Life in the Boardroom Survey Reveals Gaps in Succession Planning

Board expectations are increasing, yet core governance practices remain inconsistent. MM&K’s Life in the Boardroom 2025/26 survey highlights where boards continue to face pressure, drawing on insights from 435 board positions to show how boards operate today. The findings are based on first‑hand experience from Chairs and Non‑Executive Directors (NEDs), rather than company staff or public disclosures.

Key findings from the 2025/26 survey

What Chairs and NEDs report about appointments and succession planning.

Over‑reliance on networks can limit diversity of skills and experience. Weak succession planning increases risk during periods of transition. Together, the findings help boards assess whether their governance arrangements remain fit for purpose.

What directors are saying

Beyond the headline findings, the report offers detailed analysis of directors’ fees, time commitments and their views on:

• What they think about the way their boards function.
• What they think about the way their boards cope with the key issues facing boards today, including ESG and AI.
• The matters which are of most concern to them.

Explore the full results

More detailed analysis on the remuneration, time use, opinions, and experiences of Chairs and NEDs can be found in our 80+ page report on 435 boardroom positions. Click here for a free preview. Find out more about Life in the Boardroom, please click here or contact Margarita Skripina.

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