OUR BEST IDEAS FOR THE C-SUITE

Happy New Year and welcome to the latest edition of The CEO Shortlist, a biweekly newsletter of our best ideas for the C-suite. This week, with global leaders gearing up for Davos, we’re highlighting two topics shaping executive conversations around the world: how companies can find new growth in emerging markets and how today’s trade agreements are reshaping global business. We appreciate the opportunity to connect and hope you find our perspectives useful and thought provoking. You can reach us at Alex_Panas@McKinsey.com and Becca_Coggins@McKinsey.com. Thank you, as ever.

—Alex and Becca

The upside in unpredictable places. Resilience isn’t just the right response to disruption: It’s becoming essential for growth, too. Emerging markets hold much of the world’s future demand, but winning there requires a playbook for resilience. This year’s report from the Resilience Consortium, drawing on insights from more than 270 private sector leaders, shows that top performers in emerging markets plan for volatility, invest in local capabilities, and build productivity over time. The lesson for CEOs: Growth is there, but it favors companies built for uncertainty, not just stability.

Trade winds are changing. A new wave of regional and bilateral trade agreements is quietly reshaping how and where companies operate. Our latest article on the topic argues that these deals are supplanting multilateral agreements, creating new sets of rules that influence everything from supply chains to market access. Leaders who understand the shifts early can reposition their operations for resilience—and reach new markets before competitors do.

We hope you find these ideas helpful. See you in a couple of weeks with more McKinsey ideas for the CEO and others in the C-suite.

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