Quest

Why the market for new year predictions is broken and how executives can better use forecasts to discern the implications for their companies.

With fact-checking out and community-driven moderation in, Meta is betting big on free speech – but critics warn the move could open the floodgates for disinformation and online harm.

Strategic thinking is key to success. Overcome common excuses and develop the skills to navigate change, drive innovation, and prepare for future business challenges.

In June 2024, at the CocoaCrafters Operating Centre, Elena Fever faced a crucial meeting with the board of directors. The discussion surrounded how to integrate Generative AI (GenAI) into the company’s supply chain strategy to enhance forecasting and simulation while maintaining ethical standards. CocoaCrafters (CC), a global confectionery leader, was renowned for its commitment to sustainable cocoa sourcing. Despite the board’s strong business acumen, they lagged on the digital agenda and for them the only success criterion was a convincing ROI. Elena’s challenges were amplified by the unknowns surrounding GenAI. Since ChatGPT’s debut, she had been urging her team to identify use cases that aligned with CC's strategic priorities and met its ethical commitments. CC’s digital transformation had begun in 2010 and was marked by phases of awareness, strategic adoption, advanced technology integration and a digital-first culture by 2020. CC’s unsuccessful blockchain project underscored the need for careful planning and ethical considerations in adopting new technologies. CC aimed to use GenAI to optimize its supply chain by forecasting cocoa yields, predicting market trends and simulating environmental impacts. However, ethical concerns about labor conditions and data manipulation persisted. Elena considered the HITL-HOTL-HOL framework for human involvement in AI decisions, reflecting on input from FMCG executives and consulting experts. Despite a lack of specific GenAI decision-making frameworks, traditional strategic basic frameworks were emphasized. Elena presented the board with strategic choices: waiting, focused phased use cases, full integration, or strategic partnerships.

When the dotcom bubble burst in March 2000, this did not stop the world from going digital, but it did poke holes in the concept of trust, especially in the digital world. David Goldenberg, a Belgian entrepreneur with extensive experience in management consulting, was confronted daily with the hassles of recruiting when information about candidates could not be validated easily. Research showed that 30% to 50% of CVs contained errors, omissions or outright fraudulent claims. Could trust in the recruitment process be re-created for the benefit of all parties? The initial idea in 2010 was to develop a solution for digitally certified diplomas, and it led to the launch of CVTrust. Through a number of iterations based on feedback from early adopters, including some prestigious European business schools, the solution evolved from Smart Diploma to Smart Certificate and a full suite of fully integrated SaaS addressing the digital certification needs of all certificate-granting institutions. By 2024, CVTrust was forced to revisit its business model, competitive advantages and routes to market for a number of reasons. These included the emergence of open standards, legislation on digital certificates and an increase in digital education in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Was it time to pivot again to remain relevant?

By 2025, Gen Z will shape the workforce. They seek purpose, flexibility, and work-life balance, making startups and large companies adapt to their unique needs.

The note aims to equip leaders with the knowledge and tools necessary to negotiate alliances across and among organizations and institutions from differing sectors: business, government, non-profit, international and academic. It emphasizes the importance of understanding each sector's unique characteristics, agendas and mindsets to forge effective partnerships. The note presents strategies for building successful cross-sector collaborations, such as developing cross-sector intelligence, creating a common language, aligning through shared vision and designing agreements that generate joint value. It emphasizes the importance of building trust through transparency, navigating cultural differences and planning for long-term sustainability. The note highlights the critical importance of cross-sector collaboration skills in modern leadership, stressing the need for leaders to balance diverse interests, create shared value and foster mutual understanding across sector boundaries.

Officially, brands executives continue to display confidence that big luxury will shrug off the 2024 downturn as a cyclical one. They see it as the product of the combined collapse of real estate prices in China and a return to normalcy after the ...

Alex Reinhardt was brought in to turn around a renewable-energy company that had been on the verge of bankruptcy until the German government bailed it out. After he fainted from overwork and burnout and had to take a medical leave, the board appoi...

Global market shifts and turbulence in 2025 mean Chief Financial Officers must take into account inflation, trade tensions and shifting regulations to ensure long-term growth