Board Strategy Compass

• Financing blind spots: Nearly $3T AI infrastructure spend through 2028 leaves a $1.5T external gap whose leverage and exposures remain poorly...

Regulatory shifts and investor scrutiny are forcing boards to weigh decarbonization against dividends and buybacks.

• Carbon-Adjusted Payout Ratio...

Private equity governance must tackle two linked constraints on value creation: leadership continuity and the loss of decision rationale.

• CEO...

Boards evaluating real estate exposure must weigh structural differences that shape risk, liquidity, and returns.

• Liquidity trade-off: REITs offer...

CFOs increasingly view owned facilities as illiquid capital that could drive higher returns elsewhere.

• Assess opportunity cost against growth,...

• Strategic framework first: Boards establish long-term architecture anchored in shareholder goals and risk tolerance, rather than approving deals...

Boards must treat AI patent decisions as core governance and competitive issues rather than mere volume metrics. Effective strategy requires...

OpenAI has pivoted from opposing California's SB 53 to actively pushing for stronger frontier-model monitoring during training and evaluation, plus...

Frontier AI labs show no public containment plans despite mounting evidence of dangerous model behaviors.

• July 2026 incidents saw OpenAI and...

• Long-term roadmaps with three-year growth targets, capital allocation and disruption plans counter activist narratives in 71% of campaigns.
• Boards...

Kevin Warsh is expected to let long-end rates rise and volatility expand, tightening financial conditions without front-end hikes.

• 10-year yields...

The Dutch DPA's record €825 million GDPR penalty against Uber underscores boards' duty to mandate human oversight in high-stakes automated...

Boards can ensure ESG reports drive investment decisions by focusing on five practical steps.

• Answer investor questions upfront: Lead with...

Lance Roberts assesses downside risks now outweigh upside ones, making a roughly 10% equity correction the most likely near-term outcome.

Key...

Effective capital stewardship begins after allocation, requiring boards to actively monitor mandate fit, liquidity, risk drift, and thesis validity...

Boards evaluating PE allocations must prioritize manager quality amid higher rates and constrained liquidity.

• Longer holds and slow exits signal...

Defense tech and AI infrastructure dominated the week's largest rounds, with Castelion raising $800 million at a $13 billion valuation and Etched...

Dividend history offers boards a hard-to-fake indicator of genuine financial health and capital discipline, exposing whether management can deliver...

• 100-year portfolio emphasizes governance, benchmarks and process rather than fixed allocations, contrasting the concrete stock-picking rules of a...

Corporate governance basics matter more in 2026 as boards face faster risk cycles and AI adoption. Strong structures still determine decision-making...