Sunil kumar N G’s Post

𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐬: The Challenge of Sustainability, AI and Geopolitical risks 🌍   Boards today face a delicate balancing act. On one hand, they are stepping up to tackle societal challenges like sustainability. On the other, they are grappling with the disruptive potential of emerging technologies like generative AI and navigating an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape. A recent report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG), INSEAD, and Heidrick & Struggles reveals a mixed picture of progress. 🔑 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: ▪️ 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝: 77% of boards believe they have a responsibility to address societal concerns like sustainability. This reflects growing alignment with stakeholder expectations—but the question remains: is this enough to drive meaningful action? ▪️ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐚𝐩: Only 36% of boards feel equipped to leverage the disruptive potential of generative AI, and just 37% believe their companies have sufficient strategies to manage geopolitical risks. These gaps highlight the urgent need for greater preparedness and forward-looking strategies. 💡 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝: Boards must find a balance between traditional governance and the proactive strategies required to navigate emerging risks. Investing in board competency, scenario planning, and a clear long-term vision will be critical to thriving in an era of rapid change. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/eq8276Zm #CorporateGovernance #BoardLeadership #GenerativeAI #SustainableGrowth #Sustainability

The old assumption that the past informs the future no longer holds true in an era marked by unparalleled speed and deep-rooted uncertainty. Corporations today face an environment that require boards to recalibrate their governance approach. Indeed, our collaborative board research with BCG, Heidrick & Struggles and INSEAD has identified significant challenges in long-term strategic planning. For example, while directors generally recognise trends and potential shifts in areas like sustainability, only 10 percent believe it will impact medium- to long-term financial results. We see a general tendency to underestimate the influence of external trends on the future of organisations. Such trends include generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), factors linked to trade, geopolitical disruptions as well as climate and sustainability.

Strategy In A VUCA World: The Importance Of Coherence And Clarity https://lnkd.in/g2532iaw

“What is the future of the global corporation? Do we need to fundamentally shift strategies and structure?” To remain global, leaders will need to diversify their supply chains, segment and localise their R&D investment and tech stacks, and make difficult decisions about major market positions in exposed geographies. All of that will imply greater cost and complexity than corporations have recently had to manage, and likely more use of joint ventures and partnerships outside of core markets. Senior leaders across the organisation - regional leaders, supply chain and finance, legal and risk - will need to work more closely together on managing these shifts. These challenges as relevant for high-growth and venture-backed groups as they are for existing global corporates. Where should I locate my AI R&D for my European activities? What's the right location in Asia Pacific for my retail tech stack? How do I use partnerships in the Gulf and wider Middle East to create the right market access? I'd add that firms need to work out how they can use technology investment to change the dynamics in their favour, including partnering with high-growth tech ventures. If you're concerned about exposure to supply chains for current EV batteries, working with groups like Lyten with technology less dependent on rare earths can reduce costs as well as supply chain risks, as global makers of EV like Stellantis have found. Interesting and useful insights here from former McKinsey & Company colleagues Andrew Grant, Olivia White, Michael Birshan and Ziad Haider - and thanks to Gordon Orr, Ezra Greenberg, and Drew Erdmann for kicking off the firm's work on geostrategy, back before it was quite as critical as it has become.

Boards are navigating an increasingly complex landscape, balancing sustainability, AI, trade disruptions, and geopolitical volatility. While there’s confidence in addressing sustainability, many boards feel ill-prepared for the challenges posed by generative AI and global instability. This has led to tensions at the top, with CEOs and directors questioning their ability to steer companies through such uncertainty. The key takeaway? Governance needs to evolve to meet these interconnected challenges. Resilience, adaptability, and a stronger alignment between boards and CEOs will be critical to ensuring long-term success in this unpredictable environment. #Governance #BusinessResilience #Geopolitics

Fantastic Article from CIO.com https://lnkd.in/gUjjXUyb Some Key points - In today’s highly competitive and rapidly evolving market, it is no longer sufficient for private equity (PE) firms to rely on traditional, status quo methods to generate value. With the technology roadmap constantly on the brink of reinvention, a fundamental shift is required. - Operational Excellence Gap: According to Accenture, only 8% of mid-sized companies currently achieve optimal levels of operational excellence. This presents a significant opportunity for PE firms to create outsized value by bridging this gap. - Commitment to Modernization: Private equity firms must make long-term financial and organizational commitments to modernize their investment processes, leveraging cutting-edge tools and strategies to remain competitive. - The Differentiation Imperative: To stand out, PE firms must deliver transformational value by adopting innovative approaches that enhance the performance and scalability of their portfolio companies. - Economic Green Shoots: Firms prepared to act on the first signs of recovery will unlock some of the most compelling long-term opportunities, particularly in high-quality, resilient, or emerging sectors. - Embracing Complexity: As businesses become increasingly complex and technology advances at breakneck speed, portfolio companies must not only deploy novel technologies but also incorporate these innovations into their PE fund operations to stay ahead. - Pioneering with Data and AI: A select group of leading PE firms have already recognized the strategic importance of their internal capabilities, using data and AI to optimize processes across portfolio valuation, deal sourcing, and post-deal execution. - Reimagining the Investment Thesis: By analyzing market trends and identifying investment themes through advanced technologies such as large language models, PE firms can fundamentally reshape their investment strategies. - Stealth Assets in Data and AI: Data and AI are critical, underutilized assets that can enable PE firms to create an interconnected ecosystem of insights spanning all their portfolio companies and industries. - Unifying Disparate Data: Infusing data and AI to unify fragmented systems across portfolio companies is not only a key strategy but also a necessity. -Private equity firms possess vast amounts of cross-applicable data that, when harnessed effectively, becomes a goldmine for insights, market signals, and strategic consultation. -Unlocking Potential: When properly deployed, unified data ecosystems and AI-driven insights can revolutionize decision-making and value creation, empowering PE firms to identify opportunities, respond to market shifts in real time, and secure sustainable growth.

Canadian CEOs are gearing up for the future! Read our latest blog post, which gives an overview of the issues discussed at our 'Canadian CEO Insights for the Future: The Reinvention Imperative' event. From AI adoption to tackling climate change, discover how leaders navigate today's business landscape. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gwqjCPCY #CEOInsights #FutureReady #BusinessLeadership Kate Furber, FCPA, FCA Nicolas Marcoux

Strategic foresight is increasingly more important for organizations, including governments. We need to ensure that "Future Ready" is more than just a tag line.

“with today’s backdrop of accelerating technological convergence, the climate crisis and wider societal and systemic shifts, it can feel like one moment of inertia could lead to obsolescence, or even to becoming the next cautionary tale.” = Preaching to the choir here! Thanks Jim Miller for pointing out this terrific article on strategic foresight. I feel so strongly that small business owners should be paying attention to all the changes going on around us - to avoid becoming obsolete! How can you find the bandwidth to be able to pay attention? Make a commitment to setting aside a little bit of time each week to focus on the future and think about how these changes could impact your business (positively or negatively). Need help making the time commitment and getting started? Contact me to learn how I can help :)

Future of tech and digital in Asia outlined in the McKinsey report…