Earlier this year, Rest of World published the stories of nine workers across the world who turned their homes into makeshift offices during the pandemic. They ranged from a logistics specialist in Kyrgyzstan, a chef in Bangkok, a marketing consultant in Bangladesh and an environmental campaigner in Seoul. Their jobs are varied, but the pain points are similar: distractions at home, less effective team collaboration, connectivity issues, blurred lines between work and personal lives.

Auto Trader is taking data to car-buying. Automobile “search” is a complicated task; and I wondered what lessons can be taken across from this area to other companies embarking on a journey with data science. Dr Peter Appleby has been leading the charge: he’s been with Auto Trader’s Data Science team for over five years, making him the perfect person to discuss the challenges of taking on Big Data.

Following on from Chief Disruptor LIVE: Virtual April 2021 where leaders focussed on recovery and growth from the global pandemic, Chief Disruptor LIVE October 2021 will take a look forwards to a post-pandemic business environment exploring how organisations can flourish in a brave new world. Although the uncertainty and struggles of the pandemic are far from over, our 2021 Digital Trends Report illustrated a newfound optimism amongst businesses. 64% of organisations see opportunities coming out of the impacts of the pandemic with only 16% considering there to be major threats to their organisations. With organisations now looking towards long-term fundamental change as opposed to short-term quick fixes, the prevailing mood in the year ahead is that organisations will no longer focus on surviving but thriving. The year ahead is set to be the chance for businesses to forge new realities out of fresh possibilities. From putting the customer first, to accelerating the journey to data maturity, to navigating hybrid-working and recruiting Gen Z, business and technology leaders are changing their priorities and harvesting the fortuity of the moment. We asked some of our speakers and supporting partners at Chief Disruptor LIVE October 2021 what their top tip is for thriving in a new world. Here’s what they had to say.

Rapid technology changes are fuelling a “fourth industrial revolution” which is fundamentally altering the way people, live, work and relate to one another. This has been accelerated in the public sector with Intel finding that COVID-19 has brought forward digital transformation by up to 7 years. It is now more important than ever to focus on the key technology trends impacting global governments: cybersecurity, 5G, cloud, artificial intelligence and future ways of working. Intel, with their “digital readiness for leaders programme”, has educated and empowered government leaders on these emerging technologies. Representatives of the UK Government and Defence gathered to hear the insights Intel had to move forward and transform ways of working through technology-enabled opportunities.

Today’s manufacturing industry is awash with huge amounts of data that could offer significant insight into operations and strategy. However, many enterprises face challenges with data quality, accessibility, literacy and insight within their organisations. Research produced by Cognizant and MuleSoft in partnership with Nimbus Ninety highlighted some of the key areas for improvement for manufacturers, as well as outlining the steps needed to achieve data maturity. Manufacturing leaders gathered online to hear the headline insights that came out of the research, and to discuss the path forward to data maturity.

Getting more value out of data was considered the number one digital initiative for businesses in the short term, according to Nimbus Ninety’s 2021 Digital Trends Report. Yet, a recent Deloitte survey discovered that 63% of business leaders say that their companies are not yet “analytics-driven”. So, how can organisations cross the gap from aspiration to action?

In 2021, 83% of teams reported that they’re under pressure to accelerate the pace of delivery thanks to DevOps. Establishing a centralised DevOps programme and following proven strategies for evolving traditional packaged application quality processes allows for faster, safer enterprise application releases. But the journey to DevOps maturity is not an easy one: it requires a culture change for organisations, incremental implementation, and a fearlessness in the face of failure.

Consumers are more discerning and demanding, so organisations must find ways to engage and serve clients while improving both the customer and employee experiences. The pandemic has illustrated that these organisations that have not leveraged the capabilities of AI risk being left in the dust by the digital transformation disruptors. According to Nimbus Ninety’s 2021 Digital Trends Report, the number one challenge for organisations when it comes to serving customers effectively is an inability to deliver a consistent experience across all channels.

The pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation strategies of many a strategically languid organisation. This wake-up call from digital inertia has set leaders on the path of a decentralised approach to IT infrastructure, utilising networks, cloud and data to build a digital advantage.

Aside from the pandemic, society has faced multiple seismic shifts in the fabric of society as we entered the 2020s. From Black Lives Matter to the “Me Too” movement, “diversity” and “inclusion” have become the buzzwords of the new decade. So how can organisations be seen to be taking the issue of workplace diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging seriously as opposed to jumping on the social activism bandwagon? At Chief Disruptor LIVE Virtual April 2021, our Senior Editor Shammah Banerjee sat down with Brandie Deignan, Chief Executive Officer of Pier Health Group, Ann Roberts, Chief People Officer of Flo Health, Abigail Wilmore, Chief People Officer at Stella McCartney, and Commodore Steve Prest, Deputy Director Acquisition at the Royal Navy. The group passionately debated the visibility of women in leadership positions, the importance of creating a sense of belonging, and the controversial accusation of organisational “virtue signalling”.