Take on Tomorrow

Quantum computing could revolutionize how we live, and it's fast approaching reality—but is the world ready? 

Quantum computers use the laws of quantum mechanics to solve complex problems in seconds—making them far more powerful than the most advanced supercomputer. The possibilities seem limitless: it could help treat previously incurable diseases, help us make better informed decisions, and completely reinvent our ways of living.  

The impact will be huge. So, how should business leaders navigate this unchartered territory? How can they invest in the right technology? How will workers learn to use it, and what are the benefits–and risks–to society? 

In this episode of Take on Tomorrow, hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Femi Oke talk with Caltech mathematical physicist Spiros Michalakis about the forthcoming quantum revolution and what it could mean for businesses and society, and PwC’s Global Chief AI Engineer Scott Likens weighs in on the business opportunities this new technology could bring.  

No one is untouched by the effects of climate change. That includes businesses of all sizes, which face the mounting risks of nature loss and a warming planet. But these challenges can also reveal opportunities. The transformation, and sometimes complete reinvention, of how a business functions could be just what’s needed to spark the new ways of thinking that will lead to green growth.    

To tackle these issues—and launch Series 3 ofTake on Tomorrow—we’ve recorded an episode live, on the ground, at Climate Week NYC.    

Host Lizzie O’Leary talks with Helen Clarkson, CEO of Climate Group, and Renate de Lange, PwC’s Global Sustainability Markets Leader, to hear how—despite the risks climate change presents—there’s still a huge opportunity to build greener, more successful, and more sustainable businesses that can thrive through the decades ahead.   

Take on Tomorrowis brought to you bystrategy+business,a PwC publication © 2024 PwC.  

Take on Tomorrow, the award-winning podcast from PwC’s management publication, strategy and business, returns on Friday 27 September for Series 3. Join hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Femi Oke and hear some of the brightest minds and boldest thinkers on how they’re tackling the greatest challenges facing the world. Follow Take on Tomorrow so you don’t miss an episode. 

Supply chains are the lifelines of our global economy—quietly connecting and supporting numerous facets of business operations and everyday lives. In Take On Tomorrow’s final Series 2 episode, hosts Lizzie and Ayesha delve into the seismic shifts rattling these critical networks with Darcy MacClaren, Chief Revenue Officer for SAP Digital Supply Chain, and David Wijeratne, a partner with PwC Singapore in the International Growth Practice. Together, they reveal how geopolitical, environmental, and technological forces are creating an urgent imperative for business leaders to “de-risk” and strengthen their supply chains—while also spotlighting the opportunities that exist for those who adeptly navigate this new terrain. 

If cybercrime were a country, it would be the third-largest economy in the world after the US and China, according to the World Economic Forum. In the face of such a substantial and pervasive global challenge, generative AI is emerging as a tool to level the playing field—offering sophisticated capabilities for both cyberattackers and defenders. In this episode ofTake on Tomorrow,Sarah Armstrong-Smith, Microsoft’s Chief Security Advisor in EMEA, is joined by Sean Joyce, PwC’s Global Cybersecurity and Privacy Leader. Together, they spotlight how organizations can leverage GenAI for cyber defense, where policymakers fit in, and what opportunities exist for companies that get cyber resilience right. 

In an increasingly urban world—in which 70% of the global population is predicted to reside in cities by 2050—thoughtful conversations about urban development are essential. How can cities transform to meet the needs of their ever-growing populations, without compromising the health of the planet or the well-being of their residents? In this episode, we’re joined by climatologist Angel Hsu, founder of the Data-Driven EnviroLab research group,to discuss its use of satellites as a way to measure how environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive our cities really are. We’ll also hear from Hazem Galal, Global Leader for Cities and Local Government with PwC Middle East, about smart cities and smart mobility, and what these concepts mean for the future of our urban areas.

The findings from PwC’s Global CEO Survey are out, and they reveal a fascinating dichotomy: while CEOs’ optimism about global economic growth has more than doubled year-on-year, 45% don’t think their company will survive for more than a decade on its current path—a 6% increase from last year. What’s driving CEO anxiety about the long-term viability of their business models? To what extent are global megatrends, like generative AI and climate change, prompting CEOs to make changes? And what strategies can CEOs employ to keep their organizations agile and future-ready? Join special guest host Sarah von Fischer and PwC Global Chair, Bob Moritz, for a live recording from the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, as they dissect the insights from PwC’s latest survey of 4,700 CEOs around the world.

Recorded at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum—an eventconvening leaders from government, business, and civil society to address the state of the world—this episode looks at the escalating global demand for energy and its impact on achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Special guest host Sarah von Fischer from PwC sits down with Rob Turner, Energy Transition Partner for PwC UK, and Ramya Krishnaswamy, Head of Institutional Communities and ESG Initiatives at the World Economic Forum, to discuss the importance of demand-side management to a sustainable future—plus a set of possible business actions that together have the potential to cut global energy demand by more than 30% while saving US$2 trillion per year in the process.

As the capabilities of generative AI rapidly evolve, professionals around the world are watching attentively—and wondering how the technological leap will affect their careers. There is opportunity in this moment, and also some uncertainty. How disruptive will GenAI be to the workforce? Which sectors are likely to see the biggest changes? And what should business leaders be doingnowto harness the potential benefits of GenAI tools for their workers? In our latest episode, hosts Lizzie and Ayesha sit down with Jerry Kaplan, an AI expert and author, and Scott Likens, PwC’s Global AI and Innovation Technology Leader, for a conversation about the cutting edge, where GenAI is shaping the future of work.

Take on Tomorrowis on the move again—recording live in Dubai at COP28 to discuss a core theme at the annual climate change conference: climate technology. Host Lizzie O’Leary sits down with Dr. Yahya Anouti, PwC Middle East’s Sustainability Leader, and Patricia Keating, part of the ventures practice with PwC Middle East, to survey the landscape of climate change solutions and examine the role played by technology—and investment in that technology. Together, the trio spotlights today’s most impactful tools in the fight against climate change, the expansive horizon for innovation, and strategies to rejuvenate climate tech investment, which has plummeted by more than 40%, year-over-year. 

As the world grapples with the realities of climate change, a significant gap has emerged between recognizing necessary actions and implementing them effectively. So what factors are impeding progress—and is there still a way to increase the speed and scale of change? In this episode, hosts Lizzie and Ayesha are joined by Christiana Figueres, chief negotiator of the 2015 Paris Agreement, and Emma Cox, PwC’s Global Climate Leader, to discuss the role of leadership in accelerating the shift from understanding to action, the impact of emerging technologies, and the advantages for businesses that integrate climate mitigation and adaptation into their strategies.

Recorded live at theAPEC CEO Summit, themostinfluential annual gathering of business and political leaders in the Asia-Pacific region, this quick-hit episode taps into the crucial discussions happening at this year’s event. Host Lizzie O’Leary is on-site in San Francisco, where she’s joined by PwC’s Asia-Pacific and China Chair, Raymund Chao, and PwC’s Global Chair, Bob Moritz, to explore the role of the Asia-Pacific region in the global economy. Their conversation steers beyond the surface, offering insightsinto the impact of AI innovation, the global pressure of climate change, and the current challenges of maintaining supply chains.

Business leaders are at a crossroads with generative AI—grappling with its vast potential while untangling intricacies of privacy and trust. Join our hosts Lizzie and Ayesha as they facilitate a rich dialogue with two experts working on the leading edge of AI. Keith Enright, Chief Privacy Officer of Google, sheds light on the complexities of managing privacy in an AI-driven ecosystem. And Mona de Boer, Data and Technology Partner at PwC Netherlands, outlines the AI regulatory landscape and addresses both risks and opportunities facing companies that use GenAI tools.

Today’s CEOs face a daunting dilemma: too many open jobs, and not enough of the right workers to fill them. In this episode, hosts Lizzie and Ayesha are joined by LinkedIn VP Aneesh Raman and PwC’s Global Workforce Leader, Peter Brown, who suggest an innovative solution to workforce gaps: skills-first hiring. By focusing onskillsin addition to employment history and academic credentials, Aneesh and Peter reveal a game-changing approach for businesses of all sizes to identify and utilize their untapped talent—plus practical starting points for implementation.

As the global economy grapples with escalating environmental decline, the imperative to protect our natural world is climbing the agenda for both governments and businesses. In this episode, hosts Lizzie and Ayesha discuss the crucial interactions between nature and business with acclaimed global climate scientist JohanRockströmand PwC’s Daniel O’Brien. Together, they explore the intrinsic and quantifiable importance of nature, offering actions for organizations not only to become nature positive and reverse nature loss, but to foster resilience and create value amid intensifying environmental challenges.

Take on Tomorrowis back, and we’re kicking off the new series by taking listeners behind the scenes at Climate Week NYC. Join PwC’s Global Sustainability Leader, Will Jackson-Moore, for a special on-site recording at the largest annual climate gathering of its kind. This quick-hit episode taps into the buzz on the ground at the event, and digs into what climate actions businesses can take to deliver on commitments—and make the biggest impact.

Today’s tensions vs. tomorrow’s threats: how can CEOs master the balancing act? Find out—and hear the big takeaways from our 2023 CEO Survey. Listen now.

Can you make green by going green? Could incentives be reimagined to align the power of the profit motive with the interests of the planet? Several green initiatives involving trillions of dollars in assets are already reconfiguring capital markets. But can this approach work?

Ayesha and Lizzie are joined by Alison Rose, the CEO of NatWest Group, and Andrew McDowell, a Strategy& partner with PwC Luxembourg, and former vice president of the European Investment Bank. We’ll learn why one of the biggest banks in the UK is prioritizing the fight against climate change, what it means in concrete terms, and what financial institutions around the world can learn from the decision.   

We live in a world of greatly increased mobility—of information, of goods and services, and of the world’s 8 billion people. We move for all sorts of reasons, and that movement can create challenges—but also opportunities. In fact, could a world on the move provide solutions to some of the challenges we face?

This week, hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Ayesha Hazarika talk to Parag Khanna, author of Move, a book that examines current trends shaping migration and its historical precedents, and predicts an increasingly mobile future. Dion Shango, PwC’s territory senior partner for Africa Central and Southern Africa, discusses how those trends are playing out now—and what business should do to adjust and prepare.  

Though the global youth population has grown by 30% in the last 20, the number of young people between the ages of 15 and 24 in the labor force has actually fallen by approximately 12%. Even as many countries face labor shortages, the global picture shows deep youth unemployment and underemployment. How can business help close the gap? And can it do so in a way that gives people the skills to succeed and contribute to economic development in the future? 

Hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Ayesha Hazarika talk with Nadi Albino, from Generation Unlimited, about why upskilling youth is so important for the world, and with Chaitali Mukherjee, the people and organization lead partner with PwC India, about how and why businesses should respond, and what they are already doing in this area.

New technology, from alternative energy sources to digitization to artificial intelligence, is changing how we live, how we work, and how our businesses function. But what happens when those advances move so fast that we can’t keep up? And, if businesses and governments don’t understand the technologies, what happens to society? We talk with Azeem Azhar, entrepreneur, author, and founder of the future-focused podcast and newsletter Exponential View, about this “exponential age”—and the gaps it has created.   

These fast-moving technologies can also create opportunities for business. So, what do CEOs need to understand to be able to harness them? How do businesses use AI and other technologies responsibly, and what’s at risk if they don’t adapt to the pace of change? Annie Veillet, national data and advanced analytics lead partner with PwC Canada, weighs in on the risks and the upsides for business. 

People don’t want to be taken for granted. That’s the message coming from employees around the world, who are finding new confidence and empowerment in the shifting world of work. Their call to employers is to listen, learn, and engage. So, how can businesses and employees find fresh opportunities in this era of new expectations?  And can they find ways to thrive together?  

Hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Ayesha Hazarika speak with Standard Chartered’s group head of human resources, Tanuj Kapilashrami, and the joint global leader for PwC's people and organization practice, Pete Brown, to dig into what workers really want and how today’s leaders can tap into the power of their people for the future. 

If you want less of something, tax it more. That’s what many governments have been trying to do with carbon. But carbon pricing is controversial and difficult to implement technically. So, given the urgency to reduce the use of fossil fuels, reduce emissions and reach more aggressive climate goals, should businesses prepare for an expansion in carbon taxation? Should it be a priority for people who care about climate change?   

Hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Ayesha Hazarika talk with Danae Kyriakopoulou—from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment—about the role this kind of tool can play in the race to net zero, and with Ian Milborrow, a sustainability and climate-change partner with PwC UK, about what business needs to know. 

Stakeholder capitalism is the idea that businesses have a responsibility to groups other than their shareholders. But is that really capitalism? Why are so many businesses embracing this idea? And, given that stakeholders often have conflicting views, can it work in practice?  

Lizzie and Ayesha are joined by Alison Taylor, the director of Ethical Systems at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and Richard Oldfield, PwC’s global markets leader, to discuss what stakeholder capitalism means for businesses and for society. 

The reporting of corporate data matters—and not just to accountants and stock analysts. The way in which companies make progress when dealing with climate change, building more diverse workforces, and complying with regulation has become a differentiating factor. Stakeholders of all kinds are demanding information that is more detailed, more readily measured, and more easily verified. Understanding how reporting builds trust is a key item on leaders’ agendas. 

This week, we get an important download on the power of reporting. We’ll hear from Emmanuel Faber, chair of the International Sustainability Standards Board; Eelco van der Enden, CEO of the Global Reporting Initiative; and Nadja Picard, PwC’s global reporting leader, and listen in on a panel discussion they held at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos. Then, Nadja joins Lizzie and Ayesha to discuss what it all means for society.

There’s an old saying: people overestimate the impact of technology in the short term and underestimate it in the long term. Is that what’s happening with crypto? There’s a lot of news about cryptocurrencies, but are we paying too little attention to the long-term impacts of the underlying technology? 

Joined by Sheila Bair, the former chair of the US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and Vicki Huff Eckert, a retired PwC US partner who served as vice chair for PwC’s US technology, media, and telecommunications sector, we’ll ponder how blockchain, and the cryptocurrencies that exist because of it, could affect financial systems and transform business and society—ready or not. 

From cyber-attacks and supply-chain disruption to hurricanes and pandemics, the list of things that can go wrong for a company is long and it is growing. So how can businesses prepare for the unknown?   

Hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Ayesha Hazarika meet with the former head of the United States’ Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Craig Fugate - inventor of the Waffle House Index, by the way - and PwC UK Crisis and Resilience Partner Bobbie Ramsden-Knowles to discuss how business can help society and organisations be better prepared, before the next disaster strikes. 

The rapid development of the mRNA covid vaccine shows that breakthrough innovation can happen at great pace when needed - so what’s holding us back in other areas? How can the world – and business – deliver transformational new technologies at speed?  

Drawing on lessons from the development of other breakthrough technologies, Chief Operating Officer of Wellcome Leap and former acting director of the United States’ Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Ken Gabriel, talks about the recipe for breakthrough, rather than incremental, innovation.  

He is joined by PwC UK’s Leo Johnson, Head of Disruption & Innovation, to discuss the future of innovation for some of society’s biggest challenges and the crucial issue of trust. 

Data is one of the most valuable and most dangerous things a business can collect. While gathering data helps businesses better understand customers, it also exposes them to concerns about privacy, data security and trust. And if trust is lost, it is very difficult to earn back.  So, does taking privacy seriously make for better business?  

Hosts Lizzie O’Leary and Ayesha Hazarika are joined by Apple’s Chief Privacy Officer Jane Horvath and Pat Moran, Head of Cybersecurity and Incident Response for PwC Ireland (Republic of). We hear the lessons they’ve learned working across high-level cybersecurity and privacy concerns, and why this topic is more important than ever for business leaders.

How can business help solve society’s biggest problems? Take on Tomorrow brings together leading experts from around the globe to figure out what business could and should be doing to tackle the greatest challenges facing the world; from privacy to climate change to crypto. Join hosts Ayesha Hazarika, columnist and senior political advisor in London and Lizzie O’Leary, business journalist in New York, and hear some of the brightest minds and boldest thinkers on how they’re taking on these problems, and how you could too.