For many business functions, success is easy to measure. Sales teams have revenue targets. Marketing teams can point to campaign performance. Investor relations professionals can demonstrate engagement metrics.
Corporate governance is different. When governance is working well, there are no headlines. Risks are identified before they escalate. Board meetings run effectively. Directors receive the information they need to make informed decisions. Shareholders are engaged constructively and corporate transactions proceed with robust oversight.
Increasingly, boards are also relying on governance professionals to help oversee AI, cyber-security, regulatory change and growing investor expectations.
The spotlight tends to fall on governance only when something goes wrong. That is why recognition matters.
With submissions for the 2026 Corporate Governance Awards closing on July 31, organizations have one of the few opportunities to celebrate the professionals and teams whose work underpins effective board leadership, strong decision-making and long-term corporate success.
The profession is also navigating one of the most significant periods of regulatory change in recent years. The SEC has proposed making electronic investor communications the default through Regulation E-Delivery, unveiled new CFIs affecting activist investors and proxy disclosures and is seeking to reshape corporate reporting through proposals on Regulation S-K and a move away from quarterly reporting. At the same time, the regulator is looking to dismantle its landmark climate disclosure rule.
The breadth of this year’s award categories reflect how the profession continues to evolve.
From recognizing organizations that have delivered an outstanding annual meeting through the Best AGM award to honoring innovation in the Best use of technology category, the awards demonstrate the many ways governance contributes to stronger organizations.
Other categories recognize excellence in areas that have become increasingly important for boards, including board effectiveness through the Best board assessment program, director development through the Best director training and education program, governance oversight during complex transactions, global entity management and shareholder engagement across both large cap and small to mid-cap companies.
The awards also recognize governance’s growing role in helping organizations communicate effectively with investors through categories such as Best sustainability reporting and Best shareholder engagement, reflecting the profession’s expanding influence beyond the boardroom.
Among the evening’s most prestigious honors is Governance professional of the year – a category that recognizes individuals whose leadership has helped raise standards across their organizations and the wider profession.
For past winners, that recognition has carried particular significance because it comes from peers who understand the challenges of the role.
One 2025 winner reflected: ‘Corporate governance is more than rules and compliance. A good governance leader cultivates trust, transparency and accountability to guide relationships and shape positive outcomes. Being recognized as a Governance Professional of the Year by my peers in the governance community is humbling and a great honor – and I will strive every day to meet and raise that standard.’
The awards are also an opportunity to bring together governance professionals from across the industry to share experiences and learn from one another.
One attendee at the 2025 event described the awards as offering ‘good networking opportunities and some very useful discussions.'
Another highlighted the value of ‘networking with clients and benchmarking against other programs and processes.’
For others, the evening is about something even more fundamental. One attendee at the 2024 awards said the best part of the event was ‘seeing people in our industry receive the recognition they deserve.’
In a profession where success is often measured by what never happens, taking the time to recognize excellence has never felt more important.
Think your team deserves recognition? Submit your entry by July 31 and join the governance community at Cipriani in New York on November 5 as this year’s winners are announced.
Natalie Bannerman
Natalie is a former telecoms and infrastructure journalist, a role she held for nearly seven years. Before this, she worked in the B2C startup space, covering lifestyle, arts and culture reporting. As senior reporter for Governance Intelligence she...
