T H E 1 2 T CEOS ARE HYPER-FOCUSED ON ARMING THEIR WORKFORCE WITH H U N I T THE RIGHT SKILLS TO BUILD RESILIENCE FOR THE LONG-RUN E D N A T I Of all the actions CEOs are taking to build investing in the circular economy could result in O N 21 S G resilience, the top action is to upskill or reskill a net job gain of 24 million jobs by 2030. L O their workforce for the future labour market B A (75%). President & CEO of SoftBank Corp., Investing in the workforce not only allows L C O M Junichi Miyakawa, remarks, “To ensure our CEOs to access new markets and develop new P A C workforce is prepared for the fourth industrial products, but also makes them more resilient. T - A revolution, we are investing directly in educating CEOs are prioritizing workforce education as C C E N young people to be artificial intelligence (AI)-capable a sustainability priority, in turn making them T U R – it is up to companies to act and fill that gap.” more resilient, with 57% of CEOs placing skills E C E development in their top three sustainability O S 22 T CEOs recognize that the markets of the future priorities, and 80% of larger companies doing U D 20 Y require new skillsets focused on sustainability. so. CEO of Crescent Enterprises, Badr Jafar, Krishna Mohan Puvvada, Regional President remarks, “Building resilience is securing the & Business Director, CB India, of Novozymes skills required to address the world’s unforeseen South Asia Pvt. Ltd., suggests, “The skill sets of challenges. The greatest challenge as a CEO tomorrow will be very different. We are already is ensuring that we attract or cultivate the seeing it right in front of us, and it is going to be a right skills to address various challenges and dramatic shift in the workplace.” To contend with uncertainties.” Mohammed Akoojee, Group Chief this shifting environment, CEOs are investing Executive Officer of Imperial and Group Chief in ensuring a just transition, which will lead Operating Officer of DP World Logistics, adds, to a net gain in jobs, alongside environmental “We sometimes forget that the human element improvements, reductions in social inequalities, is necessary. People are the core of business, and and enhancements in job quality. Research connecting with them, nurturing them, ensuring from the International Labor Organization (ILO) that they know a company takes care of them, has shown that implementing the necessary is essential to promoting a strong culture, which measures towards the Paris Agreement and leads to resilience.” Case Study KAIZEN INSTITUTE The Future of the Workforce Kaizen Institute, a consulting firm headquartered Beyond attracting, retaining, and educating in Switzerland, is piloting a four-day work week employees, this initiative contributes to the across its offices in the UK, France, Portugal wellbeing of Kaizen Institute’s workforce by and Spain to increase employee retention and granting employees flexibility. In addition, productivity. As part of this program, employees this program supports the development of can spend their time aiding small startups neighboring small and medium business and that have received investments from Kaizen offers pathways to new potential revenue Institute. Kaizen Institute invests in startups in sources. This innovative program showcases related fields, allowing employees to develop new ways companies can engage with their relevant skills while pursuing creative outlets. workforce and build business resilience. 20. Gallup (2022) Culture Transformation. 21. International Labour Organization (2022) What is Just Transition? 54 22. Defined as companies with greater than 50K employees by headcount. 55