Momentum is building. The 2025 Boardspan Benchmark data shows measurable improvement in how boards approach refreshment and succession planning. Directors increasingly credit their board leadership with driving this shift—an encouraging sign of a more proactive, strategic mindset that mirrors the rising complexity and pace of boardroom demands. 

Effective refreshment is no longer about backfilling vacancies—it’s about shaping a board fit for the future. High-performing boards are planning ahead for director retirements, committee transitions, and emerging skill needs. Succession planning is becoming a central lever for continuity, risk management, and a forward-looking, skills-based approach to board composition. 

Director recruitment has evolved in step with the expanding scope of board responsibilities. In recent years, searches often prioritized technical expertise—cybersecurity, digital transformation, international operations—to keep pace with new oversight demands. Boards also placed greater emphasis on diversity across background, experience, and demographics, recognizing that broader perspectives strengthen boardroom judgment. 

That focus is shifting. While diversity remains a priority, many boards are now placing greater weight on leadership experience—particularly that of sitting or former CEOs and seasoned operators who have led through volatility. There is a growing premium on directors who can think systemically, ask the right questions, and bring a steady hand to strategic decision-making. 

It’s a pragmatic response to today’s business environment. With mounting macroeconomic pressures, geopolitical uncertainty, and relentless innovation, boards are seeking directors who can engage deeply, challenge constructively, and bring contemporary leadership insight to the table. 

Despite good intentions, many boards don’t get around to thoughtful board succession planning. The most common barrier? Conflict avoidance. 

Boards are, by nature, collegial. Without a clearly articulated process for refreshment or term limits, tenure discussions can feel personal, as if the director’s contributions are being questioned. Long-serving directors may remain in place simply because no one wants to raise the topic of change. Even well-intentioned directors may default to avoidance.  

Without a shared framework for succession, there is little impetus for change and a higher probability that inertia settles over the board, possibly leaving it with a legacy structure that no longer reflects the organization’s strategic direction or governance needs. Over time the board may then experience a cascading effect: With no visibility into the retirement horizon of long-tenured directors, plans for committee rotations and leadership development get little attention. It’s challenging to groom someone to step up when no one expects to step off.  Without regular turnover, opportunities for directors to gain familiarity and experience with different committees and leadership roles ebb—making it harder to cultivate the next generation of board leadership. 

Boards that lead on refreshment and succession planning do more than plan—they take a future-focused and disciplined approach to governance. Their approach reflects a long-term view of board composition as a strategic asset. 

• Multi-Year Perspective: Leading Nominating & Governance Committees maintain a forward-looking, multi-year view of anticipated turnover—often extending three years or more. This visibility into expected retirements, committee transitions, and leadership shifts allows the board to anticipate needs, avoid disruption, and maintain continuity. 

• Leadership Readiness: Rather than wait for vacancies, these boards identify and cultivate future committee members and board leaders in advance. Whether through formal mentoring, targeted exposure, or engagement with external prospects, they ensure the next generation of board leadership is prepared to step in with confidence. 

• Integrated View of Composition: High-performing boards approach diversity and skills not as separate checkboxes, but as interconnected components of board effectiveness. They use thoughtful, multidimensional assessments that consider demographics, experience, and expertise in context—helping the board secure the full range of attributes needed to meet today’s demands and tomorrow’s challenges. 

These practices don’t just build stronger boards—they create the conditions for sustained, strategic renewal. 

Boards that excel at refreshment and succession planning don’t treat it as an event—they integrate it into the structure of ongoing governance. The following practices reflect the intentional, forward-looking mindset that sets high-performing boards apart. Together, they offer a practical framework for ensuring board composition evolves with the same rigor and foresight applied to other strategic priorities. 

• Keep the Skills Matrix Dynamic: Treat the board’s skills matrix as a living tool, not a static record. Review it annually with a multi-dimensional lens—considering strategic alignment, committee strength, diversity, and readiness for future demands. Sophisticated boards benchmark against peer companies to identify gaps and opportunities. 

• Map Tenure and Leadership Progression: Maintain a forward-looking view of director tenures and committee assignments. Overlay eligibility for leadership roles to ensure a strong bench and create a visible path for future chairs and key committee leaders. 

• Rotate Committees with Intention: Committee composition should evolve over time. Regularly assess leadership and membership to promote fresh thinking and broaden director experience. Rotating chairs can also help build leadership capacity across the board. 

• Engage Early and Often: High-functioning boards initiate candid conversations about directors’ future plans well before term completions. These proactive check-ins support thoughtful planning and help avoid last-minute decisions or uncomfortable dynamics. 

• Integrate Succession into the Governance Cycle: Approach board succession as a long-range strategic priority on par with CEO succession. Build it into the annual governance calendar to ensure it receives the structure, attention, and rigor it deserves. 

By embedding these practices into the board’s planning process, directors reinforce a culture of continuity—one that positions the board to lead with relevance, adaptability, and purpose. 

In a governance landscape shaped by complexity and change, every board seat is a strategic decision. High-performing boards don’t leave composition to chance—they treat it as a lever for future readiness, not just current compliance.  

When refreshment and succession planning are embedded into ongoing board work, composition becomes a tool for sustained oversight, better decisions, and long-term value creation. That is the kind of governance today’s environment demands—and tomorrow’s success will require.