Raising the bar for Swedish board Work. Time for continuous development.
Swedish board work risks falling behind in an era of rapid global change. Boards are expected to handle topics such as AI, sustainability requirements, regulatory shifts, and geopolitics, yet often lack a structure for continuous development. It’s time to raise the bar.
Swedish company boards today face increasingly complex decisions. Boards must be able to make decisions that not only protect but also drive innovation and growth.
The Swedish Academy of Board Directors’ report Styrelsesverige 2025 shows that small and medium-sized companies that actively renew their boards tend to grow faster. Competence renewal in the boardroom is therefore not just a matter of responsibility, it’s a growth factor. At the same time, PwC’s Board Effectiveness Survey 2025 indicates that 93 percent of CEOs and executives want to replace at least one board member to bring in more relevant expertise. As PwC itself states: “The findings from the 2025 survey shine a light on a need for boards to evolve.”
Professional responsibility requires continuous development
To create long-term growth and accountability, boards need members with current knowledge and strategic sharpness. Yet board members are often expected to lean on credentials from the past. A certificate earned 20 years ago, how relevant is it today?
In other professional roles, continuous development is a given:
Authorized auditors undergo annual training.
Doctors and lawyers educate themselves continuously to provide the best possible care and advice.
Certified specialists in finance and technology must update their knowledge every year.
Board work has at least as much impact on society and business, yet lacks such a structure. That is remarkable.
A new norm for board work
We believe that continuous development must become an integral part of every board assignment. It doesn’t have to rely on formal requirements, but on a professional approach to the complexity of the role.
This can include:
Regularly updating knowledge in legislation, corporate governance, and accountability.
Deepening expertise in strategic areas such as new technology, sustainability, and risk management.
Creating forums for reflection and knowledge exchange among board members.
Ensuring the relevance of the board is not only about meeting today’s demands but anticipating tomorrow’s. That’s why we are now launching a new board certification.
Our contribution: a certification with continuous renewal
To contribute to this new norm, we are launching a board certification that is not a one-off effort, but renewed every three years. This ensures that board members always have up-to-date and relevant knowledge, from laws and regulations to trends. The certification becomes a mark of quality that owners, investors, and nomination committees can rely on when seeking boards with sharpness and future focus.
A crucial crossroads for Sweden
Swedish companies compete globally. Boards cannot afford to act with a purely local mindset. To strengthen competitiveness and face the future with courage, boards must take development seriously.
Board work is one of the most complex areas of leadership. It’s time we start treating it that way.
/Sara Almgren, Hanna Moisander, Emelie Meurk Demerud, and Regina Sipos
