Author

Julian King

Title

Groaning or Growing? Using risk, communication & sustainability to drive shareholder value.

Synopsis

One of the buzz phrases of 2012 is the “the new reality of doing business”. This line of argument is often associated with the phrase “the new paradigm” - the idea that what we are seeing in the world economy is fundamentally new and different from anything that has gone before. The business world we inhabit is indeed very different to the world of a decade ago, where in nearly all developed economies (apart from Japan) business was relatively easy and growth opportunities seemed plentiful. Companies regularly targeted long term compound growth in shareholder returns of 10% to 15% a year. Now, in most countries (with Australia being one of a few exceptions), even 4% to 6% growth is regarded as sound, and solid long term growth seems well out of reach. For many, simply doing business has become much harder than it was before.