The Future-Ready Board: AI, Governance, and Strategic Foresight

Virtual  |  June 16, 2026  |  10:00 AM - 11:30 AM CDT

On June 16, 2026, directors and governance leaders gathered for Future Ready Board: AI Governance and Strategic Foresight, a multi-chapter program presented in collaboration with the NACD Florida, New Jersey, and Utah chapters. Moderated by Carolyn Groobey, NACD.DC with panelists Andrea Bonime-Blanc, Marc Huffman, and Millicent Tracey, attendees left with a candid, practitioner-grounded view of where boards stand on AI — and how far governance has yet to catch up.

The session challenged participants to confront a growing blind spot: what panelists called the "shadow AI boardroom," in which directors use AI personally while their boards lack formal policy. Attendees explored high-value use cases — peer benchmarking, financial trend analysis, and institutional memory — alongside material risks including attorney-client privilege exposure and unvetted tools in the boardroom. The message was unambiguous: AI is no longer an occasional agenda item. For boards committed to leading, it is a governance imperative.

Key Topics Covered

• The "shadow AI boardroom" — directors personally experimenting with AI while formal board policy lags significantly behind
• Data from Onboard's board effectiveness survey: 92% of directors now experimenting with AI, up from 69% the prior year, yet only 6% of boards have a formal AI policy
• High-value use cases for directors: peer benchmarking, financial trend analysis, geopolitical risk monitoring, and pre-meeting preparation
• Institutional memory as the most transformative near-term opportunity in board management platforms
• Attorney-client privilege risks associated with AI use in board portals and communications
• "Unknown AI in the room" — risks from unvetted recording tools and digital-native staff
• Whether boards can effectively govern companies that have significantly greater AI access and information than the board itself
• Long-term investment mindset for AI — the cost of inaction and the limits of managing AI strategy to quarterly metrics
• The exponential governance mindset — governing amid simultaneous advances in AI, biotech, advanced materials, and quantum computing

Key Takeaways

• The personal AI habit is racing ahead of board-level governance. 92% of directors are experimenting with AI, yet only 6% of their boards have a formal policy — most are moving board materials through unvetted, uncontrolled environments without realizing the exposure.
• You cannot govern what you do not understand. Director AI fluency is not optional. As one panelist stated directly: if you do not understand what you are missing, "you shouldn't be in a position of responsibility — because that is irresponsible."
• A board AI policy is a governance imperative, not an IT question. The absence of policy is itself a consequential decision with real legal and fiduciary implications.
• Attorney-client privilege and "unknown AI in the room" are material, underestimated risks. Exposure includes not just external tools but recording applications, junior corporate secretary staff, and board members using personal or unmanaged accounts.
• Institutional memory is the most consequential near-term opportunity. The ability to interrogate years of past decisions and board materials through a secure AI-enabled platform will fundamentally change how directors prepare and hold management accountable.
• AI belongs on every board agenda — not once a year. Given the pace of change, AI strategy warrants discussion at every board meeting. As one panelist noted, by the time an outside expert presents on this topic, the information is already dated.
• The cost of inaction may be catastrophic. One panelist framed it directly: the risk is being displaced by "four people in a garage with the right agent coding tools." Boards must champion the long-term investment horizon rather than allow AI strategy to be managed to quarterly earnings cycles.
• High-performing boards will need both innovators and stewards. The boards best positioned for what is ahead will balance visionary, technology-forward directors with experienced governance stewards — and each group will need to stretch toward the other.
• Start. The panel closed with two unambiguous directives: use AI and use it or lose it. Find a trusted, secure environment, get comfortable, and commit to ongoing learning.

Program Videos

Full Program Video - The Future-Ready Board: AI, Governance & Strategic Foresight | Recorded June 16, 2026

AI Governance for Board Directors: Is Your Board Already Behind? | Recorded June 16, 2026

How Governance Leaders Are Using AI Right Now | Recorded June 16, 2026

92% of Directors Use AI — Only 6% of Boards Have a Policy | Recorded June 16, 2026

The AI Risks Boards Aren't Talking About | Recorded June 16, 2026

Will Your Board Be Ready for AI in 2 Years? | Recorded June 16, 2026

The Cost of Not Acting on AI | Recorded June 16, 2026

Use AI or Lose It: Final Takeaways for Every Board Director | Recorded June 16, 2026

Program Resources

NACD

• Discussion Guide for Board Decisions on AI
• What Every Director Needs to Know About AI Records 

OnBoard

• The AI Blind Spots Boards Don’t See Coming
• Six Experts, One Warning: Your Board’s AI Strategy is Already Behind

Andrea Bonime-Blanc

• Governing Pandora: Leading in the Age of Generative AI and Exponential Technology
• Move Fast and Mend Things

Panelists

Andrea Bonime-Blanc

CEO & Founder, GEC Risk Advisory; Director, NACD New Jersey Chapter, Epic Theatre Ensemble, Cyber Future Foundation; Author, Governing Pandora

Andrea Bonime-Blanc, JD/PhD, is founder and CEO of GEC Risk Advisory. She specializes in the governance of change, including strategic risk, geopolitics, sustainability, leadership trust, and exponential tech, advising business, NGOs, and government. A former c-suite executive...

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Carolyn Groobey, NACD.DC

Lead Independent Director, VHB; Director, Everywhere Communication, New World Angels, & NACD Florida Chapter

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Carolyn Groobey is a trusted board member, executive coach, and angel investor with a deep background in technology-based transformation. She is currently the lead independent director at VHB, a prominent East Coast engineering and design firm, where she serves as the chair of the governance committee and a member of the compensation committee...

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Marc Huffman

CEO, OnBoard

Marc Huffman is CEO of OnBoard, the leading board management platform trusted by boards and leadership teams to drive more effective governance. He brings deep experience scaling enterprise software businesses, having previously served as CEO of BlackLine (Nasdaq: BL), and as President of NetSuite, where he helped lead the company through a period of significant growth...

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Millicent Tracey

Independent Board Director, Banner Bank, Dwolla, Park City Community Foundation, and NACD Utah Chapter

Millicent Tracey is a corporate board director, audit, nom/gov & risk committee member, and Former Wells Fargo Senior Executive who provides governance and valuable insights across public and private Financial Services and FinTech companies, as well as non-profit boards...

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