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Survey Report

Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025

By Angus Duncan | March 20, 2025

Your participation has strengthened our dedication to providing credible data, empowering decision-makers like you. Welcome to the Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Results.
Financial, Executive and Professional Risks (FINEX)
Artificial Intelligence

The 2025 Global D&O Survey in collaboration with Clyde & Co LLP reveals the key risks impacting boardrooms today—and how directors, officers, and risk managers are responding. While some risks remain constant, new threats are emerging, and insurance decisions are not always keeping pace with evolving exposures.

Survey objective

The primary objective of this survey is to identify and analyse the top risks perceived by directors and officers worldwide, tracking shifts in risk priorities and uncovering emerging threats. By doing so, we aim to equip organisations with the knowledge to enhance their risk management strategies and insurance practices effectively.

Survey methodology

The survey methodology involved collecting responses from directors and officers and risk managers across the globe. We have also asked respondents to provide some more information this year about what aspect of health and safety D&Os and risk managers are most focused on. Is it physical health and safety, workplace impact on mental health or another aspect? And also, whether they feel boards are skilled in managing artificial intelligence as it develops.

About the survey

Key findings

Health and safety

  • For the second year running, health and safety is the number one risk for directors and officers globally.
  • This year, we asked respondents to go further and explain what aspect of H&S was concerning them. 43% of respondents identified physical health and safety in the workplace as their top concern, while a further 28% identified workplace impact on mental health and wellbeing as their number 1 concern.
  • In the UK, the health and safety executive identified mental health as a concern they are targeting. In Australia, industrial manslaughter has now been introduced in all States and Territories, and a number of workplace legislative reforms came into effect in 2024.

Cybersecurity and AI

  • While cyber attack and data loss continue to rank highly, AI is not showing up as a concern.
  • 61% of respondents consider that the board has the skills and knowledge to handle cybersecurity and data privacy matters; it is the second highest ranked matter on which they think the board should spend more time although only the 7th (out of 12) in terms of materiality to the business.
  • By contrast, AI is the lowest ranked in terms of skills and knowledge of the board, where the board needs to spend more time and materiality to the business.
  • As a risk for directors and officers, cyber attacks and data loss are ranked as 3rd and 2nd overall, although this does vary across different jurisdictions. AI is not ranked in the top seven in any region this year and is ranked below DEI, geo-political risks, pollution and climate change, by way of example.

Regulatory and litigation risks

  • Civil litigation has entered the top seven for the first time since 2018.
  • Regulatory risk continues to be highly ranked (it has been the number 4 risk overall in the last four surveys)

Climate and ESG risk strategy

  • Climate change and pollution have decreased in priority, but Social risks are increasing.
  • PFAS and biodiversity risks are increasing (from a low base).

We encourage readers to engage with the full survey report and accompanying articles for a deeper dive into our findings and to join us in advancing the conversation around effective risk management and insurance solutions.


Associated articles


  1. 01

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – The top seven risks

    March 20, 2025

    Once again, the annual Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey provides a valuable insight into the risks that are of concern to D&Os around the globe.


  2. 02

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – Where are we with ESG in 2025?

    March 20, 2025

    ESG focus shifts as climate change loses political shine. UK, US, and EU have rolled back or watered down climate regulations, with climate concern dropping.


  3. 03

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – Artificial Intelligence

    March 20, 2025

    AI, despite media hype and risks like AI-washing, ranks 21st out of 30 in the Global Directors and Officers Survey. New questions focus on board skills and time allocation.


  4. 04

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – Civil litigation

    March 20, 2025

    Civil litigation has entered the top seven risks for D&Os, driven by social inflation, spread of class actions and growing consumer awareness.


  5. 05

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – Regulatory change

    March 20, 2025

    Political developments in the US, UK, and Australia, especially in financial services, will shape the regulatory environment over the next few years.


  6. 06

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – Financial Institutions

    March 20, 2025

    The Financial Institutions results from the Directors’ and Officers’ Survey.


  7. 07

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – Europe

    March 20, 2025

    European D&Os prioritize health and safety, regulatory compliance and financial performance reflecting a focus on sustainability risk management in 2025.


  8. 08

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – Pacific

    March 20, 2025

    A regional overview of Pacific data from the Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey.


  9. 09

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – Middle East

    March 20, 2025

    The Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey results identifies the top seven risks to directors and officers (D&Os) in the Middle East.


  10. 10

    Global Directors’ and Officers’ Survey Report 2024/2025 – North America

    March 20, 2025

    The 2024/2025 D&O Survey highlights cyber risks as top concerns in North America, with data loss and cyber attack leading.


  11. 11

    Global Directors' and Officers' Survey Report 2024/2025 – Latin America

    Coming soon


Author


Executive Director – Coverage Specialist, Global FINEX

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