In a capital constrained environment, some might argue that now is not the time for businesses to be pursuing growth via M&A. Others might posit that the best deals are struck at weak points in the economic cycle. Senior Editor Jacob Ambrose Willson asks Criticaleye Members for their views on executing M&A in 2023 and beyond.
Featuring Commentary From:
Michel Driessen, Senior Partner, Strategy and Transactions, EY
Alastair Mills, Managing Director & Head of European Business Services, H.I.G. Capital
Michael Teixeira, CEO, MVF
Helen Wiseman, Chair, Elixinol Wellness
The OECD estimates that the Russia-Ukraine War will cost the global economy $2.8 trillion over the course of 2022 to 2023. Senior Editor Jacob Ambrose Willson asks a collection of Criticaleye Board Mentors their thoughts on how the conflict is reshaping the world and what it means for business strategy
Featuring Commentary From:
Featuring Commentary From:
Venkataramanan Anantharaman, Chair, Ecom Express
Tim Eggar, Chair, North Sea, Transition Authority
Mary Jo Jacobi, NED, Savannah Resources
Dariusz Kucz, NED, PZ Cussons
Mark Spelman, NED, Buro Happold
Alignment, agility and the right skills in the top team are essential when striving to achieve fast growth. Business leaders tell Emma Carroll how organisations must adapt to the challenges presented by today’s rapidly changing market.
Featuring commentary from:
John Allbrook, Chair, Cellesce & Board Mentor, Criticaleye: If you start generating growth and putting it through your factory, but that factory is not designed to cope with it, then you're going to create issues.
Deborah Frost, CEO, Personal Group: High performance is all about the grind. It’s about having a plan, executing it, reviewing it and holding people to account.
Charles Ostroumoff, Business Development Manager, High-Growth Companies, Criticaleye: The key to delivering on growth is in ensuring alignment on the business plan at Board level.
Titus Wouda-Kuipers, Founder & Chair, Vilosophy: You have to ask whether or not you can deliver the growth within the existing organisation.
Climate change, sustainability and the societal impact of business are now all crucial matters for organisations. Non-executives tell Emma Carroll how they are leading on ESG in the boardroom.
Featuring commentary from:
Tania Cabrera, Relationship Manager, NEDs, Criticaleye: Boards that are clear about their purpose and use it to shape their strategy are one step ahead when it comes to ESG.
Elizabeth Corley, Chair, Impact Investing Institute: It's not a choice of financial performance or ESG performance – the two are increasingly side by side now in terms of investor expectations.
Steven Cooper, Chair, Experian UK: Looking at social mobility, why wouldn’t you open your organisation up the widest possible talent pool for future employees?
Stewart Gilliland, Chair, C&C Group: We're clear that this is absolutely fundamental to our strategy. So, we should get on with the things that are important to us and start measuring them.
Robin R. Sanders, NED, SGI and VGG & Board Mentor, Criticaleye: We brought employees in to share their voice in a session with the Board. It’s been a really useful way to have a two-way dialogue.
This report by EY ITEM Club says the economy can only return to its full potential once the virus has been eliminated, a vaccine has been developed or a mitigating treatment has been shown to significantly reduce the risk from contracting COVID-19.
In a consumer-centric economy like the UK, reluctant consumers will limit the level of economic activity even with a shift to online.
Key points include:
- UK GDP has contracted 11.5 percent in 2020. This is a substantially deeper drop than the 8.0 percent fall anticipated in early June.
- The economy is expected to return to growth in Q3 2020. The substantial fiscal and monetary stimulus that has been enacted by HM Treasury and the Bank of England should provide serious support to activity as restrictions are eased.
- The massive fiscal support that the UK Government is providing to the economy, businesses and jobs means the budget deficit, measured in terms of public sector net borrowing excluding banks (PSNBex), is likely to reach £335bn in 2020/21.