Bridging the AI Governance Gap: Emerging Board Opportunities for Women General Counsel

In the ninth edition of the Blakes Board Report, we continue our mission to illuminate the path for women general counsel (GCs) aspiring to board leadership, while deepening our focus on one of the most consequential governance challenges of our time: artificial intelligence.

Boards today are being asked not only whether they are prepared to oversee AI, but whether they have the judgment, fluency and cross-functional insight required to govern it effectively. This year’s report explores how women GCs are uniquely positioned to meet that need. Their daily work — balancing risk, ethics, compliance, strategy and operational complexity — closely mirrors the capabilities boards now require to navigate an increasingly AI-driven business landscape. 

Now in its ninth edition, the Blakes Board Report draws on our most comprehensive dataset to date, spanning both the S&P/TSX Composite Index and the full universe of TSX-listed issuers. This lens provides a rich understanding of where women GCs are gaining board seats, where momentum is slowing and where meaningful untapped opportunity remains. While the data shows that women GCs continue to hold a distinct advantage in certain segments of the boardroom, particularly within larger companies, it also highlights a broader plateau in progress and persistent structural differences in how women and men GCs reach board service. 

Beyond the data, this year’s report brings forward the voices of experienced board directors who reflect on AI’s arrival in the boardroom and the evolving nature of governance itself. Their insights underscore a consistent theme: effective oversight of emerging technology is less about technical specialization and more about judgment, adaptability and the ability to ask the right questions at the right time — capabilities that women GCs already bring to their executive roles. 

Our goal remains unchanged: to inform, inspire and equip the next generation of women GCs to pursue board service with clarity, confidence and purpose. In doing so, we aim to help boards better recognize and access the leadership already present within Canada’s legal executive community. 

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About Women@Blakes  

Our women’s programming reflects our commitment to equity and inclusion within both Blakes and the broader business community. Founded in 2007, Women@Blakes has expanded to offer leadership development, mentorship and community-building opportunities that empower and champion the advancement of women in law and business across Canada. Signature professional development programs include Stepping Up: Preparing to be a GC, Women GCs on Boards and Women in Leadership.