Regulations aren’t slowing down — they’re stacking up. If you’re leading compliance, quality, or mission assurance, here’s what you need to know:
Key Trends to Watch:
- According to KPMG, 2025 is being called the “Year of Regulatory Shift” — driven by agency changes, evolving priorities, and technology disruptions.
- Diligent warns that organizations will face more intricate regulations in areas like cybersecurity, AI, supply chain, and sustainability in 2025.
- In risk and compliance, NAVEX highlights that whistleblower protections, supply chain risks, ESG, and AI governance are among the top new pressures.
Translation: The old “check-the-box” compliance playbook won’t cut it anymore.
Leaders, Compliance & Quality Teams must:
- Build agility into assurance models — fast feedback loops, rapid responses, and scenario planning are essential.
- Stay close to emerging regulations — monitor drafts and early signals, interpret them, map them to your systems, and lead your peers.
- Connect compliance, cyber, quality, and ESG into one unified story for the board. Programs built for 2020 will not hold in 2025 and beyond.
My take: If you’re not building flexibility now, you’ll be playing catch-up in 2026. Pay attention to CMMC updates, AI regulations (globally and locally), and evolving ESG mandates.
Question to readers: What’s the biggest regulatory change you see on the horizon that’s keeping you up at night?
