Governance Ireland 2026: Guiding Governance in Turbulent Times
This week, the Chartered Governance Institute UK and Ireland (CGI) hosted its Governance Ireland Conference at the Royal Dublin Convention Centre, bringing together company secretaries, board advisers, directors and senior leaders for a full day of insight, discussion and practical learning.
This year’s theme was about Guiding Governance in Turbulent Times, which reflects the reality facing governance professionals across every sector. From shifting geopolitical landscapes and shareholder activism to the accelerating adoption of artificial intelligence, there are great demands placed on boards. The conference arrived at a moment when governance professionals are being asked to do more than ever before, with greater speed, accountability and in a shifting environment.
Context
The day opened with a keynote from Derek Leatherdale, Senior Geopolitical Risk Adviser at Sibylline. His address explored how global uncertainty is a permanent feature of the governance landscape. Supply chain disruption, tariff exposure and geopolitical volatility are live considerations that boards across Ireland and beyond are navigating in real time.
A dedicated breakout session later in the day built on this theme, with Leatherdale joined by colleague John Breen to explore how boards traditionally assess geopolitical risk, the benchmarks they use, and what it means in practice to embed that kind of thinking into board agendas and organisational strategy. For governance professionals looking to support their boards on this agenda, the session offered both a conceptual framework and practical direction.
Regulatory Updates and Sector-Specific Pressures
A session from the Companies Registration Office provided an important update for practitioners, with Registrar Maureen O’Sullivan and Legal Adviser David McFadden on hand to address questions and share developments relevant to those working in corporate governance across Ireland.
For those working in the charity and nonprofit sector, a breakout session tackled the non-financial implications of SORP 2026 for directors’ reports. Delivered by Jon McBride and Fergal Moran from The Wheel, Ireland’s national association of charities, community organisations and social enterprises, it gave governance professionals a clear view of what the incoming changes mean in practice and how to prepare for the next reporting cycle with confidence.
A further breakout examined restructuring mechanisms, covering golden shares, domestic mergers and share for share exchanges, offering practical grounding for those working on or advising on complex group reorganisations.
Cyber, Crisis and Board Accountability
One of the most pressing topics of the day was cyber crisis management. A panel session brought together Ian Brennan, Chief Innovation Officer at ASL Aviation Holdings, Dan O’Neill from Teneo and Paritosh Saxena, Director of Cyber Security Consulting at KPMG Ireland, to examine how boards and governance professionals should oversee preparation, response and recovery when a cyber incident strikes. The session addressed decision-making under pressure, lines of accountability and the regulatory expectations that now sit firmly on the board’s agenda.
It was a timely reminder that cyber risk is no longer just a technology question. It is a governance question, and one that company secretaries and board advisers are being asked to help their organisations answer.
Artificial Intelligence in the Boardroom
Perhaps no topic generated more energy across the day than artificial intelligence. Phil Hayden, from Computershare, brought together governance professionals from Citi, Simmons and Simmons and Computershare to discuss the practical applications of AI in day-to-day governance work, the frameworks organisations are putting in place and the challenges that have emerged along the way.
The session painted a picture of a profession that is engaging seriously and thoughtfully with AI and one that is working to understand what good governance of and through AI looks like.
Shareholder Activism and People Leadership
The afternoon brought a substantive discussion on shareholder activism, moderated by Claire Lord, Partner and Head of Corporate Governance at Mason Hayes and Curran. Drawing on direct boardroom experience, the panel examined how boards can proactively anticipate and manage activist campaigns, protect their organisation’s reputation and maintain strategic direction under pressure. It was a practical session from professionals who have navigated these situations firsthand.
Rounding out the content of the day were two sessions that looked inward rather than outward. John Slattery, the CEO of Prosper With John, explored the fundamentals of effective people management, arguing that motivation, role design and autonomy remain the constants in an age of rapid technological change. Wellbeing coach and entrepreneur Kellie Fennell offered evidence-informed tools for sustaining performance in demanding roles, making the case that personal resilience and governance excellence are not separate concerns.
The day closed with a keynote from Dermot Whelan, broadcaster, author and certified meditation teacher, whose session on escaping the busy trap drew laughter, reflection and no small amount of recognition from an audience that knows what it means to carry a demanding workload with high stakes attached.
How Convene Can Help
Convene was pleased to attend this year’s conference as an exhibitor. Governance Ireland brought together exactly the kind of governance leaders and practitioners who understand that the right tools make a genuine difference to how boards operate, how papers are prepared and how decisions get made.
The themes that ran through the day, complexity, accountability, the pressure to do more with less and to do it to a higher standard, are ones we think about constantly as we develop and refine our platform. Convene exists to make the work of governance professionals easier and the work of boards more effective. With Convene, your board can streamline how board packs are compiled and distributed, enable secure collaboration between directors, or give administrators the visibility and control they need to support their boards with confidence.
For those who stopped by our stand on the day, it was a pleasure connecting with so many governance professionals who are thinking carefully about how to support their boards in an increasingly complex environment.
If you would like to see how Convene can transform your board, book a demo today!
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