EP: Providing a platform for the voices of the next generation

One of the most striking features of recent times has been the gap in narrative and understanding between the 5 generations all currently operating in the workplace.

There have been no few dinners when many industry elders have come together and it has too often sounded like a conversation from the 1990s. The world has moved on and there are new narratives emerging.

EP is therefore delighted to be working with a number of the leading hotel schools from around the world to publish regular opinion pieces of those now emerging into the workplace. Of course, some views will be insightful, others more challenging but they will also serve to ask questions of today’s leaders, challenge thinking and at the very least, provide fresh perspectives.

Boards are being asked to demonstrate their understanding at a time when multiple disruptive forces are threatening established business models and creating new opportunities for innovation and growth. It is no surprise that increasingly investors expect boards to have meaningful processes in place to renew their competence levels and maximize their effectiveness.

As a result, a growing number of “next-gen directors” are being appointed to boards around the world. Many bring a new knowledge to the table which is asking new questions at the board table and often ones which have not been previously considered. At the same time, this new group of younger directors are having an impact on both the content and dynamic of boardroom debate. They are prompting directors to engage with unfamiliar subject matter and bringing a different approach and perspective to the role.

In truth, this is the same as what happened in the early 90s when a whole group of younger executives emerged to challenge the traditional status quo. Just look around the industry and see how many of today’s leaders were in senior positions in the early 1990s. It is now their challenge to nurture and lay the ground for those who follow their paths.

It is said that Boards that choose their younger directors do stand to benefit greatly from their presence. There is much to be done and to understand – so we are excited as we start to publish new thought provoking pieces by the next generation.