The foundation of what is now the Strategic Leadership and Governance Interest Group (IG) began to take shape during the 2009 Strategic Management Society (SMS) term. At that time, Mason Carpenter and Bob Wiseman served as Program Chair and Associate Program Chair, respectively, of what was then the Corporate Strategy and Governance IG. As Mason rotated into the IG Chair position and Bob into the IG Program Chair position, the two began a dialogue with IG members about splitting the IG into two IGs – one focused on Corporate Strategy and the other focused on Strategic Leadership and Corporate Governance – as a way to better serve the membership and facilitate growth of the SMS. A survey of IG membership found support for the idea and an agreeable discussion at the 2010 SMS Annual Conference in Rome did likewise.

As Bob rotated into the Corporate Strategy and Governance IG Chair position in 2011, he formally proposed the amicable split to the SMS Board of Directors and IG members; his proposal was accepted by both. Beginning the following year, the Corporate Strategy and Strategic Leadership and Governance IGs came into existence and debuted as individual program tracks for the 2012 SMS Annual Conference (held in Prague, Czech Republic). Gerry Sanders rotated into the Chair position for the 2012 term – becoming the first official Chair of the Strategic Leadership and Governance IG – and Bob asked then incoming Program Chair Parthiban David to remain in Strategic Leadership and Governance and then Associate Program Chair-elect Don Bergh to take on the Corporate Strategy Program Chair position for the purpose of organizing the two IG tracks for Prague. Karen Schnatterly was appointed to become the Associate Program Chair for Strategic Leadership and Governance while Guoli Chen, Cynthia Devers, and William Judge moved into second-year Rep-at-Large positions for the IG and Ruth Aguilera, Scott Johnson, and Hicheon Kim joined them as first year Reps-at-Large to round out the first official IG leadership group. 

The Strategic Leadership and Governance IG grew steadily after inception – moving from 419 in 2013 to 578 in 2019, constituting 20% of SMS membership at that time. In 2019, a special conference in Las Vegas, Nevada was the first such event sponsored by the IG and an Engagement Officer position was added to the IG officer rotation. The 2021 SMS 41st Annual Conference, held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic, marked the 10th year in which the IG appeared on the SMS Program.