The Louvre Heist and Your Boardroom: What do priceless jewels and governance have in common?

Are you watching the alarms? Or just waiting for the masterpiece to disappear?

Let’s be honest. Governance isn’t sexy.

It’s the broccoli of business – good for you, essential even, but rarely the stuff of viral posts or boardroom banter. Until, of course, something goes wrong. Spectacularly wrong.

Like the recent Louvre heist.

Yes, that Louvre. The one with the Mona Lisa, centuries of priceless art, and – apparently – a few gaping holes in its security. A gang walked off with historic jewels worth millions. Not in the dead of night. Not with Mission Impossible theatrics. Just… walked out.

And here’s the kicker: Everyone knew the systems were faulty. The alarms didn’t work. The cameras were outdated. The staff had raised concerns. But nothing changed.

Sound familiar?

Complacency: The Silent Killer of Good Governance

The Louvre didn’t lose those jewels overnight. It lost them over years of “we’ll get to it later”. That same complacency creeps into boardrooms. Risk registers gather dust. Audit findings are “noted”. And directors convince themselves that “it’s probably fine”.

Until it’s not.

“We Knew It Was Broken” – But Did Nothing

The museum had alarms that didn’t alarm. Cameras that didn’t record. Systems that didn’t system. Why? Budgets. Bureaucracy. Blind spots. Maybe even ego.

Boards do the same. They know the culture’s off. They sense the strategy’s shaky. They see the warning signs but inertia wins. Governance becomes a checkbox, not a compass.

When It’s Gone, It’s Gone

Those jewels? Irreplaceable. They’d been in the museum’s care for over a century. Now they’re gone – probably forever.

That’s the cost of reactive governance. You don’t just lose money. You lose trust. Reputation. Legacy. And sometimes, the very thing you were meant to protect.

So what’s the point?

Governance isn’t about control. It’s about care.

It’s not the boring stuff you do to tick boxes. It’s the invisible scaffolding that holds up everything that you value – your people, your purpose, your promise.

And like the Louvre, you won’t know how much it mattered until it’s too late.

So, founders, CEOs, board chairs – ask yourself:

What are the “jewels” in your organisation?
Are you really protecting them?
Or are you hoping the alarms will work when it counts?

Because governance isn’t about preventing theft. It’s about preventing regret.

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