AI Governance Consulting Services

BD Emerson builds AI governance programs that hold up under the EU AI Act, ISO/IEC 42001, and the NIST AI RMF. We inventory your AI systems, classify their risk, and put in place the policies and controls that regulators and customers now expect.
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Definition

Defining AI Governance

AI governance is the set of policies, controls, and accountability structures that determine how your organization builds, buys, and uses AI. The requirements are now written into law: the EU AI Act's obligations for general-purpose AI models have applied since August 2, 2025, its high-risk system rules phase in through August 2026 and August 2027, and the Colorado AI Act took effect June 30, 2026. BD Emerson designs and implements governance programs that meet these requirements, align with the NIST AI RMF, and stand up to ISO/IEC 42001 certification audits.
Services

AI governance consulting for the frameworks now in force

Most clients come to us with a specific obligation: an EU AI Act deadline, a customer requiring ISO/IEC 42001 certification, or a state law like the Colorado AI Act. We scope the engagement to the frameworks that apply to your systems and markets, then build one governance program that satisfies all of them.
ISO 42001
EU AI Act
NIS 2
DORA
AI governance as a service

ISO 42001

ISO/IEC 42001 defines the Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS), the certifiable standard for managing AI risk. BD Emerson implements the AIMS end to end and prepares you for the certification audit, which an accredited certification body performs. Because we do not issue the certificate, our only interest is preparing you to pass.

  • Current AI policy and practice review
  • Creation and implementation of AI management system (AIMS)
  • AI system risk assessment
  • Ethical policy development and implementation
  • Thorough process documentation and testing
  • AI system life cycle evaluation
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EU AI Act

The EU AI Act entered into force on August 1, 2024, and its obligations are now live: prohibited practices since February 2, 2025, general-purpose AI model duties since August 2, 2025, and high-risk system requirements phasing in from August 2, 2026 through August 2027. BD Emerson classifies your systems under the Act and builds the documentation, risk management, and monitoring those deadlines require.

  • Risk-based classification 
  • Quality Management System (QMS) implementation
  • Risk management process creation
  • Data validation and training
  • Technical documentation preparation
  • QMS testing
  • Post-market monitoring and testing
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NIS 2

The NIS 2 Directive sets cybersecurity and incident-reporting requirements for essential and important entities operating in the EU, and its risk management obligations extend to the AI systems those entities run. BD Emerson aligns your security program with NIS 2 so AI-related risks are covered by the same controls.

  • Risk assessment and analysis
  • Incident response planning
  • Business continuity and crisis management
  • Supply chain security
  • Extensive network security 
  • Vulnerability handling and disclosure
  • Security policy creation and implementation

DORA

Another EU regulation, the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) establishes a comprehensive risk and security framework to ensure that banks and other financial institutions can safely rely on digital service providers to maintain market stability. BD Emerson’s consultants will guide your organization through the creation and adoption of an Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) risk management framework that fulfills DORA requirements and takes the requirements of the EU AI Act into account.

  • Creation of DORA and EU AI Act requirement roadmap
  • Inventory of ICT and assets
  • Continuous risk assessment and management
  • Supply chain security and risk management
  • Ongoing ICT monitoring and continuous assessments
  • Accountability and transparency measure implementation

AI governance as a service

In addition to AI governance consulting regarding specific frameworks, BD Emerson offers AI governance as a service, providing clients with on-demand support regarding their AI tools and strategies.

  • Comprehensive AI governance strategy: BD Emerson’s AI governance services can serve your organization in place of an AI governance company, overseeing the implementation and running of a tailored AI governance approach.
  • Post-market monitoring and testing: Our team will perform ongoing testing of AI for human impact, fairness, transparency, and accuracy. We will recommend AI technologies and tools that abide by the highest standard of ethical integrity and security. 
  • AI incident response: In the event of a security incident, BD Emerson assists clients in reporting the event to relevant authorities and maintaining a clear audit trail of conformity assessments and post-market monitoring activities.
Benefits

What AI governance means for your business

01

Enhanced decision-making with informed strategies

Get guidance on how to incorporate AI effectively into business operations while balancing innovation with responsibility.

02

Risk-reward assessment

Evaluate the potential impact of AI initiatives, ensuring decisions are based on comprehensive analysis.

03

Ethical AI deployment

Verify that AI systems align with ethical principles, avoiding bias, discrimination, and other unintended consequences.

04

Effective compliance risk mitigation

Meet EU AI Act and state-law obligations on schedule. Penalties under the Act reach 35 million euros or 7 percent of global revenue.
05

Operational risk mitigation

Identify and mitigate risks related to the misuse of AI, such as data breaches, inaccuracies, or system failures.

06

Strengthened stakeholder relationships

Show regulators, partners, and customers a working AI governance structure with documented policies, owners, and review cycles.
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Put your AI governance program in place before the next deadline

AI regulation now runs on fixed dates, and the next EU AI Act obligations arrive through August 2027. BD Emerson builds and runs AI governance programs that meet them: EU AI Act readiness, ISO/IEC 42001 implementation, and NIST AI RMF alignment, scoped to your systems.
Our Advantage

Why BD Emerson

Reduce AI-related risks

BD Emerson's approach reduces the risks generative AI introduces: exposed data, unreviewed model outputs, and vendors with unclear training practices. We track each regulatory change, including EU AI Act high-risk phase-ins through August 2027, and turn it into specific policy and control updates for your program.

Build trust with stakeholders

Customers and regulators increasingly ask for proof rather than assurances. BD Emerson helps you implement transparent governance practices mapped to ISO/IEC 42001 and the NIST AI RMF, so when a security review or procurement questionnaire asks how you govern AI, you have documented answers.

Scale governance with your AI use

An AI governance program has to fit how your business operates and grows. We size the program to your current AI use, then extend it as you add models, vendors, and use cases, so the framework you stand up this year still works after your next product launch.
Reviews

What our customers say

Great consulting firms for scaling security, compliance, and appsec.

Outstanding partner in Technical and Cyber Due Diligence

Appsec maturity and application hardening.

BD Emerson helped us simplfiy our compliance management.

BD Emerson did such a phenomenal job. What started as privacy support quickly became a full partnership across compliance, engineering, and even business operations. They’re embedded with our team. They understand our product. They move fast. They’re simply invaluable.

Adam Ben Jacobs

CTO @ OneStep GPS

Great consulting firms for scaling security, compliance, and appsec.

Outstanding partner in Technical and Cyber Due Diligence

Appsec maturity and application hardening.

BD Emerson helped us simplfiy our compliance management.

BD Emerson did such a phenomenal job. What started as privacy support quickly became a full partnership across compliance, engineering, and even business operations. They’re embedded with our team. They understand our product. They move fast. They’re simply invaluable.

Adam Ben Jacobs

CTO @ OneStep GPS

We had a hard time finding the right company to partner with in support of our compliance journey. Some vendors sell the idea that they do the work, but then you end up doing everything. The ambiguity is what killed our last project. BD Emerson’s team has such great technical knowledge and understands the standard so well that they made us comfortable with moving fast. This has led to us closing major enterprise customers that were previously out of reach because of security and compliance.

Tom Watkins

CEO @ AMI AssetTrack

Lead an enterprise initiative to overhaul the organization's technology stack from ecommerce, corporate tech, and corporate security.

Supported ISO 42001 exercise and served as internal auditor.

Rubrik's privacy and compliance team began with the backbone of BD Emerson. BD Emerson supported building out the privacy program, GRC (ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP), and the appsec function.

We needed a partner who could move quickly, without sacrificing precision. BD Emerson brought the expertise, structure, and speed we were looking for. Their team became an extension of ours, embedding themselves across the organization, guiding us step by step, and giving us confidence in areas we hadn’t tackled before. The internal audit they conducted was so detailed that even the external auditors called it out. Achieving ISO 27001 with zero nonconformities says everything you need to know about the quality of the partnership.

Walid Souilem

CTO @ FGI Worldwide

We had a hard time finding the right company to partner with in support of our compliance journey. Some vendors sell the idea that they do the work, but then you end up doing everything. The ambiguity is what killed our last project. BD Emerson’s team has such great technical knowledge and understands the standard so well that they made us comfortable with moving fast. This has led to us closing major enterprise customers that were previously out of reach because of security and compliance.

Tom Watkins

CEO @ AMI AssetTrack

Lead an enterprise initiative to overhaul the organization's technology stack from ecommerce, corporate tech, and corporate security.

Supported ISO 42001 exercise and served as internal auditor.

Rubrik's privacy and compliance team began with the backbone of BD Emerson. BD Emerson supported building out the privacy program, GRC (ISO 27001, SOC 2, CMMC, FedRAMP), and the appsec function.

We needed a partner who could move quickly, without sacrificing precision. BD Emerson brought the expertise, structure, and speed we were looking for. Their team became an extension of ours, embedding themselves across the organization, guiding us step by step, and giving us confidence in areas we hadn’t tackled before. The internal audit they conducted was so detailed that even the external auditors called it out. Achieving ISO 27001 with zero nonconformities says everything you need to know about the quality of the partnership.

Walid Souilem

CTO @ FGI Worldwide

BD Emerson didn’t just help us meet our compliance goals; they integrated security and privacy into the core of our operations. I highly recommend BD Emerson to anyone seeking SOC 2 or GDPR compliance, or simply looking to enhance their security team and boost customer trust in their product and services. Their dedication and expertise have been invaluable to our success.

Padraig Reilly

CEO, Boxcore

BD Emerson understood our business requirements and worked side-by-side with us. The policies and controls we developed together not only meet compliance standards but improve how we operate day to day.

Matt Meierdierks

IT Manager, Lincoln Industries

From day one, BD Emerson brought urgency, clarity, and a sharp understanding of what truly matters to our business — earning and keeping customer trust. They went beyond helping us meet compliance requirements; they helped build a foundation for secure, scalable growth. That kind of partnership is rare.

Jason Marker

CEO @ LifeLenz

BD Emerson didn’t just help us pass an audit—they helped us build a sustainable culture of security.

Alexey Indeev

CTO Spare

BD Emerson was essential in helping our company navigate the daunting process of leveling up our security infrastructure. BD Emerson’s impressive expertise and confidence throughout the process helped our team exceed HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 1 standards quickly, distilling what can be an overwhelming process into a streamlined, organized effort. From day one they began adding value and getting us on course. With their help we delivered on a massive security overhaul with both extreme efficiency and thorough attention to details. Because of BD Emerson’s support, we’ve increased our clients’ trust in Titan Intake and the life-changing work it accomplishes for those seeking specialist referrals.

Patrick Bruce

CEO, Titan Intake

BD Emerson didn’t just help us meet our compliance goals; they integrated security and privacy into the core of our operations. I highly recommend BD Emerson to anyone seeking SOC 2 or GDPR compliance, or simply looking to enhance their security team and boost customer trust in their product and services. Their dedication and expertise have been invaluable to our success.

Padraig Reilly

CEO, Boxcore

BD Emerson understood our business requirements and worked side-by-side with us. The policies and controls we developed together not only meet compliance standards but improve how we operate day to day.

Matt Meierdierks

IT Manager, Lincoln Industries

From day one, BD Emerson brought urgency, clarity, and a sharp understanding of what truly matters to our business — earning and keeping customer trust. They went beyond helping us meet compliance requirements; they helped build a foundation for secure, scalable growth. That kind of partnership is rare.

Jason Marker

CEO @ LifeLenz

BD Emerson didn’t just help us pass an audit—they helped us build a sustainable culture of security.

Alexey Indeev

CTO Spare

BD Emerson was essential in helping our company navigate the daunting process of leveling up our security infrastructure. BD Emerson’s impressive expertise and confidence throughout the process helped our team exceed HIPAA and SOC 2 Type 1 standards quickly, distilling what can be an overwhelming process into a streamlined, organized effort. From day one they began adding value and getting us on course. With their help we delivered on a massive security overhaul with both extreme efficiency and thorough attention to details. Because of BD Emerson’s support, we’ve increased our clients’ trust in Titan Intake and the life-changing work it accomplishes for those seeking specialist referrals.

Patrick Bruce

CEO, Titan Intake

Certificates

Our accreditations

At BD Emerson, we believe that our team's extensive certifications not only set us apart but also ensure that we provide the highest level of service to our clients.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does the EU AI Act apply to US companies?

Should we pursue ISO 42001 certification or align with the NIST AI RMF?

What is the difference between AI governance consulting and AI governance as a service?

When do EU AI Act obligations take effect?

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