Communicating Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) to IT Decision Makers and Boards 

By Jason Stein, VP of Cybersecurity, Telarus 

Introduction

As technology rapidly evolves, organizations must be nimbler than ever to adapt to changing security and compliance demands. Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) is now essential for navigating the complexities of cybersecurity, regulatory requirements, and strategic alignment.  

To stay resilient and successful as threats and regulations evolve, IT decision makers, board members, and business leaders all need to understand and apply GRC best practices.

In a recent MetricStream and GRC Report, 51% of respondents said that navigating the complex regulatory landscape 🡥 is among their top challenges in 2025. Meanwhile, 48% of professionals struggle to keep up with today’s sophisticated cybersecurity threats. By proactively addressing GRC considerations, technology advisors can help their clients enhance operational efficiency, strengthen cybersecurity defenses, and foster a culture of compliance and accountability—while also building trust. 

In this post, we explore the importance of GRC and how these principles serve as the cornerstone for effective decision-making, risk mitigation, and regulatory compliance in the dynamic information technology landscape. 

What is GRC? 

GRC is a framework for risk management. By implementing a comprehensive GRC strategy, companies can ensure that IT supports the organization’s business goals, while minimizing risk and ensuring compliance with various industry and government regulations. 

Here is a quick breakdown of each category: 

1. Governance refers to the process of setting strategic objectives, overseeing management decisions, and ensuring accountability within an organization. 
2. Risk Management involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to protect the organization’s assets and reputation. 
3. Compliance pertains to adhering to laws, regulations, and internal policies to prevent legal issues and financial penalties 

How Technology Advisors Can Uncover GRC Opportunities with Key Decision Makers

When it comes to risk management, companies can’t afford any gaps in their strategies. However, GRC is highly resource intensive as it requires access to experts, the right technologies, and a sufficient budget. Above all else, GRC requires time and dedication. Many companies lack the resources to deploy and maintain effective GRC frameworks, leaving them vulnerable to risks or operating with a false sense of security.  

For technology advisors, there is a big opportunity to help organizations navigate GRC complexity and implement cost-effective and reliable policies. At the same time, starting conversations around GRC can open the door for ongoing sales opportunities.  

Let’s explore how to communicate GRC effectively to three critical groups including IT leaders, board members, and business leaders. 

Communicating GRC to IT Decision Makers 

Risk mitigation: Executive teams and boards increasingly expect IT to identify risks, assign potential financial impact, and align them with cyber insurance policies to minimize exposure. However, many organizations are simply unaware of their own internal, external, third-party, and customer risks. Advisors can help IT decision makers understand emerging threats and how they threaten the organization. 

Regulatory compliance: More regulations are coming out every year to help protect personally identifiable information (PII). So far in 2025, many governing bodies have added new regulations and standards with stricter guidelines and fines—especially as AI is becoming more of a priority for companies. While remaining compliant with different regulations is necessary, most IT leaders are just trying to keep the lights on—leaving little time for research. Advisors can add value by helping busy IT leaders track evolving regulations and remain in compliance. 

Governance: Following a framework or roadmap is vital for stability, integrity, and ethical operations, as well as ensuring transparency, accountability and responsible decision-making, which ultimately build trust and safeguard long-term success. In some cases, frameworks are mandatory— such as the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to ensure contractors and subcontractors meet cybersecurity standards. Yet today, only 15% of organizations in the S&P 500 have adopted AI governance 🡥—suggesting companies need to start making this a priority. Ultimately, governance starts and ends with IT.   

💡Quick Tips for Working with IT Decision Makers:   

• Conduct tabletop exercises and outline potential risk scenarios. Simulate how the organization would respond to various incidents like cyberattack and data breaches.
• Suggest vendors that streamline compliance for industry-specific regulations. 
• Look for opportunities to evolve beyond manual workflows and implement real-time reporting, threat detection, and elimination. 

Communicating GRC to the Board of Directors 

Business impact: Boards typically serve one purpose: To ensure the business represents the interests of the company’s shareholders. For this reason, advisors need to approach boards differently than they would IT leaders. The trick is to make them understand that GRC is fundamental for business growth and demonstrate that it provides the stability that businesses need to meet their various objectives—especially as companies continue to invest in digital transformation. It’s important to keep in mind that while boards oversee risk management, they don’t directly handle daily operations.  

Risk awareness: Board members aren’t always technically savvy and may not be responsive to jargon or industry terms. The best approach is to conduct risk assessments in advance with IT leaders and translate the findings into business terms that board members can understand. Many companies are now also putting together GRC committees to advise board members effectively.  

Reporting mechanisms: GRC platforms are a necessity for senior leadership and boards to see where an organization is in regard to each compliance. A GRC platform will house documentation and turn green when ready to pass an audit and turn red when something is out of compliance that needs to be addressed.    

💡Quick Tips for Working with Boards: 

• Avoid technical jargon. Most board members don’t want to hear acronyms. They want to understand the business impact of risk, exposure, and monetary loss. 
• Do your research ahead of time. Come to the table ready to share risk assessments and their potential impact on business objectives.  
• Explain how good governance and risk management isn’t just about compliance. Rather, it’s about enabling growth and long-term success. 

Communicating GRC with Business Leaders 

Governance: General business leaders, or non-technical people, need to understand how GRC supports their projects and goals. Advisors can highlight how governance aids in setting strategic objectives and ensures accountability.  

Risk management: Without context, risk management might seem to be more of a burden or barrier to success. It’s necessary to clarify the process of identifying and mitigating risks and demonstrate how GRC protocols can protect an organization’s assets, reputation, and long-term stability. 

Compliance: Stress the importance of complying with laws, regulations, and internal policies to avoid legal issues and financial repercussions.  Telarus’ suppliers can help them get all of the regulations and requirements ready to pass an audit. 

💡Quick Tips for Working with Business Leaders: 

• Offer proactive solutions to stay ahead of potential risks. 
• Communicate regularly and make GRC a priority.  
• Set realistic expectations. GRC requires time and dedication. Start small and expand your efforts to include additional teams and stakeholders.  

Best Practices for Implementing GRC 

1. Cross-functional collaboration: Encourage collaboration across IT, legal, compliance, and risk management to implement a holistic GRC strategy. 
2. Continuous monitoring: Emphasize the need for ongoing assessment and improvement of GRC processes to keep pace with evolving threats and regulations. 
3. Employee training: Highlight the significance of training employees at all levels on GRC policies, procedures, and the importance of compliance. 

Conclusion 

At the end of the day, GRC is a complex and fast-changing discipline. As an advisor, nobody is expecting you to be an expert. However, you do need to be able to communicate GRC effectively, convince leaders to take action, and point them to the right resources.  

This is where Telarus can be a tremendous asset. We offer a wealth of resources, including expert engineers and an outstanding portfolio of suppliers to guide you and your clients.  

So don’t be afraid to engage with your clients about whether they currently follow a structured framework. Ask hard-hitting questions, like  

• Is governance a priority for your organization?  
• Have all potential risks been identified? 
• Is senior leadership or the board challenging the IT department to quantify risks financially?  
• Are you complying with industry regulations?  
• Are you prepared for upcoming audits?  

Telarus can help you transform GRC conversations from a pain point to a strength and enhance clients’ overall posture. No question is too difficult.  

Ready to learn more about GRC? Watch my recent HITT (High Intensity Technology Training) Episode: AI Governance and Risk Management Strategies