As the first quarter of the 21st century eases toward its December 31 finale, let us recall that these 25 years began with a nothingburger—Y2K. Years of preparing for a disaster that never happened.
Then 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, the rise of smart phones and social media, the pandemic, social and political upheavals, the jump-starting of a global energy transition. Business leadership responded with a reversal of longstanding mission statements to now include a duty to not only shareholders, but employees, communities and the planet at large.
Twenty-five years of change so constant that this dying quarter century could be called the Age of Transformation—except does anyone really believe the pace is slowing down? Does anyone believe the next quarter century will be less disruptive?
Such a big term warrants examination from different continents, sectors, and perspectives—which is what this edition of the Brunswick Review looks to offer.
The world’s top pastry award—never before given to a woman—suddenly belongs to Nina Métayer, an entrepreneur. Yet if Métayer shattered one tradition, she upheld another: She is French. Within transformation, tradition.
Then there is the story of Invenergy, a company founded by Ukrainian immigrant Michael Polsky, who found success in a corner of the fossil fuel business and today is seeking to build the nation’s largest chain of wind farms.
Football is America’s favorite sport, but that descriptor feels slightly parochial as regular season games are played in England, Mexico, Germany and Brazil. An NFL executive helping drive that expansion, Peter O’Reilly, gauges the global growth of gridiron.
Transformation comes to us from an Old French word that suggested the supernatural—change both profound and miraculous.
In this magazine are stories of remarkable growth and improbable turnarounds, but the ingredients of success are far from mystical. Running throughout the Transformation issue are case-studies in courage, kindness and boldness—values unlikely to go out of style any time soon.