“Out of a global crisis, a new world of opportunities is rapidly emerging” we said in the previous edition of Next Agenda, and it is probably more true than ever.

The pandemic continues to impact our lives – personally and professionally – but with milder variants, and we are increasingly in control again.

At the same time a new crisis emerges, with the conflict in Ukraine bringing new uncertainty. Where will this lead? How will this impact our lives, regionally and globally? Is this the new normal, to go from crisis to crisis?

From a business perspective, this latest crisis will reinforce and redefine many business agendas. Not least the need for agility, to think globally and locally, to cope with relentless change, to develop leaders with agile minds and strategies.

2022 has already seen much change in other dimensions too – stock markets have stalled, Meta Platforms (or Facebook as we knew it) falling by 48% in 6 months; China launched its digital currency, the e-yuan; energy prices soared, while Germany closed down its last nuclear power plants.

We also see the enduring impact of accelerated change resulting from the pandemic shake-up. The shift to online shopping, to flexible working, to electric vehicles, to video streaming, to digital payments, and much more. And new crises will only accelerate further change.

The same is true for providers of executive education and development. The accumulated and pent-up demand for new learning and development is immense – are you ready to meet this demand?