The Board Ethical Readiness Index (BERI) is the first global benchmark assessing boards’ capacity to identify, discuss, and act on ethical risks, not only legal or compliance issues.
BERI measures readiness across five dimensions:

Oversight – whether ethical risks reach the board clearly and in full.

Deliberation – how trade-offs and dilemmas are surfaced and debated.

Culture & Voice – how psychological safety and escalation work in practice.

Expertise & Infrastructure – whether boards have the right people, data, and structures.

Foresight & Assurance – how boards learn from signals before crises unfold.

While most boards acknowledge the importance of ethics, few can measure their own preparedness.
BERI fills that gap, offering insight into:

• How ethical risks are prioritized versus other issues on board agendas

• Where responsibility for ethics sits

• What information boards use to make value-driven decisions

• How confident directors feel when facing real-world dilemmas

The findings will support boards, investors, and governance professionals in building practical readiness, not performative compliance.

BERI is open to:

• Board Chairs and Independent Directors

• CEOs and Executive Committee members

• Chief Ethics & Compliance Officers (CECOs)

• Chief Risk, Audit, Legal, and HR Officers

• Governance, ESG, and sustainability leaders

If you work closely with a board — or advise one — your insights matter.

• Takes about 12–15 minutes to complete

• Fully anonymous; responses are reported only in aggregate

• Written comments may appear verbatim, but never attributed by name

• Participants can register at the end to receive the full global report

Your answers will contribute to a global benchmark of board ethical readiness, helping identify:

• Systemic blind spots in oversight

• Good practices that can be replicated

• Practical recommendations for governance reform

Results will be featured in Boards of the Future® publications and shared with partner organizations globally.