2029: The skills your board may need

C-Suite

Article

By Mark Rogers, Managing Director and Head of Board Practice, Robert Half

A forward-thinking board of directors understands that in order to remain agile and well-equipped to navigate a rapidly changing business landscape, it can’t have a reactionary view toward board composition. Said differently, to only consider the current needs of your boardroom is to recruit for yesterday rather than tomorrow. And while there are always going to be certain experiences and expertise which are integral to a high-functioning board of directors (i.e. CEO/operational experience, industry knowledge, and financial literacy/audit oversight), it is the ability to identify those future skill sets needed in the boardroom which can turn a board of directors into a strategic advantage.

Stakeholders of course can’t expect their board to have a crystal ball when it comes to future boardroom needs. After all, there are always going to be unforeseen events which call for new skills in the boardroom—for example, Covid-19 and the demand for supply chain proficiency.

Nevertheless, most shifts in boardroom skill sets are driven by technological disruption—and the boards that recognize the strategic implications of emerging technologies early are often the first to evolve their composition around the capabilities needed for the future. Consider the challenge facing directors in 1995 as they tried to understand how the internet would reshape their businesses; in 2009 as smartphones transformed consumer behavior and business operations; or in 2022 as AI began redefining industries, workforces, and competitive advantage. In many cases, the companies that recognized these shifts early—and aligned their leadership and board expertise accordingly—were ultimately better positioned than competitors to adapt, innovate, and capture market opportunities.

As the pace of disruption accelerates, boards must begin thinking now about the technologies—and corresponding skill sets—that may define competitive advantage three years from today. Below are several emerging technologies that are likely to shape the future business landscape, along with the boardroom capabilities and expertise companies may need to effectively oversee them.

Strong board leadership also starts with thoughtful director preparation, including setting new board members up for success.

Equipping your board with the skills needed to move forward:

Agentic AI
Quantum computing
Advanced robotics
Building the board of 2029

Agentic AI

Experience with artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly become an important area of focus in the boardroom. As organizations move beyond experimentation and integrate AI into operations, strategy and decision-making, directors are increasingly expected to understand how the technology is being used and where risks may emerge. While most applications remain responsive, more advanced capabilities are taking shape. Often referred to as agentic AI, these systems can initiate actions, manage multi-step processes and pursue defined objectives with greater autonomy.

Although adoption is still evolving, the implications for governance and risk oversight are significant. Boards need visibility into how these tools are deployed, what guardrails are in place and how accountability is maintained as decision-making becomes more distributed. Over time, organizations may benefit from deeper AI expertise in the boardroom, but near-term priority remains building a baseline understanding so directors can effectively oversee how AI is shaping the business.

Quantum computing

If Agentic AI is the new frontier of technology, then quantum computing is the next tectonic shift on the horizon. In simplest terms, quantum computing is a new type of computing that uses the principles of quantum physics to solve certain problems exponentially faster than today's classical computers. In certain industries (ex. pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, financial services), the successful implementation of quantum computing can translate to a significant competitive advantage.

Realistically speaking, we are likely five years or more away from the commercial application of quantum computing, and even then, not every board will need an expert in quantum computing. However, prior to its use at scale, all boards will need to consider the level of cybersecurity acumen among its directors. Today's encryption systems protect virtually all digital communications, banking transactions, and sensitive corporate data. Powerful quantum computers could eventually break many existing encryption methods, creating significant security risks.

Advanced robotics

Advanced robotics is where robots combine sophisticated hardware, artificial intelligence, machine learning, sensors, computer vision, and autonomous decision-making capabilities to perform tasks with minimal human intervention. Advanced robots will be able to adapt to changing conditions, learn from experience, work alongside humans, make real-time decisions, and navigate complex environments. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s real.

Similar to quantum computing, not every industry will be directly impacted by advanced robotics. However, for industries such as manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, and healthcare, advanced robotics has the potential to fundamentally reshape operations, productivity, and competitive advantage. The workforce of the future in those industries is likely to look very different from that of today. Boards may benefit from directors who understand how to redesign organizations, develop new talent models, and manage the cultural and operational implications of significant workforce change.

Building the board of 2029

The objective is not for boards to accurately predict which technologies will dominate the next decade. Rather, it is to develop a disciplined approach to continuously evaluating whether the board's collective expertise aligns with the opportunities and risks emerging on the horizon. The technologies highlighted above may evolve, converge, or be replaced by innovations not yet imagined. What is unlikely to change, however, is the competitive advantage enjoyed by companies whose boards proactively adapt their composition to the future rather than react to the past. In an era of accelerating disruption, one of the most important responsibilities of any board may be ensuring that tomorrow's expertise is represented around the boardroom table today.

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