Business, Management, Marketing, Money, Tax, Law, People

After six years, the Global Lighthouse Network (GLN) has expanded from 16 to 189 Lighthouses, representing factory, sustainability, and end-to-end value chain categories across 33 countries and 35 subsectors—four times greater than the number of subsectors in 2018 (Exhibit 1). The latest 36 Lighthouses—awarded in October 2024 and January 2025—have not only followed the playbook but are continuing to innovate. They illuminate three leading-edge lessons: They are tackling the digital…

An organization’s culture—or the common set of behaviors, mindsets, and beliefs that shape how people work and interact—is a driving force for its success. In companies with strong cultures, employees at all levels understand the business’s mission and purpose, how decisions are made, how performance is measured, and individuals’ roles in achieving critical organizational objectives. It’s always surprising, then, when culture is overlooked in discussions about M&A. Typically, the focus…

Among oil and gas majors, TotalEnergies stands alone in its plans to shift a fifth of its business to renewable-led integrated power by 2030. It’s a tightrope walk for the company’s long-time CEO Patrick Pouyanné—essentially a strategy that’s not “enough oil and gas” for traditional investors nor “enough renewables” for green ones. But after a decade in charge, the Frenchman is thinking about his legacy and remains confident his is…

The industry overview The consumer-packaged-goods (CPG) industry has historically outperformed most other industries, thanks to high growth and consistent margins. But since 2012, the formula has broken down. Several factors, including inflation (which affects both consumer spending and corporate cost), market saturation, intense competition, changing consumer tastes and behaviors, and a fragmented consumer base have presented challenges for growth. Additional headwinds include climate change, which affects key ingredients, including cocoa.…

The industry overview M &A activity in the global energy and materials (GEM) sector remained muted in 2024. The number of deals increased about 12 percent, and deal value grew from $722 billion in 2022 to $808 billion in 2024, consistent with 2023 figures. Deal value in 2024 was still 14 percent lower than it was in 2021 (in nominal terms). The Americas region was the major driver of deal…

There has always been an elemental symmetry to M&A: A seller concludes that a business or asset does not fit its enterprise portfolio, and a natural buyer recognizes that the same target is a strategic match. Put simply, there’s a buyer for every seller, or so the logic goes. However, the ideal does not always meet the reality. Despite a recent increase in M&A activity across many sectors during 2024…

The industry overview M &A in the financial-services industry is recovering from the global slowdown of 2023. Monthly deal value in 2024 returned to the average monthly value of the prior five years, and total deal value for 2024 was 30 percent higher than that seen in 2023. Nine out of ten financial-service deals in 2024 were made within national borders—up from six out of ten in 2021—reflecting global economic…