Our People of Purpose series is a monthly program that highlights our Diligent Community team members who are here to support you. Each month, you’ll meet the friendly faces, both familiar and new, who work hard to help you reach your goals and make your experience better. Take a moment to get to know the people who are dedicated to helping you succeed.

Since joining Diligent 11 months ago, Reshmitha Aravind has become an essential part of the Migration Team. In her role as Services Team Lead, she works closely with clients during one of the most critical points in their journey - transitioning to the Diligent platform.

Reshmitha’s leadership style is thoughtful and people-first. She focuses on creating a smooth, stress-free experience for each organization, while also mentoring her teammates and improving internal processes for our customers.

Reshmitha brings the same sense of balance and curiosity to her personal life. Gardening helps her unwind and stay present, while travel gives her a chance to learn and connect in new ways. She loves exploring like a local, finding meaning in shared meals, small conversations, and the stories hidden in everyday places.

And yes - she has been skydiving. “It was one of the boldest things I’ve ever done,” she says. “It reminded me how powerful it can be to take a leap, even when you’re scared.”

One of Reshmitha’s favorite features in Diligent Community is Meeting Management. It helps administrators stay organized, keep meetings on track, and give board members timely access to agendas, materials, and recordings.

She often recommends using Meeting Templates to save time and reduce repetitive work. “It’s an easy way to bring consistency to your meetings,” she explains. “You can focus on the details that matter without starting from scratch every time.”

Congratulations to Reshmitha for being our People of Purpose feature this month. Her calm leadership, love of learning, and deep care for both clients and colleagues make her a standout on the Diligent Community team.

This month, we’re proud to spotlight a team member whose upbeat energy, collaborative spirit, and passion for customer success make him a standout in the Diligent Community.

Nestor Lopez is a Customer Success Manager, and though he’s only been with Diligent for a year and a half, his impact has been immediate. From day one, Nestor embraced every opportunity to grow, learn, and contribute, bringing his cheerful personality and dedication to client success to every interaction.

“I’m passionate about Customer Success,” 

“And I’ve been lucky to work with a team that’s incredibly supportive. No matter the circumstances, we’re always there for each other, from our VP and Directors to Managers, Team Leads, CSMs, IS, and Migration teams. They’re all exceptional.”

Outside of work, Nestor’s life is full of rhythm and adventure. He enjoys spending time with his wife, taking their dogs out for bike rides, and exploring the city and mountains on two wheels. But his true passion? Music.

“I love playing the drums and listening to music,” he says. “It’s how I recharge and stay inspired.”

When it comes to favorite features in Diligent Community, Nestor is a big fan of the 

 “It lets you see everything - agenda, meeting video, documents, all in one place without juggling tabs. It’s efficient, intuitive, and makes a real difference in how we support our clients!”

Congratulations to Nestor for being our September People of Purpose feature. His positivity, teamwork, and commitment to client success continue to elevate the Diligent Community experience. Stay tuned as we celebrate more incredible individuals shaping the future of Diligent.

This month, for our People of Purpose series, we’re proud to spotlight a team member whose journey with Diligent is a testament to growth, adaptability, and strong dedication to client success.

Tammy McIvor is a Senior Client Advocate on the MDO team. Her story with Diligent began over a decade ago, when she joined iCompass in 2014. By January 2015, she was hired full-time as an Office Assistant, supporting everything from payroll to contracts. When iCompass was acquired by Diligent, Tammy embraced the opportunity to transition into a client-facing role, and she’s been thriving ever since.

“I love that every day presents me with different challenges,” Tammy shares. “It’s helped me grow my problem-solving and organizational skills, and I’ve learned to be resourceful. There’s real satisfaction in helping a client or colleague resolve an issue.”

Tammy’s favorite part of her role? The variety. Whether she’s troubleshooting a technical issue, guiding a client through a new feature, or collaborating with her colleagues, she brings curiosity, care, and a deep sense of purpose to everything she does.

Outside of work, Tammy is happiest outdoors - traveling, camping, hiking, and spending quality time with her family and grandkids. It’s this balance of adventure and connection that fuels her both personally and professionally.

When it comes to platform features, Tammy is a big fan of 

“They’re simple but powerful tools that make meetings more accessible and transparent,” she explains. “Clients love how easy it is to keep their communities informed and engaged.”

We’re thrilled to feature Tammy in this month’s 

. Her journey, resilience, and commitment to excellence reflect the heart of the Diligent Community experience. Stay tuned as we continue to celebrate the remarkable individuals who make our work meaningful.

This month, for our People of Purpose series, we’re excited to highlight a thoughtful and driven member of the Diligent Community team whose energy and leadership bring out the best in those around him.

José “Joey” Fuentes is the Community Implementation Team Lead at Diligent. Since joining just under a year ago, Joey has quickly become known for his collaborative mindset, client-centred focus, and passion for delivering meaningful outcomes. His wide-ranging career, from Systems Engineer to Customer Success and Solutions Consulting, has helped shape his hands-on, people-first approach.

“There’s something really motivating about being part of a team that genuinely cares about making a difference,”

“I get to work alongside some of the most thoughtful and committed people I’ve ever met, folks who are always looking for ways to improve, grow, and better serve our clients.”

For Joey, connecting with clients is one of the most rewarding parts of his role. Whether it’s guiding a new organization through implementation or helping teams uncover new value in the platform, he approaches every interaction with curiosity, care, and purpose.

Outside of work, Joey stays energized through boxing, weightlifting, and carving out time each weekend to reset and recharge with his wife and extended family. He’s also a lifelong learner who fits in podcasts and leadership courses wherever he can, often while on the treadmill.

When it comes to favorite features in Diligent Community, Joey points to the 

. “It’s simple, effective, and makes transparency second nature,” he explains. “Clients love that they can easily share agendas, minutes, and other documents with their communities, without having to think twice. Everything syncs automatically and still feels like their own polished, branded space.”

We’re proud to feature Joey in this month’s People of Purpose. His clarity, care, and strong sense of purpose reflect the spirit of our Diligent Community team. Stay tuned as we continue to celebrate the remarkable individuals behind the Diligent experience.

This month, for our People of Purpose series, we’re proud to feature a leader whose dedication to customer success and passion for public service continues to shine through in everything she does.

Bebe-Lynn Kew is the Manager of Customer Success for the Public Sector, and since the early days of Diligent’s expansion in this space, she’s played a key role in shaping our client experience. Her journey with Diligent began in 2018, following an acquisition that brought her extensive experience in local government SaaS into the fold.

Since then, Bebe-Lynn has grown through several roles, starting as an Implementation Specialist, stepping into leadership, and now managing a cross-functional team that spans Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. With a foundation in training, onboarding, and customer service, she brings a values-driven approach to her work: “I have a passion for customer success and a dedication to doing the right thing.”

When asked what she values most about her role, Bebe-Lynn doesn’t hesitate: “The people. I get to work with the unsung superheroes of our communities, the best-in-class individuals who are truly passionate about the work they do to serve others.” She’s equally inspired by her colleagues: “I’m grateful to work alongside people who are just as passionate about delivering best-in-class service to our customers.”

Outside of the office, Bebe-Lynn is an adventurer at heart. “My family and I love to travel and get outdoors,” she shares. “We spend most summer weekends finding new fishing lakes, camping, and taking every chance, we get to explore new places.”

Her favorite feature in Diligent Community? The 

 functionality. “I love that it publishes a draft version of the minutes and creates the item automatically on the next agenda for me, it’s a game-changer for meeting efficiency.”

Congratulations to Bebe-Lynn for being our June People of Purpose feature. Her commitment to excellence, empathy, and leadership continues to shape the success of our clients and team alike. Stay tuned as we continue to spotlight the remarkable individuals behind the Diligent Community experience.

. Our featured champions are dedicated leaders working in the public sector who have been nominated for their innovation, resilience, dedication and empathy in the face of a complex and ever-changing world.

This month, for our People of Purpose series, we’re thrilled to spotlight one of the dedicated professionals on our Diligent Community team who brings both heart and expertise to her work every day.

Madison Mallon, an Account Manager for Diligent Community, joined the team in September 2024 and has quickly made a strong impression through her thoughtful communication and drive to deliver meaningful results.

“There’s a genuine spirit of collaboration, support, and shared purpose that makes it easy to stay engaged and work hard to best support our clients,” Madison says. Her ability to build trust and provide strategic guidance has helped her create lasting relationships in a short time.

When it comes to platform features, Madison is a fan of the newly redesigned modern homepage. “The clean, polished layout feels like a natural extension of a school’s website,” she shares. “It creates a seamless, intuitive experience that makes engagement easier for everyone involved.”

We’re proud to feature Madison in this month’s People of Purpose. Her thoughtful approach and steady commitment to excellence reflect the values that drive our work every day. Join us in celebrating her contributions - and stay tuned for more stories highlighting the people behind Diligent Community.

This month, for our People of Purpose series, we are excited to highlight a dedicated member of our Diligent Community team who is here to support you.

Gustavo A. Morales, Director of Strategic Onboarding Services, is a leader known for his deep expertise and commitment to driving success.

"My favorite part of working at Diligent is building teams that take full ownership and push to improve," Gustavo shares. "I also love diving into our products and being a go-to SME for my colleagues."

When asked about his favorite feature in Diligent Community, Gustavo points to workflows.  He views it as an underused tool that has the potential to significantly boost efficiency for administrators—especially when fully leveraged.

Congratulations to Gustavo for being featured in the 

 series. His dedication to excellence and passion for helping others make a lasting impact across Diligent and beyond.

Meghan Broddy is a Customer Success Manager, bringing seven years of experience to Diligent. She started in January 2018 on the support team for iCompass before moving into the role of Implementation Specialist for iCompass & Community in 2019. In March 2024, she transitioned to her current role as a Customer Success Manager. 

A fun fact about Meghan, she was the very first implementation specialist for Community when it launched in 2020. She has also played a key role as a subject matter expert for the Livestream Manager product, helping with implementations, troubleshooting, coaching, and technical sales demos.

"One of my favorite things about my job is seeing the impact of our products on our clients," Meghan shares. "I take pride in helping them streamline their processes and automate tasks that cause them stress. I also love building relationships with clients and earning their trust throughout their Diligent journey."

Outside of work, Meghan enjoys escape rooms, horror movies, and spending time with family and her cats. She also dedicates time to volunteering at a local cat shelter in the evenings. "Spending time with animals and helping out at the shelter is something I’m really passionate about," she says.

When it comes to Diligent Community, Meghan’s favorite feature is the Subscribers feature on the public site. "It allows the public to subscribe to notifications when agendas are published, making information more accessible," she explains. "If you already use a subscriber feature and want to utilize Community’s subscriber feature, you can easily import subscribers through a quick upload."

Congratulations to Meghan for being our this month's feature in the People of Purpose series. She truly embodies passion and dedication, consistently striving to help our clients succeed. Join us in celebrating her remarkable contributions and stay tuned for more inspiring stories from our staff.

Diana is a Senior Training Specialist for BoardDocs and Diligent Community, and if you’ve ever had the chance to train with her, you know the dedication and warmth she brings to her work.

"Witnessing the lightbulb moment for a client during a training session is something special," Diana remarks. "It’s rewarding to see someone realize how our software can significantly ease their workload."

When not at work, Diana loves to explore the great outdoors. She finds joy and relaxation in outdoor adventures, whether it's hiking through serene trails or spending time with animals, which she describes as her favorite way to recharge.

Congratulations to Diana for being our first feature in the People of Purpose series. She truly embodies passion and dedication, consistently striving to help our clients succeed. Join us in celebrating her remarkable contributions and stay tuned for more inspiring stories from our staff.

Meet the Diligent People of Purpose

The full Transaction Readiness Report will be available on October 9 at 

https://www.diligent.com/resources/category/diligent-institute.

Organizations are navigating an increasingly unpredictable transaction landscape as economic turbulence, shifting fiscal policy, and global uncertainty redefine what it means to be “deal-ready.” The latest research from Diligent Institute, with partners Wilson Sonsini, NetSuite, CFO Alliance, and the CFO Leadership Council, provides timely insights into how companies are preparing—or struggling—to execute mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, and strategic partnerships in this complex environment.

Almost half (49%) of surveyed organizations are still prioritizing M&A or strategic partnerships as central pillars of their growth strategies—despite economic headwinds. Yet, only a small subset (5%) currently utilize AI-powered tools within their transaction processes, although many leaders view advanced analytics as a future imperative. Alarmingly, just 4% report that their governance, risk, compliance (GRC), and finance systems are fully integrated, exposing substantial gaps in how organizations support transaction execution.

Market volatility is pushing companies to delay deals (49%), heighten due diligence (40%), and overhaul financial modeling (46%). According to our respondents, the top challenges impeding their ability to be transaction-ready include limited resources (56%), economic/geopolitical uncertainty (35%), and a shortage of experienced personnel (28%). Senior executives arecalling for better defined roles, more transaction-savvy staff, improved data quality, and enhanced board communication.

Organizations say they currently favor organic growth (35%) over more aggressive deal activity, but more public companies (46%) say they are still pursuing M&A compared to their private company counterparts (35%), and North American firms lean more toward acquisitions than peers located elsewhere. In today’s risk-averse climate, advanced transaction planning with consultants (51%) and rigorous due diligence (50%) top readiness strategies, followed by internal checklists and secure data rooms.

Technological readiness remains low: Only 20% use secure data rooms, 16% deploy ERP software, and North American companies are nearly twice as likely to employ secure data rooms as their global counterparts. AI’s role is currently mostly auxiliary according to our respondents, limited to speeding up document review and risk flagging. However, leaders expect more widespread adoption soon—helping accelerate diligence and freeing teams for higher-value tasks.

Resource constraints overwhelmingly lead the list of transaction concerns. Private company respondents cite a lack of experienced personnel and awareness of opportunities, while public companies struggle more with regulatory compliance and integration challenges. Across regions and sectors, participants urge more robust governance structures, upgraded technology, and a proactive approach to data management.

Board involvement remains mixed; while 42% of boards actively shape transaction strategy, nearly one-third seek stronger communication and oversight. The CEO leads deal efforts in most cases (77%), followed by CFOs and dedicated transaction teams. Effective best practices center on disciplined due diligence, standardized documentation, cross-functional teams, and rigorous governance frameworks.

Transaction readiness isn’t just about having resources or pursuing deals—it demands an integrated blend of people, processes, and technology. Organizations capable of robust planning, rapid adaptation, and transparent board engagement will seize opportunities over competitors. Investing in technology, continuous learning, and clear governance structures will be pivotal as companies control their own destiny in uncertain times.

Are you equipping your team for transaction success, or are hidden gaps slowing your ability to act when opportunity knocks? The full report, available October 9th, offers a deeper dive into benchmarks and strategies.

Are you ready for the deal? 

This article is featured in our Diligent Minute Newsletter. For more insights like these, delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe

Governance Technology Evolution: Milestones & Shifts

When I first started in the governance technology space twenty years ago, the world was a very different place. Most companies were still governed by the rhythms of paper, pen and marathon meetings. At the time, Sarbanes-Oxley loomed large, reshaping how public companies understood and enforced accountability. Technology in governance was viewed mostly as a way to make board processes more efficient but not fundamentally different.

Back then, the pitch to boards was simple: let technology help you do what you’re already doing, but with less friction and better consistency. The truth was, many directors didn’t believe board service was all that complicated. The role was narrowly defined: hire the CEO, ensure the company’s general wellbeing, and report to shareholders. Risk oversight was barely on the radar, and the idea of technology revolutionizing governance felt, at times, like a solution in search of a problem.

Then came the iPad - both a popular executive holiday gift, and an unexpected inflection point in the governance technology space. Suddenly, directors realized the device could replace the unwieldy board books that weighed down their bags and their schedules. Within months, every governance technology provider rushed to market with an iPad app. Usage soared, but the core proposition for governance software hadn’t yet changed: it was still focused on making board meetings more efficient.

New challenges shift the governance paradigm

Around 2015, another shift occurred when board members found themselves besieged by new and complex challenges: cybersecurity breaches, ESG demands, shareholder activism, and the ever-expanding universe of stakeholder expectations. The job of the board was becoming more about risk oversight. Directors no longer had a passive role, but an active responsibility for scanning the horizon and anticipating what might come next. I started hearing directors say, “I want to see what’s coming around the corner.” That mindset shift was profound, and the focus moved from looking backward to looking forward.

This shift drove the next wave of innovation in 

 We knew that boards needed more than digital board books summarizing old data; they needed better dashboards, tools for smarter decision-making, and real-time insights. At Diligent, it was the spark that sent us down the road to becoming a true GRC (governance, risk, and compliance) platform. We started building a line of sight that stretched from the frontlines of the business straight to the boardroom. The goal was to enable directors to do their jobs, not just track what management had already done.

Then the pandemic hit. In an instant, board meetings couldn’t happen unless they went digital and virtual. Concerns about security lurked, especially with everyone working outside traditional firewalls, but Diligent’s commitment to cloud-based encryption and secure access paid off. Necessity propelled long-overdue adoption, and the world of governance technology leapt forward more in a few months than it had in years.

The arrival of generative AI: Boards as architects of the future

Generative AI & the Future of Board Governance

 brought even more layers of complexity: increased market volatility, heightened geopolitical risks, workforce transformation, and the need to revisit what effective oversight really meant. And then, almost on cue, generative AI burst onto the scene. Directors are now seeing tools that could help them “see around the corner” by generating more nuanced scenarios, calculating risk probabilities and offering creative approaches to opportunity assessment. 

We’re at the beginning of understanding what GenAI will mean for governance. In some ways, it feels eerily familiar - a land grab for new tools and capabilities with uncertainty about risk, bias, privacy, and the limits of automation. My hope is that GenAI does not become a more efficient way to do the same things, but a tool that will transform governance itself. Imagine board members focused more on future scenarios than past performance, empowered to ask better questions, spot emerging threats and trends, and help their companies prepare for the unknown.

Of course, as with any new technology there are some 

 GenAI should be a thought partner, not a decision-maker, and we must guard against the temptation to abdicate judgment and let GenAI do the thinking for us. Bias, data privacy, and intellectual property challenges are real risks we must address, not just acknowledge. Mistakes were made with earlier tech rollouts (social media and recommendation engines among them), and we have the opportunity with GenAI to get it right before the window closes.

Looking back, I’m struck by how much the field has changed - and how much further it still has to go. The first twenty years of governance technology were about digitizing and streamlining current processes. The next twenty years could be about reinventing the job itself: helping boards shift from stewards of the past to architects of the future. Whatever comes next, I remain optimistic - and more than a little curious.

As boards face this new era shaped by AI, risk, and rising stakeholder expectations, preparedness is everything.

 from the Diligent Institute and Corporate Board Member to see how directors can navigate uncertainty, embrace innovation responsibly, and build the boardroom of the future.

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