IDC and DDN Partner to Develop and Certify Boardrooms for the Digital and Cybersecurity Future

Introducing the Corporate Director's Digital Council to Deliver World-Class Director Learning, Development, and Knowledge to Help Boardroom Leaders Shape and Secure the Digital Future

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--International Data Corporation (IDC) today announced the Corporate Director's Digital Council with its exclusive partner Digital Directors Network (DDN).

"This is the first and only corporate boardroom program focused on developing full board and individual director capability to effectively oversee digital and cybersecurity risk. The future is digital and with this program we're empowering all directors to effectively lead and oversee the digital futures of their companies," said Per Melker, group vice president and general manager for IDC's IT Executive Programs & CIO Executive Council.

The Corporate Director's Digital Council offers a series of high engagement executive learning events to develop core digital and cybersecurity competencies for the full board. The full board will also be certified on DDN's DiRECTOR framework, the leading systemic risk model for overseeing systemic risk in complex digital business systems.

Individual director digital development plans will also be a key part of the program along with curated content that will be delivered monthly to the full board on the latest digital issues impacting the organization. Individual directors will also have access to IDC's extensive knowledge base for self-learning and DDN's cybersecurity awareness micro-learning episodes.

The program will help create digitally savvy boards that can effectively lead companies into the digital future. Directors will also have an efficient way to remain up to date on the latest issues and risks in the rapidly changing digital world. Research from MIT indicates that companies with digitally savvy boards drive 38% higher revenue growth, 17% higher profit margins, and 34% higher market cap growth.

"Digital leadership starts with the boardroom and there's a significant business benefit to having digitally savvy boards, especially coming out of the pandemic," said Bob Zukis, DDN CEO and Founder. "These issues are table stakes for every director and boardroom. Certifying corporate boards to the DiRECTOR framework will help directors apply an effective approach to digital and cybersecurity risk that will benefit all of their stakeholders. It will also demonstrate the boards' commitment to these issues during litigitation, which the courts are increasingly focused on," added Zukis, who is also an Adjunct Professor at the USC Marshall School of Business.

The Corporate Director's Digital Council is delivered in-person or on-line through an annual subscription.

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the world's leading tech media, data and marketing services company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights: http://bit.ly/IDCBlog_Subscribe.

About DDN

Digital Directors Network (DDN) is the only executive association and leadership development firm focused exclusively on digital and cybersecurity risk oversight in the corporate boardroom. DDN's DiRECTOR framework helps leading companies and their directors understand and mitigate systemic risk throughout their complex digital business systems. DDN's members are innovative corporations, directors, CEOs, CIOs, CISOs, and other executives working to advance the practice and profession of digital and cybersecurity governance. To learn more about DDN, please visit www.digitaldirectors.network and follow DDN on LinkedIn.