Technology and innovation have emerged as the biggest boardroom priority across ASEAN, with 89% of directors and senior management saying the area needs greater attention, yet only 7% of boards have formal artificial intelligence (AI) governance frameworks in place.
The findings come from the Institute of Corporate Directors Malaysia’s (ICDM) ASEAN Board Trends 2026/2027 study, which surveyed 334 board directors and senior management leaders across eight ASEAN countries.
More than seven in 10 organisations reported having either no formal AI oversight or only informal board-level discussions, underscoring a widening gap between awareness of emerging technologies and actual governance readiness.
The survey also found that more than half of respondents believe at least one director should be replaced within the next two years, with technology and AI expertise, board renewal and greater diversity among the key areas requiring improvement.
ICDM President and CEO Jackie Mah said boards are entering a new phase in which they must move beyond traditional oversight towards greater foresight and agility.
“The focus has quickly moved from strengthening board effectiveness, accountability and oversight to forward-looking agility that translates awareness into readiness, at speed and scale,” she said.
The study identified five key imperatives for ASEAN boards: Shifting from oversight to foresight, governing technology for value, improving board-management decision-making, embedding sustainability into enterprise value and building board capabilities suited to future business needs.
ICDM said the findings point to a broader challenge facing ASEAN companies as technological disruption, geopolitical uncertainty and business transformation increasingly outpace existing governance capabilities.
