This premier conference brings the governance elite together to shape the future of boardrooms. acceligence will be in the Insight Hub discussing board cybersecurity. Check out our board cyber health check for practical recommendations for staying safe online. See below for a day-by-day overview of the conference.
Day 1 summary
As companies face continued geopolitical, technological, strategic, and even leadership volatility, boards are tasked with updating their own knowledge and skills. As they do so, directors are increasingly called on to embrace a less-prioritized skill: empathy.
Taking an empathetic approach to working with employees and leaders as they navigate change, in addition to showing generosity toward other aspiring directors when searching for board roles, enables stronger relationships, fosters trust, and inspires success.
These are just some of the themes that defined the first day of NACD Directors Summit™ 2025, the premier annual conference that brings together the governance elite to shape the future of boardrooms. The event was being held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in the Washington, DC, area through Oct. 15, 2025.
Day 2 summary
It may sound like an oxymoron, but strength and flexibility go hand in hand.
Take the board-CEO relationship: When it is built on a foundation of trust, a strong relationship enables boards and CEOs to adapt to the demands of crises. As geopolitical, cyber, and transformational risks add pressure, boards should also focus on incorporating flexibility into their operations and approaches to oversight.
These were just some of the issues that were discussed during the second day of the NACD Directors Summit™ 2025, the premier annual conference that brings together the governance elite to shape the future of boardrooms. The event is being held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in the Washington, DC, area through Oct. 15, 2025.
Keynote speakers included Dona Young, cochair of the 2025 NACD Blue Ribbon Commission; Anu Aiyengar, global head of advisory and mergers and acquisitions with JPMorgan Chase & Co.; and Ian Bremmer, president and founder of the Eurasia Group and GZERO Media.
Day 3 summary
Leadership, at its heart, is about planting seeds for the future.
When directors model calm, purpose-driven leadership, it empowers others to do the same and builds resilience that cascades throughout organizations. They can do this by mentoring executives and other board members or visibly and vocally using new technologies such as artificial intelligence, among other methods.
These were just some of the themes that were discussed during the third day of the NACD Directors Summit™ 2025, the premier annual conference that brings together the governance elite to shape the future of boardrooms. The event is being held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in the Washington, DC, area through Oct. 15, 2025.
Keynote speakers included Sharon Bowen, chair of the New York Stock Exchange and a director of Intercontinental Exchange, Neuberger Berman Group, and Akamai Technologies; Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, founder and president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute and senior associate dean of leadership studies and Lester Crown Professor in the Practice of Management at Yale University; and Anima Anandkumar, an AI researcher and professor at the California Institute of Technology.
Day 4 summary
Past crises offer lessons for boards to tackle the challenges to come. Directors preparing for a future dominated by artificial intelligence innovations and climate instability, for example, can learn from the resilience of businesses that rebuilt in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy.
These were just some of the issues that were discussed during the fourth and final day of the NACD Directors Summit™ 2025, the premier annual conference that brings together the governance elite to shape the future of boardrooms. The event was held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in the Washington, DC, area from Oct. 12 through Oct. 15, 2025.
Keynote speakers included Andrew Senchak, trustee of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and former chair of KBW; Shelly Palmer, advanced media professor in residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group; and Spencer Glendon, founder of Probable Futures.
