Profile

Diligent Corporation is a leading provider of modern governance solutions, serving industries such as healthcare, financial services, technology, and retail. The company was founded in 2001 by Brian Stafford and is headquartered in New York, NY.

It offers a suite of technology solutions to help organizations streamline board meetings, governance processes, and compliance requirements. Its flagship product, the Diligent Boards platform, is a secure, cloud-based platform that enables board members and executives to collaborate and share information in real-time. The platform includes features such as secure messaging, electronic voting, virtual data rooms, and meeting management tools. 

Diligent has also received significant investments from leading private equity firms, including Insight Partners, Clearlake Capital, and Blackstone Group. The company has grown rapidly in recent years, expanding its product offerings and global reach.  Today the company serves over 25,000 clients worldwide, including more than 50% of the Fortune 1000. Its solutions are used by over 700,000 board members and executives, representing a wide range of industries and geographies. 

Diligent’s mission is to help organizations govern better, providing them with the tools and resources they need to make informed decisions and drive positive outcomes. With its innovative technology solutions, the company is helping to transform the way boards and executives collaborate and make critical decisions in today’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

Key Products

Board and Leadership Collaboration

Diligent’s board and leadership collaboration solutions help organizations to manage their board meetings, collaborate on meeting materials, and communicate with board members securely. Diligent Boards is a board portal that enables directors to access board materials and collaborate with other board members from any device. Diligent Messenger is a secure messaging platform that allows board members to communicate with each other and with executives without compromising security.

Modern Risk Management

Diligent’s modern risk management solution enables organizations to identify, assess, and mitigate risks. Diligent Risk is a risk assessment and management platform that helps organizations to streamline their risk management processes and improve their risk mitigation strategies. The platform includes features such as risk identification, risk assessment, risk monitoring, and risk reporting.

Audit Management

Diligent’s audit management solution enables organizations to streamline their audit processes and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Diligent Audit is an audit management platform that helps organizations to manage audit workflows, automate audit tasks, and track audit findings. The platform includes features such as audit planning, audit execution, audit reporting, and audit follow-up.

Regulatory Compliance Management

Diligent’s regulatory compliance management solution helps organizations to manage their compliance obligations and reduce the risk of non-compliance. Diligent Compliance is a compliance management platform that helps organizations to manage compliance workflows, automate compliance tasks, and monitor regulatory changes. The platform includes features such as compliance monitoring, compliance reporting, and compliance training.

Carbon Accounting

Diligent’s carbon accounting solution enables organizations to measure, manage, and report their carbon emissions. Diligent Carbon is a carbon accounting platform that helps organizations track their carbon footprint, set carbon reduction goals, and report on their carbon emissions. The platform includes features such as carbon data management, carbon reporting, and carbon analytics.

ESG Leadership Certification

Diligent’s ESG leadership certification solution helps organizations demonstrate their commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. Diligent ESG enables organizations to benchmark their ESG performance against industry standards and best practices and to obtain ESG certifications. The platform includes features such as ESG assessments, ESG reporting, and ESG certification.

Customer Insights

Diligent Boards, the company’s flagship product, is an integrated board management platform that enables organizations to securely collaborate and manage their board meetings, agenda items, and board materials.  Most of the users find Diligent Boards to be an easy-to-use platform with an intuitive interface. Many reviewers have highlighted that the platform’s user-friendly nature has helped them save time and simplify their board meeting processes. The security features of Diligent Boards are highly appreciated by customers. The platform provides end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication, and granular access controls, ensuring the confidentiality of board materials and communication.

Users have praised the responsiveness of the support team and their willingness to resolve any issues quickly. Moreover, customers appreciate the flexibility and customization options provided by Diligent Boards. Users can tailor the platform to fit their specific needs, such as adding custom fields or creating custom reports.

The platform’s integration capabilities with other software, such as Microsoft Office and Google Drive, have been well-received by customers. The ability to seamlessly integrate with other tools has helped users save time and improve productivity.  Although, some reviewers have mentioned that the pricing of Diligent Boards can be a little high compared to other board management software available in the market. However, many customers believe that the platform’s features and security measures justify the cost.

Based on the reviews from G2 and Capterra, Diligent Boards has received generally positive ratings from its users. On G2, Diligent Boards has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, with reviewers praising its user-friendly interface, reliable performance, and excellent customer support. Similarly, on Capterra, Diligent Boards has an overall rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars, with users highlighting its ease of use, efficient meeting management, and robust security features. While some reviewers have expressed concerns about the cost of the software, the majority of users agree that Diligent Boards is a valuable tool for board management and collaboration.

Custome Quote

“Diligent has been invaluable to me in maintaining a best practices environment with respect to corporate governance at BNY Mellon. Its ease of use and reliability have made it effortless to implement across my organization.” – James Killerlane III, Corporate Secretary, Managing Director & Deputy General Counsel, BNY Mellon

“By creating a single risk and control matrix of around 100 controls for each legal entity around the world, [with] 30 legal entities, we have established consistency in our controls and compliance reporting.” – Giuseppe Dello Iacono, Internal Audit, Campari Group

“As the CCO of the largest university-connected research foundation, we have hundreds of policies in place to address a constantly changing regulatory landscape. It is critical for us to have a single system to manage all these policies effectively.” – Joshua Toas, Chief Compliance Officer, The Research Foundation for the State University of New York

Statistics

• Diligent has a team of over 2,000 employees across 23 offices worldwide.


• The company has made 12 strategic acquisitions, including Insightia in 2022 and Galvanize in 2021, to expand its product offerings and customer base.


• Diligent serves over 25,000 organizations worldwide, including more than 50% of the Fortune 1000 companies.


• Diligent has raised a total of 5 funding rounds, with the latest round being a Private Equity round in August 2020 


• The company is backed by 7 investors, including Insight Partners, Blackstone, and Clearlake Capital. 


• In 2022, the company reported revenues exceeding $600 million

Ratings and Commentary

Diligent has a global presence, serving over 1 million customers in over 90 countries, and has established itself as a reliable partner for some of the most prominent organizations across multiple industries including Non-Profit organizations, Telecommunications, and more. Diligent’s commitment to security and innovation is evident in the quality of its products, as evidenced by its SOC 2 Type 2 certification and introduction of new features such as virtual meeting capabilities. The company’s extensive product suite offers a range of solutions to streamline governance processes and improve overall performance. The company’s financial performance is strong, and it has a clear growth strategy in place with support from ventures like Clearlake Group and Blackstone Opportunities.

While Diligent has established itself as a market leader in governance solutions, there are competitive threats from other companies in the market like OnBoard, Boardable, and more. The increasing number of companies entering the market, some with substantial financial backing, and the need to stay ahead of the curve in terms of innovation and product development means that Diligent must remain vigilant and agile to maintain its position.

The company has a talented team of professionals including an excellent cohort of board members, a diverse range of professionals in decision-making positions, and over 3000+ employees working towards maintaining its status as a market leader. The company’s extensive product suite and global presence make it a reliable partner for organizations seeking to improve their governance processes and overall performance.

Diligent's Video

Key Executives

Brian Stafford, CEO

He takes care of all day-to-day operations and has drawn numerous leadership accolades. He previously served as a Partner at McKinsey & Company and holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Chicago.

Avigail Dadone, CPO

Avigail brings more than seven years of experience from Bloomberg LP, where she worked across diverse businesses designing, implementing, and measuring talent strategies. She graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and holds the HR Certification Institute designation of Senior Professional in Human Resources.

Ray Wizbowski, CMO

Ray is responsible for driving global marketing strategies through product marketing, corporate brand, demand generation, and other essential go-to-market efforts. He previously served as Chief Marketing Officer for global FinTech company Solifi and holds certifications from the Stanford School of Business LEAD program and MIT in Digital Marketing Analytics.

Ron Rogozinski, CFO

Ron is responsible for driving the organization’s financial and growth objectives through the development of financial strategies and models, budgeting processes and forecasts, and identifying new market opportunities. He previously served as CFO at Solera and holds a CPA designation.

Satheesh Ravala, CTO

He is responsible for driving Diligent’s technology strategy and bolstering the company’s platform innovation to provide organizations with a single source of truth for governance, risk, compliance, and ESG data. He brings more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience in the technology sector, having previously held the role of Senior Vice President, Engineering Mortgage Technology at Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), and various technology leadership roles at Yahoo!

Collectively, Diligent Corporation’s executive team brings a wealth of experience in modern governance solutions, cloud-based platform expansion, talent management, financial strategies, and marketing strategies. They are committed to driving the company’s growth and innovation to provide customers with world-class governance solutions.

Organizational Insights

At Diligent, the company’s organizational culture places great importance on the health and well-being of its employees. All team members receive comprehensive health, vision, and dental coverage, ensuring that they can take care of themselves and their families. This benefit not only demonstrates the company’s commitment to its employees but also helps to alleviate any stress that may arise from healthcare expenses, allowing employees to focus on their work.

In addition to comprehensive health benefits, Diligent also values the importance of work-life balance and recognizes that employees need time off to recharge. The company offers generous paid time off, including an annual Recharge Week reward program. This program allows the team to take a break from emails and meetings, disconnect from work, and rest and recharge. By providing opportunities for employees to take time off, Diligent shows that it values their mental health and well-being.

Retirement benefits are also an important aspect of Diligent’s organizational culture. The company offers 401(k) plans with a strong match and regional retirement plans to ensure that employees are prepared for their retirement. By providing these benefits, Diligent demonstrates that it is invested in the long-term well-being of its employees. Additionally, Diligent provides employee referral incentives to encourage current employees to refer successful hires, demonstrating the company’s commitment to building a strong team and valuing its employees’ contributions.

The company recognizes that its success is driven by the collective efforts of its employees, and it fosters a culture that encourages its employees to work together to achieve their goals. Diligent also values diversity and inclusion and is committed to creating a workplace where all employees feel valued and respected. Finally, the company places a strong emphasis on customer service and is committed to delivering products and services that meet or exceed the expectations of its customers.

Board Members

Brian Stafford

Brian Stafford is the CEO of Diligent Corporation. He joined Diligent in March 2015 and has since been responsible for all day-to-day operations. Stafford has over 20 years of experience in the tech industry and has worked as a partner at McKinsey & Company, where he founded and led its Growth Stage Tech Practice. Stafford is a co-author of Governance in the Digital Age and serves on the board of directors of Diligent Corporation and Brooklyn Academy of Music. Stafford holds a master’s degree in computer science from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in science from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Adam Berger

Adam Berger is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Diligent. He has over 32 years of operating experience, and prior to joining Insight Partners, he served as the Chairman and CEO of Digital Room Incorporated. Berger has served as a board member or interim CEO for several Insight portfolio companies, including Diligent, E2Open, Campaign Monitor, and Virgin Pulse. Berger is also the Chairman of Achieve3000, Illuminate, PDI Software, and Vela, and the Executive Chairman of Episerver. Berger began his career at The Procter and Gamble Company in Product Development and then in Brand Management. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Betsy Atkins

Betsy Atkins is a former three-time CEO and has served on some of the world’s most visible global public company boards. Atkins has over 30 years of experience in the tech and consumer industry and has worked with companies such as NASDAQ, Chico’s, HealthSouth, Vonage, Home Depot Supply, and Wix. She has served on over 30 boards and been through 13 IPOs and served on many PE and VC backed private boards. Atkins currently serves on the boards of three public companies – Jamf, Wynn Resorts, and SL Green – as well as the board of Volvo Cars and Diligent Corporation. Atkins is the author of the book, Be Board Ready: The Secrets to Landing a Board Seat and Being a Great Director.

Behdad Eghbali

Behdad Eghbali serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Diligent. He is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clearlake Capital Group LP, which has approximately $10 billion of assets under management. Eghbali and his team use a sector-focused approach and partner with world-class management teams to provide long-term capital to dynamic businesses that can benefit from Clearlake’s operational transformation approach. Eghbali received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Investors

Clearlake Capital Group is a private investment firm founded in 2006. The firm’s main focus is on investments in software and technology-enabled services, industrials and energy, and consumer sectors.  Clearlake invested in Diligent Corporation in 2016 and has now increased its investment in the company. Behdad Eghbali, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Clearlake said that the company believes Diligent is uniquely positioned to build the modern governance category with its leading software and unwavering vision.

Blackstone Tactical Opportunities is the opportunistic investment platform of Blackstone Group, a global investment firm founded in 1985. Blackstone has $649 billion in assets under management across investment vehicles, including private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, non-investment-grade credit, and secondary funds.  Blackstone Tactical Opportunities invests in companies across multiple sectors and geographies that require customized solutions and has invested in Diligent Corporation as a part of this strategy.

Matrix Partners is a venture capital firm founded in 1977 with offices in Boston, Palo Alto, and Mumbai. Matrix Partners invests in companies in the software, communications, and healthcare industries.  The firm has invested in a range of successful companies, including Apple, HubSpot, and Zendesk. Matrix Partners invested in Diligent Corporation in 2013.

Christopher & Banks Private Equity is a private equity firm based in the United States. Christopher & Banks Private Equity invested in Diligent Corporation in 2007.

Gemini Israel Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm founded in 1993 with offices in Tel Aviv and Palo Alto. Gemini Israel Ventures invested in Diligent Corporation in 2013.

Accel is a venture capital firm founded in 1983 with offices in Palo Alto, London, and Bangalore. Accel invested in Diligent Corporation in 2010.

Key Milestones

• 2023 – G2 Spring 2023 Reports: The organization was lauded and recognized as a Leader and Momentum Leader for Board Management Software in G2 Spring 2023 Reports.


• 2023 – Disclosure API pilot: Diligent Corporation has been chosen as one of the nine CDP Accredited Solutions Providers taking part in a new Disclosure API pilot in 2023. The pilot is aimed at simplifying the disclosure process for companies.


• Diligent Adds PwC Canada, Vervantis, Clarity AI and Others to Its Growing List of Partners, Extending Ability To Integrate With the Industry’s Leading GRC Platform (2023)


• Diligent Launches Board Reporting for ESG, Providing Directors with Clear and Consistent Insight into Climate Performance amid CSRD and Upcoming SEC Climate Disclosure Requirements (2023)


• 2022 – The Edison Awards: Diligent ESG received the Social Innovation Gold Winner award at The Edison Awards. The awards recognize and honor innovative products, services, and business leaders.


• 2022 – New European Hub: Diligent Corporation opened a new European hub in Bonham Quay, Galway. The hub will support the company’s growth in the region and provide employment opportunities.

News and Press Releases

• April 12, 2023 – Corporate Director 12 Month Business Outlook Drops Amid Growing Signs of Economic Headwinds According to Diligent Institute Survey (Read)


• February 23, 2023 – Diligent Institute Cyber Risk & Strategy Certification Taps Leading Experts to Guide Directors Through Cyber Risk Landscape and Regulatory Environment (Read)


• February 16, 2023 – U.S. Companies Subjected to New Activist Campaigns Increased by 10.6% in 2022, According to Diligent (Read)


• February 2, 2023 – 75% Of Corporate Directors Say Their Roles and Responsibilities Are Expanding, According to Diligent and Corporate Board Member (Read)


• January 13, 2022: Diligent Achieves Benchmark of 8,500 Mission-Driven Clients in 2021, Outpacing Other Industry Software Providers (Read)

Competitors

OnBoard

OnBoard is Diligent’s main competitor in the board management software market. OnBoard has a more extensive customer base than Diligent, serving more than 2,000 organizations and their 12,000 boards and committees in 32 countries worldwide. OnBoard also has more funding, with a total of $105M raised in two rounds. OnBoard’s latest funding was raised on Jul 7, 2021, from a Private Equity round. However, Diligent has more advanced features, such as its AI-powered meeting scheduling and minute-taking capabilities, which set it apart from OnBoard.

Boardable

Boardable is another player in the board management software market. Boardable differentiates itself from Diligent by offering 24/7 service and technical support, fully integrated video conferencing, and flexible packaging options. Boardable has raised a total of $15.4M in funding over 6 rounds. Their latest funding was raised on Oct 24, 2022, from a Series A round. Diligent has a more extensive feature set than Boardable, with advanced collaboration tools, secure messaging, and access to a library of global governance resources.

Atlassian

Although Atlassian is not a direct competitor to Diligent, it is worth considering as a company that provides software solutions for project management and collaboration. Atlassian has raised a total of $210M in funding over 2 rounds, with their latest funding raised on Apr 8, 2014, from a Secondary Market round. Atlassian has a wide range of products that provide collaboration and project management solutions, such as JIRA, Confluence, and Trello. However, Diligent has a more specialized focus on board management, providing features such as secure document sharing, voting, and minute-taking.

Glasswall

Glasswall provides a different type of solution than Diligent, focused on file-based security threats. Glasswall’s technology rebuilds files to match their known good manufacturer’s spec, removing potential threats and preventing unknown attacks. While Diligent offers secure document sharing, it does not provide the same level of file-based security as Glasswall. However, Diligent has a broader set of features that cater to the specific needs of board management, including meeting scheduling, voting, and minute-taking.

Deputy

Deputy is a workforce management solution provider focused on employee scheduling, time tracking, and communication. While Deputy is not a direct competitor to Diligent, it is worth considering as a company that provides a different type of workforce management solution. Deputy has raised a total of $106M in funding over 2 rounds, with their latest funding raised on Nov 28, 2018, from a Series B round. Diligent’s focus on board management provides a more specialized set of features than Deputy, with advanced tools for collaboration, document sharing, and decision-making.

Corporate Responsibility

At Diligent, they believe that their success is tied to the well-being and success of their employees, communities, and environment. This Corporate Responsibility Report outlines their progress towards their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, focusing on the PEOPLE Pillar.

The vision at Diligent is to create a world where every leader is empowered to build successful, equitable, and sustainable organizations. They understand that this pursuit starts with empowering and supporting their employees across the globe. To achieve this, they have prioritized the PEOPLE Pillar in their ESG strategy.

Diligent is committed to fostering a culture that celebrates and values diversity, equity, inclusion, and intersectionality (DEI&I). Their DEI&I program, including the Paradigm Reach training platform and Diligent Academy, provides educational resources to build a more inclusive organization. Diligent support Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) to create a safe place for growth, understanding, compassion, and empathy. Diverse leadership is essential to modern governance and are committed to diversifying our C-suite.

Diligent recognizes that the barriers to a diverse workforce begin with the pipeline for Talent Acquisition. They are continuously reviewing and assessing their talent programs to ensure inclusivity and equity, meet clearly established KPIs, and implement any necessary policy changes to recruit top talent. They have implemented a structured hiring process and redesigned our hiring manager/interview training program to mitigate bias throughout the hiring process.

Diligent has taken up Employee-focused initiatives where they have introduced a number of different activities and programs to support healthy behaviors at work. Recharge Weeks, Internal Meeting-Free Days, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Gym Reimbursement Program are some of the initiatives that promote engagement and well-being, improve retention and reduce burnout.

For Diligents ESG commitments, they have developed and adopted a social impact strategy that drives value for the business and supports our communities. The organization even has a philanthropic arm, Diligent Foundation, that supports various charitable causes. They also launched a program to provide career-ready technical and professional skills for underrepresented job seekers in Baltimore.

Diligent understand that their success is not only measured in financial terms but also in the positive impact they create for their employees, communities, and environment. They remain committed to prioritizing the PEOPLE Pillar and continuously improving their ESG practices.

As the leader in modern governance, Diligent helps companies around the world meet their ESG commitments. As a responsible organization, they have their own ESG commitments to uphold as well.

Protecting Our Planet

Diligent is committed to carbon reduction and has pledged to reach Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2040.

Giving Back

Diligent believes in giving back to our customers, our communities and society in a variety of ways, including community service, financial support, and cutting-edge governance research made available for free to the public through the Diligent Institute.

Moving the Needle

Through our Modern Leadership initiative, Diligent facilitates filling open board and top executive roles with qualified candidates from across the spectrum of race, ethnicity, nationality, LGBTQ+ status, gender, age and expertise.