{"id":1737,"date":"2026-04-08T13:50:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/in-the-age-of-ai-why-do-australian-company-boards-have-so-few-technology-experts\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T13:50:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T13:50:02","slug":"in-the-age-of-ai-why-do-australian-company-boards-have-so-few-technology-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/in-the-age-of-ai-why-do-australian-company-boards-have-so-few-technology-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"In the age of AI, why do Australian company boards have so few technology experts?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/span> Maskot\/Getty<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The global economy is undergoing major transformation as artificial intelligence (AI) filters into almost every industry \u2013 reshaping business models<\/a> and investment decisions. <\/p>\n

For those who sit on a company\u2019s board, setting overall strategy and holding management to account, the shift is raising the bar on what\u2019s required. Board members need to understand the new technology they\u2019re investing in. They must also be equipped to oversee complex technological risks. <\/p>\n

Given this, you\u2019d expect to see large companies stacking their boards with directors who have science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) expertise. But that isn\u2019t the case.<\/p>\n

Our new research<\/a> shows that at the largest 500 listed companies in Australia, many boards lack members with sufficient technological expertise. More than half had no directors with STEM expertise on their board. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s why that\u2019s a problem \u2013 and why all of us have a stake in fixing it.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

What we found<\/h2>\n

We examined<\/a> the backgrounds and expertise of directors from the largest 500 firms listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and compared board composition in 2007 to 2022.<\/p>\n

We were interested in whether the number of directors with STEM expertise had increased to match the significant technological advancements that had taken place over that time. <\/p>\n

We were surprised by the results.<\/p>\n

We found the backgrounds and expertise of directors from Australia\u2019s largest firms changed very little over 15 years. Directors with STEM expertise remained underrepresented on boards, increasing from 8% to just 13% over the period. <\/p>\n

By comparison, directors with backgrounds in the traditional fields of accounting, banking and law occupied 42% of board seats (up from 40% in 2007). Directors with \u201cC-suite\u201d experience \u2013 roles such as chief executive officer, chief financial officer and so on \u2013 made up 35% of all board positions in 2022.<\/p>\n

Even in industries with a scientific focus, such as technology and health care, we found accountants and bankers still outnumbered directors with STEM expertise. <\/p>\n

Our study only goes up to 2022, when AI was relatively new on the scene. But newer data suggest the picture hasn\u2019t changed much<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The 2025 Watermark Search International Board Diversity Index<\/a> (which covers the largest 300 companies on the ASX) paints a similar picture. Directors with expertise in accounting, financial, legal or general management backgrounds still dominated boards (75%).<\/p>\n

Why is this a problem?<\/h2>\n

Research<\/a> shows corporate strategy and investment decisions are shaped by the backgrounds and characteristics of the top management team \u2013 including board members.<\/p>\n

Our research<\/a> makes a clear case for getting more STEM expertise into the boardroom. We found companies with greater STEM representation on their boards invested more in innovation and investors valued them more highly.<\/p>\n

This aligns with other research<\/a>, which shows \u201cinnovativeness\u201d is linked to better company performance, growth and survival. <\/p>\n

STEM expertise becomes even more valuable in low-tech industries or companies where the chief executive doesn\u2019t have a STEM background. Here, a director can step in to provide technical expertise and fill critical gaps in innovation strategy and capabilities.<\/p>\n

Australia is falling behind<\/h2>\n

On innovation more broadly, Australia is falling behind<\/a> many of its peers. A recent independent report<\/a> the federal government commissioned found Australia\u2019s research and innovation system was \u201cbroken\u201d and needed significant reform.<\/p>\n

But Australia still wants to be an innovation leader. This week, the federal government and global AI giant Anthropic signed a memorandum of understanding<\/a>, backing plans to expand Australia\u2019s AI infrastructure and attract big tech to Australia. Anthropic has previously announced it will open an office in Sydney<\/a> this year. <\/p>\n

At the same time, data centre operators are attracting high-profile investors<\/a> and billions in investment. <\/p>\n

There is clearly a strong appetite to invest in innovation and Australian firms that are willing to embrace it. The question is whether boards are adequately equipped to make the most of this momentum. <\/p>\n

Managing risks<\/h2>\n

A lack of STEM expertise doesn\u2019t just limit firms\u2019 innovation, it also increases their exposure to cyber risks. With a cyber attack reported in Australia every six minutes<\/a> this has become one of the biggest threats to business growth and profits.<\/p>\n

Major breaches have repeatedly made headlines<\/a> in recent years, placing added pressure on boards to have robust cybersecurity measures in place. <\/p>\n

Regulators, including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission<\/a>, have reinforced this message, cautioning boards that cybersecurity is their responsibility. <\/p>\n

In the new global economy shaped by the opportunities of AI and the threat of cyberattacks, technology is no longer a back-office function. It\u2019s at the forefront of company policy and strategy. <\/p>\n

To keep pace with this shift, companies should look to bring more technical expertise to the boardroom. All their customers, employees and suppliers \u2013 and Australians as a whole \u2013 have a stake in whether the boards get this right.<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From cyber attacks to artificial intelligence, no business can ignore the role of technology. New research shows Australia\u2019s boardrooms are missing key expertise.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-europe"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1737\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/ayercut.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}