BoardWise, a corporate governance advisory firm founded by Dr. Donna Hamlin, has been named Top Global Business of the Decade in Governance by the International Association of Top Businesses. The recognition, which will be formally conferred at a ceremony at the Plaza Hotel in New York City in December 2026, highlights a firm that has quietly built one of the most extensive track records in the governance consulting space over a career spanning more than four decades.
The award places BoardWise in a category that reflects both longevity and sustained relevance, two qualities that are not always synonymous in the advisory world. While the governance landscape has been transformed by regulatory shifts, shareholder activism, and the rise of environmental, social, and governance considerations as board-level concerns, BoardWise has maintained its position by adapting its advisory practice to meet each successive wave of change.
Dr. Hamlin’s credentials underpin the firm’s authority. She holds an Advanced Certification in Global Governance from Harvard and has advised organizations across more than 50 countries, a geographic breadth that few governance consultants can claim. Her work has spanned the full spectrum of governance challenges, from board composition and succession planning to the structural questions that arise when organizations operate across multiple regulatory jurisdictions.
The firm’s team reflects a deliberate effort to assemble expertise across the disciplines that converge at the board level. Nola Masterson brings a background in life sciences and technology governance. Dr. Fred van Eenennaam contributes expertise rooted in international corporate governance. Marilyn Nagel brings a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, an area that has moved from the periphery to the center of board-level conversations over the past decade. Murray Cook and Jen McClure round out the team with complementary experience in corporate strategy and communications, respectively.
The selection by the International Association of Top Businesses carries weight in part because of the organization’s methodology, which evaluates firms not on a single year of performance but on sustained impact over an extended period. IAOTB President Stephanie Cirami praised the selection, noting that the Decade designation reflects an assessment of cumulative contribution to the field rather than a snapshot of recent activity.
The timing of the recognition is notable. Corporate governance is in a period of unusual turbulence. Boards are grappling with artificial intelligence oversight, cybersecurity risk, geopolitical uncertainty, and a regulatory environment that varies dramatically across jurisdictions. The demand for experienced governance advisors who can help boards navigate these overlapping complexities has arguably never been higher.
At the same time, the governance advisory market has become more crowded, with large consulting firms, boutique specialists, and technology platforms all competing for board-level engagements. BoardWise’s advantage, if Dr. Hamlin’s track record is any indication, lies in the depth of its relationships and the breadth of its international experience. Advising across 50 countries requires not just technical expertise but cultural fluency, an understanding of how governance norms and expectations differ across legal systems, ownership structures, and business cultures.
The December ceremony at the Plaza Hotel will provide a formal stage for what is, in substance, a recognition of Dr. Hamlin’s career-long bet that governance consulting could be built into a sustainable, globally relevant practice. In an era when many advisory firms are either scaling through acquisition or narrowing their focus to chase margins, BoardWise represents a different model: one built on deep expertise, long-term relationships, and the accumulated credibility that comes from four decades of advising organizations on how to govern themselves effectively.
For the broader governance community, the recognition serves as a reminder that while frameworks and regulations evolve, the fundamental challenge of helping organizations make better decisions at the highest level remains both constant and consequential. BoardWise’s selection suggests that sustained commitment to that mission, rather than chasing the governance trend of the moment, continues to be the most durable path to prominence in the field.
