C-Suite Perspectives

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO Steve Odland, and Alfredo Montufar-Helu, Head of the China Center for Economics and Business at The Conference Board, discuss China's global infrastructure development strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative. Tune in to find out:

• Are China’s goals for the Belt and Road Initiative more economic or geopolitical in nature?
• Is the debt that developing economies owe to China giving them control and influence over those countries?
• How is China approaching unpaid loans?
• How has the pandemic impacted China’s rate of investment?
• Why hasn’t the project been fulfilling its potential for global economic development?
• What should western nations be doing to counter the influence that China has developed around the world?

The Conference Board announced today that the Consumer Confidence Index® declined in October, with many consumers fearing a recession. As the likelihood of a recession in the US and Europe climbs, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, sits down with Dana Peterson, Chief Economist, to discuss what to expect for the US and global economies. Tune in to find out:

• What can we expect for the global economy? Will there be a global recession?
• Why is China experiencing slow growth, but not a recession?
• How will the labor market impact growth over the next decade?
• When will the US recession start and how long will it last? What do CEOs expect?
• Is there a risk of a financial meltdown in Europe?

Has starting a nonprofit been a dream of yours? In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO Steve Odland talks with Paul Washington, Executive Director of The Conference Board ESG Center, about how to launch a successful nonprofit organization.

Tune in to explore:

• What are the first steps to start a nonprofit organization?
• How can you differentiate yourself from other organizations?
• What challenges might you face?
• How can you develop a vision and purpose?
• How can you make your nonprofit sustainable?

How can business leaders and governments build a resilient and sustainable energy grid? In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO Steve Odland, and George Kirby, CEO of RS Technologies, discuss what technologies are needed and what investments should be prioritized to prepare the grid for the needs of the future. Tune in to find out:

• What is needed to harden the sustainable energy grid?
• Why is disruption important when making tech advances?
• What investments are needed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050?
• How can the investment gap in renewable energy be addressed?
• Is nuclear energy a reliable source of renewable energy?

How are business leaders around the world reacting to the historically complex and precarious combination of challenges facing the global economy? In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO Steve Odland, and Lynn Franco, Director of Economic Indicators and Surveys, discuss the results of The Conference Board CEO Confidence Survey. Tune in to find out:

• What do CEOs think about current economic conditions and what do they expect going forward? Do they anticipate a recession?
• How does CEO confidence vary by region?
• How do these results compare with past recessions?
• Do CEOs expect to reduce their workforce and wages?
• What challenges do CEOs say their companies face?

“Disability doesn't discriminate. You can be any race, you can be any age, you can be any gender. You can be born with a disability or acquire it at some point in your life…So disability needs to come back into the conversation for it to feel truly inclusive.”

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, author Ruth Rathblott sits down with The Conference Board President and CEO Steve Odland to discuss the importance of incorporating disability into conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion.

• How do we expand the conversation around diversity to be fully inclusive?
• What drives people to hide their disabilities?
• We are taught as children not to talk about disability. How can we overcome that deeply ingrained message?
• Why is it important to welcome discussion about our differences?
• What mistakes do companies make around inclusion in the workplace?

From the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 to the disruptions of a once-in-a-century pandemic, the past decade has seen rapid evolution in the US healthcare system. Behind the partisan political controversy, where does American healthcare stand today? What’s working in the system and what isn’t? And are we any closer to a sustainable approach that can both lower costs and improve outcomes?

In this episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board CEO Steve Odland hosts a wide-ranging conversation Steve Messinger, partner at ECG Management Consultants and recognized leader in healthcare consulting. Tune in to explore:

• What is the history behind the US healthcare system and what forces have driven its evolution to the model we have today?
• What has changed since the enactment of the ACA? A decade after passage, how has the landmark bill lived up to its goals on healthcare quality, access, and cost?
• Why is healthcare so expensive in the US, and what areas can be targeted to control costs: Preventative care? Acute care? Prescriptions? The fee-for-service model?
• How has COVID-19 impacted the national landscape of healthcare? What did we learn from the pandemic and what are the implications going forward?
• What can we learn from other countries? What are pros and cons can we take from systems such as those in Canada, the UK, the rest of Europe, and further afield?
• Why is healthcare so difficult to “fix”? Are there any obvious changes to regulations or policy choices that can deliver major benefits at relatively little cost in funds and disruption?

We are at an important inflection point in the war between Russia and Ukraine, with Russia this week announcing referendums in four occupied regions in Ukraine, the mobilization of 300,000 Russian troops, and threatening the use of nuclear weapons. In response, the US just announced new hard-hitting sanctions.

In the latest episode of CEO Perspectives, The Conference Board President and CEO Steve Odland sits down with Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, President of the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board (CED). They discuss what is currently happening in the war between Russia and Ukraine and its global economic and geo-political implications. Tune in to find out:

• How will Russia hold the newly annexed regions given their forced retreat from these areas?
• Why are Kremlin officials claiming that Russia is at war with NATO, not Ukraine? What purpose does this statement serve?
• What is the potential of this conflict becoming nuclear and how does the annexation of these regions increase that likelihood?
• What would the West’s response be to a nuclear attack?
• What does the attack on the Nord Stream pipelines signal?

The Conference Board announced today that the Consumer Confidence Index® increased in September for the second consecutive month. But the likelihood of recessions in the US and across Europe are rising. In this episode of CEO Perspectives, Dana Peterson, Chief Economist, and Lynn Franco, Director of the Indicators program, both from The Conference Board, sit down to discuss what to expect for the US and global economies. Tune in to find out:

• When—not if—a US recession will likely begin, and how long it will last
• Why consumer confidence is increasing despite the likelihood of a recession
• How businesses are managing the pressures of hiring and retaining top talent amid a thriving US labor market and imminent recession
• Why a global recession is not yet a foregone conclusion
• Why a recession is expected in Europe and what may make it worse than initially projected
• Why China is experiencing slow growth, but not a recession

As Canadians recover from an unprecedented trail of destruction left by hurricane Fiona, how can the US business community better understand the important relationship between our two countries?

 Tune in to find out:

• The US and Canada have many similarities—and differences. What are they?
• What are the points of tension between the two countries?
• Why is it important for us to better align on trade?
• What are the best opportunities for the US and Canada to work more closely together?