Governance in the Age of Precarity

Over the past year, a profound shift has taken hold in the public mood. Through extensive surveys and focus groups with Canadian consumers, workers, and voters, David Coletto and his team at Abacus Data have identified the emergence of what he calls the precarity mindset — a growing sense that economic security, social stability, and institutional reliability can no longer be taken for granted.

In this timely and thought-provoking presentation, Governance in the Age of Precarity, David will introduce the audience to this new mindset, explain what is driving it, and explore what it means for boards, executives, and governance leaders. Drawing on fresh public opinion research, he will outline how rising uncertainty around affordability, geopolitical instability, technological disruption, and institutional trust is reshaping expectations of leadership and decision-making.

As Canadians increasingly feel vulnerable to forces beyond their control, governance cannot remain internally focused. David will make the case for “bringing the outside in” — integrating real-time understanding of public sentiment, stakeholder expectations, and societal risk into boardroom discussions. He will argue that effective governance today requires more than oversight and compliance. It requires strategic foresight grounded in a deep understanding of how people think, how they feel, and how they are interpreting the moment.

Participants will gain insight into:

• What defines the precarity mindset and how it differs from previous cycles of economic or political anxiety;

• The social, economic, and geopolitical forces accelerating feelings of instability;

• How shifting public expectations are changing the risk landscape for organizations;

• Why boards must incorporate external mood, trust dynamics, and stakeholder psychology into governance discussions; and

• Practical ways directors can strengthen strategic foresight and resilience in uncertain times.

In an era defined less by scarcity and more by instability and unpredictability, governance leaders have a critical role to play in helping their organizations remain credible, responsive, and future-ready.