Intelligent automation has the potential to improve the day-to-day experiences for employees, C.E.O.s and customers alike. But it’s also essential that businesses embrace a human-centric approach to artificial intelligence and process automation. In this episode, we’ll be discussing the new book “The Automation Advantage” with one of the authors, Bhaskar Ghosh, Chief Strategy Officer at Accenture. “The Automation Advantage” offers a helpful automation road map for businesses, including...

This week’s episode is a special recording of Built for Change at the DealBook Online Summit, which took place on November 9, 2021. Hosts Josh Klein and Elise Hu are joined in conversation by Jack Azagury, U.S. Northeast Market Lead, Accenture; Christie Smith, Global Lead of Talent and Organization/Human Potential, Accenture; and Leena Nair, former Chief Human Resources Officer, Unilever. Sponsor session by Accenture.

The past two years have been marked by disruptions on a scale never seen before, and it’s taking a toll on individuals and society as a whole. From “The Great Resignation” to global supply chain disruptions, businesses are grappling with huge shifts in people’s relationships with work and materialism. Each year, the Accenture Interactive team identifies the major emerging trends and challenges that will influence the year ahead. Last year’s trends spoke to how people and businesses needed to...

An executive at an energy firm based in Britain receives a call from his boss, asking him to transfer 220,000 euros to a Hungarian vendor. He transfers the money, only to find out later that it wasn’t his actual boss who called him. It was a sophisticated fake of his boss’s real voice. You may have heard of “deepfakes” in the media by now. But what about the underlying technologies that power them, called GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks)? While most people probably associate deepfakes...

To thrive in the future, companies must rethink their growth strategies. A select group of companies, that Accenture calls Forerunners, recognize that emerging lifestyle shifts among consumers and investors will impact business in the future. But Forerunners are not just reacting to change. They are taking real steps to seize opportunities. These companies are charting a better course into the future by prioritizing ethical usage of technology, environmental sustainability, human care and...

What is the cloud? Sure, it’s a place where photos and files can be stored for quick, easy and affordable access, but do companies understand what’s really possible in the cloud? In this episode, we learn that it can even help a brewery that has been in operation for more than 170 years pour the best possible pint of beer. We will discuss how companies can tap into the potential of the cloud today, so they are well-positioned to take advantage of the new opportunities that the cloud will...

Business leaders have been under tremendous pressure to deliver financial value to stakeholders, while also committing to sustainability goals. The pandemic only increased the urgency many leaders feel to deliver benefits for all stakeholders. In this episode, we’ll explore how companies with strong “Sustainability DNA” are more likely to deliver financial value and a lasting positive impact for their people, society, and the environment. We’ll speak with: Erik Osmundsen, Former C.E.O. and...

If there’s one good thing that’s come from the pandemic, it’s this: Scientists and drug manufacturers came together in record time and with a shared purpose to create a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine. In doing so, they set a precedent for medical advancements. So, where do we go from here? In this episode, we’ll talk about how biopharma companies can learn from last year’s disruption and harness what Accenture calls ‘New Science’ to rapidly discover and deliver revolutionary treatments...

The pandemic compelled consumers worldwide to drastically shift their views on what’s important, particularly with the businesses they patronize and the products they use. The majority of consumers are rethinking not only their purchasing habits but also what they prioritize in life, a recent Accenture survey of more than 25,000 consumers in 22 countries showed. How can companies contend with these shifting priorities and turn consumer uncertainty into consumer growth? In this episode, we’ll...

In this episode, we ask the question: Where will the future of business take place? Companies are revolutionizing where and how we work, consume and meet up with friends. And the pandemic, which started a worldwide experiment in remote work, has made long-distance collaboration the new normal. We’ll learn how virtual worlds can redefine our sense of place and open up new possibilities for manufacturing, research and commerce. We’ll also explore the radical way business leaders can push...

After 2020, many organizations faced a new imperative: To lean into technology and optimize business operations for agility, resilience and growth. But while many organizations are making incremental changes to their business operations, they’re not scaling fast enough. Only 7% of businesses are future-ready. How can others catch up? In this episode, Manish Sharma, group chief executive of Accenture Operations, shares his insights. Daragh Sibley, C.T.O. of Stitch Fix, and Jeffrey Rutherford,...

New business realities are fueling powerful opportunities that lie at the intersection of technology and sustainability. Accenture’s European C.E.O. Jean-Marc Ollagnier discusses how these two currents are playing out in Europe as well as the U.S., and explains that companies which are bold enough to attempt this twin transformation will be tomorrow’s leaders. Hosts Elise Hu and Josh Klein explore how UPS and Schneider Electric saw the true opportunity in the marriage of technology and...

Can anything erase the historic tension between employers and workers, create trust and leave both parties better off? Groundbreaking new research from Accenture is paving the way for a new paradigm in modern business: Companies that help employees truly thrive, personally as well as professionally, are the ones that will win in the market of the future. While some leaders have long been sympathetic to this idea, the business case was harder to prove — until now. Ellyn Shook, Chief Leadership...

Until 2020, many companies believed they were further along in their digital evolution than they actually were. The pandemic revealed the truth about that technology gap — and also the immense opportunity it presents for organizations willing to change. In this conversation with Dr. Mona Flores, head of medical A.I. at NVIDIA; Port of Rotterdam C.E.O. Allard Castelein and Accenture’s C.T.O. Paul Daugherty, we learn how some enterprises reimagined their systems to leverage technology, say...

User-friendly websites, well-designed billboards, chatbots and customer surveys — these standard customer experience touchpoints have grown so common, consumers are mired in a sea of sameness. How can businesses evolve their strategies to truly stand out? Welcome to what Accenture calls the Business of Experience. In this episode, we’ll meet C.E.O.s who have reoriented their entire organizations to focus on what their customers want, rather than trying to get customers to want their products....

Built for Change, hosted by broadcast journalist Elise Hu and technologist Josh Klein, explores how the global pandemic has not only forced radical changes in business, technology and human behavior, but has created new opportunities for leaders to evolve and ultimately excel in this challenging environment. Through compelling conversations with industry thought leaders, Built for Change dismantles shop-worn assumptions of how to meet customer needs; links a new model of employee well-being...