New global survey by Heidrick & Struggles, BCG, and INSEAD, reveals growing confidence in sustainability governance, but boards and CEOs still lack confidence in each other’s leadership

LONDON, Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII), a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions, has teamed with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, to publish a report exploring how boards are responding to complex trends and disruptions they currently face. Boards and Society: How Boards Are Evolving to Meet Challenges from Sustainability to Geopolitical Volatility reveals boards have made meaningful advances to address sustainability topics, but are less confident when it comes to their understanding of other issues such as the rising importance of generative AI, intensifying trade and geopolitical disruptions. These four interconnected pillars are forcing directors and CEOs to navigate an increasingly unpredictable environment filled with conflicting and often politically charged demands.   

Additionally, the report shows evidence of simmering discord among company leadership on how best to enhance competitiveness amid the challenges they face.

Key Findings from the Boardroom

• 77% of boards believe their company has a responsibility to address sustainability concerns
• 36% feel prepared to leverage the disruptive potential of AI
• 37% believe their company has a sufficient strategy around geopolitical risk
• 29% of directors do not have faith in their CEO to navigate uncertainty
• 26% of CEOs do not have faith in their board’s effectiveness
• Half of respondents are not confident their company is equipped to identify new threats and opportunities related to sustainability, generative AI and geopolitics

The report reveals that 77% of the global board members surveyed believe their company has a responsibility to address societal concerns, although more than half (54%) believe that business objectives should remain the primary focus. In contrast to this enthusiasm around sustainability, only 36% of directors feel prepared to leverage the disruptive potential of AI, while just 37% agree that their companies have sufficient strategies in place to manage geopolitical risks.

These findings highlight an urgent need for greater balance between traditional governance with forward-looking strategies and increased investment in board competency. Despite lower levels of confidence for the prevailing risks and emerging technologies of our time, it is encouraging to note that more than 60% of directors stated that their boards are “leaning in” on risk management, suggesting a desire to tackle these challenges head on, regardless of their complexity.

Lack of Confidence Amid Growing Complexity
In a concerning indication of division within the boardroom, the new report reveals that 29% of directors lack confidence in their CEO’s ability to navigate disruption and boost long-term value. Meanwhile, a comparable number of CEOs (26%) are equally skeptical of their board’s effectiveness, reflecting an increasing tension between top leadership teams grappling with a more complex and diverse range of issues than ever before.

The report also finds that roughly half of directors are not confident their company is equipped to identify new threats and opportunities related to sustainability, generative AI and geopolitics, nor are they able translate them into a competitive advantage. As global business landscapes continue to shift, the ability of boards to stay cohesive, align with leadership, and adapt to new challenges with innovative corporate strategy will be more critical than ever. Effective governance that embraces both foresight and resilience will be key in turning these disruptions into opportunities, allowing businesses not only to survive but to thrive in an increasingly volatile world.

Commenting on the findings, Jeremy Hanson, Partner with Heidrick & Struggles and Co-author of the report, commented: “While it is encouraging that boards are stepping up on sustainability, this year’s survey reveals tensions between directors and management regarding each other’s capacity to navigate disruption. With so much at stake—and an increasing complexity to unpack—alignment between board directors and management isn’t just a best practice; it’s essential for addressing both today’s challenges and those of the future. Importantly, alignment does not mean boards should shy away from constructive debate with management. In fact, fostering open, even difficult, conversations is crucial for boards to reach resilient, well-rounded decisions in today’s demanding environment.”

Sonia Tatar, Executive Director of INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre, said, “Boards today can benefit from moving from being reactive to proactive. Beyond understanding disruptions, they can focus on looking ahead—anticipating future shocks and potential risks and finding ways to capitalize on the emerging trends to leverage opportunities. By translating insights that inform decision-making into strategic actions, they will be better positioned to guide companies in becoming more resilient and navigating change effectively.” 

Also commenting on the report, David Young, Managing Director and Senior Partner of BCG added: “Boards are facing new and increasingly complex challenges, amid geopolitical uncertainty, rapid advances in technology, and continued concerns over the impact of climate change. But boards have made notable progress in tackling sustainability–and now there is opportunity for them to learn from these efforts as they engage in deep conversations with executive leadership to confront this expanding agenda.”

Advertisement

Media Inquiries:
Heidrick & Struggles: [email protected]
BCG: [email protected]
INSEAD: [email protected] 

About Heidrick & Struggles:
Heidrick & Struggles (Nasdaq: HSII) is a premier provider of global leadership advisory and on-demand talent solutions, serving the senior-level talent and consulting needs of the world’s top organizations. In our role as trusted leadership advisors, we partner with our clients to develop future-ready leaders and organizations, bringing together our services and offerings in executive search, diversity and inclusion, leadership assessment and development, organization and team acceleration, culture shaping and on-demand, independent talent solutions. Heidrick & Struggles pioneered the profession of executive search more than 70 years ago. Today, the firm provides integrated talent and human capital solutions to help our clients change the world, one leadership team at a time. For more, please visit www.heidrick.com

About BCG:
Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we work closely with clients to embrace a transformational approach aimed at benefiting all stakeholders—empowering organizations to grow, build sustainable competitive advantage, and drive positive societal impact.

Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives that question the status quo and spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting, technology and design, and corporate and digital ventures. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, fueled by the goal of helping our clients thrive and enabling them to make the world a better place.

About INSEAD:
As one of the world’s leading and largest graduate business schools, INSEAD brings together people, cultures, and ideas to develop responsible leaders who transform business and society. Its research, teaching and partnerships reflect this global perspective and cultural diversity.

With locations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America, INSEAD’s business education and research spans four regions. 159 renowned Faculty members from 41 countries inspire more than 1,500 degree participants annually in the Master in Management, MBA, Global Executive MBA, Specialised Master’s degrees (Executive Master in Finance and Executive Master in Change) and PhD programmes. In addition, more than 18,000 executives participate in INSEAD Executive Education programmes each year. 

INSEAD continues to conduct innovative research and innovate across all programmes. The organisation provides business leaders with the knowledge and awareness to operate anywhere. Its core values drive academic excellence and serve the global community as The Business School for the World. For more information, please visit www.insead.edu.

About INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre:
The INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre (ICGC) has been actively engaged in making a distinctive contribution to the knowledge and practice of corporate governance globally. Its vision is to be the leading center for research, innovation, and impact in corporate governance. Through its educational portfolio and advocacy, the ICGC seeks to build greater trust within the public and stakeholder communities, so that businesses are a powerful force for improvement, not only of economic markets but also for the global societal environment. For more, visit www.insead.edu/centres/corporate-governance.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-boards-show-progress-in-sustainability-but-ai-and-geopolitical-risks-loom-large-reports-heidrick–struggles-302309627.html

Advertisement

• The investment will initially focus on expediting development at existing sites in Navi Mumbai and Ambattur, Chennai, with an additional third site to be added in future.
• The data centres will have a combined capacity of approximately 250MW on completion of all phases.

MUMBAI, India and CHENNAI, India, Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — RMZ, one of the world’s largest family-owned alternative asset owners, and Colt Data Centre Services (Colt DCS), a leading global hyperscale data centre operator, announced a joint venture focused on developing digital infrastructure in the Indian market. The venture represents an equal partnership between RMZ and COLT DCS.

Colt DCS has 25 years of experience developing and operating data centres in Tier 1 markets in Europe, Japan and India. It has recently enjoyed strong growth delivering sustainably designed infrastructure and world-class service for global hyperscale customers. The joint venture will accelerate the delivery of new capacity for their customers in India. RMZ brings 20 years of experience in developing, owning and operating high quality infrastructure in rapidly growing Indian markets. The joint venture will leverage RMZ’s long term relationships with supply chain partners and their Fortune India 500 customers as the company enters the digital infrastructure market.

Commenting on the partnership, Niclas Sanfridsson, CEO of Colt DCS said, “In terms of our expansion India remains a strategic country of focus and key in terms of delivering against our aggressive growth strategy. Colt DCS has a proven track record, working with the world’s largest hyperscale cloud providers and multi-national companies. The partnership with RMZ will provide the opportunity to further accelerate and execute our ambitious plans.”

Commenting on the joint venture, Deepak Chhabria, CEO of RMZ Infrastructure stated, “We are witnessing an extraordinary shift in the data centre landscape, driven by the accelerating demands of cloud adoption and the AI revolution. At RMZ Infrastructure, we recognize that digital infrastructure is not just an investment theme but a cornerstone of India’s economic future. Colt DCS’ proven track record in delivering high-quality, scalable solutions aligns perfectly with our vision for India. Colt DCS commitment to operational excellence and innovation complements our mission to build state-of-the-art facilities that meet the evolving needs of sectors such as banking, financial services, and media. This is our opportunity to shape the future of data infrastructure in India, and we are ready to rise to the challenge.“

About Colt DCS :

Colt DCS provides true service and operational excellence in the sustainable design, build, delivery and operational management of hyperscale data centres across Europe and APAC. They provide data centre solutions to hyperscale and large enterprise customers across 16 state-of-the-art carrier neutral data centres spanning 8 cities.

Their hyperscale and colocation solutions allow their customers the freedom to plan effectively for the growth of their business, knowing that their data centre strategy is ready for the demands of tomorrow.

Colt DCS has over 25 years of experience in the industry, delivering on its vision of being the most trusted and customer-centric data centre operator in the market. They put environmental awareness at the heart of everything they do and have taken ownership to reduce their environmental impact globally and make sustainability a key strategic driver. As part of its sustainability journey, Colt DCS has set comprehensive near and long-term Science-based Targets to cut their emissions in line with the SBTi’s latest Net Zero Standard.

https://www.coltdatacentres.net

About RMZ:

RMZ is one of the world’s largest family-owned alternative asset owners, with a core focus on real estate and infrastructure. As custodians of smart capital, they own and build businesses that set the foundations of a sustainable economy. Their multi-industry scale enables investment in dynamic sectors, geographies, and strategies positioned for long-term growth. Headquartered in India, RMZ specializes in real assets, encompassing premium office, industrial & logistics, hospitality, luxury living, mixed-use developments and data centers.

Advertisement

With over two decades of expertise in alternative asset investment and development, RMZ is renowned for its tailored real asset solutions. As custodians of smart capital, the family-owned firm owns, develops, manages, and invests in businesses that shape the future, setting the foundations for a sustainable global economy. Future infrastructure initiatives will incorporate innovative technologies and solutions, ensuring responsiveness to evolving market demands.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2561612/Colt_DCS_and_RMZ_joint_venture.jpg
Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2388810/Colt_DCS_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/colt-data-centre-services-and-rmz-announce-a-joint-venture-to-invest-1-7-billion-in-the-indian-data-centre-market-302309579.html

LONDON, Nov. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — As world leaders at COP29 in Baku grapple with the challenge of mobilizing USD 1 trillion annually in climate finance, investment migration has emerged as an innovative financing solution for climate-vulnerable nations. This will be a central focus at the upcoming 18^th Global Citizenship Conference in Singapore next week, where government leaders and investment migration experts will explore how citizenship and residence by investment programs can provide immediate, debt-free climate funding for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The Pacific island nation of Nauru last week launched the groundbreaking Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program — the world’s first citizenship program specifically designed to address climate change challenges, reflecting a new financing model for integrating economic development and climate solutions. It represents an emerging trend, whereby countries access private sector funding for urgent climate adaptation projects by offering residence rights or citizenship in return.

Speaking after the program’s launch at COP29 in Baku, H.E. David Adeang, President of the Republic of Nauru, emphasized the transformative potential of investment migration. “It provides small and vulnerable nations like ours with a powerful mechanism to mitigate sustainability risks and enhance climate resilience. Our citizenship program sets a new standard in this regard, channelling investments directly into projects that safeguard our nation’s future and contribute towards safeguarding key global biodiversity hotspots.”

International investment migration advisory firm Henley & Partners was mandated by the Government of Nauru to design, implement, and promote the program. Speaking at COP29, Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, highlighted investment migration’s unique advantage. “The programs offer more than economic benefits. They attract global citizens who are committed to environmental sustainability, thereby fostering a network of advocates invested in the future of vulnerable regions.”

More than 400 delegates from over 50 countries are expected to attend the 18^th annual Global Citizenship Conference, which takes place 27–29 November in Singapore. The Hon. Mohamed Nasheed, Secretary-General of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, representing 70 climate-vulnerable nations, will address the conference and underscored the ethical obligation at hand: “Those with wealth and global mobility are uniquely positioned to act, carrying a duty to future generations to protect the planet. The concept of ‘climate justice’ emphasizes this responsibility, as developing nations — many of which contribute the least to emissions — are often the hardest hit by the impacts of climate change.”

To strengthen its advisory capabilities in this rapidly evolving space, Henley & Partners has  appointed Jean Paul Fabri as its Chief Economist. Fabri brings extensive experience in advising governments on economic development and climate resilience. “For wealthy individuals, investing in climate finance is not just an ethical duty; it’s also a significant economic opportunity. The green economy offers promising avenues for impactful investment, from renewable energy and sustainable agriculture to cutting-edge green technologies.”

Read the full press release here.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/investment-migration-emerges-as-key-climate-finance-solution-at-cop29-302307776.html