Every year, political and business leaders (not to mention the media) make a pilgrimage to Davos, a mountain resort in the eastern side of Switzerland. The town hosts the World Economic Forum, an annual gathering dedicated to discussions of pressing global challenges.
I haven't been there; I just follow the reports.
This year PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC), the global accounting, consulting and research firm, presented the results of a study of CEOs from around the world. PwC has conducted the research for the last 16 years, giving it a perspective on trends in CEO attitudes as the world has grown increasingly digital.
As reported by Jill Goldsmith at Variety, PwC found that:
- 100% of media CEOs "said consumers 'somewhat or significantly' influence their business strategy"
- 75% of media CEOs worry a great deal about shifts in consumer behavior
- 60% of media CEOs are concerned about the (rapid) pace of technological change
All of the figures index well ahead of the average responses by CEOs from other sectors.
Although the reporting focuses somewhat on the stress placed on these media leaders, the figures seemed encouragingly high to me. We really are in the middle of what might turn out to be the most disruptive time in our working lives. It's good that the people talking to PwC are feeling it.
