, and media on regulatory divergence, competitive dynamics, capital market shifts, and the future of US–European strategic alignment.