GenAI Leadership by 2030

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.

Regardless of your age, experience and seniority, a personal digital brand can be a huge differentiator in securing a new role, premium consultancy projects, or advisory or non-executive director (NED) positions. This is vital in a job market where opportunities are limited, sought-after skillsets and experience requirements change regularly, and competition now includes not only local but also global peers. Every candidate wants to stand out from the crowd and get noticed, and today’s shifting marketplace is making it increasingly difficult to do so.

Just like a strong brand helps a business cut through the noise and establish itself in the marketplace, a strong personal digital brand will help an executive to make a lasting impression, particularly with recruitment practices shifting online and an increasing amount of talent being sourced digitally. Even if a senior professional isn’t looking for a job change, their personal digital brand can open the door to other professional opportunities.

Here are some initial steps you could take to begin carving out your own personal digital brand.

What is a ‘Personal Digital Brand’?

A ‘personal brand’ is a recognisable, uniform, and consistent impression an individual makes on others. It is often based on the person’s experiences, expertise, actions or achievements within their given industry or role. Simply put, it is the professional image you present to your peers, and the way that they perceive you.

A more effective form of this is a ‘personal digital brand’, which is what we at Rialto help our clients develop. As the name suggests, a digital personal brand is the image that a professional presents digitally, whether it be on social media, email correspondence, or thought leadership pieces such as blogs. The personal digital brand is not an amendment or an alternative to the traditional personal brand. Rather, the personal digital brand is simply the more forward thinking, future-ready version. Much of today’s networking, thought leadership, recruitment, and business-building activities happen with a digital element involved. Think about how you present yourself in prospecting emails, LinkedIn communications, and even on Zoom. These activities have become an integral part of business life, and must be considered in the holistic big picture of your brand.

Your personal digital brand ensures that your online presence matches what people experience when they meet you in person, and vice versa. If you are a strong voice in your industry at conferences or in meetings, you should continue this online. Alternatively, if you are very vocal online, you should not act timidly in person. For your brand to be a success, it needs to be consistent at all times.

Determining Your ‘Why’

When beginning to establish your brand, you must first answer a few crucial questions. What do you believe in, or stand for? When you leave an interview, conference, or client meeting, what would you like the others in the room to remember about you? What skills, accomplishments, or traits would you like to be known for? And most importantly, what makes you different? What do you offer that others may not? What makes you you?

This process of self-reflection is similar to Simon Sinek’s ‘Golden Circle’ model. Sinek’s simple yet powerful model discusses how the world’s most influential leaders inspire action by starting with ‘why’ they do what they do. Answering these questions should give you an idea of not only who you are, but also what you’re interested in, talented at, or passionate about. Knowing this will help you to seek out opportunities that will cater to your skills, and help you to find a role that you will actually enjoy. Having a clear idea of what your ‘why’ is helps pinpoint your unique selling proposition in the job market and what you want to be known for amongst your peers.

Thinking Long-Term

If you are undergoing the process of developing a personal digital brand, it is highly likely that you have a reason for it. A personal digital brand helps you become recognisable or even memorable in a highly saturated job market, and can help you secure or even attract a coveted position. Even when you are not actively searching for a role, your personal digital brand continues to work for you as a basis for thought leadership, and is a great way to re-establish oneself in a sector or as part of an evolving tech transformation. Down the road, this may lead to advantageous introductions to new contacts, keynote opportunities, or good publicity.

Whatever your end goal may be, it is crucial to have clarity on the big picture when you are in the process of developing your brand. The self-reflection you have completed in the initial steps of brand development should help to paint the picture.

Once you know what you’re working towards, you can begin to think about what actions will help to carve that path forward. You should be able to determine which of your skills, attributes, or accomplishments are best to champion in order to reach your endgame goals. Your brand will become much more refined and polished as a result.

Determining Your Start Point

Once you have an idea of what you would like your brand to be and where you would like it to take you, a wise next step is to conduct a ‘personal brand audit’ to determine where you currently stand. Ask your colleagues, friends, and family to choose some adjectives to describe you. Are these in line with the ideas you have about yourself, the impressions you would like to leave others with, or the professional image you would like to project?

If this feedback is not consistent with what you had in mind, do not be discouraged. People grow and change all the time, and your brand is completely within your control. Perhaps this peer feedback identified traits or skills that you overlooked previously, or downplayed. Maybe your peers helped provide a few areas where you could improve. At least now you have a better idea of where you need to focus your energy in order to create a consistent, authentic, and strong personal digital brand.

Champion Your Greatness

Once you feel confident in your brand, it is time to put it into words. The best way to do is to develop a short elevator pitch that expresses the main points concisely, yet accurately. This statement should provide a good overview of who you are and what you are about, but leave enough out so that others are interested in learning more.

This pitch will become a critical tool in your professional arsenal. You can deploy it in one-to-one introductions with key contacts, or in an interview when asked the dreaded “tell us about yourself” question. You can use it in the biography section of your social media profiles to leave any visitors to your page with a strong first impression.

It is easy to say what you stand for, but it can be harder to prove it. However, for your brand to be authentic, you need to be able to back up your words. Begin to identify examples from your life or career that best tell the story of who you are. Choose examples that highlight the key skills you identified in the previous steps, or solid examples of times you lived out your ‘why’.  These are great to have on hand in interviews, and help to solidify your brand in the minds of others. Online, you can become a champion for your personal digital brand via the topics you comment on and the content you share. We will go into further detail about this in later articles, but for now just remember that consistency is the key to authenticity. Your personal digital brand will only work for you if it is truly reflective of who you are and what you have to offer professionally.

We see businesses reinvent themselves and overhaul their brands with time, and you should do the same. As you grow, learn, and develop, your brand should change with you. The hardest part is developing one to begin with, but do not be afraid to adapt it over time. The best brands are those that remain true and authentic throughout the test of time.

As businesses continue to face economic volatility, rapid technological advancements, and shifting workforce expectations, the role of C-suite leaders is evolving at pace.   Some of the most pressing challenges discussed at the start of 2025 are beginning to snap into focus: Trump’s trade wars are destabilising economies, crashing markets and holding up global supply chains; increased defence spending across Europe is eating into GDP and, in the UK, new tax and wage burdens on employers are about to bite.

Meanwhile, Generative AI is becoming increasingly omnipresent and sophisticated, reshaping competitive dynamics across every industry and AI agents are offering opportunities for increased efficiency and insight to improve customer experiences thus enabling even further data driven decision making. In all cases, the disruptive influences must be harnessed for positive transformation, rather than allowed to run riot or be neglected.

For those considering executive career transitions, further leadership development, or future-proofing their personal brand, keeping abreast of these emerging challenges and strategically positioning themselves accordingly will be essential.

Here we look at the market dynamics and landscape for four of the critical functions, chief executive officers, chief operating officers, chief finance officers and chief human resources officers.

Chief Executive Officer: Balancing Growth, Disruption, and Stakeholder Expectations

CEOs are no strangers to rapid change, but 2025 presents an entirely new level of complexity at the intersection of technology, geopolitics, customer expectations and social change.   While financial performance remains critical, today’s CEO’s must weigh up short term results against long-term innovation and resilience, navigating economic shifts, sustainability commitments, and regulatory pressures.  They will need to rely on instinct developed through experience but also be able to leverage the latest data analytics.

CEOs in 2025 are expected to serve as both visionaries and pragmatists, charting ambitious growth while preparing for potential economic headwinds. The modern CEO must balance shareholder demands against broader stakeholder responsibilities.

A key priority for CEOs continues to be AI adoption, with CEOs needing sufficient technical acumen to steer decisions about AI implementation, data governance, and cybersecurity without getting lost in technical details. The risk of investing in technology without a clear business need and ROI is high. CEOs must take a human-first approach, ensuring AI augments rather than disrupts their workforce, product, or service. Many are establishing direct reporting relationships with newly created technology leadership roles alongside traditional C-suite positions. Rialto market mapping data shows chief sustainability officer, chief compliance officer and chief technology officers profiles growing rapidly as CEOs bring in expertise to ensure strength in these increasingly crucial areas.

CEOs are increasingly expected to drive workforce ambition and loyalty, stepping up to the plate to communicate a compelling brand narrative incorporating purpose, direction and ensuring tangible societal contribution. Younger generations are increasingly seeking purpose-driven leadership, looking for companies that align with their values.  Managing change, particularly around automation and restructuring, requires transparency and empathy—staff need to feel valued, not like they are expendable assets in exercises to cut overheads.

For those looking for CEO roles, the number of peer profiles continues to grow, while vacancies fall and competition for roles intensifies. CEO salaries rose by around 2% last year, compared to 7% for all workers, reflecting the shifting demands on leadership. Traditional hierarchies are flattening, meaning CEOs must take a more collaborative approach to leadership, ensuring they are adaptable and ready to reposition their skills for an evolving market.

Chief Operating Officer: From Efficiency Expert to Innovation Enabler

The COO role has undergone perhaps the most dramatic evolution among C-suite positions. Traditionally focused on operational efficiency and process optimisation, today’s COOs are now challenged to build operational architectures that deliver more consistent performance while adapting quickly to supply chain disruptions, regulatory changes and shifting consumer expectations

Technology has become central to the COO agenda, with predictive analytics, process automation, GenAI and digital twins offering a way to model future market conditions and prepare for sudden changes. Beyond managing existing operations, COOs increasingly serve as innovation enablers—creating the organisational conditions for experimentation while maintaining performance standards. Many now oversee both core operations and innovation initiatives, bridging the gap between current capabilities and future requirements.

The pandemic-era emphasis on supply chain resilience continues to shape the COO agenda, with increased focus on nearshoring, supplier diversification, and inventory optimisation. Sustainability goals add another dimension, requiring COOs to reduce environmental impact while maintaining cost efficiency. They are increasingly expected to adopt circular economy principles and responsible sourcing practices with the ability to report on sustainability efforts and demonstrate their link to cost savings and operational improvements now a critical skill.

For those seeking COO positions, Rialto market mapping data shows global and UK profiles up by a sixth in the last 12 months. This may be due to more individuals recognising the need to be public facing to draw on broader networks of reliable business contacts and equally those that are building their presence in anticipation of restructuring needs.  Either way, UK vacancies in this area are up by a third after a big dip in September 2024 therefore executives will need to clearly demonstrate their AI literacy, digital expertise, and strategic adaptability if they want to compete and remain ahead.

Chief Financial Officer: The Strategic Guardian behind Business Resilience

The role of CFOs has undergone a profound transformation. While financial stewardship remains fundamental, CFOs now spend significantly more time supporting strategic initiatives and driving transformation.  As 2025 progresses, CFOs face the ongoing complex challenges of balancing growth investments, ESG reporting, and financial resilience in an increasingly unstable global economy.

At the time of writing, global trade tensions and unpredictable tariffs are making financial forecasting more challenging than ever. CFOs must be prepared to reallocate resources quickly, responding to economic shifts with agility. The days of long-term, rigid financial planning are gone—scenario planning, risk modelling, and real-time decision-making are now essential tools in the CFO’s arsenal.

Modern CFOs require expertise in digital finance technologies that enable real-time decision support rather than retrospective reporting. Advanced data analytics capabilities have become essential for scenario planning, risk assessment, and identifying growth opportunities hidden in financial data. CFOs can also add the tools of predictive analytics and digital twins to their utility belts to be able to prepare for worst and best case scenarios.

Perhaps most significantly, CFOs now serve as translators between financial outcomes and business strategy—helping operational leaders understand financial implications of their decisions while communicating complex financial performance in business terms to diverse stakeholders. This expanded role requires stronger communication skills and broader business acumen than traditionally expected from finance leaders.

While global CFO profiles continue to grow steadily, UK vacancies spiked in mid-2024 before settling at a higher level than the previous year.  Executives looking for a CFO role need to demonstrate technological literacy, strategic foresight, and strong communication skills to translate complex financial data into clear business strategies.  Financial acumen is a given, but skills may not be viewed as transferable as they once were therefore a deep dive into a target organisation’s near and long term goals and how it fits into the global economic and technological landscape will enable applicants to maintain a competitive edge.

Chief Human Resources Officer: Workforce Transformation and Leadership in an AI Enabled Era

With talent now recognised as a core competitive advantage, the CHRO role has never been more crucial.  Companies are facing multigenerational workforce challenges, AI-driven job transformations, hybrid workforce management and evolving employee expectations—and HR leaders are at the centre of it all.

In 2025, HR leaders must balance organisational agility with workforce stability, ensuring their companies can adapt to rapid AI-driven transformation and economic volatility while maintaining a strong employer brand.

AI-powered tools are revolutionising recruitment, performance management, and workforce analytics, but HR leaders must ensure technology enhances, rather than undermines, human decision-making. AI can optimise hiring processes and skills matching, but without careful oversight, it can also reinforce bias or create over-reliance on data-driven insights without considering the human element. CHROs must take a proactive role in AI ethics, ensuring that AI-driven decision-making in talent acquisition, promotions, and workforce planning remains transparent, fair, and aligned with company values.

The employee experience is now a critical differentiator in attracting and retaining top talent. CHROs must reimagine workplace environments—both physical and digital—to ensure they support collaboration, flexibility, and productivity. AI-driven analytics can provide real-time insights into workforce engagement and wellbeing, helping HR teams anticipate attrition risks, burnout, and evolving employee expectations. However, HR leaders must avoid an impersonal, data-driven approach, ensuring that engagement strategies maintain a strong human connection and company culture.

The ongoing mental health crisis and shifting generational priorities mean that wellbeing strategies must go beyond traditional benefits and DEI initiatives create truly inclusive cultures . Employees expect tailored support, career development opportunities, and inclusive workplace cultures where they feel valued. The CHRO will need to lead conversations on AI’s role in career development, steering the way for automation to augment and enhance jobs and providing reskilling opportunities where necessary.

Rialto market mapping data shows HR Director and CHRO roles rose rapidly at the end of 2024, possibly reflecting the increasing importance of strategic workforce leadership. Candidates looking to secure these roles must demonstrate AI literacy, change management expertise, and a deep understanding of how HR is evolving into a business-critical function. Those who position themselves as both talent strategists and ethical AI stewards will be best placed to lead organisations into the future of work.

The Evolving C-Suite: Leadership Beyond Traditional Boundaries

Against this complex backdrop, C-suite roles are evolving significantly, requiring executives to develop new capabilities, embrace digital transformation, and adopt an agile leadership approach. The boundaries between traditional functional responsibilities are blurring as interconnected challenges require stronger collaboration.

Today’s executives must combine deep functional expertise with broader business acumen and the ability to work across organisational boundaries. For those seeking new opportunities, understanding how their roles are evolving and refining their skillsets accordingly will be key to remaining competitive in a rapidly shifting market.

If you want to more successfully navigate today’s increasingly complex executive employment market or wish to develop new capabilities, or improve your positioning for your next role, expert executive transition and development coaching can provide the insights and strategies you need. Get in touch today to explore opportunities and future-proof your career.

Generative AI and the associated apps, tools and platforms, are heralded by many as the most efficient way for busy executives to crunch data, draw insights, elevate their brand and support pivotal career moments such as preparing for interview or creating a new profile

But what is real, what is hype, and what are the risks around trusting generative models to match you with the right opportunity – and to analyse and represent your unique set of talents, experience, attributes and requirements to the wider world, especially potential employers?

There is no doubt that GenAI can and should be used to support any aspect of professional development and career transitions. It is an invaluable resource, able to digest vast amounts of data and present it in a succinct, clear, comprehensible format in seconds. It can look for patterns, analyse current trends, forecast future ones and create highly personalised content.

However the technologies do come with limitations and challenges, so Rialto consultants use them alongside traditional coaching techniques and optimisation of networks, knowledge and experience to support clients looking for new leadership roles.

The Balanced Approach: Integrating AI and Human Coaching

The most successful executive transitions leverage both AI tools and human coaching in complementary ways. This integrated approach ensures executives benefit from technological efficiency while maintaining the authentic human connection essential for navigating complex executive career transitions. The future belongs to leaders who can skilfully combine these resources, using AI to enhance, rather than replace, the human judgment that ultimately drives successful executive journeys.

The time factor involved in mastering new technologies at such crucial and stressful junctures in life can also be an obstacle to their effective use. Hopefully, executives will only be seeking to transition once every five to nine years. Who wants to spend weeks training on specific AI tools for each stage of the journey, when this may be the only time they use those apps in their life? With the current pace of change, the tools will be obsolete or at least unrecognisable by the time the same individuals are back out on the market, all going well.

Luckily, there are experts on hand who know exactly which tools to use and how to use them. No need to reinvent the wheel, far better to just sit at it and drive, with an experienced human co-pilot who can navigate and smooth the way.

Where AI needs the human touch:

While jobseeking apps such as Indeed are useful for entry level jobs, and tools like ResumAI, Rezi, and Teal employ algorithms to analyse executive CVs against industry standards and specific job descriptions, the increasingly exacting, multi-layered processes and stages of executive hiring in this ultra-competitive market demand laser-sharp, sophisticated strategies which must be refined and adapted constantly.

This takes a human touch. emotional intelligence, instinct and delicate nuance that AI simply doesn’t have, at least not yet.

Contextual Understanding AI tools frequently struggle with nuanced industry contexts and organisational cultures. They may fail to recognise that what works in one sector could be inappropriate in another or vice versa. For example, they cannot differentiate tone and language a candidate might use if moving from a creative industry to a financial institution or pick up on the requirements of a generic position in a niche organisation. They may also struggle with cultural sensitivities. Emotional intelligence, instinct and human experience are essential in decision-making.

Authenticity Gaps This is a crucial one. The standardised language generated by AI tools will always undermine the authentic voice that distinguishes truly compelling executive profiles. Technology might be able to magic up what it perceives to be the perfect candidate for a position and help an applicant get through the first sift, especially if the organisation is using AI tools itself to create a longlist from the hundreds of initial inquiries. However recruiters increasingly report detecting AI-generated content that lacks personal perspective and genuine insight.  An AI generator cannot delve into a person’s memory and recall the unique experiences and successes relevant to the requirements of the role that make any individual stand out from the pack. Human coaches excel at building trust, drawing out this buried treasure, understanding individual needs and ensuring that the candidate on paper aligns with the candidate in person. They might use AI with a client to help structure this process, but it takes emotional intelligence and insight to interact in a productive and meaningful way to assess and truly represent an individual’s value proposition.

Strategic Limitations While AI excels at tactical optimisation, it falls short in strategic career guidance. These tools cannot effectively evaluate whether a particular role aligns with an executive’s holistic long-term aspirations, values and life priorities. AI cannot read a person’s character or recognise when they are genuinely lit up over a subject. A mentor or coach works hard to get to ‘really’ know their client and build trust to be able to hold up the mirror and guide them towards a career transition that will ultimately provide fulfilment and ensure continuous professional development. They can think several moves ahead like a chess pro, compared to the limited, chance-based algorithms of AI. AI may suggest openings in the market  and the generic skills being sought but good coaches can narrow down opportunities in the executive market that align with their client’s complex matrix of talents and requirements and support them to understand any gaps in their personal skillsets or experience. Experienced coaches bring extensive networks and relationship capital that open doors to opportunities never posted publicly. These connections frequently lead to the most fitting and rewarding executive placements.

Relationship Dynamics Executive hiring remains fundamentally relationship-driven, with cultural fit and leadership chemistry playing decisive roles. AI tools cannot replicate the human intuition that recognises when a leader will thrive in a particular organisation’s culture. Candidates should seek a more rounded view of the company’s culture, style and hierarchy. Nothing can replace the unedited information passed from human to human with nuance and personal opinions. Executives seeking new opportunities will feel more confident and comforted being able to access insider knowledge and trust their instincts.

The Personalisation Paradox While AI promises personalisation, its reliance on historical data means recommendations often gravitate toward conventional career paths rather than innovative trajectories. Executives seeking transformative roles may find AI guidance constraining rather than liberating. There is no “thinking outside of the box” or ability to assess challenges against opportunities and the individual’s appetite for risk vs need for stability depending on the stage of their career or family responsibilities, for example.

Algorithm Bias AI systems reflect the data they’re trained on, potentially perpetuating existing biases in executive selection. Women and minority executives should be particularly attentive to how AI tools might unintentionally minimise leadership qualities that don’t conform to traditional models. A human coach or mentor can navigate these sensitive issues and help identify unique attributes and how to optimise them.

The Technology Learning Curve Despite their promise, many executive-focused AI tools require significant time investment to use effectively. The learning curve can be steep, particularly for leaders less comfortable with emerging technologies. Executives may find it difficult to navigate the ever-evolving myriad of available options and integrate them into their workflows effectively.  Where time is an individual’s most valuable resource, AI can certainly be a frustrating adversary rather than an invested and trusted advisor.

Adaptive Strategy and Reflective Thinking Executive coaches continuously refine their approach based on subtle cues, market shifts, and emerging opportunities. This adaptability enables the development of dynamic career strategies that AI’s more rigid frameworks cannot replicate. As candidates progress, they gain deeper self-awareness, often adjusting their ambitions or realising they may find greater success and fulfilment on an entirely different path. Having a human mentor to listen, respond, and reflect helps clarify thinking, challenge assumptions, and inspire innovative career approaches. These conversations often lead to breakthrough insights that algorithmic interactions simply cannot generate. The best coaches provide candid feedback about executive blind spots, communication patterns, and leadership presence that AI tools cannot detect. This honest perspective is essential for authentic development and successful transitions.

Perhaps the most crucial element missing from AI, however, is compassion. Try telling Microsoft CoPilot that you didn’t get the job you desperately wanted after six gruelling rounds of interviews. It will generate a handful of practical suggestions in plain English—but what you truly need is a human being who knows you, acknowledges your effort, empathises with the disappointment, and guides you forward with encouragement and insight.

GenAI vs Executive Career Coaching

AI tools and platforms are a valuable addition to the multi-dimensional, structured approach executives should take when navigating executive career transitions. They offer efficiency, data-driven insights, and practical support—but they remain just one piece of the puzzle.

While AI continues to evolve, it still lacks the instinct, emotional intelligence, strategic foresight, and human connection that define truly effective executive career transition support. A great executive coach does more than provide insights, they challenge, mentor, and inspire. They recognise the nuances of each individual’s journey, helping leaders uncover opportunities they might never have considered and navigate setbacks with resilience.

A time may come when AI can fully replicate these qualities, seamlessly integrating empathy, strategic thinking, and creativity into its responses. But for now, the ability to truly understand, adapt, and empower remains uniquely human.

Executives are increasingly using AI platforms to support their professional development and pivotal career moves. These technologies can assist in a multitude of ways, including condensing vast volumes of text into checklists and relevant insights, helping to provide oversight of target companies, key contacts and job descriptions and optimising online networking and personal branding opportunities.

As discussed in our previous blog, Why AI can’t replace Career Coaches, these tools should be used as an aide, however, not a replacement for hard work or where needed collaboration with an experienced coach or mentor. When used in isolation, they can be more of a hindrance than a help, with algorithms narrowing perspectives rather than broadening them. This can lead to a loss of nuance and missed opportunities for meaningful reflection and personal growth. Additionally, applications processed through the same standardised large language models can sound repetitive and robotic, failing to convey the unique attributes and character of the individual.

With these caveats in mind, here is a guide to some of the most popular AI applications executives are exploring—and how to use them effectively.

LinkedIn’s suite of AI tools are increasingly being tested by executives to create content, research potential candidates, and manage professional profiles.  The platform’s AI-powered job recommendations analyse your profile, skills, and network to suggest relevant senior roles. Their Premium AI writing assistant helps craft compelling headlines, “about” sections, and accomplishments that resonate with recruiters. User feedback indicates these tools have dramatically improved profile visibility, with executives reporting up to 40% more views after implementing AI-recommended optimisations. An invaluable start, but relying on LinkedIn alone misses opportunities to access the hidden job market and lacks the emotional intelligence that a human coach can provide and the work that goes into really uncovering aspirations, values and ambitions.

Research: Open source Generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT and Claude will analyse vast amounts of information and, with the right prompts, edit them into succinct checklists and manageable briefings. Executives can reduce the amount of time spent researching target companies, markets, sectors and target contacts. However, they have a tendency to hallucinate, so all facts should be checked before being repeated in job applications or interviews. Poor prompting will provide poor results, possibly leading to crucial information being missed. GenAI cannot take the place of more sophisticated and personal insights from people who work in a company or close to it. What it should be used for is blank-page thinking: pulling together ideas and background for further exploration.

Networking Alternatives or complementary assistants include Nudge and Connectifier which allow executives to leverage their professional networks more effectively during transitions. These platforms identify warm connections within target organisations, suggest relationship-nurturing actions, and highlight networking opportunities.  This capability is particularly valuable for executives looking to pivot into new industries or roles.

However, these tools do not always provide the same invaluable focus that a coach or wider network connections can offer. A coach or trusted contact can suggest networking activities based on direct knowledge of job openings, facilitate warm introductions, and unlock hidden opportunities. Additionally, human coaches bring practical insights, share personal experiences, and provide recommendations on approached based on their experiences and firsthand understanding of different work environments.

Resume and CV AI Optimiser Tools like ResumAI, Rezi, and Teal evaluate content, structure, keyword optimisation, and impact statements. Executives have mentioned that these tools can support with thinking through transferable skills when transitioning between industries or functional areas.  However, these tools should be used only as a source of inspiration rather than a final solution. While they offer general advice based on patterns, they lack the ability to understand the nuances of personal circumstances, including individual experiences, cultural background, and life situation.

Interview Preparation Platforms: InterviewGPT and Yoodli have gained popularity for their ability to simulate interview scenarios and provide personalised feedback. They analyse responses for content strength, delivery clarity, and non-verbal cues. Users praise the convenience of 24/7 practice opportunities and the objective feedback. However, many note that these tools struggle with the nuanced, relationship-driven nature of high-level interviews, where cultural fit and leadership presence are paramount.

Additional platforms such as Comprehensive.io and Aiola can also provide value, offering AI-driven compensation analysis, helping executives understand their market value and negotiate more effectively. These tools assess factors such as industry, location, company size, and specialised expertise to establish realistic compensation targets.

Executive Positioning and Personal Branding Jasper AI, DALL-E and Copy.ai have become go-to resources for executives crafting their personal narratives. These tools assist in generating executive bios, thought leadership article outlines, and social media content and visuals that position leaders in their industry.

While users appreciate the efficiency these platforms provide, they often find them clunky and lacking in nuance. Significant human refinement is required to ensure authenticity and strategic alignment. Additionally, without advanced user expertise, these tools can be time-consuming and frustrating to work with.

Using AI for Executive Career Transition

For those who enjoy the challenge of mastering new technologies, AI-driven platforms can be highly effective in streamlining executive job searches. They help narrow down target positions, provide broad insights into markets, sectors, and organisations, benchmark an individual’s compatibility within those parameters, and identify emerging executive trend

However, these tools can also be time-consuming, frustrating, and inherently flawed. Over-reliance on them may hinder personal growth and limit the achievement of long-term career aspirations. At Rialto, our consultants help clients navigate the complexities of these ever-evolving technologies, integrating them effectively into a holistic, future-focused career strategy as part of our comprehensive executive transition services.  Our team also provide the emotional intelligence, contextual understanding, strategic guidance, networking connections, and long-term relationship-building that are crucial for a truly successful

Over the past decade the Rialto team have successfully assisted more than 7,500 senior executives accelerate their career trajectories. If you are seeking structured, expert support for your current or planned executive transition, ongoing professional development, career strategy, or organisational change initiatives, including Gen AI adoption, contact us for a free, confidential consultation.

The leadership landscape is undergoing profound transformation, shaped by rapid advancements in AI, shifting global markets, and evolving employee expectations. However, one of the most significant yet often overlooked transitions is the generational shift in leadership. As an increasing number of Baby Boomers (1946-1964) contemplate options for retirement, Gen X (1965-1980) is stepping into top leadership roles, while ambitious Millennials (1981-1996) and the ever-assertive Gen Z (1997-2012) rise through the ranks, eager to redefine leadership for a new era.

Each generation brings distinct values, leadership styles, and expectations, shaped by the historical, cultural, and technological influences of their formative years. The challenge for today’s organisations is not only to manage these differences but to create a workplace where these diverse perspectives fuel innovation, collaboration, and sustained success.

HR leaders and executives must navigate the complex interplay of experience, ambition, and technological disruption, balancing the wisdom of seasoned leaders with the fresh insights of younger generations. This requires an adaptive approach to leadership development, succession planning, and workplace culture. Notably, the youngest Baby Boomers turned 60 in 2024—the average age of senior leadership in the UK, particularly for non-executive directors. Executive board directors tend to be slightly younger, averaging around 55. With approximately 11,200 people across the country turning 65 each day, and over a third of UK Boomers planning to work beyond the state retirement age of 66, organisations must prepare for a significant generational shift at the top.

Forward-thinking organisations will be those that harness the strengths of each generation, fostering inclusive leadership pipelines and leveraging intergenerational collaboration as a competitive advantage.  To earn the respect, loyalty, and engagement of a multigenerational workforce, today’s leaders—regardless of their generation—must be adaptable, self-aware, and capable of tailoring their leadership approach to different contexts. Understanding how personal leadership styles impact those significantly older or younger will be key to fostering a cohesive and high-performing workplace.

Let’s explore the defining characteristics of each generation, the leadership styles they bring to the table, with a caveat that these are generalisations, and the proposed strategies that can help bridge generational divides to build a resilient, future-ready workforce.

Baby Boomers: 1946-1964

(US President Donald Trump, Jeff Bezos Amazon, Bill Gates Microsoft, UK PM Sir Keir Starmer)

The biggest generation, as the name suggests, born into a post-Second World War economic boom, alongside growing tensions between Communism and capitalism. In the West, governments prioritised national growth and individual accumulation of wealth while the expanding middle classes and their increased spending power saw a surge in the leisure and services industries. The Boomers oversaw the first high-tech revolution with the invention of user-friendly computers, the internet, space exploration and incredible medical advances; they challenged the authority of the establishment through the countercultural movement, and expanded the horizons of the ordinary family to every corner of the planet through culture and travel.

Leadership style: Research shows Boomers are more likely to be workaholics, striving for personal reputational and financial success. They respect the rule of authority and feel most comfortable in traditional transparent, vertical hierarchical structures. They may tend towards being fairly autocratic in their leadership style, seeking minimal feedback or advice and allowing functions and departments to work in silos. They value formal education and qualifications, preferably from prestigious institutions such as Oxbridge or Ivy League, and favour networking in person.

Strengths: They understand traditional markets, customs and practices, and use their experience to anticipate challenges, responding with cool rationality and caution. They will have built up strong and valuable networks and partnerships which can strengthen any organisation. They are more likely to feel that their identity is tied in with that of their company and their resilience, combined with loyalty and a desire for stability during the last years of their careers, means they will often endure or navigate through any difficulties as they seek to shore up their own legacies through continuing success.

Weaknesses: That autocratic, hierarchical style may not chime well with younger generations. Some Boomers need to be encouraged to better appreciate the potential contributions of thrusting younger employees and not be put off by their directness, which could be mistaken for callowness. They may need encouragement to make themselves more approachable and to open two-way communication through digital channels such as social media. Some older leaders looking towards retirement may feel undermined or intimidated by the march of AI and data-driven technologies into decision-making territory, though that is something of a generalisation and it is important to recognise the grandfathers of the tech revolution mainly hailed from this generation.

How to manage Boomers: They have a unique set of skills, experience and contacts essential to any organisation. To attract and retain Boomers, focus on healthcare, offer the flexibility of part-time or consultancy roles, generous retirement propositions and financial planning support. It may be worth investing in continuous leadership development to help them stay relevant, develop their digital profiles and build confidence with new technologies. Set up mentoring models to help pass on their experience and wisdom and maintain a sense of belonging. Consider face-to-face communication over digital where possible. They will particularly appreciate formal and public recognition of their successes via awards, pay rises and job titles. While Boomers can generally be trusted to manage themselves, HR might want to help them work on softening their own leadership style to enact cultural change from the top, down, and ensure more cohesive collaboration, sharing of insights and networks, and a welcoming, nurturing environment for younger, up and coming talent. Open office doors or open planning and town hall meetings can help foster a sense of transparency, community and belonging.

Generation X: 1965–1980

(Elon Musk Tesla and X, Sundar Pichai Google, Lisa Su AMD)

The oft-forgotten middle child, Generation X is focused on balancing work with lifestyle and family. They have lived through the Cold War and seen the collapse of Communism as well as the downsides of rampant capitalism – the recession and 2007 stock market crash, growing poverty gap and environmental cost of unchecked industrial growth. They tend to have more of a conscience about their impact on the rest of the world and principles of equality, diversity and inclusion than their older counterparts. The median age of General and Operations Managers is around 44, putting them firmly in the middle of Gen X.

Leadership style: Research has found Gen X leaders to be pragmatic, results-orientated, adaptable, and focused on autonomy, valuing self-reliance and independent work rather than adherence to protocols and processes. They tend to prefer a collaborative environment while creating space for delegated individuals to manage their own tasks effectively, bridging the gap between the hierarchical structures favoured by Boomers and the flatter organisational hierarchies preferred by younger workers. They are more sceptical and questioning of authority than their older peers.

Strengths: As the inter-generational facilitators, Gen X tend to be strong communicators, able to relate to others and foster collaboration. They are appreciated as managers for their transparency, generosity, decency, fairness and willingness to listen. They can be the most reliable workers. They can engender trust and respect from younger workers by seeking to rule through influence and encouragement while respecting and honouring the structures and processes preferred by Boomers. They can provide supportive, anchoring roles while preparing to step up into the vacancies left by retiring executives.

Weaknesses: Not strictly a weakness, they may see hard work as a means to a more comfortable life rather than being driven by ego or ambition. Their enthusiasm and engagement may be compromised by feeling somewhat under-valued, being sandwiched between the self-serving and self-assured leaders above and the unabashed attention seekers being elevated ahead of them from below.

How to manage Gen X: Delegate effectively, give them ownership of projects with clear expectations and provide meaningful feedback. Demonstrate commitment and appreciation by investing in their professional development, opening pathways to promotion and achievable rewards as incentives. Ensure they feel seen and put them very much at the centre of the AI revolution by supporting their continuous learning. (Older X-ers started work on typewriters so may need a bit more hand-holding through AI-led transformation.) Gen X will also be motivated by generous pension and health benefits. They may be managing children and caring for parents, so offering flexibility and compassion will foster loyalty and productivity. Using them as mediators and mentors can be mutually beneficial, allowing them to share the wisdom that comes with experience while gaining vital knowledge in new technologies from savvy youngsters.

Millennials: 1981–1996

(Mark Zukerberg Meta, Brian Chesky AirBnB, Maria Raga Depop, Demis Hassabis DeepMind)

and Generation Z 1997-2012

(Jimmy Donaldson aka Mr Beast, YouTube influencer, Greta Thunberg environmentalist, Jenk Oz 19-year-old CEO founder of Thred media)

Both of these generations came of age during the ongoing tech boom and so are confident and adaptable in the fast-moving, revolutionary era of AI. Millennials saw the internet become omniscient while Gen Y saw it become omnipresent, with the world immediately available at their fingertips in smartphones. It means they feel more connectivity with the world and sensitivity to it. Millennials see themselves as disruptors, challenging the status quo and using technologies to transform how we do things.

In Gen Z, the climate crisis, living through the pandemic and movements such as Black Lives Matter have driven a sense of ethical responsibility, but also anxiety which has led to them sometimes being unkindly referred to as snowflakes due to their perceived lack of resilience.

Leadership style: The oldest Millennials are now 44 while the oldest Gen Zers are just 27, so leaders are more likely to be entrepreneurs and innovators than have worked their way up. The tech revolution has opened new avenues to success which do not depend on traditional hierarchies and vertical ladders. Younger leaders are also sought after in new positions overseeing transformation such as chief data officer and other AI leads of teams and departments.

Gen Zers in particular can be highly motivated by a need to be noticed in this age of social media; they buy into the cult of the individual, seeking to emulate the huge followings and pervasive presence of influencers. They tend to value and aspire to transformational and visionary leadership. They like to work in collaborative cultures and environments which foster creativity, trust and courage. They distrust authoritarianism and challenge orthodoxies. They probably do not even own a tie and possibly not even a suit.

Strengths: Both groups can adapt quickly to new technologies, platforms and tools and understand the value and uses of big data and analytics. They are unphased by tech and many will be looking at ways to constantly develop their own skillsets to ensure their value is augmented by it rather than seeing it as a threat,

Millennials in particular can be driven by a strong sense of purpose and fairness. They want to change the world for the better, are willing to make personal sacrifices and value learning. They embrace transformation and diversity in the workplace, are pragmatic and ready to lead.

The most confident Gen Zers see people of their own generation becoming influential and powerful and can imagine achieving similar success themselves, sometimes giving them the appearance of supreme confidence. They tend to be comfortable promoting themselves and their brands through digital channels, including video. They can appeal to younger talent and consumers and understand the vast commercial value of social media influencers, which may be lost on older leaders.

Weaknesses: Less committed than their predecessors, millennials work around 29 hours per week compared to 48 for Gen X and 47 for Boomers. They are less loyal than older colleagues and are more likely to be quickly frustrated if they are not being groomed for promotions and leadership roles. Seventy-one percent are ready to jump in their first year.

Meanwhile hybrid working, Covid-era schooling and social media have led to Americans between the ages of 15 and 24 spending just 38 minutes a day interacting face-to-face by choice. That age group is also less inclined to spend time on work or education, while millennial women are three times more likely to text than call. Many employers complain that this has all left the younger generations lacking in vital soft skills, including being able to communicate appropriately in person. Older employees may view some of them as brash, demanding, uncompromising and lacking nuance. Gen Zers often want instant gratification with minimal effort. Some employers say they struggle with criticism and can not cope with setbacks. They can cause friction in workplaces by failing to respect conventions or the contributions of older colleagues. Their lower attention span can mean they lose focus on long-term projects and objectives and will seek a move rather than seeking to overcome any difficulties.

Managing Millennials and Gen Zs. Both generations respond best to inspirational and visionary leadership rather than rigid rules, regulations, and procedures. Instead of instructing, focus on coaching and empowerment to foster autonomy and engagement. Millennials can play a key role in guiding and channeling Gen Z’s energy and ambition into meaningful productivity.  To maximise their potential, encourage innovation by creating psychologically safe spaces for experimentation. Frame failures as learning opportunities rather than setbacks.  Provide frequent and meaningful feedback—research suggests younger workers may require up to 50% more than older generations.  Prioritise mental health and well-being, ensuring structured support systems are in place to address common workplace anxieties.  Facilitate mentoring relationships to cultivate a culture of belonging, mutual respect, and reciprocal learning. Embed purpose and values into organisational culture, ensuring visible and actionable EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) strategies. Millennials, in particular, are drawn to organisations with a strong sense of purpose and social responsibility.

Both Millennials and Gen Z have seamlessly integrated Gen AI, smart technologies, and algorithms into their daily lives and expect the same level of digital fluency at work. They value efficiency and innovation and will be frustrated by outdated or inefficient systems. Investing in relevant technology will help fully leverage their skills and appetite for innovation while enhancing job satisfaction.

Research suggests that both groups tend to prioritise work-life balance and seek purpose and fulfilment in their careers rather than defining themselves by their jobs.  Millennials pioneered the push for meaningful work but tend to seek more stability as they age.  Gen Z, by contrast, are thought to prioritise financial security and flexibility, often favouring adaptability over long-term loyalty therefore being more likely to explore multiple roles, industries, or freelance work.

To attract and retain this talent, organisations must implement highly personalised and responsive professional development plans with clear, achievable milestones. A continuous pipeline of new talent is essential, alongside flexible working arrangements, including hybrid models, sabbaticals, and opportunities for international experience. Cultivating a collaborative, engaging, and enjoyable workplace culture is key, as strong relationships and a sense of purpose drive commitment. AI-driven platforms can enhance learning by gamifying development opportunities, keeping Gen Z engaged and motivated.

Early investment in personalised leadership development programmes will be critical for long-term retention. Additionally, organisations should recognise that younger professionals value authenticity and emotional honesty in leadership, making open communication and genuine engagement essential to earning their trust and loyalty.

Leading Across Generations: Embracing Change and Opportunity

Effective organisational leadership should resemble a relay team—training together, refining their handovers, and ensuring seamless transitions—rather than a competition where individuals vie against one another.

The modern workforce is not just a collection of individuals but a dynamic ecosystem shaped by the interplay of multiple generations, each contributing unique strengths, perspectives, and leadership styles. As businesses prepare for a wave of leadership transitions, HR and senior leaders must proactively design strategies that integrate generational diversity into succession planning, leadership development, and workplace culture.

Rather than viewing generational differences as obstacles, organisations that foster intergenerational collaboration can unlock untapped potential. The experience, networks, and strategic insight of Boomers and Gen X can be complemented by the digital fluency, innovation, and values-driven leadership of Millennials and Gen Z. A well-structured leadership pipeline—one that rewards merit, agility, and adaptability—will ensure a steady flow of talent into critical roles, keeping organisations competitive in an era of rapid transformation.

To thrive, businesses must embrace a holistic approach to leadership development, incorporating mentoring, reverse mentoring, flexible career paths, and AI-driven learning. Investing in generationally-inclusive leadership strategies will not only help retain top talent but also create an environment where diverse leadership styles thrive, ultimately driving long-term organisational success.

At Rialto, we empower organisations and individuals to navigate this evolving leadership landscape through bespoke programmes tailored to multi-generational leadership development and AI adoption. By equipping leaders with the skills to adapt and collaborate across generational lines, we enable businesses to turn generational shifts into powerful opportunities for growth and transformation.

In part two of our analysis of the hiring landscape in 2025, we turn our attention to the US and Asia, where executive job markets are experiencing contrasting but equally complex challenges as we move through 2025. In the US, economic uncertainty, political shifts, and the potential for disruptive trade policies have created a cautious hiring environment. Major corporations are scaling back recruitment, job openings have declined, and many executives are finding themselves in an extended search for new opportunities. At the same time, the shift towards freelance and project-based work is reshaping the executive landscape, requiring professionals to rethink traditional career models.

Meanwhile, Asia presents a mix of opportunities and volatility. China’s economy is evolving, but concerns over transparency and global trade tensions continue to loom large. Other parts of the region, however, are emerging as thriving hubs for executive talent, with India, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia seeing strong demand for senior leaders, particularly in technology, finance, and infrastructure. The evolving geopolitical and economic landscape is influencing where and how executives can find success, making strategic career navigation more crucial than ever.

The US:

With Donald Trump back in the White House, it’s difficult to predict which way the US economy will go. There will certainly be winners and losers under his extreme America First agenda. Canada, Mexico and China were immediately hit with greater-than-expected blanket levies. Last-minute deals were made and the world’s biggest economy pulled back from the brink of triggering trade wars with its nearest neighbours, temporarily at least. They still loom, however. At the time of writing, it remained to be seen how it would play out with China, Trump had the EU firmly in his sights and the UK was on a warning. If Trump pulls the trigger, it will make the path to executive success even more treacherous and competitive across the globe.

The green economy, previously at the forefront of policies in Europe and America, may take a back seat across the Atlantic, even while LA burns and scientists warn time is running out to make the difficult economic decisions that might reverse climate change.

The Treasury reported an unexpected slowdown in growth at the end of 2024, partly due to falls in trade and investment and the impact of hurricanes and strikes. While lower than the 3.1% of Q3, the 2.3% growth in Q4 was still higher than in the UK or Europe.

Real growth since the pandemic was higher than any other country, at 11.5% compared to 4.6% in the Eurozone and just 2.9% in the UK.

Consumer confidence also remained high, with spending up 4.3%. However this may have been a rush to buy high-ticket items like cars in anticipation of increasing costs in the event of trade wars. Whether Trump is postulating and using the threat as a bargaining tool or truly committed to tariffs remains to be seen. Economists, manufacturers and importers/exporters fear rising prices could hit hard, push up inflation and see another interest rate spike.

That uncertainty has already reached hiring. So far this year, Amazon, Microsoft and Salesforce are among those cutting their corporate workforces. A fifth of unemployed US professionals seeking work say they have been looking for at least a year and 40% of them said they weren’t invited to a single interview. Job openings in Q4 were at their lowest level since the pandemic.

IT, finance and software development declined by 10-20% while positions in banking, project management, hospitality, and customer service sectors all saw double-digit falls.

Uncertainty around global trends, the election and, now, Trump’s impact on different sectors of the economy, have instilled a wait-and-see approach. Once the new President has bedded in, and the tariff crusade has settled, companies may be more confident in the direction of flow and willing to invest in big hires.

For now, employers are increasingly hedging their bets by hiring on a freelance basis, enabling them to focus resources on specific projects and adjust them as dynamics and priorities change quickly in the evolving landscape, while reducing costs associated with permanent staff. More than a third of US workers are thought to be working in the gig economy, another sign of a cautious employer’s market, however it does have its benefits, such as bridging gaps between permanent employment, boosting skill and experience and offering flexibility.

Some US regions are doing better than others, of course, and differing salary brackets in senior roles give an idea of what is happening within key economic centres of the US.  A guide to assist job seeking can be found here.

Asia:

China, the world’s second biggest economy, has seen a reversal in the decade-long trend of growing unemployment and under-employment. Sectors such as electric cars, AI chips and platforms continue to drive growth, though the lack of transparency, as demonstrated in suspicions around the development and security of its newly popular Gen AI Deepseek app, can make China a difficult economy to read accurately or trust.

At time of writing, the Chinese government appeared reluctant to engage in any meaningful tit-for-tat tariffs with the US, showing its relative weakness and dependence on international trade.

Any grab for Taiwan, which is leading the world in the production of AI chips, could destabilise the region.

Post-pandemic, there has been a steady outflow in overseas senior workers, particularly those from Europe. Multinationals are moving to alternative regional HQs such as Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia, taking professionals and executives with them as they seek to expand into these emerging markets. These more accessible Asian hubs are seeing growth in senior positions open to international candidates. Seven percent of Rialto’s clients are now based in Asia. The continent dominates the global landscape in terms of innovation, claiming more than two thirds of all patents, demonstrating investor confidence and strength in development of new products, technologies and services.

Organisations across the Asia-Pacific region, particularly global investment firms, are actively seeking leaders with cross-cultural experience to effectively manage global teams and navigate the complexities of international markets. Candidates looking to resettle in Asia or to work in Asian markets should demonstrate cultural alignment and adaptability to drive organisational success across different regions.

There is also a notable shift towards flexible leadership structures, with organisations embracing interim executive roles. This approach allows companies to access specialised expertise as needed, providing agility in addressing specific challenges or growth phases without long-term commitments.

India is seeing growth of between 6-7% GDP per year as its strong domestic market, characterised by increasing middle class wealth and improving supply chain logistics, provides a cushion from global shocks and trade winds. The healthy, growing market, demand for international leadership talent, high-quality work and wages, is making India increasingly attractive to executives struggling in traditional markets.

Japan is returning to growth and getting inflation under control and could be a market to watch for executive opportunities, which are primarily concentrated in large, established corporations across sectors including automotive, technology, finance and retail, in areas like business development, strategy, operations management, and technology innovation.  Japanese language skills are essential.

For executives looking to secure senior roles in the US and Asia, the ability to adapt to a shifting global economy has never been more important.  In the US, hiring caution and economic unpredictability are prompting many companies to favour flexible, short-term engagements over permanent leadership appointments. This trend, while challenging, also offers executives new ways to remain active in the market, gain exposure to different industries, and position themselves for long-term opportunities when conditions stabilise.

In Asia, the demand for leadership talent remains strong, but the opportunities are concentrated in specific markets and sectors. Executives with cross-cultural experience, digital expertise, and an ability to drive transformation will be in the highest demand.

While there are many complex factors that account for the difficulties facing those seeking new positions at higher levels, candidates who are open-minded and adaptable can thrive by responding to emerging trends and developing their skill sets in alignment within growth areas.

It’s little wonder that this volatile and competitive global marketplace, with an ever-accelerating pace of evolution, has seen Google searches for “coaching” increase by 50% year-on-year, up to 60.7 million in 2024.  Trying to navigate it alone can be daunting and ultimately, fruitless.

Rialto director Richard Chiumento said: “It’s critical for candidates to be open-minded about new ways of seeking and preparing for work. Firing off dozens of applications to familiar roles that are likely to attract hundreds of applicants, take months to resolve, and possibly not even exist, can leave highly talented individuals despondent and desperate. Many come to us having wasted months taking the same, traditional actions – but expecting different results.

“It doesn’t work anymore. A new mindset, new strategies and toolkits are required for an increasingly disrupted and digital Executive marketplace.

“Senior people need to be prepared to invest time and resources in updating and aligning  their value proposition offering, explore new regions, markets, industries and functions, possibly think about short-term contracts and adapt and upgrade their skillsets. The world is changing faster than most executives think and they need to change with it or be left behind.”

In our 2025 Quarter 1 Executive Outlook, one feature stood out for us: Hiring is down almost across the board but executive level positions are being hit hardest. Even the most talented, experienced and highly-qualified candidates or those who are more used to being headhunted with their biggest issues deciding which offer to accept, are struggling to get to interview.

But are analysts predicting it will get better or worse in 2025?

Here, we take a deeper dive into the executive and wider recruitment landscape and look at conditions, trends and forecasts. In part one, we focus on the UK and Europe and in second part, Asia and the US.

As we enter 2025, the UK and European executive job markets are facing one of the most challenging landscapes in recent memory.

The whole world is paying the price for the economic hiatus of the pandemic, the financial cost, cultural change and mental health legacy, while geopolitical tensions are on a knife-edge. Globally, markets are more volatile than was the case a few years ago, leaving many executives in a prolonged state of transition.

The pandemic-inspired trend for distributed team working has expanded the higher end recruitment market to a global pool of executive and emerging leadership talent, creating greater competition, but also opening new opportunities for candidates.

Meanwhile, organisations everywhere are getting to grips with the increasingly complex challenges and opportunities presented by digital and AI technologies, especially Generative AI. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Survey 2025 found 86% of employers expect their business to be transformed by AI by 2030. This means that in-demand leadership skillsets are in constant flux with executives are now facing a more urgent requirement to upskill to stay relevant.

Some legacy roles are disappearing to be replaced by positions that did not even exist a decade ago. In fact, a 70% change in required job skills is anticipated by 2030. This shift in emphasis towards newly in-demand skills, character and enterprise leaders – who account for fewer than a sixth of executives – has left many established senior leaders struggling to understand their place in this new world order.

Executive search organisations, meanwhile, say there is a shortage of leaders with the required skillsets, outlook, confidence and capacity to drive innovation and oversee transformation, especially in growth areas of technology, healthcare and fintech. The dial has moved; executives need to develop an understanding of what is now required of them, adjust their offering, upskill and repivot. The consequences of not doing so could lead to obsolescence.

To top it all off, a trend is emerging among some organisations to attempt to obscure any difficulties they may be having by posting “ghost jobs”- positions which have never existed. They may give the appearance that the business is thriving – but waste the valuable time and resources of the candidates who apply. Meanwhile, AI-powered recruitment tools mean employers and headhunters can scan worldwide talent pools to look for the right candidates, requiring everyone to better understand the new rules of the executive marketplace and up their game and digital presence. Executive profiles are essentially data points which need to be found.

Those that make the first cut may then be asked to perform through multiple stages of interviews, dragging the process out for months and extending time out of work.

This summary explores the trends shaping the UK and European executive hiring landscape, from the sectors experiencing the sharpest declines to those showing signs of resilience and growth. For executives navigating this turbulent period, understanding these dynamics will be critical to securing their next opportunity in an increasingly selective and competitive market.

Trends, forecasts and opportunities by region: the UK

Headlines in the UK have made grim reading for business leaders since the October 2024 budget, with some right-leaning media warning of a possible meltdown as companies face a quadruple threat from high running costs, an increasing employer tax burden, a crisis in consumer confidence and likely further destabilising action by the Chancellor to try to fill that infamous £22 billion government spending black hole.

The EY ITEM Club is the latest influencer to downgrade predicted UK GDP from 1.5% to 1% in 2025. If the Chancellor is forced to make more cuts, some economists warn the UK could head into a “doom loop” between debt and growth. Much will come down to what happens next in the global economy.

Even if the UK escapes direct US trade tariffs, the potential international impact of increased prices and trade wars could ripple across the Atlantic and the English Channel. More uncertainty in an already edgy recruitment market will only make conditions more difficult to navigate. That market is already tough with the latest figures showing a 22% rise in job applications in Q3, 2024, with 24 candidates per role, up from 19 in Q2, while the number of jobs posted saw a 10.6% drop compared to the 2023 average. Two fifths of recruiters report more candidates but 56% say there has been a slowdown in hiring.

Overall, predictions point to a very challenging and competitive market for the top jobs in a fast-changing environment.  All eyes will be on the next round of economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility in March and whether the PM Sir Keir Starmer’s can successfully forge stronger trade links with the EU while keeping Trump tariffs at bay. Key business organisations are forecasting the following:

CBI anticipates more interest rate cuts to offset sluggish growth and weak hiring with inflation coming down: “Business surveys have softened, with the CBI’s own growth indicator pointing to a significant fall in output over the quarter ahead. Hiring intentions also deteriorated – now at their weakest since the COVID pandemic – and price expectations have ticked higher.”

IoD:  “The significant increases in employer NI, the forthcoming increase in the minimum wage and concerns over the cost of employment rights continue to sap demand for workers.” A quarter of directors told an IoD survey they expect their headcounts to be lower through 2025 but the same amount said they would go up, while almost half expected wages to increase.

British Chambers of Commerce: “Our latest survey paints a worrying picture of weak workforce growth, persistent hiring difficulties and cuts in workplace training. It also revealed that 55% of firms are planning to put up prices, with labour costs the main driver.”

The IMF: Predicts higher growth of 1.6%.

Despite these challenges, opportunities do exist and lie in addressing the UK’s significant skills gap. While familiar roles and functions may be in short supply, almost two thirds of recruiters report skills gaps in the UK.  At senior level, they are struggling to fill roles that involve AI-led transformation, a gap that Rialto focus on preparing clients for. Such future-facing, in-demand roles can offer faster resettlement, higher remuneration and greater  security for executives open to adapt.

Infrastructure and utilities, property development and capital delivery are also among the sectors with the greatest demand and lowest supply but equally require a stand out proposition.

The EU:

The Eurozone experienced zero growth in Q4, 2024. Goldman Sachs warned it could yet take a “sizeable hit” amid uncertainty over Trump’s threatened trade tariffs, especially around growth and confidence.

Germany, the largest economy, has seen two years of contraction reducing its 2025 growth forecast from 1.1% to 0.3%, largely due to high energy costs and labour shortages.  Its manufacturing and export-heavy economy has been hit by high energy prices and labour shortages and would be extremely vulnerable to US trade levies.

The IMF has forecast 1% growth across the zone in 2025, with 2.3% in Spain, 3.5% in Poland, 0.8% in France and 1.6% in the Netherlands. Those figures will be revised downwards if tariffs are imposed.

The European Central Bank expects inflation to hover around 2.5% with cost pressures easing and rising household incomes being the main driver of growth. Unemployment is predicted to sit at around 6.5% while exports are expected to remain subdued, picking up in 2026, again, depending on tariffs. Employment is expected to maintain modest growth.

The Eurozone’s financial industry is looking precarious for executive recruitment. Several major banks announced a wave of redundancies including shaving board membership, with Deutsche Bank AG Chief Executive Officer Christian Sewing warning 2025 will be “the year of reckoning”.  Stagnation is likely to be exacerbated by Trump lifting regulations in the US to promote unfettered growth

For executives, looking to Europe for their next opportunity, the best opportunities lie in ESG and digital transformation. Predictions are that professionals demonstrating expertise in green transitions, AI ethics, and digital transformation will remain in demand.   As well as seeking to drive efficiencies and growth in these areas, organisations need to adjust their operations in accordance with new environmental and AI regulations around security and ethics.

According to Business Research Insights: “European organisations are increasingly prioritising sustainability and moral leadership” to drive successful transformation. A WTW survey found 94% of European firms surveyed included one or more ESG metrics in their executive pay programmes.

In summary, the executive job market in the UK and Europe is undergoing a profound transformation, with traditional career pathways continuing to be less predictable and competition for senior roles intensifying. Economic pressures, regulatory shifts, and evolving corporate priorities mean that organisations are being increasingly selective in their hiring, prioritising leaders with the skills and strategic vision to drive efficiency, innovation, and transformation. The days of relying on experience alone to secure senior roles are over; executives must take a proactive approach to redefine their value proposition in this evolving landscape. Those who fail to align with these changing demands risk being left behind.