Built for Change

The past two years have been marked by disruptions on a scale never seen before, and it’s taking a toll on individuals and society as a whole. From “The Great Resignation” to global supply chain disruptions, businesses are grappling with huge shifts in people’s relationships with work and materialism. Each year, the Accenture Interactive team identifies the major emerging trends and challenges that will influence the year ahead. Last year’s trends spoke to how people and businesses needed to chart new territories as the shock of the initial waves of the pandemic subsided. This year, the dominant theme is about the need to respond to changes in all types of relationships – the threads that form the new fabric of life. In this episode, we’ll speak with Mark Curtis, Head of Innovation and Thought Leadership at Accenture Interactive; Martha Cotton, Managing Director and Fjord Global Co-Lead at Accenture Interactive; and Bailey Richardson, Head of Community at Substack. 

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An executive at an energy firm based in Britain receives a call from his boss, asking him to transfer 220,000 euros to a Hungarian vendor. He transfers the money, only to find out later that it wasn’t his actual boss who called him. It was a sophisticated fake of his boss’s real voice. You may have heard of “deepfakes” in the media by now. But what about the underlying technologies that power them, called GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks)? While most people probably associate deepfakes with scams or viral social media videos, there’s enormous potential for using GAN technology in legitimate business applications — from product design, to synthetic data, to art and content creation. But these new technologies also present an abundance of ethical, privacy and security problems. In this episode, we’ll speak with Edy Liongosari, Chief Research Scientist at Accenture Labs; Cristóbal Valenzuela, Co-Founder and C.E.O. at Runway; and David Danks, Professor of Data Science and Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego.

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To thrive in the future, companies must rethink their growth strategies. A select group of companies, that Accenture calls Forerunners, recognize that emerging lifestyle shifts among consumers and investors will impact business in the future. But Forerunners are not just reacting to change. They are taking real steps to seize opportunities. These companies are charting a better course into the future by prioritizing ethical usage of technology, environmental sustainability, human care and more. In this episode, we will speak with: Gianfranco Casati, C.E.O. of Growth Markets at Accenture; Will Griffin, Chief Ethics Officer at Hypergiant; and Barry Swartzberg, C.E.O. at Vitality Group Inc.

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What is the cloud? Sure, it’s a place where photos and files can be stored for quick, easy and affordable access, but do companies understand what’s really possible in the cloud? In this episode, we learn that it can even help a brewery that has been in operation for more than 170 years pour the best possible pint of beer. We will discuss how companies can tap into the potential of the cloud today, so they are well-positioned to take advantage of the new opportunities that the cloud will offer in the future. We will speak with: Karthik Narain, Senior Managing Director and Lead for Accenture Cloud First; Sarah Haywood, Chief Information Officer at the Carlsberg Group; and Zoran Gojkovic, Director of Brewing Science and Technology at the Carlsberg Research Laboratory.

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Business leaders have been under tremendous pressure to deliver financial value to stakeholders, while also committing to sustainability goals. The pandemic only increased the urgency many leaders feel to deliver benefits for all stakeholders. In this episode, we’ll explore how companies with strong “Sustainability DNA” are more likely to deliver financial value and a lasting positive impact for their people, society, and the environment. We’ll speak with: Erik Osmundsen, Former C.E.O. and Former Chairman of the Board of Directors, Norsk Gjenvinning (The NG Group); Peter Lacy, Global Sustainability Services Lead and Chief Responsibility Officer at Accenture; and Dan Harburg, VP, Global Head of Carbon Product and Technology, Indigo Agriculture.

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If there’s one good thing that’s come from the pandemic, it’s this: Scientists and drug manufacturers came together in record time and with a shared purpose to create a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine. In doing so, they set a precedent for medical advancements. So, where do we go from here? In this episode, we’ll talk about how biopharma companies can learn from last year’s disruption and harness what Accenture calls ‘New Science’ to rapidly discover and deliver revolutionary treatments and preparing for in the midst of regulatory and economic shifts. We’ll speak with Chris Gibson, C.E.O. and Co-Founder at Recursion; Stuart Henderson, Global Industry Lead — Life Sciences at Accenture; and David Coman, C.E.O at Science 37.

This week's guests: 

Chris Gibson, C.E.O. and Co-Founder at Recursion

Stuart Henderson, Global Industry Lead — Life Sciences at Accenture

David Coman, C.E.O at Science 37

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The pandemic compelled consumers worldwide to drastically shift their views on what’s important, particularly with the businesses they patronize and the products they use. The majority of consumers are rethinking not only their purchasing habits but also what they prioritize in life, a recent Accenture survey of more than 25,000 consumers in 22 countries showed. How can companies contend with these shifting priorities and turn consumer uncertainty into consumer growth? In this episode, we’ll speak with Kevin Quiring, Managing Director and North America Customer Sales and Service Lead, Accenture Strategy; and Nevine El-Warraky, Managing Director, Accenture Interactive. We’ll also hear candid interviews from consumers about their recent experiences and shifting expectations. 

This week's guests: 

Kevin Quiring, Managing Director and North America Customer Sales and Service Lead, Accenture Strategy

Nevine El-Warraky, Managing Director, Accenture Interactive

Learn more and find the transcript at Accenture.com/BuiltForChange

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In this episode, we ask the question: Where will the future of business take place? Companies are revolutionizing where and how we work, consume and meet up with friends. And the pandemic, which started a worldwide experiment in remote work, has made long-distance collaboration the new normal. We’ll learn how virtual worlds can redefine our sense of place and open up new possibilities for manufacturing, research and commerce. We’ll also explore the radical way business leaders can push decision-making to the “edge” of their organizations to empower global teams. Our hosts Elise Hu and Josh Klein are joined this week by Group Chief Executive - Strategy & Consulting at Accenture, Annette Rippert; Technical Fellow at Microsoft, Alex Kipman; and Co-Chief Executive of Gensler, Andy Cohen. To learn more about this year’s crucial signals of business change, read Accenture’s Business Futures 2021 report.

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After 2020, many organizations faced a new imperative: To lean into technology and optimize business operations for agility, resilience and growth. But while many organizations are making incremental changes to their business operations, they’re not scaling fast enough. Only 7% of businesses are future-ready. How can others catch up? In this episode, Manish Sharma, group chief executive of Accenture Operations, shares his insights. Daragh Sibley, director of data science at Stitch Fix, and Jeffrey Rutherford, C.F.O. of Diebold-Nixdorf, reveal how their two very different companies have become future-ready.

This week's guests: 

Daragh Sibley, director of data science at Stitch Fix

Manish Sharma, group chief executive of Accenture Operations

Jeffrey Rutherford, C.F.O. of Diebold-Nixdorf

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New business realities are fueling powerful opportunities that lie at the intersection of technology and sustainability. Accenture’s European C.E.O. Jean-Marc Ollagnier discusses how these two currents are playing out in Europe as well as the U.S., and explains that companies which are bold enough to attempt this twin transformation will be tomorrow’s leaders. Hosts Elise Hu and Josh Klein explore how UPS and Schneider Electric saw the true opportunity in the marriage of technology and sustainability. Their executives reveal lessons that can guide other business leaders, and which strategies will successfully propel a “Twin Transformation.”

This week's guests: 

Jack Levis, former senior director of process management at UPS

Jean-Marc Ollagnier, European C.E.O. at Accenture

Steve Wilhite, S.V.P. of energy and sustainability services at Schneider Electric

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