London, UK, Dec. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Board Intelligence, EMEA’s largest board technology and advisory firm, launches the second edition of its Board Value Index, revealing that almost half (42%) of company directors in North America and the UK are not fully confident in their board’s ability to respond to a major cybersecurity incident.
The Board Value Index, based on insights from more than 230 board directors representing companies with revenues over £50 million, highlights that boards continue to struggle with embedding digital resilience into how they operate. Despite widespread recognition of cyber risk, confidence levels remain low across key governance areas. Among the headline findings
- 96% of management teams and boards have conducted a cyber crisis simulation in the past two years, yet 42% have done so only once, and 4% have not conducted any simulation.
- 54% of directors report their boards place only some or limited focus on disruption from emerging technologies such as AI, addressing the topic only periodically or reactively.
- Directors identified cyber resilience, digital transformation, and AI oversight as the top areas of board development expected to deliver the greatest organizational value.
- Only 33% of directors view their board as an essential tool for value creation, though this marks a 10% improvement since June 2025.
“The second edition of our Board Value Index shows that many boards are being held back by old habits,” says Pippa Begg, CEO and co-founder of Board Intelligence. “Boards are going through the motions, ticking the box with a cyber simulation once every couple of years, but not embedding that learning into how they think and make decisions. That’s why boards still lack real confidence when a crisis hits.”
Beyond cybersecurity, directors signaled strong demand for improved board capability in guiding digital and technological transformation. In the IT & Telecoms sector, emphasis on cyber resilience rises to 38%, reflecting boards’ heightened focus on protecting data and critical systems. Meanwhile, attitudes toward value creation are shifting: the proportion of directors who believe their board adds no value has plunged from 31% in the first edition to just 3% in this winter edition. U.S. directors continue to be the most optimistic, with 38% regarding their board as essential, compared with 32% in the UK and 26% in Canada.
“Emerging technologies like AI, and the new forms of disruption they bring, aren’t being addressed systematically or considered strategic priorities,” Begg added. “The boards that will thrive are those that make digital resilience and tech-driven change a standing part of how they lead, not something they revisit when it’s already too late.”
The newly released Middle East edition of the Board Value Index shows higher levels of confidence and strategic ambition. Nearly half, or 48%, of directors in the region view their boards as essential to driving performance and long-term value, significantly ahead of peers in the UK and North America. While 94% report efficient board processes, notable gaps remain in information quality at 41% and decision agility at 38%, with only 21% reporting an effective balance between reviewing past performance and planning for the future. The findings point to a major opportunity for Middle Eastern boards to strengthen their future-focused governance and strategic oversight.
The full Board Value Index Report is available here:
https://www.boardintelligence.com/board-value-index-report-uk-north-america-winter-2025
About Board Intelligence
Board Intelligence is EMEA’s largest board technology and advisory firm. Trusted by more than 80,000 leaders across the Fortune 500, FTSE 100, and OMX 30, Board Intelligence supercharges boards with the science of board effectiveness. For more information, visit boardintelligence.com and follow on LinkedIn.
About the Board Value Index
Board Intelligence’s Board Value Index is based on independent research conducted among 333 board directors across the UK, US, Canada, and GCC representing organisations with revenues above £50 million. It is the leading benchmark designed to measure board performance from the perspective of value creation, decision-making effectiveness, and future-readiness.
- The UK & North America edition of the Board Value Index surveyed 233 board members, including executive directors, for example CEOs, and non-executive directors (also referred to as independent directors). This consisted of 118 directors of UK-based companies, 80 directors of United States-based companies and 35 directors of Canada-based companies.
- The Middle East edition of the Index surveyed 100 board directors from across the GCC, including the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman.