Elevating board performance in 2025: Insights from Insync’s governance experts

Elevating board performance in 2025: Insights from Insync’s governance experts

We’re excited to launch the 2025 Governance Review, published by Board Benchmarking, Insync’s specialist governance division. With over 40 pages of evidence-based research, insights and practical tools, this report draws on one of the largest data sets in the sector—600+ board reviews and input from over 1,250 directors.

This review is not just a snapshot of where boards are now—it’s a roadmap for where they need to go to meet the demands of 2025 and beyond.

What you’ll find in the report

Backed by decades of consulting experience, this review offers unique value for boards, chairs, directors and governance professionals:

• Lead article: Ensuring Your Board is Fit for Purpose in 2025 — a strategic lens on high-performing governance amidst growing complexity, accountability pressures and disruption.

• Sector-wide findings: Patterns across hundreds of board reviews, highlighting shared strengths, persistent challenges, and common blind spots.

• The DRIVE Framework: A new, evidence-based model of board and director effectiveness—Direction, Relationships, Insight, Values and Execution oversight. Based on over 24,000 real-world comments, DRIVE offers a practical tool to shape culture, behaviour and boardroom dynamics.

• Governance in a disrupted world: Expert guidance on key challenges including AI and cyber risk, ESG evolution, succession planning, dysfunctional board dynamics, and regulatory demands.

• Practical examples: Real cases from high-performing boards—how alignment on purpose, strong agendas, smart committee structures and better execution oversight lead to measurable impact.

• A new tool for emerging boards: We introduce our Entry Level Board Survey, designed to support smaller organisations, first-time reviews or those seeking a cost-effective, data-rich governance tool.

Why this matters

As the governance landscape evolves, so must boards. The 2025 Governance Review shows encouraging signs of progress—but also highlights that many boards are still lagging when it comes to culture, agility, and stakeholder engagement.

With this report, Board Benchmarking offers boards not just reflection, but direction.

For boards serious about impact

Whether you are a director, chair, CEO, company secretary or consultant, this report equips you to:

• Benchmark your board against best practice

• Address key weaknesses with evidence and clarity

• Focus on behaviours and culture—not just structures

• Prepare your board for the expectations of the future