Take on Tomorrow

Business leaders are asked to perform the ultimate balancing act. They face pressure to manage their company’s environmental footprint, adjust to the impacts of climate change, and build rewarding experiences for employees and customers, all while continuing to deliver financial performance. So, how do they accomplish that? And what can the business world learn from companies that are already testing new ways to respond to these pressures? In this episode of Take on Tomorrow, hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Femi Oke talk with Charles Conn—venture capital investor, author, and longtime Board Chair of outdoor gear and clothing company Patagonia. They discuss how Patagonia squares its ethical commitments with the need to make money in a highly competitive market, and lessons the company’s learned that can apply to other businesses. They also talk to Colm Kelly, Global Leader, Corporate Sustainability, for the PwC network, about what he hears in boardrooms and how the real-world impacts of the climate transition are prompting change. Take on Tomorrow is brought to you by strategy+business, a PwC publication © 2024 PwC.

The world is full of uncertainties right now. But there’s also opportunity: a chance for reinvention on a global scale, for business and society to work together to create a future that’s inclusive, sustainable, and resilient.To learn more about that vision of the future, Take on Tomorrow is recording live from the APEC CEO Summit—the most influential annual gathering of business and political leaders from the Asia-Pacific rim’s 21 economies—where we’ll unpack some of the crucial discussions happening at this year’s event. PwC’s Sarah von Fischer is on the ground in Lima, Peru, where she’s joined by PwC’s Global Chairman Mohamed Kande, and Sintesa Group’s CEO Shinta Kamdani. The trio discuss the vital role the Asia-Pacific region plays in inclusive global growth, the impact of new technologies, and how to stay resilient in a shifting world.Take on Tomorrow is brought to you by strategy+business, a PwC publication © 2024 PwC.

Consider this: more than half of the companies that were listed on the Fortune 500 in 2003 have since gone bankrupt, been acquired, or otherwise ceased to exist. And the question of survival is just as urgent for businesses today: 45% of respondents in PwC’s most recent Global CEO Survey said their company won’t be viable in ten years if it sticks to its current path. So how do businesses stay ahead of the curve, and make sure they’re still around in 20 years’ time? In this episode of Take on Tomorrow, hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Femi Oke are joined by Daniel Susskind, Research Professor in Economics at King’s College London, Senior Research Associate at Oxford University, and author of Growth: A Reckoning. Together, they look at how innovation and ideas can lay the groundwork for a new way to measure growth. PwC’s Global Business Model Reinvention Leader, Matthew Duffey, also joins the discussion to explain why companies need to innovate—sometimes completely reinventing their business models—if they’re to compete in the late 2020s and beyond. Take on Tomorrow is brought to you by strategy+business, a PwC publication © 2024 PwC.

Food is essential for our health, survival and social well-being. But global food security is facing increased threats. Climate change, global tensions and supply chain disruptions mean our food systems are becoming more precarious. And as the global population grows, demand for food shows no signs of slowing. So, what role can businesses play in reimagining our food systems? And how can they help with the changes that will be required to secure our food supply for generations to come? In this episode of Take on Tomorrow, hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Femi Oke are joined by Rob Cameron, Global Head of Environmental, Social, and Governance Engagement at Nestlé, to find out how the company is working to build more resilient food systems. They also talk to Stuti Sethi, a thought leader with Strategy&, PwC’s global strategy consulting business, about the roles of business and government in strengthening food systems—and why a combined effort is so important for the future of food.