CIO OPINION
The pandemic is a human crisis that disrupted all business plans , but it was not a solo threat .
Mark Raskino , Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner
Six macro factors reshaping business this decade
Executives will continue to grapple with challenges during the 2020s , but from the maelstrom new business opportunities will arise says Mark Raskino at Gartner .
A decade-long boom , generated substantially from inexpensive finance and lower-cost energy , led to structural stresses such as highly leveraged debt , crumbling international alliances and bubble-like asset prices . We were overdue for a reckoning .
The pandemic coincided with and catalysed societal shifts , spurring a strategy reset for many industries . Executive leaders must acknowledge these six changes to reconsider how business will get done .
# 1 Threat of recession
Although the pandemic was the visible impetus for the economic volatility we have seen the last several years , the reality is that the markets were already fragile and precarious .
What we have found , though , is that actions you take now are critical to your success during a downturn and beyond . The most important ? Decisions around the way you allocate resources and invest in growth . Success requires early , decisive action by every function in the organisation to manage spend , secure talent and accelerate digital .
# 2 Systemic mistrust
Even before the events of 2020 , global consumer and citizen trust was at an all-time low . Now , the ripple effects , such as supply chain and talent shortages , and
44 INTELLIGENTCIO MIDDLE EAST www . intelligentcio . com