Executive Outlook for Q4, 2025: UK and EU

Seeking opportunities in an evolving market

As we move into the tail end of what has been another challenging year, Rialto analysts bring you our latest quarterly insight into the executive job market, emerging growth areas and risks, and ask what executives should focus on to stay relevant and/or repivot.

We are seeing a very definite shift in the executive market across the globe from legacy functions and sectors to emerging technologies, regions and digital transformation, and big trends of automation and restructuring.

Rialto director Richard Chiumento said: “This is a real tightening of the market which is being reset. We are seeing a tsunami of restructuring announcements. This is not cyclical, it’s structural. I fear many executives and senior leaders have not yet grasped the direction in which we are headed.

“Generative AI, Agentic AI, and fast-evolving Artificial General Intelligence, which will add human-like cognitive capacity to technology, will wipe out and/or disrupt millions of jobs in the next few years. The process is underway already.

“For those who embrace this revolution, the future looks exciting and full of opportunity. For those who feel intimidated by it or are avoidant, it is going to need a new strategy to survive & thrive.”

UK Economic Outlook

The economy flatlined in July, following 0.4% growth in June, a continuing trend of month-by-month volatility.

The ONS attributed the July slowdown to a 0.9% fall in production, particularly in manufacturing, which offset gains in services and construction.

Services such as health, IT, and business support held up well, offering some resilience.

Most forecasters expect modest GDP growth in Q4, but at a slower pace than earlier in the year. The Bank of England and the OECD suggest around 0.1–0.2% through the end of 2025.

Looking to 2026, the Office for Budget Responsibility and IMF suggest the UK will expand by roughly 1% in 2026, weaker than the G7 average, as the effects of higher taxes and slower productivity gains weigh on output. The Resolution Foundation warns that real household disposable income will be squeezed again unless inflation falls faster than expected.

The UK’s goods deficit increased by £3bn to £61.9bn in the three months to July, though exports were beginning to rise again at the end of the period and the UK was saved from the worst of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs chaos.

The Consumer Prices Index rose by 4.1% in the 12 months to August 2025, down from 4.2% in the 12 months to July but still twice the Bank of England target.

Interest rates remained unchanged at 4%, remaining cautious until inflation falls, but two of the nine Monetary Policy Committee members voted for a 0.25% cut.

This all adds to the fiscal bind Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces, as debt servicing costs climb and demands for higher public spending persist. That infamous £22 billion blackhole appears to have expanded into a £40 billion one. Something’s got to give.

UK government borrowing rose to a five-year high in August, up £3.5 billion in just a month to £18 billion, raising the spectre of tax rises in the Budget.

Bright Spots

Despite the gloom, there are limited areas of strength. Digital and IT services remain buoyant, with computer programming and support services growing steadily. Construction and engineering have shown resilience, aided by infrastructure spending commitments. Importantly, real wages are still rising, albeit more modestly than of late, giving households some buffer against cost pressures.

While the economy feels “stuck,” as Treasury officials admit, the UK retains pockets of dynamism. For executives and businesses, success in 2026 will hinge on aligning with these growth niches and embracing emerging technologies while weathering a period of slower overall expansion.

The Executive market: Steep fall in vacancies down, jobseekers up

The latest data shows vacancies have fallen for 23 consecutive months, and they are falling more quickly. According to the ONS, they dropped 119,000 in June–August 2025 on the previous year, (-14% ) and are now 8.4% below pre-pandemic levels.  The fall was steeper for permanent roles and in the southeast of England. Decline was seen in half of UK sectors.  The number of unemployed people per vacancy was up to 2.3 in Q2 from 2.2 the previous quarter.

Vacancy numbers have now dropped compared with the previous three months for more than three years, and by around 571,000 since March to May 2022.

Payrolled employees in the UK fell by 142,000 (0.5%) in the year to July 2025, but were stable on the month and early estimates show they were likely to stay the same for August.

(NB ONS labour force statistics are acknowledged to be variable in accuracy.)

Employer caution around economic uncertainty coupled with waves of redundancies, many triggered by the impact of AI, drove the steepest upturn in candidate availability since November 2020, according to KPMG and REC’s report on UK jobs for August.

Earnings growth remains positive, nominally, at around 4.9%, but when adjusted for inflation, just 0.7%. Salaries increased faster in the public sector, 5.6%, compared to 4.7% in the private sector

Macro headwinds will continue to affect hiring pace, but pockets of executive demand remain. Firms are prioritising targeted senior hires rather than broad headcount expansion.

FTSE boardrooms continue moderate renewal while the drive for female representation and governance capability continues to shape NED recruitment and board agendas. Boards are meeting frequently and scrutinising strategy, risk and succession planning.

Executive Outlook: European Union, Q4 2025

The EU unemployment rate was 5.9% and the euro-area rate 6.2% for July 2025, a modest monthly improvement and a small improvement year-on-year.

There was a contrast between the cooler north and hotter south. Postings in Germany and France have fallen 15% and 19%, respectively, over the past year, while vacancies in Spain and Italy were 46% and 53% above pre-pandemic levels, according to Indeed.

Demand for transformation, governance, sustainability and compliance skills strengthened as companies prepare for AI automation as well as stricter reporting regimes, while general hiring softened in more cyclical consumer sectors. Staffing and executive search data for Q3 show cautious employer sentiment but persistent need for specialised executive talent.    

Professional and engineering roles tied to public sector or infrastructure spending were also strong.

With consumer demand slow, relevant sectors including leisure and retail are showing weak executive hiring.

Placements in non-specialist corporate support functions are facing downsizing as companies consolidate technology platforms and centralise operations.

What Executives Should Watch and Do:

• Executives will need to demonstrate evidence-based growth stories alongside cost discipline, resilience and agility. They must articulate clear value creation in a slow-growth environment.
• With weaker hiring pipelines in traditional sectors, executives may need to pivot toward growth areas such as digital services, infrastructure, health and technology-enabled models. Repositioning or reskilling into these niches will help maintain relevance.
• Leaders across public and private sectors will face constrained budgets. Executives must show they can deliver results with limited resources, manage stakeholders effectively and maintain morale during uncertainty.
• Boards under pressure are more likely to reshuffle or appoint interims. Executives should be ready for accelerated succession opportunities and prepared to deliver short-term impact.
• With the UK projected to lag the wider G7 in 2026, executives should strengthen their international outlook, framing skills and experience to meet global demand.
• Executives also need to build a compelling narrative demonstrating resilience, innovation, clear communication and vision. The ability to motivate and steady teams will be critical in a stagnating economy and through any restructuring.
• Compensation expectations should remain realistic. Pay growth is cooling. While negotiation power is weaker, total compensation packages may be flexible through bonuses, benefits, equity or hybrid arrangements. Candidates should seek advice on current trends within specific roles and sectors and in benchmarking their own value proposition.
• Organisations are less likely to hire externally when they can promote from within. Internal successors and those open to shifting roles internally may find more opportunity.
• Those seeking pan-EU roles must show familiarity with divergent national implementations of EU rules and the stakeholder engagement required across markets.

Alongside traditional strategy and people skills, boards are asking executives to combine commercial judgement with the ability to deploy and govern generative AI and analytics-led decisions.

The outlook for Q4 is one of stability rather than expansion. Growth will be subdued but is not expected to collapse.

So, across the UK and the EU, a structural change in hiring and an accelerating decline in traditional sectors and functions continues apace, with opportunities in c-suite and senior leadership roles evolving to oversee successful digital transformation and ensure competitive performance to steer organisations through uncertainty and restructuring. AI literacy is a must for ALL executives, not just those in technology-heavy functions.

Organisations are investing in executive learning (digital, people leadership, AI governance). LinkedIn and other corporate-learning reports show rising demand for upskilling and role-readiness programmes targeted at leaders. Executives who are not developing their own skills will be left behind.

Q4 2025 promises to be a test of adaptability for executives. With vacancies continuing to decline, pay growth cooling and certain sectors softening, the edge will go to leaders who anticipate where demand remains strongest, can show measurable value, and remain flexible in their role expectations and compensation.

The challenge for executives is no longer just to ride out short-term cycles, but to pivot decisively toward growth niches including AI literacy and international relevance. Those who adapt their leadership narrative now will be best placed to turn today’s structural disruption into tomorrow’s opportunity.

As we enter the final stretch of the business year, leaders across industries and geographies are navigating a critical transition, from Q3’s build-up to Q4’s culmination. While the calendar may differ across global regions, this period consistently represents a strategic inflection point: a chance to harness momentum, sharpen focus and lead with renewed intent.

For those in the UK and Europe, the past weeks may have included time for reflection, whether through a formal break, a shift in pace, or simply the mental space to zoom out. For others, it may have been business as usual, with teams accelerating key initiatives to set up a strong Q4. Regardless of how the quarter unfolded, what matters now is how leaders use this moment to elevate impact and finish the year not just delivering results, but growing as leaders.  How leaders show up now will determine how they finish the year – and how they’re positioned to lead into what’s next.

Navigating Q4: Leading Through Complexity and Change

As organisations contend with fast-changing market dynamics, shifting stakeholder expectations and increased operational pressure, Q4 places leaders squarely at the intersection of delivery and disruption. Strategic plans made earlier in the year may now need recalibrating. Budget scrutiny tightens. Execution timelines compress. And yet, the need for clear, forward-facing leadership has never been more urgent.

Those at the top are expected not just to hit targets, but to inspire confidence, create clarity in uncertainty and drive initiatives forward amid competing demands. From economic headwinds to internal transformation efforts, the pressure is multi-dimensional. But high-performing leaders use this pressure to sharpen focus, align teams around what matters most and lay groundwork for sustainable growth.

Leading through complexity demands operational control which means maintaining perspective, identifying areas where adjustments are needed and redirecting resources if necessary, and ensuring decisions reflect both short-term imperatives and long-term strategic intent.

For some sectors, such as retail and sales, Q4 can represent a seasonal push to meet rising pre-Christmas demand while companies operating within or trading with regions approaching the end of their fiscal year may be under pressure to finalise deals and increase enterprise transactions as deadlines approach for budgets to be spent or allocated. Leadership may need to channel resources and focus into B2B or B2C sales.

For other regions, where fiscal year ends in April, sustaining energy and engagement levels and a focus on continuing growth towards the Q4 year-end can be a priority.

Q4 as a Career Catalyst: Elevating Personal Leadership Impact

This final stretch of the year is also a critical moment to reflect on personal positioning and career trajectory. In times of heightened visibility, how a leader engages, where they focus their time and how they influence outcomes all contribute to their broader leadership brand.

Q4 should be viewed not only as a time to deliver on organisational performance goals, but to elevate personal leadership impact. Every business-critical initiative, board interaction, or cross-functional collaboration becomes a platform for growth, influence and development. Effective leaders take ownership of their narrative, using this period to demonstrate agility, decisiveness and the ability to lead through pressure

Training and development initiatives can easily fall by the wayside at this point of the year as energy levels are drained, and pressure builds into and through Q4 to ensure KPIs and revenue targets are hit. Forward-thinking leaders, however, will have a plan for year-round development, and will be thinking about how they can build time into their busy schedules to focus on their own performance and growth even through this critical period.

Self-awareness is key. Step back regularly to consider where you are investing energy, how your leadership is being perceived and what capabilities you need to build to remain effective. The leaders who thrive long-term are those who take stock, invite collaboration and constructive feedback and listen. Only then can they continue to challenge themselves to constantly improve their own performance and productivity and to be better leaders.

Staying Relevant: Preparing for the Leadership Demands of Tomorrow

Q4 requires both tactical delivery and strategic foresight. With the business landscape constantly evolving, future relevance can’t be left to chance. Leaders must now assess whether their current capabilities, mindset and networks are fit for the future.

Remaining relevant means actively developing the skills, insight and influence required to lead in a world where agility, innovation and cross-functional leadership are increasingly non-negotiable. This is the time to act on that feedback, build strategic relationships and stretch your personal contribution into new areas. It’s about identifying where you are adding value now, but also where your impact can grow next and planning actionable steps to ensure continuous personal and professional development and expansion of your influence and expertise.

Leaders who embrace Q4 as an opportunity to evolve, not just perform, are the ones who set themselves apart. They move from delivering results to shaping what’s possible.

How Rialto Supports Leaders to Deliver and Evolve

At Rialto, we work with senior leaders navigating exactly these moments, where delivery and transformation go hand in hand. Whether you’re refining your Q4 strategy, seeking to amplify your leadership impact or planning for the next chapter in your career, we help turn intention into implementation.

Our work is focused on aligning individual leadership ambition with business strategy, providing the tools, insights and frameworks to stay relevant, impactful and future-fit.

As you lead through Q4 and into a new business cycle, it is critical to plan strategically how to close the year for your organisation optimally, but high-performance leaders will also be consciously and constructively setting the stage for their own self-improvement and career development.

Building on our exploration of why executive minds need strategic downtime, the critical question becomes: how do you design a personal recharge strategy that works for your unique leadership style, responsibilities and cognitive needs? The most successful executives don’t leave mental restoration to chance. They approach it with the same strategic rigour they apply to business planning and operational excellence.

Your approach to recharge isn’t one-size-fits-all. The method that restores one leader’s strategic thinking might leave another feeling restless or unfulfilled. Understanding your personal recharge profile and designing systems around it can mean the difference between genuine restoration and merely going through the motions of taking time off.

Identifying Your Executive Recharge Profile: Three Approaches to Mental Restoration

The Total Disconnection Approach Some executives find their greatest insights emerge during complete breaks from business content. If you’re experiencing decision fatigue, feeling trapped in tactical thinking, or finding that business content during downtime creates more stress than insight, you are likely to benefit from complete cognitive separation.

Signs you’re a Total Disconnection leader:

• You dream about work problems and wake up feeling unrested
• Business podcasts during exercise make you think about pending decisions
• You find it difficult to be present with family when work content is nearby
• Your best ideas come during completely unrelated activities

Optimal recharge activities:

• Nature-based experiences that engage different cognitive processes
• Physical challenges requiring present-moment focus (rock climbing, football, surfing, martial arts)
• Creative pursuits that activate different brain regions (music, art, cooking)
• Travel experiences that shift environmental context entirely
• Meditation or mindfulness practices that require quiet analytical thinking
• Strategic games with friends and family, including computer and board games like chess, which have been found to strengthen capabilities including decision-making, problem-solving, leadership, cognitive abilities and team functions.

The Adjacent Learning Approach Other leaders maintain mental engagement whilst gaining strategic distance through carefully chosen content that expands thinking without adding work pressure. If you find complete disconnection makes you anxious but work-related content feels too close to your daily challenges, adjacent learning provides the perfect balance. Audio options offer further opportunities for passive learning and deeper relaxation. (See previous insight for podcast and audiobook suggestions here.)

Signs you’re an Adjacent Learning leader:

• You enjoy business content but need it to be outside your direct industry
• Historical or biographical content sparks strategic insights
• You prefer learning that feels optional rather than required
• Cross-industry case studies give you fresh perspectives on familiar challenges

Optimal recharge activities:

• Industry-adjacent case studies revealing transferable patterns
• Historical accounts providing perspective on current challenges
• Behavioural psychology content sharpening decision-making capability
• Technology and innovation content broadening strategic options
• Biographies of leaders from completely different sectors or eras

The Reflective Integration Approach Many successful executives combine downtime with structured reflection, using external content as a catalyst for deeper strategic thinking about their own leadership challenges. If you process complex ideas through discussion, writing, or systematic analysis, this approach leverages your natural thinking style.

Signs you’re a Reflective Integration leader:

• You think out loud or need to discuss ideas to fully understand them
• Writing or journaling helps you process complex challenges
• You naturally connect new information to current situations
• You prefer structured rather than completely open-ended downtime

Optimal recharge activities:

• Journaling sessions prompted by podcast insights
• Walking to process complex challenges
• Mind-mapping exercises connecting new ideas to current opportunities
• Strategic questioning sessions inspired by other leaders’ experiences
• Book clubs or discussion groups with other executives

Defining Your Personal Strategy

Once you’ve identified your recharge profile, honestly assess your current recharge effectiveness.

Energy Assessment:

• Do you return from time off feeling genuinely refreshed?
• Are you able to approach familiar challenges with fresh perspective?
• Do you have mental energy for creative problem-solving after downtime?
• Can you maintain emotional regulation during high-stress periods?

Cognitive Assessment:

• Do breakthrough insights come during or shortly after downtime?
• Are you able to see patterns and connections that weren’t obvious before?
• Can you think several moves ahead on complex strategic decisions?
• Do you approach familiar problems with renewed curiosity?

Performance Assessment:

• Are your decisions as sharp after intense work periods as they are when well-rested?
• Do you maintain consistent leadership presence regardless of workload?
• Can you communicate complex ideas clearly even when under pressure?
• Are you modelling sustainable leadership practices for your team?

The next step is tailoring your approach to your specific leadership context. Whether you’re navigating crisis situations, driving innovation, or managing complex operations, your restoration strategy should complement rather than compete with your professional demands.

The key is finding the right balance between complete disconnection and strategic engagement that allows your mind to process, integrate and generate fresh perspectives on familiar challenges.

Implementation: Making Strategic Downtime Non-Negotiable

Successful implementation starts with treating your recharge time as seriously as you would any critical business commitment. This means protecting time in your calendar, communicating boundaries to your team and creating environments that genuinely support mental transitions away from operational thinking.

Consider how you might transform routine activities like commuting or travel into opportunities for strategic restoration. The goal isn’t to fill every moment with activity, but to be intentional about when and how you engage different cognitive modes.

The Leadership Return on Strategic Recharge

Executives who invest consistently in mental restoration report noticeable improvements in decision quality, leadership presence and sustainable performance. They process information faster, regulate emotions more effectively and articulate vision with greater clarity. Just as importantly, they model sustainable performance for their teams demonstrating that longevity and impact in leadership require thoughtful recovery, not just relentless output.

Your mind is your most valuable leadership tool. Like any high-performance instrument, it requires intentional maintenance, strategic rest and thoughtful input to operate at peak effectiveness. By designing and implementing a personal recharge strategy aligned with your cognitive style and leadership demands, you ensure that your thinking quality consistently supports breakthrough leadership.

The path to better decisions, clearer vision, and more effective leadership runs directly through strategic downtime. The question isn’t whether you can afford to invest in mental restoration – it’s how long you can maintain focus and performance without it.

The paradox of executive leadership is stark: the more complex your responsibilities become, the more essential, yet elusive, true mental downtime can become. For senior leaders navigating today’s relentless business environment, stepping away from operational pressures isn’t indulgent luxury, it’s strategic necessity. When your mind escapes the grip of routine tasks and constant decision-making, it becomes receptive to breakthrough insights, innovative solutions, and the kind of big-picture thinking that transforms organisations.

Even the most driven senior leaders benefit from intentional downtime. Research consistently shows that our most creative and strategic insights emerge not during intense focus, but in moments of relaxed awareness. The executive brain, constantly processing information and making high-stakes decisions, requires intentional recovery periods to maintain peak performance and avoid the cognitive tunnel vision that can plague overworked leaders.

The Neuroscience of Executive Recovery: Why Your Brain Needs Strategic Rest

Executive decision fatigue is real and measurable. Studies indicate that after making numerous decisions throughout the day, even the most accomplished leaders experience declining judgement quality. Your prefrontal cortex, responsible for strategic thinking, complex problem-solving and innovative insight, operates most effectively when it can cycle between focused work and restorative rest.

During downtime, your brain shifts into what neuroscientists call the “default mode network,” where connections between disparate ideas strengthen, patterns emerge and creative solutions crystallise. This isn’t empty time, it’s when your subconscious processes complex challenges you’ve been wrestling with consciously.

Stepping away from day-to-day pressures lets you reclaim clarity, prevent burnout and build resilience. It creates mental space to reflect on bigger questions without distraction. Calm mindsets often produce breakthroughs that intense focus cannot achieve.

Different leaders require different approaches to mental restoration. Some need complete disconnection – total breaks from business content to allow their minds to reset entirely. Others find that engaging with compelling, adjacent content -thought-provoking books, podcasts or conversations outside their immediate domain – provides the perfect balance of mental stimulation and strategic distance.

Strategic Learning Through Audio: The Executive Advantage

Holiday listening, as opposed to traditional reading, enables passive learning with an ideal balance: it feels less like work, but can still prime a relaxed, open mind to high-calibre thinking and vision. The great thing about podcasts is the enormous wealth of free online resources, enabling individuals to pick and choose subjects most pertinent to their own spheres of interest and responsibility in their own time.

Whether reflecting on the bigger picture while freed from the daily grind or investing in more focused learning around the intersection of technology and leadership, there’s content with the right tone and expertise level for every executive need.

We have surveyed our consultants and clients to compile the most entertaining and inspiring holiday audio for executives and senior leadership that blend insight with entertainment, weeding out those with heavy sales pitches or unedited content – ideal for holiday walks, poolside moments, or travel time.

Curated Podcasts for Executive Thinking

Essential Business Strategy and Crisis Management

“When It Hits the Fan” (BBC Radio 4) Inside the world of crisis managers and spin doctors, David Yelland and Simon Lewis watch the week’s biggest PR disasters unfold. In each episode, they go behind the scenes of the latest news stories to find out how, where, and when it all began to hit the fan.

In today’s social media world, all C-suite and senior leadership need to be PR savvy. This means communicating safely and productively with stakeholders and customers during business-as-usual, but also being prepared to respond to crises and negative coverage swiftly, publicly, and effectively. This podcast is like a free lesson from two of the best in the business, based on current, relatable case studies.

Start with: How to Deal with Redundancies or How to Use Storytelling.

“The Bottom Line” (BBC Radio 4) The definitive business podcast from the BBC, hosted by Evan Davis. This BBC Radio 4 offering provides weekly dives into different aspects of business, some niche and micro, such as the businesses of death or car parks, others macro such as hype and DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion), plus interviews with business leaders on “decisions that made me.”

Start with: One of the range of interesting interview subjects relevant to your sector, or Being the New Broom, which considers how best to change the direction of an organisation in a new leadership role.

Innovation and Growth Strategy

“Acquired” “Learn the playbooks that built the world’s greatest companies—and how you can apply them.” The Wall Street Journal says: “By turning case studies into cinematic spectacles, they have built the business world’s favourite podcast.”

Deep-dive stories into companies like Pixar and Nvidia. Each episode, while thoroughly researched, feels more like a compelling narrative than a business lecture. The blend of strategy, history, and storytelling is perfect for relaxed yet focused listening.

Start with: Charlie Munger, LinkedIn, Bitcoin, and Epic Systems.

“Masters of Scale” Iconic business leaders share lessons and strategies that have helped them grow the world’s most fascinating companies. Founders, CEOs, and dynamic innovators join candid conversations about their triumphs and challenges with a set of luminary hosts, including founding host Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder.

A polished podcast mixing sharp insights with engaging, often humorous storytelling from some of the biggest names in business.

Start with: Esther Perel: Build Better Relationships at Work or From Data Breach Scandal to AI Darling with Snowflake’s CEO Sridhar Ramaswamy.

Leadership Development and Team Dynamics

“People Managing People” with David Rice He says: As a long-ti”me journalist and storyteller, I’m dedicated to creating thought-provoking and educational content for leaders and people managers as they tackle the challenges the future of work presents.”

Short, practical discussions on leadership challenges and team dynamics. A favourite for its warmth, brevity, and relevance to real-world leadership.

Start with: AI at Work: Why Businesses Need a New Playbook.

“Dare to Lead” with Brené Brown A mix of solo episodes and conversations with change-catalysts, culture-shifters and troublemakers. Based on Brown’s Wall Street Journal bestseller, there’s a big focus on ethical business use of AI, calling on leaders to step up and take responsibility for ensuring the impact of this technological revolution is positive.

Start with: Futurist Amy Webb on what’s coming and what’s here.

Strategic Thinking and Mental Models

“The Diary of a CEO” with Steven Bartlett Steven sits down with some of the world’s most influential people, experts, and thinkers on a curiosity-driven journey to discover untold truths, unlearned lessons, and important insights. One of the world’s most-downloaded podcasts, featuring big-name interviews from former First Lady Michelle Obama to the planet’s most successful CEOs. Some episodes stray from the business arena so be selective.

Start with: Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel reveals how hiring mistakes nearly cost him everything.

“Freakonomics Radio” Freakonomics co-author Stephen J. Dubner uncovers the hidden side of everything. A wild card not devoted purely to business but one that explores the minutiae of life, death, and everything in between, perfect for executives looking to expand their minds and ways of thinking. Economics, data, the art of failing better and how your brain works are among the topics.

Start with: Why Are There So Many Bad Bosses?, How to Make Your Own Luck, How to Get More Grit in Your Life.

AI and Technology Leadership

“The AI-Powered Business Leader” Cuts through the hype to deliver practical business solutions for real business challenges. It’s almost impossible to find a podcast on AI in business that isn’t either dry and tech-based, an extended ad for the creator, or just plain dull. Here’s an easy-on-the-ears, informative, relevant, and plain-speaking delve into what business leaders need to know about AI.

Start with: How Do Business Leaders Navigate AI? or The Smart Way to Automate.

“The Next Big Idea” In-depth interviews with the world’s leading thinkers – conversations that might just change the way you see the world. From Amazon’s Wondery stable, featuring high-quality production and interviews with leading thinkers across business, psychology, technology, and personal growth.

Start with: Superagency: What Could Go Right with AI? or DRIVE: A Fresh Look at the Science of Motivation (with Daniel Pink).

Strategic Audiobooks for Executive Development

Self-help type personal and professional development books have their place: great for commuting and delayed appointments, but perhaps less so on a beach in the Seychelles or an adventurous bus ride over the Andes. So here we have focused on more absorbing memoirs, biographies and other accounts with a story—business page-turners, if you will—filled with insights and inspiration.

Entrepreneurial Leadership and Business Building

“Shoe Dog” by Phil Knight The co-founder of Nike offers an engaging, humorous and fascinating look into the highs and lows of building a business from the ground up, full of insights and lessons. Bill Gates says: “A refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like… It’s an amazing tale.”

“That Will Never Work” by Marc Randolph Narrated by Netflix’s co-founder himself, this memoir charts the company’s unlikely origins. Randolph mixes humour with humility as he recounts the failed pitches, early missteps and relentless experimentation behind what became a global media giant. A light, honest listen about entrepreneurship, vision and pivoting with agility.

“The Burger King” by Jim McLamore A conversational and candid memoir from the founder of Burger King. Full of colloquial charm, business mishaps and behind-the-scenes war stories, ideal for executives looking for a frank, fast-paced story of entrepreneurial grit.

Risk Management and Corporate Responsibility

“Conspiracy of Fools” by Kurt Eichenwald A masterclass in narrative non-fiction that reads like a corporate thriller – except every detail is true. Kurt Eichenwald reconstructs the stunning collapse of Enron with journalistic precision and the flair of a novelist, exposing not only the financial engineering and regulatory failures but the deep-seated cultural rot and hubris that infected the company’s leadership. Executives will recognise many of the pressures and rationalisations that fuelled the downfall.

“Exposure: A Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont” by Robert Bilott Narrated by Jeremy Bobb (with Mark Ruffalo reading the first chapter), it chronicles Bilott’s long legal crusade exposing DuPont’s toxic pollution. Intensely human, profound and deeply moving, extraordinary in its clarity, ethical reflection and unwavering persistence. Ideal and inspirational for leaders concerned with accountability, public purpose, and change through quiet resilience.

The Power of Passive Learning for Executive Minds

We all know it can be incredibly difficult for people whose working lives are characterised by relentless, multiple pressure points to switch off. Even finding the focus to read a book can be challenging, while the busiest minds will continue to whir and spin long after their computer has been shut down for the holidays.

Podcasts and audiobooks offer a perfect compromise, allowing the brain to listen passively, instead of having to engage with everything around it; clearing the mind of emails, meetings, strategies, challenges and actions on the infinite to-do list, but assuaging any guilt or anxiety about leaving work responsibilities behind; unlocking mental space where insight, creativity, and foresight can thrive.

Thanks to the technology we carry in our smartphones, when inspiration does come, it can be dictated and left as a voice note for another time. With thoughtful curation of listening content, executives can return rested, reinvigorated, and ready for the next challenge.

In our next article, we’ll explore how to create your personal recharge strategy and implement strategic downtime practices that maximise your leadership effectiveness.

The world is evolving from Generative AI – passive and prompt-based – to Agentic AI: active, autonomous systems. As these agents integrate into core business functions, they are reshaping the world of work. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang envisions having a workforce one day made of 50,000 people and 100 million agents.

This shift demands a fundamental rethink of leadership. Unlike traditional automation, Agentic AI performs multi-step tasks, applies judgement, learns and acts on goals with far less oversight. It’s more than process efficiency – it’s a redefinition of roles, workflows and governance. In our last insight, we looked at the ways in which leaders can futureproof their own careers, adapting their offering to exploit new opportunities in the face of AI-driven structural change in the executive job market. Here, we look at how they can lead hybrid human/agentic workforces effectively, harmoniously and ethically, a skill that will become increasingly critical to organisational success – and sought after – in the months and years to come.

The Strategic Leadership Imperative

As machines move further into the realms of white-collar and knowledge-based tasks and functions, organisations might opt to prioritise efficiency savings or growth.

While a third of CEOs are looking to reduce headcounts through AI, the more strategic approach is to augment human productivity and build blended workforces that work in harmony to drive growth, innovation and employee engagement.

The presence of autonomous software agents introduces a novel dimension to organisational leadership. Leaders will be expected to supervise hybrid teams composed of human personnel and algorithmic agents. This requires the development of new competencies. Familiarity with the operational logic of digital agents will be essential. Leaders must be equipped to evaluate outputs critically, interpret process transparency and respond proportionately when systems operate beyond their intended parameters.

Crucially, leaders will also need to communicate clearly with their human teams about the purpose and limitations of automated counterparts. Trust, which has traditionally been fostered through interpersonal credibility and relationships, must now be extended to the technological instruments of the organisation, and language will be important: framing AI agents as co-pilots or support systems, not the competition. This can only occur through transparency, continuous education and robust governance frameworks that ensure human agency remains at the centre of decision-making.

Every executive function has a part to play:

• CEOs must set a vision rooted in human dignity and long-term employability.
• CFOs should fund re-skilling, mobility and adaptive workforce planning.
• COOs need to redesign workflows to preserve meaning and clarity.
• CTOs must deliver tailored training based on user needs and experience.
• Diversity Officers must prevent inequality by ensuring inclusive access to tools and training.
• HR should coordinate all of this, monitor sentiment and protect trust during change.

Redefining Roles and Responsibilities

The rise of agentic systems requires a thorough reassessment of job structures across multiple domains. As well as the more obvious deployments, such as next-gen natural language chat bots offering hyper-personalised customer services and sales, these systems are increasingly capable of performing complex tasks such as project coordination, data interpretation, predictive planning such as maintenance and supply chains, talent acquisition and even elements of strategic planning.

Within the next five years, digital agents could hold operational responsibility for roles traditionally reserved for junior to mid-level professionals including research analysts, procurement coordinators, account managers and elements of compliance monitoring.

Autonomous agents offer multiple potential advantages including operational consistency, accelerated task execution, round-the-clock availability and increased productivity.

There is also a clear opportunity for diversification of career trajectories. As digital agents assume routine functions, leaders should seek opportunities to release and upskill human workers to pursue more complex, collaborative or experimental work, increasing employee engagement, satisfaction and productivity. They will also need to consider hiring externally or redeploying from within to integrate the new human-AI coordination roles that will become core to successful hybrid workforces, including ethical oversight officers, systems auditors, data managers and verifiers and augmentation strategists. Every task and product created and serviced by AI will need human oversight.

Managing Risks and Governance Challenges

Human-AI integration raises tough questions. Displacement is real, especially in task-heavy sectors. Training helps, but change is accelerating and jobs are being lost in vast numbers before new ones emerge to replace them in this most disruptive stage of adoption. Salesforce’s Agentforce AI now handles 85% of customer queries – half of one 9,000-person department was redeployed. Just 500 of those reassigned to tech roles could save $50 million – but 4,500 risk unemployment.

Agentic systems can also embed bias or make decisions with no clear accountability. If left unchecked, or allowed to run without boundaries, they could undermine fairness, culture and trust. Those boundaries must be reviewed and redesigned constantly, employing human nuance, creativity and empathy.

Over-reliance is another danger. Agents are tools, not substitutes for judgement or ethics. Leaders must draw clear lines between what machines can do and what only humans should do. Strong governance is essential: audit systems, ensure traceability and keep decision-making transparent.

Preparing for the Future of Work

In the short term, expect AI agents in scheduling, reporting and knowledge management, embedded in existing tools and acting on contextual triggers. In five years, probably less, we are likely to see them support decisions in client services, forecasting and procurement, or even initiate and execute actions independently, within set boundaries.

Agents trained on internal data will align more closely with company goals. But success hinges on more than rollout – it’s about education. Workers need to understand why AI is here, how it works, and what it means for them.

Organisations must invest in critical thinking, digital literacy and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Structures should support integrated teams – humans and AI agents working together, not in parallel.

Inclusion is vital. Transformation must account for geographic, demographic and educational diversity. Tailored support, designed by humans, for humans, is essential to ensure everyone can take part.

Leadership Responsibility and Societal Impact

The shift to human-AI teams affects more than companies – it touches labour markets, income, regional economies and cohesion. How many jobs it will displace is a matter of debate. A Goldman Sachs report estimated 300 million jobs could be lost by 2030, the World Economic Forum (WEF) places it at a far less dramatic nine million, while Ford CEO Jim Farley said half of white-collar jobs could go.

However, the WEF also says 11 million jobs could be created by AI.

Executives have their part to play in what happens next. They must not only manage internal change but engage with policy, education and social impact. That means supporting displaced workers, reporting automation’s effects and acting transparently.

Ethical leadership balances innovation with inclusion. The opportunity is real – but so is the obligation. AI agents won’t define success. Leadership will. Aligning people and technology around shared goals is the ultimate goal for humanity.

Rialto support executives and leadership teams to protect core business operations while integrating emerging technologies to develop disruptive strategies and models. Our expert teams help leaders to reflect and gain perspective on their leadership approach, organisational processes and strategies to breakthrough stagnation and drive sustainable progress.

Whether you’re seeking to accelerate innovation, redesign operation, or strengthen your teams, Rialto executive career and business change coaches are ready to support you. Contact us today to explore how our strategic leadership and collaboration solutions can propel your organisation forward.

The Executive job market presents a puzzle that’s capturing attention across both boardrooms and Executive Search firms. As of June 2025, the UK had seen 35 consecutive periods of decline in job vacancies against a backdrop of GDP growth – albeit minimal. This suggests a structural shift rather than a cyclical downturn. With the rise of AI and automation, this trendline can only become more acute. What can executives do to ensure they thrive in this new normal?

James Reed, CEO of Reed, said his company had seen a 25 per cent fall in advertised vacancies year on year. “In my decades of working in recruitment, I have never seen anything like this,” he admitted. “After the financial crisis of 2008, we had 16 months of declining vacancies, which was bad enough, but then they started to come back.”

He warns that the hollowing-out effect impacting junior and mid-tier white-collar roles is now reaching senior management layers. Data backs this up: Hiring for white-collar roles dropped 12.7% in the year to Q1 2025, outpacing even blue‑collar decline.  Graduate and entry-level job ads have dropped 33%, while mid-senior roles – especially in project management, operations, and generalist leadership – are increasingly automated or outsourced. Meanwhile, the number of job applications posted on LinkedIn has risen to 11,000 per minute – up 45% in just a year.

However executive compensation and demand for AI-literate leadership are rising. High-value roles that integrate AI governance, strategic transformation, and innovation oversight are growing. Those who can shape and lead change – not just manage the status quo – are thriving.

That reflects what we at Rialto are seeing in the market and hearing from executive clients. Those who first come to us seeking new positions or looking for a career change are finding it harder and harder and it is taking longer without professional support. Those in position may feel insecure and intimidated by the march of the machines.

However, there are steps executives can and should take now to secure their futures and take control of their career trajectories: first and foremost, they need to evolve with the AI-driven economy, to review and update their skillsets. That applies equally to any senior leadership in position or on the market. New roles are being created globally to manage this broad and rapid business transformation, and existing roles are changing to incorporate AI adoption, deployment and oversight.

In order to plan effectively, leaders should start by gaining a greater understanding of economic drivers – what has happened in previous periods of seismic change, who profited and how, and what might be coming next? Identify which services and products will people always want or need, look to the horizon, how is it shaping up? Leaders need to show vision and imagination, as well as a genuine understanding of the flow of traffic. They should read tech-based news as well as that covering their own sector and seek out knowledge that is outside of the public scope through personal relationships with mentors, coaches and networks.

Cyclical vs Structural Employment: The Critical Distinction

Cyclical unemployment occurs during normal economic fluctuations, the ebb and flow of business cycles. When demand decreases temporarily, companies reduce hiring and may implement layoffs, but these positions typically return as economic conditions improve.

Structural unemployment, by contrast, represents permanent changes in how economies function. Rather than being caused by the ups and downs of the business cycle, structural unemployment is caused by fundamental shifts in the makeup of the economy.  For example, jobs lost in the coachbuilding sector, once automobiles came to dominate. These changes don’t reverse when economic conditions improve – they represent the new normal.

Historical Precedents: Lessons from Past Transformations

The Industrial Revolution of 1750 – 1860 provides perhaps the most instructive historical parallel to today’s AI-driven employment changes.  Technological progress, education and an increasing capital stock transformed England into the workshop of the world, fundamentally reshaping the nature of work itself.

Mechanisation displaced huge swathes of the workforce, eliminating many roles altogether. Despite early disruption, resistance, and societal unrest, the Industrial Revolution ultimately created more jobs than it destroyed, though in entirely different sectors and requiring different skills. The transformation wasn’t just about technology – it fundamentally changed how society organised work, education, and economic opportunity. The same can be said, though to a lesser extent, of the Great Depression of the 1920s, the 2007-2009 global recession and, arguably, the Covid pandemic.

As with industrialisation, there is no going back on AI, and those who adapt most quickly, embrace new technologies and business models and develop new skills will thrive, just as they did in the 19^th century. Periods of significant structural change often create opportunities for those who adapt quickly, while leaving behind those who wait for conditions to “return to normal” or until they feel the direct impact – redundancy or difficulty getting back into the market.

Unlike previous downturns that primarily affected lower-skilled roles, today’s changes are reaching senior management layers. AI and automation are transforming decision-making processes traditionally handled by middle and senior management. Meanwhile we are seeing the emergence of entirely new C-suite roles such as Chief AI Officers, Chief Transformation Officers and Chief Resilience Officers, again indicating structural rather than cyclical change.

Instead of focusing on the 92 million jobs expected to be displaced by 2030, leaders could plan for the projected 170 million new ones and the new skills those will require. This represents net job creation, but with fundamentally different skill requirements, as we have explored in previous insights such as this one.

Wage premium for AI – and AI-adjacent skills for workers in the same role – is up to 56%, according to PwC, from 25% in 2024, showing that the market is already rewarding adaptation. The opportunity exists for executives who proactively develop relevant capabilities.

Strategic Responses: What Executives Can Do Now

1.Reframe Their Value Proposition

Traditional executive roles focused on oversight and coordination are most at risk. The opportunity lies in repositioning around areas where human judgment, creativity and strategic thinking provide irreplaceable value, such as AI Governance and Ethics leading responsible AI implementation, Transformation Leadership, guiding organisations through fundamental change, Innovation Strategy, identifying and capitalising on emerging opportunities, and Cultural Leadership, maintaining human connection and purpose during technological transformation.

2. Develop Hybrid Competencies

The executives thriving in this environment combine traditional leadership skills with technological fluency, including data literacy – understanding how AI-generated insights inform strategic decisions – change management, scenario planning and ecosystem thinking – managing partnerships between human teams and AI systems. They are taking charge of their own role evolutions – before others decide for them. That includes auditing daily tasks to determine what is strategic vs. automatable, building internal influence as a change agent and aligning closely with value creation metrics – revenue, productivity, culture health – to remain indispensable.

3. Adopt an “AI Co-Pilot” Mentality

Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, recently said AI is now doing 30–50% of the company’s work: “Digital employees are here. Every department is being reshaped,” he said. While tech companies are the outliers, the rest of the world will inevitably follow. According to PwC, 100% of industries are increasing AI usage. Executives must now view AI as a strategic partner. Leaders should upskill in AI governance, prompt engineering, and data ethics, lead transformation initiatives that embed AI into daily workflows and model adaptive learning behaviours across their teams.

4. Position as a Specialist, Not a Generalist

Employers don’t want general managers; they want problem-solvers who can lead under uncertainty, integrate AI, and transform operations. Traditional methods of job searching, such as broad CV distribution and passive networking, are increasingly ineffective. A sharper strategy is required: highlight domain-specific transformation results, demonstrate fluency in tech-led change and leadership based in values, especially guarding and guiding culture through disruption.

5. Create Opportunities

Rather than competing for traditional roles, successful executives are designing new pathways including portfolio careers, advisory positions offering transformation expertise to multiple organisations, thought leadership and entrepreneurial ventures that address structural market needs.

Navigating structural change requires more than individual effort – it demands strategic guidance and systematic skill development. Professional executive coaching and advisory services provide several critical advantages. Structured support can offer objective assessment, for example, helping to identify blind spots and growth areas that internal reflection might miss. The best professional executive career services will have their own, exclusive market intelligence. This includes specialists who maintain current knowledge of emerging role categories and skill premiums across sectors.

Coaches can also help with strategic positioning, reframing executive value propositions to align with structural market changes rather than fighting against them. They should also have access to hidden networks, through which they can provide introductions to emerging opportunities and industry leaders navigating similar transitions.

Looking Forward: Optimism Through Adaptation

While structural employment changes create uncertainty, they also generate tremendous opportunities for executives willing to embrace transformation, value creation and leadership impact. History shows that periods of fundamental economic shift often create the conditions for exceptional career growth and impact.

The executives who will thrive over the next five years are those who recognise structural change as permanent rather than temporary and understand the urgency in investing in developing AI-complementary skills now rather than waiting until they hit a problem.

They will position themselves as transformation leaders rather than status quo managers, build diverse, portfolio-based career strategies to fill in any gaps in their experience, skills and knowledge and seek professional guidance to navigate complex transitions effectively.

At Rialto Consultancy, we help executives recognise and capitalise on these structural shifts through strategic coaching, transformation planning and career repositioning programmes. The question isn’t whether the employment landscape will continue to evolve – it’s whether you’ll lead that evolution or be shaped by it.

The future belongs to executives who embrace adaptation as a core competency and professional support as a strategic advantage. The structural shifts we’re experiencing today are creating tomorrow’s leadership opportunities for those prepared to seize them.

In an increasingly complex global business environment, ethical leadership and governance has emerged as a critical determinant of long-term success and resilience. From decisions about diversity, sustainability and AI adoption to questions of societal trust, boards today must align purpose, strategy and values more intentionally than ever before. While recent political shifts have prompted some organisations to retreat from established ethical frameworks, forward-thinking boards recognise that strong ethical foundations are not optional – they are essential for sustainable growth, stakeholder trust and competitive advantage.

At Rialto, we support organisations navigating transformation – ensuring that human-first, values-based governance remains front and centre. This article explores the board’s critical role in protecting and promoting ethical standards in 2025 and beyond.

Navigating the Ethics Imperative in Uncertain Times

The corporate world has witnessed significant changes in ethical priorities over recent years. According to industry surveys, 92% of Chief Finance Officers previously planned to increase sustainability spending, while 85% of companies maintained dedicated Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) budgets as of 2024. However, recent policy changes have created uncertainty, leading some major corporations to reconsider their ethical commitments.

This retreat presents both risks and opportunities for boards willing to maintain their ethical stance during uncertain times. The challenge for modern boards lies not in choosing between profitability and ethics, but in recognising their fundamental interdependence.

The Compelling Case for Ethical Governance

Driving Performance Through Ethical Leadership

Research consistently demonstrates that ethical business practices deliver measurable returns that extend far beyond reputation management. Companies with gender-diverse leadership are 25% more likely to be profitable, while diverse teams demonstrate 19% higher innovation rates. The competitive advantage becomes even more pronounced when examining market performance, with inclusive firms achieving market share increases of up to 45%. Perhaps most significantly for boards concerned with operational efficiency, strong ethical cultures experience up to 59% lower employee turnover, reducing recruitment costs and preserving institutional knowledge.

Protecting Against Strategic Risk

Organisations that abandon ethical frameworks face significant exposure across multiple dimensions. Legal and reputational risks manifest through potential employment tribunal claims and brand damage that can take years to repair. The talent retention challenge has become particularly acute, with high-performing employees increasingly choosing employers whose values align with their own. This creates vulnerability to competitors with stronger ethical credentials who can attract top talent more effectively. Furthermore, the erosion of stakeholder trust – among customers, investors, and communities – can undermine business relationships that took decades to build. Beyond these immediate concerns, organisations face reduced readiness for future regulations, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) in the EU and UK gender pay reporting requirements.

Strategic Ethical Priorities for Board Leadership

Environmental Sustainability: Building Climate Resilience

The environmental sustainability landscape presents both immediate challenges and long-term opportunities for board oversight. Some organisations have withdrawn from climate coalitions and scaled back sustainability commitments in response to regulatory changes, creating a divergence in corporate approaches to environmental responsibility.

Forward-thinking boards are taking a different approach, conducting comprehensive scenario planning for future environmental regulations while assessing the long-term financial risks of climate change on their business operations. They are developing resilient sustainability frameworks that can adapt to political changes without compromising core environmental commitments. Crucially, these boards maintain transparency in environmental reporting to stakeholders, recognising that environmental performance increasingly influences investment decisions, customer loyalty, and regulatory compliance.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Sustaining Progress Through Change

Political uncertainty has created a complex environment for EDI initiatives, with some organisations scaling back programmes while others adopt more subtle approaches, rebranding initiatives under terms like “belonging” or “wellbeing.” This shift reflects the challenge of maintaining commitment to inclusion while navigating changing political and regulatory landscapes.

Effective boards are responding by conducting thorough assessments of legal requirements across all operating jurisdictions, ensuring compliance while maintaining ethical standards. They are developing risk-based approaches to EDI that align with business strategy rather than treating diversity as a separate initiative. Clear metrics and accountability structures provide the foundation for progress, while ensuring board oversight of inclusion initiatives at the highest governance levels demonstrates organisational commitment.

Legal & General exemplifies leading practice in this area, having embedded ESG metrics, including inclusive leadership, into executive performance reviews and pay structures. This approach directly links culture to accountability, ensuring that ethical commitments translate into measurable outcomes and executive responsibility.

Artificial Intelligence: Governing the Future Responsibly

As we enter the era of generative and agentic AI – technologies capable not only of learning, but of acting independently – boards face decisions with sweeping implications for algorithmic bias, workforce impact, societal consequences and environmental sustainability. The International Monetary Fund projects that generative AI will impact nearly 40% of global jobs, with disproportionate effects on lower-wage workers, highlighting the social responsibility dimension of AI adoption decisions.

The environmental considerations are equally significant, as AI systems consume substantial energy resources that can conflict with sustainability goals. Additionally, algorithmic bias can perpetuate or amplify existing inequalities, creating ethical obligations that extend beyond immediate business interests.

Responsible boards are establishing comprehensive AI governance frameworks before widespread deployment, ensuring that ethical considerations are embedded from the outset rather than retrofitted later. They are developing workforce transition strategies that prioritise retraining and redeployment, viewing AI adoption as an opportunity to enhance rather than replace human capability. Environmental impact assessment of AI systems has become standard practice, with energy consumption analysis integrated into AI investment decisions. Most importantly, these boards are creating robust accountability mechanisms for AI-related decisions, ensuring that the benefits and risks of AI adoption are carefully managed and transparently reported.

Leading with Purpose and Accountability

The current environment presents a defining moment for corporate leadership. Boards must recognise that ethical governance requires leadership to ask not just “Can we?” but “Should we?” Ultimately, ethics is not a branding exercise or compliance tick-box – it is a strategic differentiator that determines long-term viability and success.

This means embedding ethical key performance indicators into performance and reward structures, making values visible in public reporting and corporate governance and committing to investment in EDI and sustainability even when market pressures shift. Most critically, it requires leading AI adoption through a lens of equity, security and environmental stewardship.

As we advance into an era of rapid technological change and evolving social expectations, the question for boards is not whether to prioritise ethics, but how to do so most effectively. The companies that answer this challenge with courage, transparency and strategic focus will define the future of business leadership. They will be the organisations that thrive, not despite their ethical commitments, but because of them, building sustainable competitive advantage through the trust, talent and stakeholder relationships that ethical governance creates.

Three-fifths of C-suite executives in the US currently leveraging Generative AI are actively seeking roles in organisations that demonstrate more advanced AI adoption, according to a late 2024 survey.

This trend underscores the transformative impact of Generative AI on leadership expectations, where forward-thinking leaders perceive advanced AI integration as a catalyst for innovation and strategic advantage. Those ahead of the curve recognise that the gap between AI adopters and laggards is widening and with it, the risk of Executive profile irrelevance.

GenAI is transforming how organisations operate, including automating routine tasks, driving strategic decisions and innovation, sharpening customer insights, lowering costs and enabling highly personalised services.

According to McKinsey’s 2024 Global Survey, nearly 70% of businesses now use at least one GenAI tool, with 40% planning significant investment increases. In the UK, the House of Lords has urged targeted AI upskilling for leaders. Meanwhile, US boards are already demanding AI literacy as a core competency, while countries like Singapore, China, and South Korea are outpacing much of the West in AI infrastructure investment and policy development.

Despite the momentum, an EY survey found that only 27% of UK executives feel confident navigating AI transformation. Many admit they’re uncertain how AI will impact their roles, teams, or business models. This, coupled with the rapid pace of technological advancements and concerns about workforce displacement, can lead to heightened anxiety amongst some, hesitancy, and even active resistance.

At the same time, global contrasts are becoming more pronounced. While some regions and sectors, particularly in Asia, demonstrate a greater appetite for innovation and calculated risk, others are proceeding more cautiously. China and South Korea, for instance, are making significant investments in AI infrastructure and policy frameworks, aiming to secure leadership positions in the next wave of technological progress.

In contrast, the UK and EU are working to strike a balance between regulating AI responsibly and pushing forward to maintain competitiveness. This dual focus on ethics and innovation reflects a broader strategic challenge: advancing quickly enough to realise AI’s full potential while building the necessary trust, capability, and governance mechanisms.

For executives, this is not simply a precarious balancing act but a pivotal leadership moment: an inflection point that calls for clarity, agility, and collaboration across disciplines and borders.

Drawing from the Rialto team’s experience with executives across global regions, several capabilities consistently emerge as critical for leading in this dynamic age of GenAI. Embracing these capabilities can empower executives to harness Generative AI’s full potential, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

Leadership Capabilities for a GenAI era

Technological Fluency: Executives need not be technologists nor need to code, but they must possess a clear understanding of AI’s capabilities and limitations, to be able to ask smart questions, distinguish hype from substance and align solutions to strategic goals. Equally important is the ability to manage expectations as AI initiatives can require extended timeframes for ROI and organisational integration. Continuous learning is essential.

To stay ahead, many leaders are joining executive groups like the Rialto AI Business Circle to share insights and stay current on emerging trends

Ethical Foresight and Governance: With increasing regulatory scrutiny and stakeholder concerns, leaders need a visible, principled stance on AI’s responsible use. This includes addressing algorithmic bias, safeguarding data privacy, protecting intellectual property and mitigating environmental impact. In fact, 76% of business leaders now anticipate significant cultural and ethical shifts driven by AI that will require proactive management.

One route for influencing and gaining insight in this area is through membership in the UK Government’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Artificial Intelligence, which allows business leaders to help shape policy and safeguard standards.

Human-AI Collaboration Design: Effective leadership involves integrating AI in ways that complement, rather than replace, human expertise. Leaders must understand where human judgment remains indispensable and craft workflows that enhance rather than diminish it.

Internal resistance remains a challenge. Two thirds of C-suite leaders admit cultural tension risks harming AI rollouts while 42% said they were “tearing their organisations apart”.  Concerns about job security and societal impact remain prevalent. Companies must invest in resilience and cybersecurity, while leaders have a critical role in addressing employee concerns through open dialogue and collaborative planning.

Strategic AI Investment: With finite resources, executive teams must prioritise AI investments that align with core business objectives, balancing immediate efficiencies with long-term capability building. This demands a level of digital and GenAI fluency across all senior leaders. A well-calibrated AI investment strategy may allocate 60% to enhancing current operations, 30% to adjacent innovations, and 10% to exploratory or disruptive initiatives. Avoiding “tech for tech’s sake” is imperative.

Change Management Mastery: GenAI isn’t a plug-and-play fix, it represents a fundamental cultural shift. Effective transformation requires compelling communication, room for experimentation and the empowerment of internal champions. Celebrating early successes builds momentum and trust. Equally, leaders must create psychologically safe environments that support learning, innovation, and adaptive thinking in the face of change.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: With 71% of executives acknowledging that AI remains siloed in many organisations, integration is a clear priority. Leaders must break down traditional barriers between technology, operations and strategy by fostering AI-focused cross-functional teams, aligning KPIs and enabling secure but open access to shared data. In this era, AI transformation must be a seen as a team sport, a collaborative endeavour driven by shared purpose and organisational coherence.

What’s Coming: GenAI Leadership by 2030

Over the next five years, Generative AI will continue to mature and with it, the demands and expectations placed on executive leadership will evolve significantly.

Rialto predictions and expectations include:

Regulation Will Get More Serious: The UK may diverge from EU regulation post-Brexit, seeking innovation-friendly policies while maintaining ethical standards. Meanwhile, the US and leading Asian economies are advancing their regulatory approaches more quickly. Executives will need to remain informed, agile, and engaged, shaping policy through industry bodies, public discourse and cross-sector collaboration.

Democratised AI Development: No-code and low-code platforms will enable non-technical teams to build their own AI solutions independently. Leadership will shift away from acting as a gatekeeper and towards becoming a governance steward, ensuring that innovation thrives within strategic, ethical, and security parameters.

Decision Support Systems Will Become the Norm: Executives will increasingly rely on AI-generated insights to model scenarios, assess risks and guide decisions. But human judgment will remain crucial, particularly in areas requiring ethical nuance, stakeholder empathy or complex interpersonal dynamics.

Leadership Styles Will Change: Traditional hierarchical models are giving way to systems thinking and collaborative leadership. The GenAI-ready executive must be a learning leader, comfortable with ambiguity and skilled in facilitating diverse perspectives.

AI as a Team Member: Executives will lead hybrid teams in which AI tools aren’t just assistants but creative collaborators. This will alter how teams are formed, how success is measured and how value is co-created.

Coaching and Feedback Wil Become Increasingly Vital: Expect AI-powered leadership coaching, real-time behavioural analysis and personalised learning paths. Leaders who cultivate self-awareness and value space for reflection, not just technical knowledge, will rise above and stand out.

Authenticity Will Matter More Than Ever: In a world of synthetic content and automated interactions, human presence and integrity will become premium leadership qualities. Both customers and employees will increasingly seek transparency, integrity, and empathy from those at the top.

Board AI Literacy Will Become a Requirement: By 2030, AI fluency is likely to be mandated for directors in regulated sectors and widely expected across others. Progressive leaders are already preparing for this shift, embedding AI knowledge at board level today.

GenAI is more than a technology trend, it represents a strategic and cultural reset. The most successful executives will approach it with vision, humility and a willingness to reinvent. They will view AI not as a threat to manage but as a partner in rethinking how value is created and sustained.

By developing fluency, leading ethically, designing for collaboration and continuously adapting and upskilling, leaders can future-proof not only their careers but also the organisations they serve in a world being redefined by intelligence, both artificial and human.

Get Involved

A limited number of spaces are now open for senior leaders to join the Rialto AI Business Leaders Circle. This cross-sector initiative connects business, policy and technology leaders to shape the UK’s AI future.

To explore membership options, schedule a call with Rialto director Richard Chiumento, an APPG AI Permanent Advisory Board Member here.

In today’s high-pressure business environment, where executive turnover is at an all-time high and recruitment freezes are becoming more common, many organisations are facing a growing leadership vacuum at the top.  The Challenge: How to fill key roles swiftly and cost effectively, without disrupting momentum.

A quarter of C-suite leaders say they plan to leave within six months.  Executive positions now remain vacant for an average 4.5 months in the UK and 5.2 months in the US, a 37% increase over the past five years.  These extended vacancies can have a disruptive ripple effect across the organisation, demanding sometimes costly interim solutions, potentially slowing organisational growth and productivity and unnerving staff and stakeholders.

One study found the average cost to recruit a C-suite executive has increased to £213,000 in the UK and $382,000 in the US, including search fees, onboarding costs and productivity losses during transition periods

Yet while the external market tightens, a powerful alternative is already inside the business: untapped leadership potential. Internally-developed executives hit full productivity 50% faster than external hires. They stay longer, align better and cost less to retain.  Deloitte research revealed that organisations with robust internal leadership development programs experience 68% higher leadership retention rates while Harvard says such companies are four times more likely to be among financial performance leaders in their industries.

If future success depends on strong leadership, then developing it from within isn’t a nice-to-have, it’s a strategic imperative.

Five steps to finding your next senior leaders from inside your team:

1. Rethink Your Internal Leadership Strategy

Start with an honest review of your current leadership pipeline. Where are the real gaps? What’s working – and what’s not?

Auditing past external hires, internal promotions and development outcomes against your long-term goals (including digital and operational transformation) will reveal where processes need to evolve.

Are your current development programmes future-focused? Are they building resilience, adaptability and cross-functional thinking, the traits leaders need today?

Create appropriate measurement systems to track both development processes and outcomes, and start with pilot initiatives that demonstrate quick wins while building toward systematic approach

2. Identify Hidden Talent Early

Most organisations sit on a goldmine of potential leaders they haven’t yet recognised. New tools, including data-informed assessments, can help spot ambition, agility and leadership potential early.

Map that talent to your strategic roadmap and you’re no longer hiring for roles, you’re developing people for outcomes.

3. Personalise Development, Don’t Standardise It

Traditional one-size-fits-all leadership development programmes don’t work at the top. Senior leaders and rising stars need tailored development aligned to their strengths, gaps and aspirations.

Executive coaching provides a trusted space to explore real career goals, challenges and capabilities. When paired with role design and business planning, this unlocks powerful alignment between individual and organisational growth.

4. Make Learning Part of the Job

Classroom learning and theoretical knowledge have limited impact on executive development. Nothing develops leadership like guided experience. On the job leadership training might include:

Rotation programmes: Executives and future leaders spend time on cross-functional strategic initiatives outside their primary responsibility area, enabling them to develop mental agility, strategic thinking and helps them to gain greater insight into their own capabilities and motivational drivers.

Board apprenticeships: Senior leaders serve as non-voting apprentices on subsidiary boards or partner organisation boards.

Crisis simulation workshops: Regular simulations, virtual or real, addressing different types of organisational crises create safe spaces to practice difficult leadership scenarios with immediate feedback.

Innovation secondments: Brief immersion experiences with fintech partners, other innovators and startups.

Build reflection and coaching into these experiences to help leaders translate insight into long-term value and work with HR to design roles which optimise the strengths of each individual, as realised through experiential development.

5. Pair Human Insight with Smart Data

Platforms such as Salesforce, Spire.AI and Microsoft Viva use advanced analytics and AI to systematically gather rich datasets from across the workforce, which can include communication pattern analysis from email and meeting data (with appropriate privacy protections), leadership behaviour assessments from multiple feedback sources, performance metrics across different dimensions, career history and experience data and self-reported motivation and aspiration information.

They can set goals, gather employee feedback, build skills inventories and aid succession planning, identifying current and future need and matching those with candidates who can then be offered hyper-personalised training.

While AI platforms and workforce analytics can surface insights on performance and engagement, it’s human coaching that turns data into growth, helping individuals translate them into actions and drivers for higher performance, innovation and organisational growth.

Why Executive Coaching – Especially Now

Leadership today demands more than just strategy and execution. Emotional intelligence, resilience and agility are no longer “soft skills” in the era of AI, they’re survival skills.

Executive coaching creates space for reflection, challenge, and growth. It accelerates readiness for leadership, improves retention and builds confidence in tomorrow’s decision-makers.

In the US, up to 40% of Fortune 500 companies invest in executive coaching for their leaders and listed companies in the UK are increasingly seeing the value and ROI of professional career development services to unlock internal potential and drive success.

Coaches might work with individuals, leadership teams or boards to offer an objective analysis of performance and productivity, identify room for improvement, offer spaces for reflection and professional development, audits skills and unlock opportunities for learning, experiential growth, innovation workshops and insight into those elusive, in-demand soft leadership skills so important in this era of AI and economic uncertainty.

Rialto director Richard Chiumento said: “When I work with clients, I create a trusted space for exploration – not just of leadership capability and blind spots, but also of future impact and opportunities for meaningful influence. In today’s volatile business environment, executives are under immense pressure to navigate complexity, lead transformation, and make fast, high-stakes decisions – often in isolation. Coaching offers the rare thinking space they don’t get elsewhere.

“It helps build the self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and strategic agility needed to lead with clarity and resilience. Whether it’s sharpening decision-making, enhancing communication, managing stakeholder dynamics, or preparing for generative AI and other disruptive forces, coaching equips leaders to perform at their full potential.

“For many, it’s the only space where they can truly pause, reflect, look up and ahead and prepare for what’s next. For emerging leaders, it accelerates readiness, confidence, and credibility. Time and again, executives tell me they would never have opened up, or developed so rapidly, without this kind of support.”

Make Leadership Your Competitive Advantage

At Rialto, we help organisations across sectors to unlock and accelerate leadership from within. We combine coaching, data-driven insights and strategy-aligned development to deliver real outcomes.

Whether you’re navigating digital transformation, scaling innovation, or building organisational game changing capability a future-ready leadership will be your key advantage.

If you’re ready to future-proof your leadership from the inside out, do get in touch for an initial confidential exchange.

In an era defined by accelerated technological disruption and shifting global markets, the traditional linear executive career path – climbing the corporate ladder – is increasingly being challenged, no longer guaranteeing long-term relevance, fulfilment, or financial security.

For many senior leaders, the time is ripe to consider a more agile, resilient approach: the portfolio career.

The Rise of the Portfolio Career

Once seen as the preserve of semi-retirees or creatives, portfolio careers are now a strategic choice for executives at all stages of their professional life. A portfolio career can combine multiple concurrent roles—such as board appointments, consulting assignments, advisory positions, teaching, entrepreneurial ventures, and speaking engagements—into a cohesive professional narrative.

According to a recent report by Korn Ferry, over 65% of senior executives are actively exploring alternative career models beyond traditional full-time employment. Meanwhile, Harvard Business Review highlights that portfolio careers are increasingly being adopted by experienced leaders seeking greater autonomy, intellectual variety, and purpose-driven work.  PwC’s Future of Work report also highlights a major pivot towards project-based, flexible working structures—especially among senior professionals seeking impact across a variety of domains.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key driver in this evolution. As AI automates many transactional and analytical tasks —particularly in finance, operations, and strategic planning—the emphasis has shifted towards uniquely human strengths such as critical judgement, ethical decision-making, relationship building, and creative problem-solving. These are precisely the capabilities that define successful portfolio executives.

For executives in transition, the portfolio model offers the opportunity to test new sectors, refine strategic skills, and expand one’s global network—all while maintaining income diversification and optionality in a volatile job market.

How Portfolio Careers are Structured

There is no such thing as a typical portfolio career but executives might generally maintain three to seven different professional engagements simultaneously.  This might include:

• One anchor role: A part-time executive role (e.g., interim CEO, COO, or CxO) or a substantial non-executive directorship (NED)
• Board/advisory roles: One or two independent board seats or advisory appointments across sectors which might offer strategic insight, governance, or transformation support
• Consulting engagements: Project-based assignments tailored to a leader’s specialist knowledge.
• Thought Leadership contributions: Occasional teaching, keynote speaking, or thought leadership contributions.
• Entrepreneurial or investment ventures: Engagement in start-ups, private equity, or personal enterprises.

A Spencer Stuart study shows that FTSE 100 boards are increasingly welcoming executives with multi-sector and international exposure—traits often cultivated through portfolio careers.

However, the key is coherence, not volume—ensuring all components align with a central narrative and reinforce each other in knowledge, network, and strategic positioning.

Global Outlook

As portfolio careers gain momentum, geographic context plays an increasingly important role in shaping opportunities. Cultural norms, regulatory environments, and market maturity can all influence how portfolio models are adopted and where demand is strongest for executive talent on a flexible or advisory basis.

Understanding the regional landscape allows executives to position themselves more effectively—whether by tapping into global networks, aligning with governance trends, or pursuing cross-border engagements that enhance strategic visibility and impact.

United Kingdom: The UK is particularly fertile ground, with a long-standing tradition of non-executive directorships, a strong consulting culture, and increasing acceptance of part-time executive roles. The Institute of Directors and Financial Reporting Council have both highlighted the growing role of experienced portfolio professionals in enhancing board diversity and governance.

United States: While portfolio structures are more common in tech, finance, and healthcare, adoption is growing across sectors as flexible models gain traction. US executives often tap into the scale of the market and the abundance of venture and PE-backed firms seeking seasoned advisors.

Europe: Nordic countries lead in flexible executive models, while Southern Europe remains more conservative, favouring full-time engagement. The EU’s labour laws can complicate portfolio arrangements, but this is often offset by a thriving independent consulting scene.

Asia-Pacific: Singapore stands out as a hub for senior advisors and portfolio executives, particularly those with Western experience and local cultural fluency. Japan and South Korea, traditionally hierarchical, are increasingly open to flexible models as governance reforms take hold.

Preparing for a Portfolio Transition

Making the transition to a portfolio career requires more than intention—it demands strategic foresight, personal clarity, and operational readiness. This shift isn’t simply about doing more things; it’s about doing the right things in a coordinated, purpose-driven way.

Executives considering this path must approach it with the same rigour they would apply to any major business transformation: assessing their market positioning, identifying their core value proposition, and building the infrastructure to operate across multiple domains with consistency and credibility.

Whether you’re planning a full transition or exploring a phased approach, the steps below will help lay a solid foundation for a sustainable and high-impact portfolio career.

Conduct a strategic skills audit: Assess your most marketable capabilities. Engage a coach or mentor to benchmark your value against current market needs, especially in AI, digital transformation, and ESG.

Clarify your proposition: Define your unique offer. Align your LinkedIn profile, website, and public presence with a consistent and compelling message.

Build credibility: Engage in thought leadership, publish insights, speak at events, and serve on expert panels.

Expand your network: Tap into personal and professional contacts. Many roles are secured through trusted introductions rather than public postings.

Start incrementally: Begin with a board role or consultancy alongside traditional employment to test the model before fully transitioning.

Invest in your infrastructure: Build systems for client management, financial planning, digital communication, and time management from the outset.

Is a Portfolio Career Right for You?

A portfolio career offers senior executives an attractive alternative to traditional employment—blending autonomy, intellectual variety, and influence across multiple sectors. However, it is not a model suited to every executive.

The flexibility to design one’s professional life around personal values, interests and lifestyle is a key draw. It also allows for diversified income streams, expanded networks, and exposure to varied business models—all of which can extend an executive’s relevance and influence in a fast-changing world.

However, this freedom comes with structural and operational demands that should not be underestimated. Key challenges include:

Maintaining a Clear Professional Identity
Without the anchor of a single title or organisation, it can be challenging to articulate a cohesive professional narrative. Executives must develop a compelling value proposition that unites their various roles and communicates their unique offering clearly and consistently.

Managing Income and Financial Planning
Income can be variable and irregular. Some roles may pay quarterly, others upon delivery or via equity. Executives must be financially prepared for income variability and the need to self-fund traditional employment benefits.  Building a financial buffer of 6–12 months of essential expenses is strongly advised.

Avoiding Overextension
The temptation to accept multiple opportunities can lead to overcommitment. Many portfolio executives report longer hours, particularly in the early stages. Success relies on setting clear boundaries, defining scope in each engagement, and prioritising roles that align with long-term strategic goals.

Handling Operational Complexity
Juggling multiple roles comes with increased administrative burden—contracts, scheduling, compliance, invoicing, and taxes, often across jurisdictions. Leveraging digital tools such as CRMs, calendar managers, accounting software, and workflow automations is crucial to avoid distraction from core value-adding activities.

Sustaining Strategic Direction
Without a clearly defined strategic direction, a portfolio can risk fragmentation.  Executives should regularly review and realign their roles to ensure coherence, value contribution, and progress toward long-term career and lifestyle goals. A trusted mentor, coach, or peer board can support this process.

Crucially, this is not an all-or-nothing decision. Many senior professionals begin their transition gradually—taking on a board seat, advisory engagement or consulting project alongside a primary role—to test the model, refine their proposition, and build momentum.

For some, a portfolio career is a launchpad into new sectors and innovation. For others, it offers a fulfilling path into the later stages of their professional journey—balancing commercial impact with flexibility and personal fulfilment.

In an era of accelerating change, a well-structured portfolio career is not a compromise. It’s a strategic response—designed for those ready to lead on their own terms.

The Rialto team are experienced in guiding senior professionals through executive transitions—whether building a full portfolio, exploring strategic exits, or shaping a second-act career. With deep market insight and an international network, we support our clients in navigating the complex, evolving landscape of executive work.

Contact us today to explore how we can support your transition.