C-Suite Perspectives

This episode of CEO Perspectives is part of the Leadership in Challenging Times series from the Committee for Economic Development (CED), the public policy center of The Conference Board. The series features discussions with the outstanding business leaders who are recipients of CED’s Distinguished Leadership Awards. In this series, business leaders discuss the unprecedented challenges facing the nation and how they are helping chart a path forward for both their companies and communities in which they operate.

In this Leadership in Challenging Times conversation, Thasunda Brown Duckett, President and CEO of TIAA, speaks with Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, President of CED, about advancing economic opportunity, using her role to drive change, solving the retirement crisis, and more. Tune in to find out:

• Duckett is the first female CEO of TIAA and the third-ever Black woman to run a Fortune 500 company. How is she using her unique background and leadership position to advance change?
• 40 percent of all Americans run the risk of running out of money. How is TIAA helping to address the retirement crisis in the US?
• During times of large-scale change and economic uncertainty, what critical leadership principles does Duckett use to help navigate her company?
• What are the fundamental factors that Duckett considers in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion? 

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, Senior Economist Frank Steemers joined The Conference Board President and CEO Steve Odland to explore the state and trajectory of the US labor market. With a recession looming, they introduce our Job Loss Risk Index, a new resource that projects the likelihood of layoffs by industry. Tune in to find out:

• What is the current state of the labor market overall?
• Is hiring likely to continue in 2023 or should we brace for layoffs?
• How can looking at job losses by industry make sense of the dynamics of the impending recession?
• What factors go into predicting the scale of job losses in a particular industry?
• Which industries face the highest risk of layoffs in the months ahead?
• Which industries will be relatively insulated from job losses in this recession?

Like other key economies around the world, the US now appears on the verge of entering recession, yet unemployment remains near historic lows. Will a major spike in job losses dominate the second half of 2023? Or will the real story remain labor shortages?

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, Senior Economist Selcuk Eren joined The Conference Board President and CEO Steve Odland to explore the global labor market outlook for 2023—and beyond. Tune in to find out:

• What’s the big picture for labor markets, employment, and wages in 2023?
• How will slower or negative growth—sparked by monetary policy tightening to cool inflation—impact employment in the year ahead?
• What’s the impact of these trends on productivity growth?
• What’s the state of labor shortages across various economies?
• Are labor shortages primarily a short-term or long-term challenge—and what are the most promising short-term and long-term solutions?

The Conference Board announced that the Consumer Confidence Index® decreased in April. In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO Steve Odland and Dana Peterson, Chief Economist at The Conference Board, sit down to discuss what this means for the US economy. Tune in to find out: 

• How were consumers feeling in April?
• Are they still signaling recession? When is it expected to begin?
• Do consumers believe inflation is getting better or worse? What will help cool it?
• Why is China going to be the biggest driver of growth this year?
• What are central banks doing about stagflation?
• What can we expect from the Fed next week?

This episode of CEO Perspectives is part of the Leadership in Challenging Times series from the Committee for Economic Development (CED), the public policy center of The Conference Board. The series features discussions with the outstanding business leaders who are recipients of CED’s Distinguished Leadership Awards. In this series, business leaders discuss the unprecedented challenges facing the nation and how they are helping chart a path forward for both their companies and communities in which they operate.

In this interview with Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, President of CED, Dr. Lisa Su, Chair and CEO of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), discusses using technology for good, planning for the unpredictable, fostering a culture of innovation in a remote workforce, and more. Tune in to find out:

• What does using technology for good mean for AMD?
• AMD’s revenue has grown from $5 billion to nearly $25 billion since 2014 under Su’s leadership. What did Su initially see in the company when she became CEO?
• How did the pandemic impact the semiconductor industry?
• What leadership principles have guided Su over the past few years amid various global disruptions?

Seven years after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, and three years since it officially left, what impact has Brexit had on both the UK and the EU? In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, and Sara Murray, International Managing Director at The Conference Board, discuss Brexit. Tune in to find out:

• Why did the UK vote to leave the EU?
• What was the impact of Brexit, especially on business and the economy?
• What is the demographic breakdown of those who voted to leave versus stay?
• What is the likelihood of the UK rejoining the EU?
• Has Brexit been fully implemented in the UK? What do they still need to work out?

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank spawned a global ripple effect. But what led to this crisis? Why did the regulations that followed the 2008 financial crisis fail to prevent this from happening? In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, and Paul Washington, Executive Director of the ESG Center, address these issues and more. Tune in to find out:

• What should be done to ensure that this does not happen again?
• Specifically, what regulations or practices need to change?
• Where was the board? What accountability do they have?
• What changes should the board have made in their oversight role?
• Should there be stricter rules regarding the mismatch between long-term investments and commitments?

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, Alfredo Montufar-Helu, Head of The Conference Board China Center, joins CEO and President Steve Odland to discuss China’s evolving view of the world. What are some areas of potential conflict—and cooperation—with the US and rest of the world? Tune in to find out:

• What are China’s economic and geopolitical goals? Are outside fears—over an invasion of Taiwan, collaboration with Russia, theft of IP, and pursuit of economic dominance—aligned with China’s own priorities and self-perception?
• What is China’s view of the West and how has it evolved?
• On what areas do the West and China have agreement? Where do they disagree?
• What are the objectives of China’s Belt & Road 2.0 initiatives around the world—particularly in Africa and South America? Is it mostly about natural resources, geopolitics, or something else?
• Is China’s rise to the world’s largest economy inevitable? When will this occur and what are its ramifications?
• How are the reactions of the US—for instance, economic restriction and the AUKUS agreement—impacting China’s strategies?

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, and Kofi Bruce, Chief Financial Officer of General Mills, discuss the banking crisis, its impact on companies and consumers, and what actions CEOs and CFOs should take to protect against a greater black swan event. Tune in to find out:

• How is the banking crisis impacting companies and small businesses?
• What has been the role of inflation?
• How will the situation likely evolve?
• How is this analogous to 2008-09? How is it different?
• What are some recommendations for executives weathering the storm?
• What industries are most and least vulnerable to the impacts of the crisis?

Gen Z workers are expected to represent nearly a third of the workforce by 2025. And as US job openings continue to reach historic highs, businesses urgently need them in their workforce. But how can businesses attract and hold onto these workers?

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, sits down with Robin Erickson, Vice President of Human Capital at The Conference Board, to discuss the motivations of Gen Z workers. Tune in to find out:

• Why should employers focus on the needs of Gen Z workers?
• What makes this generation unique?
• How can managers retain Gen Z workers amid ongoing labor shortages?
• What are the five things that are essential for Gen Z?
• How can leaders craft in-person interactions in a meaningful way for this group?