C-Suite Perspectives

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Dana Peterson and Allen Li unpack the latest Consumer Confidence Index® and the surprisingly strong Q3 US GDP report.

US consumer confidence edged lower in December, marking the fifth consecutive monthly decline and ending the year on a cautious note. While confidence improved after the federal government shutdown ended, expectations for the next six months remain weak, at levels that are often associated with rising recession risk.

On the upside, Q3 GDP grew at a 4.3% annualized rate, well above expectations. Strong consumer spending, particularly on services and healthcare, drove much of this. Dana and Allen also discuss how data disruptions from the government shutdown may affect future revisions and what the report could mean for Q4 growth and Federal Reserve policy.

For more from The Conference Board:

• Consumer Confidence Index

• Robust Q3: Finding a Signal in the Noise

Only 33% of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic gets recycled in the US. What are the obstacles, and how can businesses contribute to greater plastics sustainability and circularity?

Join Alex Heil and guest John Galt, chairman and former CEO of Husky Technologies, to learn about designing an extended producer responsibility system, why most microplastics originate in vehicle tires and city dust, and how businesses can reduce "material tourism" to save money and increase sustainability.

For more from The Conference Board:

• Circular Economy and Corporate Sustainability: Emerging Practices

• Sustainability Under Scrutiny: Corporate ESG in an Uncertain Policy Environment

• Effective Sustainability Messaging Should Tap Emotions

What is neuro-symbolic AI, and how can it help businesses generate value in new ways?

If generative AI is a productivity engine, then neuro-symbolic AI promises to be the growth engine that turns data into business value. But what is this technology, and why should C-Suite leaders move quickly to explore its potential?

Join Ivan Pollard and guest Jeff Schumacher, Growth Platforms leader at EY-Parthenon, to find out how neuro-symbolic AI differs from other AI, how it avoids problems of inaccuracy and bias, and what we can learn from "Moneyball."

For more from The Conference Board:

• Is AI Delivering? The ROI on AI

• AI Search and Its Impact on Marketing

• Learning for the Future: Preparing Organizations and Workers for AI Disruption

AI is driving the next wave of corporate reinvention, moving beyond efficiency toward creativity and strategic insight. For business leaders, the question is no longer whether to use AI but how to lead with it.

In conversation with John Metselaar, The Conference Board CEO Steve Odland explores the new frontier of human-machine collaboration. The episode highlights how forward-looking leaders are using AI to improve decisions, fuel creativity, and drive growth.

For more from The Conference Board:

• AI: The Next Transformation

• AI Leadership Summit Event Insights

• How Business Model Coherence Unlocks Value Amid the Digital Transformation

2026 is almost here. Find out what risks CEOs are prioritizing in the year ahead.

CEOs have had to spend much of this year dealing with the fallout from tariffs and a government shutdown, but those challenges are far from resolved. What are the biggest risks CEOs are thinking about as the new year approaches?

Join Steve Odland and guest David Young, president of the Committee for Economic Development, the public policy center of The Conference Board, to find out why tariffs will continue regardless of the Supreme Court decision, the increasing challenge of US fiscal debt and deficits, and how organizations can lean into AI.

For more from The Conference Board:

• Tariff Tracker

• Global Gray Swans Tool

• What Business Leaders Need to Know About Global Trade

Consumer expectations for six months in the future continued to worsen in November, and confidence fell to its second-lowest level this year. Will holiday spending turn the tide on this rising pessimism?

Join Dana M Peterson, Chief Economist and Center Leader of the Economy, Strategy & Finance Center, and Malala Lin, Economic Research Associate, both of The Conference Board, to find out how consumers are approaching holiday shopping this year, whether and how tariffs are factoring into their spending, and why health care costs are increasingly top of mind.

For more from The Conference Board:

• US Consumer Confidence

• Forecast for the US Economy

• Global Economic Outlook

AI is redefining what effective leadership development looks like. Coaching, once limited to the few, can now reach the many, empowering managers and employees alike.

Diana Scott welcomes Allan Schweyer, both of The Conference Board, to discuss how embedding AI coaches into daily workflows is redefining employee development, scaling mentorship, and enabling organizations to cultivate a more agile and emotionally intelligent workforce.

For more from The Conference Board:

• A Coach for Every Worker: Scaling Access and Performance with AI

• Does AI Coaching Work?

• Activating the AI Coach: Effective Implementation Strategies for CHROs

Globalization is being rewritten as geopolitics, trade, and industrial policy collide. Shifting alliances are reshaping markets, supply chains, and the balance of economic power.

In this episode, Steve Odland of The Conference Board, speaks with Maria Demertzis about what these shifts mean for corporate decision-makers. Together, they share how business leaders can adapt to rising uncertainty and build resilience in a fragmented world.

For more from The Conference Board:

• Dutch Government Intervenes on Nexperia, Rewriting Europe's Geoeconomic Playbook

• Europe's Financial Independence Needs Derisking, Not Decoupling

• How Decision-Makers Can Prepare for Fundamental Uncertainty in Today's World

Companies in the S&P 500 are increasingly disclosing AI-related risks. Find out what this means for C-Suite leaders and boards.

More than 70% of the S&P 500 disclosed material AI risks in 2025, up from only 12% in 2023. What are the biggest AI-related risks for these companies, and how can they integrate AI into governance and risk frameworks?

Join Steve Odland and guest Andrew Jones, principal researcher at the Governance & Sustainability Center of The Conference Board, to discover why AI disclosures have soared since 2023, the challenges of divergent regulations in the EU and US, and why AI further complicates cybersecurity.

For more from The Conference Board:

• AI Risk Disclosures in the S&P 500: Reputation, Cybersecurity, and Regulation

• How Should Companies Approach Reputation Building in the AI Era?

• A Coach for Every Worker: Scaling Access and Performance with AI

The modern workplace is being reshaped by a sweeping "whole-of-government" approach to policy, enforcement, and regulation. From diversity and inclusion to AI and immigration, the Administration's actions are influencing how both federal and private employers manage compliance, talent, and organizational risk.

In this episode, Steve Odland speaks with Camille Olson, partner at Seyfarth, about what this evolving landscape means for business leaders. They explore how executive orders, agency directives, and litigation trends are redefining the boundaries between public policy and corporate governance.

For more on this topic:

• To H-1B or Not to H-1B: That Is the Policy Question

• Is ICE Coming for Your Workers?

• No, DEI Is Not Banned: A C-Suite Guide to Navigating the Legal Landscape in 2025

• Workplace Governance Under the Trump Administration (Seyfarth)