Innovation & Governance: How Boards Can Drive Strategic Growth with Chris Young

Innovation is a priority for most organizations—but it often shows up sporadically on board agendas, if at all. As technologies like artificial intelligence reshape how companies operate and compete, boards are being called to engage more deeply: not to run the business, but to ask better questions, guide long-term thinking, and ensure their organizations are adapting with intention.

In this moment of rapid transformation, directors must find ways to stay curious, bring innovation into every conversation, and support management in navigating both opportunity and risk.

Join Chris Young, former EVP of Business Development, Strategy, and Ventures at Microsoft and former CEO of McAfee, in conversation with Abby Adlerman, CEO of Boardspan, for a candid discussion about the evolving role of boards in fostering innovation and overseeing disruption. Together, they explore:

• What innovation really means at the board level—and why it must be woven into every agenda

• How boards can engage with AI meaningfully, even without technical expertise

• Ways to recognize when a company—and a board—aren’t innovating fast enough

• What the best boards do to support innovation without overstepping management

• The role of curiosity, structure, and culture in fueling forward momentum

• And more.