Governance Outlook 2026: Governance in Transition Across Asia-Pacific

A survey of over 200 senior leaders across APAC, conducted by the Diligent Institute with the Governance Institute of Australia and the Singapore Institute of Directors, reveals that boards in the region are grappling simultaneously with AI deployment risks, geopolitical volatility, and rising stakeholder expectations—with technology and its consequences ranked as the top board agenda priority. The report highlights a critical capability gap: AI literacy among non-technical directors remains insufficient to support effective AI oversight. For SEA founders and mid-market CEOs, the findings provide a regionally grounded benchmark for assessing whether their boards are equipped to govern the next phase of growth.