On this week’s episode of The Debrief, MT’s editorial team discusses CEOs’ supply chain fears, what a new Trump presidency means for global trade, and how M&S bounced back.

“There is arguably no change of administration in the world that has more of an impact on global trade than [that] in the US,” says Simon Geale, EVP at supply chain consultancy Proxima. So, with Donald Trump having clinched a decisive victory against Kamala Harris, what can business expect from the incoming president? He’s called ‘tariff’ the “most beautiful word in the dictionary”, but will he really implement levies on foreign imports at the level and scale he’s proposed? We bring you the views of the experts.

Marks & Spencer’s 2024 Christmas ad sees a drab lethargic scene metamorphose with the help of a magical snow globe into a sparkly festive extravaganza (all set to the sound of the Jackson Sisters’ ‘I Believe in Miracles’). As a metaphor for the company’s own transformation, it might be overkill – but the retailer has nonetheless undergone an impressive turnaround in the last few years, prompting CEO Stuart Machin to hail back in May “the beginning of a new M&S”. We discuss how the company got here.

Links:

https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/new-trump-presidency-bad-news-global-trade/down-to-business/article/1895394

https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/supply-chain-threats-top-concern-majority-ftse-100-companies/indepth/article/1895514

https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/marks-spencer-its-mojo-back/down-to-business/article/1895852

Credits:

Presenters: Éilis Cronin and Antonia Garrett Peel

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: David Robinson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In September, airBaltic outlined its hope to raise €300 million as it continues to prepare for a potential initial public offering that could take place as early as by the end of the year. The funds would support its ambition to double in size over the next five years.

The outlook for Latvia’s flag carrier hasn’t always looked as promising, however. When CEO Martin Gauss joined the company in 2011, airBaltic was facing significant financial difficulties and the immediate question that confronted him was whether the business should continue at all.

This week's guest on Leadership Lessons, Gauss explains the key decisions that helped get the airline's turnaround on track, how airBaltic has navigated through subsequent crises, and discusses handling criticism in the social media age.

Credits:

Presenter: Antonia Garrett Peel

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: David Robinson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s episode, we hear some reactions to the autumn budget and discuss new research into the best way to mitigate reputational damage in the wake of a cyberattack.

Given the seismic political developments of the past few days in the US, the autumn budget is starting to feel like a long time ago. But business leaders had a lot to say about the measures announced by new Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves when we canvassed opinion last week. We bring you some CEO reactions and discuss why the hike in employers’ National Insurance contributions could impact wages.

Cyberattacks are on the rise and threaten even the best-prepared organisations. Reputational damage can be one of the most significant (if also one of the hardest to quantify) ramifications of a cyberattack. Antonia Garrett Peel discusses new research into why organisations might benefit from adopting a ‘victimhood communication strategy’ in the wake of an attack.

Links:

https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/business-leaders-weigh-autumn-budget/down-to-business/article/1894195

https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/research-claiming-victimhood-wake-cyberattack-minimise-reputational-damage/indepth/article/1894858

Credits:

Presenters: Éilis Cronin and Antonia Garrett Peel

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: David Robinson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Finding a perfect match during an M&A is no easy feat and something that Duncan Clarke, co-founder of Flourish and Head of Europe at Canva, experienced first hand. Having been both the acquired and acquirer, he has discovered what it takes to make a acquisition flourish. On today's episode, he explains why he prioritised shared values and long term vision over immediate financial gains during an acquisition and how he's making sure Flourish 'flourishes' amidst Canva's portfolio of brands.

Credits:

Presenter: Éilis Cronin

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: David Robinson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode of The Debrief, MT’s editorial team discusses whether disinformation is the next critical frontier for business and asks if chatbots are a business critical tool.

‘Fake news’ is a very modern phenomenon. Of course, there has always been spin, slander, and rumours. But the term – which is perhaps most closely associated with one of the most polarising US presidents of modern times – belongs to an era when social media has allowed politically charged falsehoods to spread like never before. However, disinformation is not just a threat in the public sphere; increasingly, businesses are being targeted too. We discuss what drives those propagating bogus claims about companies and how businesses can prepare.

The (chat)bots are coming. Well, technically, they’ve already arrived. We consider their evolution and revisit some of our favourite – and not so favourite – early examples. But can automated assistants really deliver on customer service? How are advances in AI changing the equation? And what happens when you ask a chatbot whether it’s a chatbot? We ponder these questions and more during the episode.

Links:

https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/disinformation-next-critical-frontier-business/indepth/article/1892326

https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/chatbot-invasion-fad-business-critical/indepth/article/1891943

Credits:

Presenters: Claire Warren, Éilis Cronin and Antonia Garrett Peel

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: David Robinson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we meet Gabriel Fernandez, president of confectionery company Mars Wrigley. With experience in both European and Latin America, Fernandez discusses how he's successfully grown the business across both of these diverse markets and how these different cultures have shaped his management style.

As an organisation dedicated to sustainability, Fernandez and I discuss the recent updates to Mars' Sustainable in a Generation progress report and how he has achieved record reduction in carbon emissions in global emerging markets.

Credits:

Presenter: Éilis Cronin

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: David Robinson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode, we discuss why businesses should focus on fewer, clearer goals during a period of transformation and which companies made it onto the gender equity nice list.

According to the Project Management Institute, the global economy bleeds a million dollars every 20 seconds due to ineffective implementation of business strategies. Companies are pouring billions into strategic initiatives aimed at reinventing themselves, only to watch them crumble under the weight of misaligned priorities and diluted focus. Nine out of 10 transformation initiatives fail to meet their objectives on time or are significantly delayed. Johan Grönstedt, chief product officer at Howwe Technologies, explains why business leaders often fail to grasp the true cost of ambition and how taking a “less is more” approach to strategy and transformation results in more engaged, productive, and motivated employees.

While it is likely to take more than 100 years to achieve full gender equality in the workplace, some companies have already set the standard for equality and equity for women in the workplace. We discuss the four companies who, according to the Women in Work Gender Equity Measure Report 2024, have achieved the gold standard on gender equity and the ones who are on their way to joining them.

Links:

https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/successful-business-transformation-requires-ruthless-focus-fewer-clearer-goals/opinion/article/1890879

https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/four-companies-leading-pack-when-comes-gender-equity/indepth/article/1890066

Credits:

Presenters: Claire Warren and Éilis Cronin

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: David Robinson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are some eventualities that are not covered by any job description, as Tim Cadogan found out when he took the reins at GoFundMe in early March 2020 (you know the rest).

This week’s guest on Leadership Lessons, Cadogan told MT how he navigated the challenge of getting to know a new business and team remotely, at the same time as activity on the crowdfunding platform was spiking.

Now, under his leadership, GoFundMe is leaning into the latest technological wave in the service of one of its core aims.

“For nearly all of us, asking for help is psychologically difficult, emotionally difficult, and so we think through every little step in that journey. How can we make this more accessible? How can we make this feel better?”

We talked about the ways in which AI is making the platform more user-friendly, GoFundMe's current strategic priorities and a piece of advice that shifted his perspective.

Credits:

Presenter: Antonia Garrett Peel

Producer: Inga Marsden

Artwork: David Robinson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.