Global pulse survey - Building a great board

Aligning boardroom talent with the company’s strategy is driving the thinking behind board composition and succession planning for many boards and companies today. Investors, regulators, and media scrutiny are also sharpening the focus on boardroom skills, diversity, and composition and director tenure. To better understand the tools and approaches that directors are using to achieve the right mix of skills, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives in the boardroom, KPMG surveyed more than 2,300 directors and senior executives around the world. Findings from our global pulse survey, Building a Great Board, show that many boards are reassessing how they approach board composition from start to finish—from recruiting and onboarding to board evaluation and succession. We also explored these issues through interviews with board members and business leaders from six countries for the latest edition of KPMG’s Global Boardroom Insights.

Some of the key findings from the global survey include:

• Board composition—and alignment with strategy—is a key priority.
• Significant barriers exist to building a high-performing board.
• Despite wide recognition of the importance of succession planning in achieving optimal board composition, few boards have a formal succession plan in place.
• There are important mechanisms to help maintain optimal board composition—but they are often underutilized.
• Generating the necessary change and turnover to achieve the “right” board composition requires an active approach.

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