Boardspan

Name

Boardspan

Legal name

Boardspan Inc.

Website

https://boardspan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Board Governance Advisory

akta.pro primary industry

Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory (BPAHAFAC)

Keywords

• Board governance advisory
• Board performance assessments
• CEO performance reviews
• Director evaluations
• Board search services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Governance Advisory Services: Boardspan provides bespoke advisory services for complex governance challenges including board succession planning, committee governance frameworks, and boardroom dynamics. Engagement pricing is tailored to board size, structure, and objectives.
2. Board Assessments & Evaluations: Recurring assessments including board performance evaluations, director peer reviews, CEO annual reviews, and board skills analyses delivered through a technology-enabled platform with expert governance advisors.
3. Board Search & Succession Planning: Executive search services for recruiting high-caliber board talent, including succession planning advisory for CEO and board leadership transitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Boardspan combines expert governance advisory with purpose-built technology to deliver board performance assessments, director peer evaluations, CEO annual reviews, and board skills analysis. The firm also provides board search/recruitment, custom governance programs, onboarding, governance education, and a Board Matching Engine connecting board candidates with board opportunities. Services are delivered through a cloud-based assessment platform supported by benchmarking analytics and experienced governance advisors.

Product overview

Boardspan offers a unified governance platform combining purpose-built technology with expert advisory services. The core product portfolio includes board performance assessments, director evaluations, CEO reviews, and skills analysis—all delivered through a cloud-based assessment platform with benchmarking analytics. Supporting services include board search, custom governance advisory, onboarding, and governance education. The platform is designed to operate independently from board portal systems (such as Diligent, OnBoard, or BoardVantage), emphasizing confidentiality and external facilitation. Boardspan's approach integrates technology with experienced governance advisors who analyze results, benchmark against peers, and provide recommendations. The OARS Governance Framework and Governance Curve Framework provide structured methodologies for evaluating and improving board effectiveness.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Board Performance Assessment Comprehensive evaluation of board effectiveness examining governance responsibilities, strategic alignment, culture, composition, leadership, committee performance, and alignment with organizational priorities. Delivered to corporate, nonprofit, and PE-backed boards through a cloud-based assessment platform with benchmarking analytics.
• Director Evaluations Confidential peer review process providing directors with constructive feedback to strengthen individual performance and enhance board dynamics. Designed for boards seeking to improve director effectiveness through structured, candid input.
• CEO Review Annual 360-degree review process evaluating CEO performance, leadership effectiveness, and board-CEO alignment with structured feedback mechanisms. Produces a Leadership Performance Profile mapping nine-dimensional competencies.
• Board Skills Analysis Mapping of collective director expertise against strategic priorities and future challenges to identify skills gaps and inform recruitment and board development planning.
• Board Search Recruitment service for identifying and placing high-caliber board talent with the right expertise, judgment, and cultural fit. Includes succession planning advisory for CEO and board leadership transitions.
• Custom Governance Programs Bespoke advisory services addressing complex governance challenges including succession dynamics, committee governance frameworks, and boardroom dynamics. Engagements are tailored to each board's size, structure, and objectives.
• Onboarding Structured process to help new board members get up-to-speed with governance responsibilities and board operations.
• Governance Education Learning modules designed to address board priorities and enhance director knowledge on governance matters.
• Board Matching Engine Proprietary algorithm-based matching system that produces selective matching results between board candidates and board opportunities based on skills, experience, and preferences. Used by senior executive candidates seeking board roles.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ performance dimensions evaluated for comprehensive board effectiveness assessment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TeneocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2022Boardspan entered a strategic partnership with Teneo, the CEO advisory firm, in July 2022. The collaboration leverages complementary expertise to enhance board governance solutions and advisory services. Teneo is a global CEO advisory firm providing executive leadership consulting, and the partnership aims to deliver enhanced governance offerings to clients of both firms.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spencer Stuart: Global executive search and board advisory firm with a well-established Board Services practice that conducts board performance reviews, CEO evaluations, and director succession planning — directly competing with Boardspan for board assessment and governance advisory mandates at large enterprises.
• Heidrick & Struggles: Global executive search firm with a dedicated Board of Directors practice offering board reviews, CEO succession, and governance advisory — closely comparable to Boardspan's assessment and search offerings for public and PE-backed boards.
• Korn Ferry: Global organizational consulting firm with a Board & CEO Services practice that delivers board effectiveness assessments, CEO reviews, and succession advisory — directly overlapping with Boardspan's core governance advisory and assessment services.
• Russell Reynolds Associates: Global executive search firm with a Board & CEO Advisory practice that performs board evaluations, director assessments, and CEO succession — competing with Boardspan for governance engagements at major public and private companies.
• Egon Zehnder: Global executive search and leadership advisory firm with a Board Practice offering board effectiveness reviews, CEO evaluations, and director succession — comparable to Boardspan's combination of search and governance advisory services.
• National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD): Member-based organization serving corporate directors with governance education, board evaluation tools, and peer benchmarking — closely comparable to Boardspan's governance education, assessments, and library of resources targeting the same director buyer.

Emerging players

• Equilar: Board intelligence and executive data platform providing board composition analytics, skills matrices, and governance benchmarking — a technology-driven peer that overlaps with Boardspan's Board Skills Analysis and benchmarking analytics.

Broad incumbents

• ISS (Institutional Shareholder Services): Large governance services and proxy advisory firm offering board effectiveness research, governance ratings, and advisory to institutional investors — adjacent to Boardspan's governance advisory but anchored in the proxy/institutional investor workflow.
• Glass Lewis: Global proxy advisory firm providing governance research, board composition analysis, and voting recommendations to institutional investors — an incumbent in governance analytics that competes for governance influence, though distinct from Boardspan's board-side advisory delivery.

Others

• Diligent: Leading board portal and governance software platform used by corporate and nonprofit boards for materials, collaboration, and compliance — explicitly cited by Boardspan as a non-competitor, but a potential integration partner or future adjacent entrant into board assessments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Boardspan