2025 is shaping up to be a year of change, disruption and re-alignments. A year in which successful companies and their boards will not merely react to rapid changes, they will anticipate and respond to various scenarios. Therefore, it is critical for executives to understand what boards are prioritizing and how to better engage them. The EY Center for Board Matters conducted its annual survey and research on board priorities for 2025, and the themes that emerged provide a roadmap for leaders. The areas on which to focus cover: reshaping the portfolio to reinvest for the future, navigating the upside and downside of technology, assessing the company’s resilience posture, and enabling a talent advantage in an era of workforce instability. During this interactive webinar, we will discuss these issues and ways in which executives can implement useful practices to move their organizations forward.
With us for this discussion on board priorities in 2025 will be Cigdem Oktem, Director for EY’s Center for Board Matters. She will be joined by her colleague, Adam Barbina, with EY’s Geostrategic Business Group. Together they will share insights from their research as well as what they are hearing from leaders across industries.
Cigdem Oktem
Director, EYAmericas Center for Board Matters
Cigdem Oktem is the Central Region Leader for EY’s Center for Board Matters (CBM) . In her role, Cigdem brings insights on emerging trends and practices in governance to boards and c-suites across industries. She has been a trusted advisor to directors, CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives for two decades as oversight has evolved in response to the increasingly complex business and regulatory environment. Cigdem has authored numerous articles that can be found on the Center for Board Matters website and LinkedIn and is a sought-after speaker and facilitator for board and CEO events around the country.
Adam Barbina
Geostrategy Lead, EY Geostrategic Business Group
Adam Barbina leads US Geostrategy efforts for EY’s Geostrategic Business group, where he focuses on global analysis and political risk insight. Adam has nearly two decades of advisory experience spanning commercial, financial and political risk consulting to help business leaders assess and execute complex strategy and operational matters. His prior experiences include developing and assessing scenarios across US-China industrial policy and technology concerns.
