Thought Leadership | Professional Services

Discussion Highlights from Egon Zehnder’s 7th Annual CEO Breakfast at CERAWeek 2018.

The leading professional service firms have a model of leadership that is very relevant for other enterprises in today’s world.

The combination of 3G Capital’s ongoing acquisitions, margin pressure from discounters like Aldi and Lidl and the expectations of activist investors has thrown consumer packaged goods companies in the food space squarely on the defensive. Most have reacted by going into cost-cutting mode, slashing entire layers of marketing and R&D talent from their organizations.

Big businesses are often slow to adapt and innovate, while start-ups struggle to build teams and systems to scale up their businesses. How can firms break this mould? By learning from one another, writes Egon Zehnder’s Catherine Zhu in the Career Doctors section of the South China Morning Post.

Japan Inc. may be shortchanging some key executives. Outside board members in Japan seem to be underpaid, considering that they are now expected to play a central role in the reform of the country's corporate governance.

How can a company be reinvented successfully? Kati Schütte, Global CEO Practice Leader at Egon Zehnder, looks at this question in a case study appearing in the latest Harvard Business manager, the German edition of the Harvard Business Review.

Over the past 15 years, the telco industry has evolved from an infrastructure business to being a critical enabler of digital transformation.

Fund professionals often benefit from so-called “stretch assignments” or projects that take them out of their comfort zone, reports ignites.com.

Quite often, board succession planning consists of a member announcing to the board that he or she plans to retire next year, and the board then gearing up to find a replacement (who typically differs from the retiring director only in being a few years younger).

With Sarbanes-Oxley increasing the responsibilities shouldered by today’s directors, do some individuals have a seat on too many US boards, asks The Boston Globe?

As sustainability gains importance globally and firms adapt their business models accordingly, the Consumer Goods Industry is definitely ahead of the game. A frank and dynamic discussion between leaders from or adjacent to the industry revealed four key insights.

Over the past year Egon Zehnder has conducted an extensive research project involving direct interviews with more than 25 CEOs of major airlines around the world, and with leading industry thinkers. Our findings speak to a new competitive landscape.