Diligent Named GRC Leader as AI Reshapes Boardroom Risk Management

NEW YORK, NY – May 27, 2026 – Diligent, a company specializing in AI-driven governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) solutions, has been named a Leader in the prestigious Q2 2026 Forrester Wave™ report on GRC Platforms. The recognition from the independent research firm validates Diligent's strategic focus on integrating artificial intelligence across its entire GRC ecosystem, a move that is setting new industry benchmarks and transforming how corporate boards and executives manage risk.

In the comprehensive evaluation, which assesses vendors on their current offerings, strategy, and customer feedback, Diligent earned the highest possible score in the “Platform Use of AI and AI Agents” criterion. The company also secured top marks for its capabilities in Risk Identification, Risk Intelligence, Risk Quantification, Audit Management, Compliance Management, and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).

“For us, this recognition as a Leader from Forrester validates our strategy of embedding AI at the core of the Diligent One Platform, giving customers faster insights, earlier risk detection, and the confidence to act when it matters most,” said Brian Stafford, CEO of Diligent, in a statement accompanying the announcement.

This acknowledgment arrives as the GRC market stands at a crossroads, with AI emerging as the critical differentiator in a highly competitive field. Other major players, such as Optro (formerly AuditBoard), were also named Leaders in the same report, highlighting a sector-wide race to innovate. Previous reports also recognized firms like MetricStream for their AI-infused solutions, underscoring a clear industry consensus: the future of GRC is inextricably linked with artificial intelligence.

Unifying Silos in an Era of Complexity

The push toward AI-powered GRC is not driven by technology alone, but by mounting business pressures. According to recent research from the Diligent Institute, a staggering 65% of organizations still operate with partially integrated GRC systems, while only 19% report having fully unified environments. This fragmentation creates information silos, leading to duplicated efforts, communication breakdowns, and dangerous blind spots in an organization's risk posture.

These challenges are compounded by an increasingly complex and fast-moving regulatory landscape. From the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) to new mandates on AI governance and ESG reporting, compliance teams are struggling to keep pace. For many, manual processes are no longer tenable.

Diligent’s platform aims to solve this by unifying governance, risk, audit, and compliance into a single, consolidated view. The Forrester report specifically highlighted the company’s “superior ERM capability,” which takes an objectives-first approach to risk management. By connecting disparate risk and assurance activities, the platform provides a holistic perspective that enables more informed decision-making and strengthens organizational oversight.

Industry analysts note that this shift addresses a critical need. As the volume of internal and external data explodes, organizations are moving away from periodic reviews toward continuous monitoring. The demand is for real-time dashboards, intelligent alerts, and early anomaly detection—capabilities that are only possible through integrated, AI-enhanced platforms.

Transforming the Board's Relationship with Risk

Perhaps the most significant impact of these advancements is felt at the highest levels of corporate leadership. The Forrester report notes that “Diligent’s vision differentiates by showing how AI-enabled and continuous GRC will transform the board’s relationship with risk.” This signals a fundamental shift from a reactive, compliance-focused posture to a proactive, strategic engagement with risk.

Fueling this transformation is a new suite of tools designed specifically for directors and the C-suite. Diligent has introduced an “AI Board Member,” a secure assistant that gives directors instant access to board materials, relevant industry news, and public research. The tool can provide on-demand specialist perspectives on complex topics like cybersecurity, AI governance, and audit, all grounded in the organization's own data and benchmarked against its peers. This empowers board members to move from a state of simple awareness to one of genuine readiness and foresight.

For executives, the platform aggregates live risk, performance, and compliance data to facilitate faster, more confident decisions. By distilling complex information and highlighting critical areas of concern, AI helps leadership teams cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters, demonstrating enterprise resilience to stakeholders and regulators alike.

Beyond the Buzzword: Practical AI in Action

While the strategic vision is compelling, the practical application of AI is where the true value lies for GRC practitioners. Diligent’s platform includes a suite of specialized AI solutions, such as AI Risk Essentials, AuditAI, and Third-Party Risk Intel, each designed to tackle specific challenges.

AI Risk Essentials, for instance, helps organizations kickstart their ERM programs by providing AI-assisted risk suggestions derived from external data. It leverages an analysis of over 180,000 real-life strategic and operational risks disclosed in SEC 10-K reports to provide powerful benchmarking and identify relevant threats quickly.

Similarly, other AI modules automate routine tasks that have long burdened GRC teams. These include mapping complex regulatory changes to internal controls, comparing different versions of regulations, and streamlining evidence collection for audits. By automating these multi-step workflows, the platform acts as a virtual “GRC manager,” sensing risk faster and ensuring processes are auditable and efficient.

This automation does not replace human expertise but rather enhances it. By compressing timelines for documentation and testing, AI frees up GRC professionals to focus on higher-value activities like strategic analysis, forward-looking risk oversight, and advising leadership. As organizations navigate an environment of compounding risk and relentless change, this fusion of human intelligence and AI-powered automation is becoming the new standard for building lasting organizational resilience.