China has extended its visa-free travel program to include Poland, Australia, and New Zealand until the end of 2025. This initiative, which began in stages at the start of 2024, now encompasses 11 additional European countries and Malaysia, aiming to increase business and tourism visits and enhance exchanges between Chinese...

In December 2023, UBS researchers released a report detailing enterprise AI spending plans based on a survey of IT executives from around 130 organizations. The survey covered various AI components, including chips, models, cloud infrastructure, data, security, and application software. After more than six months, UBS has updated its findings,...

Creativeland Studios has announced the appointment of Shobha Sant as their new CEO. Sant is set to steer Creativeland's filmed entertainment division and manage the talent business of AIG-India, a collaborative effort between Creativeland Studios and Artist International Group. This joint venture aims to elevate Indian talent to international recognition...

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index fell to 100.4 in June from a revised 101.3 in May. Although this met economists' expectations, it highlighted a continuing trend: even with ongoing economic growth and a robust labor market, American confidence is diminishing due to prolonged high inflation and interest rates. Another...

U.S. money market funds have reached an unprecedented level, surpassing $6.357 trillion by the end of 2023. This is a remarkable 93% increase from $3.289 trillion in late 2018. Financial analysts often highlight this massive cash reserve as a positive sign for the U.S. economy, particularly its consumer-driven aspects. However,...

2030: A Data Odyssey. It’s a random morning, in 2030. The head designer’s avatar, powered by the latest large language model, has been sifting through all global and local fashion collections, across any brand, plus all of the ideas, sketches, social media posts, private conversations, videos and emails; all of...

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) stands as the second in command to the CEO, often referred to as the CEO’s “secret weapon”, for their crucial role of assuming responsibility for tasks that the CEO can’t manage alone. This partnership is meant to work smoothly as the functionality of the company...

Much has been written about the impact of inflation on retail sales. Most global consumers live that impact – when their money doesn’t go as far, they become more discerning where they spend it. That produces more pressure on retailers to retain existing consumers and attract new ones. Pressure Produces...

Imagine a CEO sharing with the Board genuine concern about the impact the pace of change is having on the organization. Alternatively, imagine a CEO feeling depleted and choosing not to share that with the executive team. Instead, the CEO focuses on inspiring the team towards achieving a goal. Which...