28 15th Annual Global CEO Survey 2012
1. How local is your global growth strategy?
CEOs are shifting away from an export mindset to respond more attentively to
local markets. Over 70 of CEOs are planning to grow domestic customer
bases in their important markets. Competition will be tough, particularly
when operating in markets that are dissimilar and far aield. The
traditional way of setting a grand global strategy and pushing it out to
operations may need to give way to a more agile strategy that can adapt at
the local level.
2. How are you balancing global capabilities with local
opportunities?
CEOs are developing new capabilities in their important markets, and
tailoring approaches to ensure that the best of their global expertise supports
rather than imposes operational structures on the local business. One in
ive plan to innovate locally in their important markets; and over a third
expect to expand internal service delivery. They’ll need to ind the right
scale to bring the beneits of their global organisation to the local level
and maintain proitability.
3. Is your talent strategy it for growth?
Cost-focused measurements around talent strategy need to give way to
measurements around returns on investment, as leaders increasingly
implement new approaches to solve their talent shortage problems.
Two-thirds of CEOs are seeking relevant data and analysis from talent
managers to make and inform investment decisions around people.
Implementing strategic workforce planning will help leaders look beyond
the talent shortages today to align the talent needed to fulil business plans.
Around a ifth of CEOs expect they will have to make acquisitions or
partnerships to ill the gaps. This may be conservative, considering the
degree of challenges businesses face with talent.
4. Are your innovations creating value for your
customers – or just novelty?
When it comes to innovating in and for local markets, delivering on the value
that customers in those markets expect is paramount. Between a ifth and a
third of all CEOs say they are creating products speciically for their important
markets. It will be increasingly important to get segmentation right –
at the regional, country, city or even neighbourhood level – and to design
operating models around serving those segments. That means looking beyond
product design to include factors such as production, distribution
and marketing.
The traditional way of setting a grand
global strategy and pushing it out to
operations may need to give way to a
more agile strategy that can adapt at
the local level.
15th Annual Global CEO Survey 2012 29
5. Do your strategic plans focus on how to respond to the
