C-Suite Perspectives

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, and Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, President of the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board (CED), discuss the federal debt, where it stands today, and what can be done to get it under control. Tune in to find out:

• How has the national public debt risen over time? What have been the main drivers?
• What is the optimal debt-to-GDP ratio?
• What is driving the urgency to reduce the public debt?
• Why have some recent presidents said debt doesn’t matter?
• What fiscal policies will help get the debt under control?
• How long will it take to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio to a responsible level?

Billions around the globe now lack access to banks and other financial institutions—or underutilize and misuse them. In this episode of CEO Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, sits down with Dan Houston, Chairman, President, and CEO of Principal Financial Group, to discuss financial inclusivity. Tune in to find out:

• Why is financial inclusion around the world important?
• What is needed to drive financial inclusion?
• What is the role of the government versus the private sector in alleviating financial insecurity?
• Why is microlending important in developing countries?
• What should people be doing to prepare for retirement?

Will 2023 be the Year of the Marketer? With a recession in the forecast and inflation still near multi-decade highs, brands will need to sharpen their edge to compete for consumers’ limited spending power as they seek to economize.

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, sits down with Ivan Pollard, Leader of The Conference Board Marketing & Communications Center, to discuss the challenges of marketing in a downturn. Tune in to find out:

• How will the economic slowdown affect marketing?
• What have we learned from previous slowdowns that the marketers of today could use?
• What steps should marketers be taking now to ensure growth during recession?
• How can a “growth officer” mindset help to deliver against enhanced revenue expectations?
• How should companies adjust Marketing and Communications investments going into recession?

The Conference Board announced today that the Consumer Confidence Index® declined in January. In this episode of CEO Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, sits down with Dana Peterson, Chief Economist, to discuss consumer confidence and what to expect for the US and global economies. Tune in to find out:

• How did consumers feel for the start of 2023? Are they still worried about a recession?
• What will be the critical drivers of consumer expectations and spending going forward?
• What is the outlook for the global economy in 2023 and 2024?
• Could the US have a “soft landing” and if so, how?
• What should we expect now that China is reopening after nearly three years of strict COVID-19 restrictions?

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, talks with Bob Johansen, Author and Distinguished Fellow at the Institute for the Future (IFTF). They discuss the future of the office. Tune in to find out:

• What is a futurist and what is their main goal?
• Why do we need offices at all?
• How will AI and technology revolutionize the office?
• How has the world changed to be more volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous? And how can leaders adapt?
• How do you think “future back?”
• What are the seven spectrums of choice around the office?

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, and Rebecca Ray, Executive Vice President of Human Capital at The Conference Board, discuss burnout. Reports of burnout among employees are more and more common, but what is it actually? Tune in to find out:

• How can leaders identify burnout in the workplace?
• What impact does worker burnout have on businesses?
• What has caused the uptick in reported symptoms of burnout? Does the rise of remote work and the blurring of work-life boundaries play a part?
• How has the workplace evolved and what role can it play in reducing burnout?
• What can organizations do? And what can individual leaders and managers do?

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, and Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, President of the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board, discuss the main highlights and takeaways from her week at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos. Tune in to find out:

• Is there pessimism about the war in Ukraine and the prospects for the global economy or are attendees also finding reasons for hope?
• What discussions have occurred between China and the US regarding global issues and the economy?
• How is Europe coping with the war in Ukraine? What are people saying about the energy crisis?
• What discussions has the Inflation Reduction Act sparked at Davos? Why does Europe view it as protectionist?
• How is the Chinese delegation discussing Taiwan?  
• India has a large presence at Davos this year. What is the delegation saying and what is the overall assessment of the country amid its economic growth? 

What are CEOs top concerns and priorities when it comes to ESG? In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, talks with Paul Washington, Executive Director of the ESG Center. They discuss the results of the C-Suite Outlook, the flagship survey of The Conference Board, and zoom into the ESG-related findings. Tune in to find out:

• How will the economic slowdown affect ESG-related investments?
• What are CEOs environmental priorities?
• How do CEOs rank their stakeholders?
• What are the most significant ESG-related threats?
• How will the energy transition play out?

In 2023, what’s keeping CEOs up at night? In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, talks with Chief Economist Dana Peterson about the results of our annual C-Suite Outlook survey. How are CEOs thriving amid challenging times? And what are their priorities for the year? Tune in to find out:

• How are CEOs feeling about an economic downturn or recession?
• What are they doing to drive productivity and growth?
• Where does COVID-19 rank on the list of concerns and how does this vary by region?
• Why aren’t CEOs more concerned about infrastructure?
• Why is China so much more concerned than the US about tensions between the two countries?

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO, Steve Odland, talks with Karen Wilson Thissen, General Counsel and Secretary of General Mills. They discuss when and how companies should engage with societal issues, especially as they face increasing pressure from stakeholders to do so. Tune in to find out:

• How can a company decide when to engage in societal issues?
• Who are the constituents or stakeholders that should be considered in the process?
• What role does the Board play?
• What advice should companies consider when implementing this process?