On Thursday 15th May, Convene attended and sponsored the CGI Governance Ireland Conference 2025. We’d like to thank the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland for putting on such an informative event for, and all those in attendance for participating in engaging discussion surrounding governance.
This year’s conference theme was ‘Changing Mindsets’, and featured a packed day of insights, debates and discussions on best practice.
The day began with a keynote address from Hope for Justice, which spoke about the practical steps to be taken to mitigate the risk of labour exploitation and modern slavery in business operations and worldwide supply chains. CEO Tim Nelson discussed the role of corporate governance in ensuring all parts of a business contribute to this agenda, and the importance of protecting a business’ workforce and reputation, as well as ensuring ethical practices. He also looked at recent and upcoming legislation surrounding due diligence.
This was followed by a panel session on ESG and sustainability, and whether the tide towards ESG is turning. It featured speakers with a wide range of perspectives on ESG, and discussed shifting expectations and how businesses can move beyond compliance towards actual impact. It also looked at what can be learnt from the first wave of CSRD reporting, and how governance professionals can help in changing mindsets towards sustainability.
There were then a series of breakout sessions, which explored topics such as the landmark Charity Amendment Act of 2024, the impact of Board performance reviews and how they can enhance governance, and the role of a CoSec in times of change and uncertainty.
After a short break there was an update from the Companies Registration Office, and then a talk about leveraging AI and transforming the role of the company secretary. This looked at technology advancements and innovations in governance in regards to AI, and how to ensure ethical and responsible AI deployment.
This was followed by a panel session on how good governance can help the world, looking at business and biodiversity. This explored how Boards can integrate sustainability into governance for long-term resilience, and the impact of ESG criteria of decision-making.
After lunch there was a talk focusing on balancing nutrition personally and professionally, and then there was a panel session about AI in the Boardroom and navigating the pros and cons. This offered insight into the potentially transformative role of AI in the Boardroom and its impact on decision-making processes and efficiency, while also focusing on the need for human oversight and concerns about data privacy.
After another short break there was a series of breakout sessions, which looked at navigating the new Irish Corporate Governance Code and offering insights and best practices, a back to basics session looking at Board changes and how to navigate director and appointments compliance processes, and a talk by Robbie Creevy about resilience and embracing change.
The final talk of the day looked at developing an empowered mindset in a fast-paced, ever-changing world. It discussed how to have the tools and practices to meet the challenges of today’s world head on.
Our main takeaway from this conference is that AI is definitely here to stay, and whilst there is a lot to be hopeful about, Board’s also have to be conscious of potential risks. There’s a lot of change coming, and Board’s need to get on board while maintaining their ethical governance practices.
One way you can ensure good governance is to invest in the right software for your Board. Associations and their Boards need their meetings to run smoothly, and they need systems and software that facilitates this. Without access to relevant information easily, Boards cannot effectively administer their duties and establish good governance practices.
Convene provides governance professionals with the necessary communication and collaboration tools that simplify Board material preparation, reports, and Board document sharing, among many other meeting-related tasks.
With a Board portal like Convene at your side, we can help make your day-to-day easier, so you can focus on the long-term.
We’d like to again thank the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland for putting on such an insightful conference addressing the key issues currently faced by governance professionals in their roles.
