A new firm focussed on preparing directors for the challenges of climate change, artificial intelligence and cyber security has secured 2 million euros of investment to help expand its services in the UK.
The Corporate Governance Institute (CGI) says it has seen a “phenomenal” surge in demand for its university-accredited diplomas in ESG Governance and Corporate Governance.
The UK and Ireland-based education specialists believe the spike has been caused by a recognition within companies that they need to do better at board level to remain sustainable during the increasingly challenging economic climate.
The firm was founded 18 months ago and says it has just secured major significant investment to expand its globally-available portfolio of courses.
The CGI was launched in 2020 as an online provider of training and certification for existing and aspiring boardroom directors.
It says more than 500 UK C-level directors and CEOs have completed their Corporate Governance diploma since January 2022.
The increased demand has seen the CGI take on more staff and appoint a new chief revenue officer in the shape of 15-year industry veteran Ciaran Bollard.
He said: “The demand for our training and education programs has been phenomenal, and the take-up has been far faster than we initially expected.
“As a result, we are now speeding up and enhancing our go-to-market strategy in the UK.”
The CGI says it is best placed to help boards develop “next-gen directors” who are experts in areas like digital transformation, cyber security, AI, machine learning, and customer insight.
CGI co-founder Anthony Quigley said: “We want to provide leaders with the knowledge and tools they require to thrive in an ever-evolving boardroom.
“In that environment, they need the right combination of skills, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.
“A critical priority for almost every board is to align boardroom talent with company strategy.
“We know boards need to ensure they have appropriate diversity, for example, as Europe has just agreed to a 40% female quota for boards, and the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority wants the same for listed firms.
“And added to that, there is a requirement for 45% of board members to have skills in the emerging ESG sector. We can provide the skill sets needed to support these aims.”
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