Who wants to be a modern CEO?

NOT so long ago, the priorities for the boss of a publicly listed company seemed so much simpler: manage and expand the business effectively enough to earn a decent return for shareholders. This may be an overly rose-tinted view of the past. But such times are gone.

Consider the plates the modern chief executive must keep spinning. As well as dealing with geopolitical uncertainty, mounting government regulation, high inflation and interest rates, there is rising populism, cyberattacks and advances in artificial intelligence. Then there is managing reputation risk – including compliance with arduous governance codes – disclosure requirements and pledges on sustainability.

Hybrid working brings another set of pressures. And keeping staff motivated and loyal is a full-time job in itself – from rewarding and managing scarce talent to bridging the intergenerational divide and deciding when to engage publicly on contentious political and social issues. The pressure is constant to do and say the “right” thing.