C-Suite Perspectives

AI agents can access records, initiate actions, and make decisions across multiple systems—but humans need to remain accountable for the consequences. As organizations give agents greater autonomy, leaders need clear boundaries, human oversight, and governance proportionate to the risks involved.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, is joined by Allan Schweyer, Principal Researcher in the Human Capital Center at The Conference Board. They discuss what distinguishes autonomous agents from simpler AI tools and what companies must put in place before deploying them at scale.

Together, th...

Europe's workers may be more prepared for AI-driven change than their employers. While 78% say their organization helped them adapt to recent major change, only 54% are confident it can effectively manage future change—a 24-percentage point gap showing that individual adaptability does not necessarily translate into organizational readiness.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Sara Murray, Managing Director, International at The Conference Board, speaks with Robin Maillard, Researcher in the Human Capital Center Europe at The Conference Board and author of The Reimagined Workplace 2026: Europe. They examine findings from the first European edition of the study, based on su...

Consumer confidence rebounded in October, while CEO confidence moved back into negative territory in the fourth quarter. What do these contrasting readings reveal about the US economic outlook? 

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, The Conference Board's Senior Economist Alex Heil speaks with Associate Economist Allen Li about what consumers and business leaders are seeing beneath the confidence headlines. They discuss persistent concerns about prices and the job market; why consumers are continuing to spend while economizing; the outlook for hiring, wages, and capital investment; and how AI investment, cybersecurity, geopolitical uncertainty, and energy prices ar...

Americans are living longer, transforming retirement security from a question of how much people can save into a more complicated challenge: how to turn those savings into dependable income that will last for the rest of their lives. Even successful savers can find themselves reluctant to spend, uncertain whether their assets must support 10 years of retirement—or 40.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, is joined by Phil Waldeck, Head of US Businesses at Prudential Financial, to examine how longevity, economic uncertainty, and the decline of traditional pensions are re...

Focusing on what's certain can help business leaders make timely decisions. But beneath this ambiguity are five certainties that offer a basis for action: China's rise, the fracturing global economy, protectionism and tariffs, technological transformation, and the end of Pax Americana.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, speaks with Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, global affairs consultant and former President of the Committee for Economic Development—now the CEO Center—about her article The New World Order: Five Certainties Amid Uncertainty, featured in the Foreign Policy Association's book Navigating an A...

AI is advancing so quickly that companies may need to rethink their strategies every nine to 12 months. But keeping pace is not simply a matter of adopting more technology: lasting gains will require companies to redesign business processes, establish clear metrics, build secure common architectures, and treat AI as a CEO-led transformation.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, speaks with John Chambers, former Executive Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, about what business leaders can learn from the internet revolution as they navigate the faster and potentially more...

After two decades of relatively flat US electricity consumption, power demand is growing again as AI, data centers, and advanced manufacturing expand. Solar and battery storage can add capacity relatively quickly and economically—but lengthy development and grid-interconnection processes could prevent new power from coming online fast enough.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, David Young, President of The CEO Center at The Conference Board, speaks with David Zwillinger, CEO of DESRI, about what it will take to meet America's rising demand for reliable, affordable power.

Together, they discuss why solar accounted for 54% of new US...

An established company can be profitable and still lose its place in the future. Avoiding that fate requires treating disruption as an opportunity, preserving what remains valuable, and renewing the organization for the next era.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, David Young, President of The CEO Center at The Conference Board, speaks with George Kurian, CEO of NetApp and a recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Leadership Award, about leading an established technology company through the rise of cloud computing into AI.

Together, they discuss how customer empathy informs strategy, why CEOs must be willing to...

No CEO can personally master every technological, geopolitical, and economic challenge confronting a modern organization. The leadership advantage now comes from building a system that draws on the knowledge of the entire team—and enables the business to keep transforming without depending on one person for every answer.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, speaks with Constantine Alexandrakis, CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates and author of The Catalyst CEO, about why the traditional command-and-control model is no longer enough.

Together, they explore why effective CEOs lead fr...

US salary increase budgets are projected to remain at 3.5% in 2027, unchanged from 2026. But stability in the headline number does not mean the workforce—or the way companies allocate compensation—is standing still.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, speaks with Diana Scott, US Human Capital Center Leader at The Conference Board, about findings from the 41st annual US Salary Increase Budgets 2026–2027 study and what they mean for business and human capital leaders.

Together, they discuss why the average merit budget of 3.1% should reward performance rather than compen...

Strategic errors rarely begin as obviously bad decisions but emerge when a strategy outlives the assumptions on which it was built—and leaders fail to recognize that disruptions or transformations have changed the game.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Sara Murray, Managing Director, International at The Conference Board, speaks with Vincent Giolito, Professor of Strategy and Organization at emlyon business school and Senior Fellow at The Conference Board, about how boards can identify strategic errors before they threaten the future of the company.

They discuss why boards must continually test strategic assumptions, recognize weak si...

US Consumer Confidence fell to 81.9 in September, marking a third consecutive monthly decline. In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, The Conference Board's Eric Lundh and Allen Li examine what is driving greater consumer caution — from financial well-being and inflation concerns to signs of softer discretionary spending. 

They also discuss The Conference Board's latest global economic forecast: how energy disruptions and trade uncertainty are weighing on growth; how AI investment and semiconductor demand are supporting parts of the global economy; and what to expect in the US, Asia, the Gulf region, and Europe through 2027. 

What changes when employees are not only part of a company but its owners? At Graybar, employee ownership has fostered a long-term approach to leadership—one that places trust, resilience, shared accountability, and responsibility to future generations alongside financial performance.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, David Young, President of The CEO Center at The Conference Board, speaks with Kathy Mazzarella, Chairman, President, and CEO of Graybar. Mazzarella reflects on joining the company at 19, rising through roles to become CEO, and the defining experiences that prepared her to lead one of North America's largest employee-owned companies.

Leading a global organization does not mean making every decision yourself. It means creating enough strategic clarity for people to act, understanding the context behind difficult choices, and knowing when to step in—or step back.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, David Young, President of The CEO Center at The Conference Board, is joined by Antoinette Gawin, President and CEO of Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies and a recipient of a 2026 Distinguished Leadership Award, to explore the experiences that shaped her leadership and how she empowers people to act across a complex global organization.

To...

The US has no shortage of people who want careers in health care—or employers eager to hire them. Yet tens of thousands of qualified nursing and medical-school applicants are turned away each year, revealing a constrained pipeline with too few classroom seats, faculty members, and clinical placements to train the workforce the country needs.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, David Young, President of The CEO Center at The Conference Board, is joined by Steve Beard, Chairman and CEO of Covista, to examine why the health care workforce shortage begins long before employers try to fill op...

Few industries have survived as many waves of disruption as music—from vinyl and MTV to streaming, AI, and now virtual artists. The performers who endure do more than react: they anticipate the next curve, reinvent without losing their identity, and keep experimenting before a crisis forces them to change. 

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Sara Murray, Managing Director, International at The Conference Board, is joined by Peter Corijn, Founder and CEO of VUCASTAR Consulting, Senior Fellow at The Conference Board, author, and recording artist under the name Paul Numi, to explore what business leaders can learn from...

Health care systems face a widening capacity challenge: an aging population and rising rates of chronic illness are increasing demand for care, while persistent workforce shortages limit how many patients clinicians can serve. AI could help close that gap—not by replacing health care workers but by reducing administrative burdens, improving workflows, and enabling the existing workforce to deliver more and better care.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, is joined by Erka Amursi, Principal Researcher in the Human Capital Center at The Conference Board, to explore how AI...

Leadership does not get easier—leaders get better at doing hard things. For Kristin Peck, navigating uncertainty requires discipline, a growth mindset, and the mental resilience to move forward without having all the answers.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, David Young, President of The CEO Center of The Conference Board, is joined by Kristin Peck, CEO of Zoetis, to explore how she leads the world's largest animal health company through rapid change.

Together, they discuss how purpose and curiosity have shaped Peck's career, why culture is a competitive advantage, and how Zoetis uses innovation to...

The era of corporate climate pledges is giving way to the harder work of execution. As 2030 deadlines approach and AI drives demand for energy and infrastructure, companies are confronting difficult questions about which emissions they can control, what they can afford, and how their goals may need to evolve.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, is joined by Dr. Andrew Jones, Principal Researcher at the Governance & Sustainability Center of The Conference Board, to examine how companies set climate goals and the progress they are making across scope one...

Reward is moving out of the HR back office and into the heart of business strategy. From improving frontline productivity to navigating AI and pay transparency, decisions about how employees are rewarded increasingly shape organizational performance, workforce trust, and a company's ability to compete.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Sara Murray, Managing Director, International at The Conference Board, is joined by John Beadle, Senior Research Fellow and Corporate Reward and Global Mobility Council Director at The Conference Board, to explore insights from the Future: Reward Europe 2026 event and what they reveal about the changing role of...

A strong culture can help an organization navigate disruption—but the same beliefs and behaviors that drove success in the past can become barriers when the world changes. With AI accelerating uncertainty, how can leaders tell whether their culture is helping their organization adapt or holding it back?

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, is joined by Erka Amursi, Principal Researcher in the Human Capital Center, to explore what makes an organizational culture strong, healthy, adaptable, and consistent, and how leaders can determine where their own culture needs wo...

Could the Federal Reserve raise interest rates in September?

Yelena Shulyatyeva, Senior US Economist for The Conference Board, analyzes Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's latest remarks and discusses with Erik Lundh, Senior Global Economist for The Conference Board, why markets interpreted Warsh's message as increasingly hawkish. Shulyatyeva examines what Warsh revealed about the Fed's approach to inflation, why the speed of progress toward its 2% target matters, and what his comments suggest about the underlying strength of the economy and labor market.

The conversation also explores the market reaction to the speech, the ec...

FNB grew from a small bank into a major regional institution without abandoning the culture, communities, or risk discipline that helped make its expansion possible. In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, David Young, President of The CEO Center at The Conference Board, speaks with Vincent Delie Jr., Chairman, President, and CEO of FNB Corporation and First National Bank, and a 2026 Distinguished Leadership Awards honoree, about the leadership decisions behind that transformation.

Together, they explore how FNB has combined strategic growth with disciplined risk management; why decisiveness, collaboration, and a low-bureaucracy culture create competitive advantage; and how investments...

Consumer confidence edged lower in August as expectations weakened, even as consumers' assessment of current conditions improved. Yelena Shulyatyeva, Senior US Economist, The Conference Board and Allen Li, Associate Economist, The Conference Board examine what the latest data reveal about jobs, inflation, and recession concerns. 

They also preview Jackson Hole and discuss what Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's address could mean for interest rates, Treasury yields, and monetary policy. 

For more from The Conference Board: 

Organizations have long relied on surveys, forecasts, and expert analysis to anticipate future risks and opportunities. Could prediction markets offer business leaders a new—and in some cases more accurate—way to forecast economic conditions, manage risk, and improve decision making?

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, is joined by PJ Tabit, Principal Economic Policy Analyst at The Conference Board's CEO Center, to explore the growing role of prediction markets in business and public policy.

Together, they examine how prediction markets work and why they are gain...

Organizations are racing to prepare their people for AI—but many may already be training them for yesterday's technology. As AI advances, knowing how to prompt a chatbot isn't enough. The bigger challenge is building the business acumen, adaptability, and organizational capabilities employees will need to put AI to work effectively.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Diana Scott, Human Capital Center Leader at The Conference Board, is joined by Matt Rosenbaum, Principal Researcher in the Human Capital Center at The Conference Board, to explore how organizations can build an AI-ready workforce that delivers lasting business value.

Organizations invest heavily in technology and business continuity—but are they investing enough in the resilience of their people? As employee expectations evolve and disruption becomes more frequent, workforce resilience is emerging as a strategic advantage rather than simply a human resources priority.

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Rita Meyerson, Principal Researcher in the Human Capital Center at The Conference Board, is joined by Matt Pierce, CEO of E4E Relief, to discuss how employee relief programs can help organizations build a more resilient workforce.

Together, they examine how employee financial resilience, organizational culture, an...

As the US marks its 250th anniversary, what will it take to strengthen the institutions, leadership, and civic trust needed for the next 250 years?

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, David Young, President of The Conference Board's CEO Center, is joined by former US Senator Joe Manchin to reflect on America's 250th anniversary and the leadership challenges shaping its future.

Together, they explore the importance of bipartisanship, civic trust, and democratic resilience; discuss the growing influence of political polarization and AI; and consider why compromise, accountability, and common sense remain essential to strengthening American democracy...

A super El Niño is forecast to bring more than extreme weather—it could reshape the global economy. From supply chains and insurance markets to commodity prices and infrastructure, how should business leaders prepare before disruption strikes?

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland is joined by Dr. Alex Heil, Senior Economist at The Conference Board, to examine the economic implications of a powerful El Niño event.

Together, they discuss which industries face the greatest exposure, how climate volatility can affect enterprise risk and financial performance, and what practical steps organizations can take...

US consumer spending has been remarkedly resilient. But will consumers' patience run out?  

It's one of the questions on the minds of economists, including Allen Li, Associate Economist at The Conference Board. In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Erik Lundh, Global Senior Economist, The Conference Board talks with Allen about the US Consumer Confidence Index. 

2026 is being called "the year of the carve-out." Why are carve-outs so popular right now, and what makes such deals successful?

Join Steve Odland and guest Steve Sapletal, Principal, U.S. Transaction Strategy Practice Leader, KPMG, US, to learn about how to conduct successful carve-outs, why stranded costs can be an overlooked concern, and why you need a business continuity plan as the carve-out is underway.

For more from The Conference Board:

·         From Strategy to Value: Building a Proactive Approach to Divestment & Carve Outs

·         2026 M&A Summit - San Francisco

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Sara Murray, Managing Director, International at The Conference Board, is joined by Nick Davis, Senior Fellow at The Conference Board, Chief Innovation Officer at Mid-Ohio Food Collective, CEO of Shopsight, and author of Future Ready, to discuss what it takes for organizations to thrive in an era of generative AI, accelerating technological change, and constant disruption. 

Together, they explore what it means to become future ready; examine how leaders can move beyond isolated AI pilots to enterprise-wide transformation; discuss the operating models, leadership capabilities, and organizational cultures needed to adapt at spe...

Every generation has the responsibility to continue the Founding Fathers' vision, says Rep. Brad Schneider.

If the Founding Fathers materialized in 2026, they'd likely worry about polarization and threats to checks and balances, but they'd also be amazed by the breadth of American innovation. How can today's leaders reinvigorate civic values and political courage as we enter America's next 250 years?

Join David Young and guest Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Illinois, to find out why every generation has a responsibility to the republic, why today's environment punishes civility and political courage, and what gives him...

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Barbara Mendes George, sustainability communications expert and guest host, speaks with Edvin Lindgren, Global Circular Economy Lead at Hitachi Energy, about how the company is embedding circular economy principles into its strategy, operations and customer offering.

Together, they explore the shift from a linear value chain to a value cycle; how circularity can create customer value through longer product life, resource efficiency and new service models; and why data, regulation, collaboration and a clear business case are critical to accelerating progress.

More from The Conference Board: 

The E...

In this era of polarization, how can Americans embrace statesmen who find common ground and move the country forward? 

The United States has thrived for 250 years despite constant and evolving political differences. But does today's political and civic environment reward the leadership qualities essential to a robust democracy? 

Join David Young and guest Rep. Don Bacon, R-Nebraska, to explore how the Founding Fathers would react to America

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Sara Murray, Managing Director International at The Conference Board and guest host, speaks with Alejandro Fiorito, Economist at The Conference Board Europe, about the economic impact of the war in Iran and the broader geopolitical forces influencing markets and business. 

Together, they explore the outlook for global growth; the evolving policy response in Europe and beyond; and why resilience, scenario planning, and adaptability are becoming essential capabilities for business leaders. 

More from The Conference Board:  

Board effectiveness is rising, but so are expectations, according to the latest research. 

In 2026, 41% of executives rated their boards as "excellent" or "good," the highest percentage seen by The Conference Board and PwC. What does board effectiveness look like today, and where do boards still need to improve? 

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Barbara Mendes-Jorge, Sustainability Communications Expert and guest host, is joined by Arnaud Marqui, Chief Sustainability and Safety Officer at Tarkett, to explore how the circular economy is transforming business models and helping companies build long-term resilience.  

Together, they discuss Tarkett's circular economy journey, the role of product design and take-back programs in reducing waste, and how business leaders can balance sustainability investments with commercial success while preparing for a more resource-constrained future. 

More from The Conference Board:  

EU Regulatory Outlook: The Way Ahead for 2026 

How are US consumers feeling as summer begins — and what should business leaders know about the growing economic impact of extreme heat?

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Dana M. Peterson, Chief Economist and Leader of the Economy, Strategy & Finance Center at The Conference Board, is joined by Alex Heil, Senior Economist.

They begin by examining the latest US Consumer Confidence Survey, discussing why confidence improved modestly in June, how consumers are thinking about inflation, interest rates, employment, and recession risks, and what those expectations could mean for spending in the months ahead.

In...

Carbon reporting gives you data but isn't a strategy. How do businesses like DuPont put that data into context so they can make better, smarter business decisions? 

Join Steve Odland and guest Scott Collick, chief sustainability officer and vice president of sustainability and regulatory compliance at DuPont. Learn how Collick defines "carbon fluency," why companies should switch from spend-based models to activity-based models, and