A study conducted in the United States by PwC and The Conference Board, titled “Board Effectiveness: A Survey of the C-suite”, examines how senior executives assess their boards. Published in May 2026, it draws on responses from 524 executives at US public companies, surveyed between September and November 2025. Forty-one percent rated their board’s effectiveness as excellent or good, while the findings identified several areas for improvement.
- Board evaluation was a prominent concern, with 90% of respondents seeing scope to improve the process. Their suggestions were specific: 56% wanted evaluation results linked to board succession planning, 41% wanted a commitment to action following the assessment, and 35% supported individual director assessments.
- Director capacity was another concern. 47% believed their board included directors serving on too many boards. Executives also identified slow responses to emerging risks and difficulty keeping pace with digital change as barriers to effectiveness.
- On the use of AI, 99% of executives believed boards should use AI to support their oversight work. The report discusses uses such as preparing background briefings, identifying themes across management reports and comparing peer practices. It also recognises concerns about confidentiality and accuracy.
The survey separately asked how management itself could help the board perform better. 32% of executives identified greater transparency about key risks and internal challenges, while 31% called for clearer follow-up on how board input had been incorporated.
Sources: PwC and The Conference Board survey | Full study
