Board Effectiveness

Transforming boardroom effectiveness for peak performance. Are you ready to lead, not just adapt?

RefineValue works exclusively with Chairs and Non-Executive Directors. We provide conflict-free insights to boards facing activist pressure, complex transactions, geopolitical shocks, cultural drift, the need to drive organic growth, large-scale transformations, turnarounds, and successions.

We don’t just refine governance; we redefine it, drawing on data and perspectives from hundreds of global mandates. That evidence helps boards speed technology decisions, balance sustainability with growth and manage complex, multi-stakeholder risk.

Our Board Effectiveness practice is a continuous commitment to high performance, delivered through results-driven strategic advisory, tailored board-room solutions, and proprietary benchmarks that no generalist consultancy can match.

Typical engagements increase total shareholder return by 2 percentage points within eighteen months, reduce board decision cycle time by 30 percent, and lower governance incident rates by up to 40 percent.¹

Lead with foresight, outpace the competition and safeguard long-term value.

Board Special Situations Advisory

Is your board prepared to face the challenges ahead? Activism, transformative M&A, liquidity stress, cyber or geopolitical shock – high-velocity moments where decisions shape value.

With decades of experience, we provide conflict-free, board-only counsel that helps boards navigate their most pressing challenges and set new standards – enabling sustainable, future-proof decisions and improved overall performance. Typical engagements are activism defense & shareholder engagement, M&A and carve-outs, turnarounds & liquidity oversight, and cyber/geopolitical crisis response.

From insight to action – measurable in days and weeks. We equip chairs and directors for the moments that matter with rapid diagnostics, tabletop exercises, and investor-ready board packs. We design and activate the decision architecture at the top – governance, decision rights, special-committee charters, SteerCos and operating rhythm. We shape the decision itself: strategic thesis and options, scenario stress-tests, decision logic, investor storyline and stakeholder communications.

Is your board ready for the future? High-performing boards are not just great at making decisions – they also have a willingness to review their own performance and a relentless commitment to self-improvement.

We conduct independent, in-depth reviews of boards that evaluate their performance, structure, composition, and effectiveness at three levels: the board as a whole, its committees, and individual directors. Using clear evaluation strategies, robust processes, peer benchmarks, in-depth interviews, and targeted audits, we determine what changes are necessary. Then, we convert our findings into operational upgrades, including charters, annual agendas, decision flows, committee responsibilities, and, where indicated, succession and refresh plans.

It’s not about refining individual skills; it’s about turning the board into a cohesive, effective unit. This cohesion enhances decision quality, shortens cycle times, and strengthens oversight across the organization.

Board Evaluation, Board Review & Benchmarking

Board Operating Model

Is your board ready to run at the right pace? Elevate your board’s performance. Board Excellence starts with a working operating model – not more meetings.

We design and implement the board’s operating model, anchoring it in benchmark data, peer standards, and jurisdiction-specific governance.

Define Purpose & Strategic Direction: Set a clear mandate and a practical annual agenda tied to strategy and value.
Shape Committee Architecture: Make sure you have the right committees and charters – no more, no less.
Improve Decision Flow & Routine: Cut the noise and set simple routines so decisions are prepared well and taken on time.
Stand Up the Board Office: Give the team behind the board clear standards for papers and calendars – lighter prep, sharper materials, consistent follow-through.
Investor/Proxy-Season Rhythm: Plan the year from AGM to AGM with clear checkpoints for say-on-pay and elections, align with proxy advisor expectations, and set an investor-engagement rhythm.
Enable Digital & AI Governance: Use the right tools safely – simple rules, secure access, smart use of AI.

We cut Decision Latency and Board Cycle Time and raise Pack Clarity, strategy-linked agenda share, and Gate Adherence -measurably within weeks.

Lead the future of governance. Turn Board Excellence into operating reality.

Is your board a catalyst for strategic advantage? In the relentlessly fast-paced and ever-evolving business world, the traditional roles of board members are being redefined. Are you prepared to stay ahead? The power of boards to shape strategy and drive performance is more important than ever.

We align board composition with long-term strategy – defining the future-critical skills, experiences, and diversity needed to navigate upcoming risks and opportunities. We build a practical skills matrix, set clear selection criteria, and design a succession plan that refreshes the board at the right pace. With our tailored Director Onboarding, newly appointed directors reach full effectiveness faster.

Preparing to go public or creating a private company’s first board can be a significant challenge. With our extensive experience supporting and advising on building boards for IPOs, we help companies assemble high-performing boards that are ready for the scrutiny and demands of public markets. This includes helping private equity firms prepare their portfolio companies for listing on indices around the world.

Don’t let your board fall behind — others are enhancing theirs. Are you ready to elevate yours?

Board Composition &
Board Succession Strategy

Board Compensation

Strategy, simplicity, and investor trust.

We align pay with performance—clearly, credibly, and comparably. We design board and executive compensation that is simple, transparent, and rooted in strategy, with KPIs that link value creation (financial, strategic, and ESG) to outcomes. We benchmark against peers and governance standards, set guardrails (caps, risk adjustments, malus/clawback), and calibrate mix and time horizons to reinforce long-term decisions.

Crucially, we craft the pay-versus-performance story and a proxy-ready narrative—from TSR and value drivers to goal-setting logic and outcome explanations—so your CD&A, say-on-pay, and proxy-advisor engagements land with clarity. The result: compensation that motivates, withstands scrutiny, and earns durable shareholder support.

Board Effectiveness Insights

Board effectiveness: What’s Next? RefineValue is the trusted boardroom advisor to many of the world’s most respected organizations. Explore our latest insights and research on board effectiveness. Discover new perspectives that will help you to shape the effectiveness of your board.