IMD-OWP22-PostEvent-Report-V11[8]

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“WE HAVEN’T BEEN TOGETHER FOR A LONG TIME SO BRINGING 40 EXECUTIVES TOGETHER IS REFRESHING,WE HAVE BEEN FACING THE SAME CHALLENGES AS EVERYONE ELSE: REMOTE WORK, NOT BEING ABLE TO TRAVEL, AND NOW EXPLODING INPUT COSTS.”

“One of the very important messages from OWP is, to quote US President Eisenhower, ‘plans are nothing, planning is everything’,” said Brandi. “To be future ready and more prepared, I think that’s a very important message and it is reflected in many of the classes this week. It’s not so much about the plans and the strategies, it’s about being able to cope and adapt.”

PEOPLE MATTER To cope with this increasing uncertainty, Sørensen believes it is more important than ever to invest in his company’s people. OWP not only brings fresh insights and a chance to network across the broader group, but also a different mindset, he said. This is a belief shared by fellow Dane Søren Brandi, Managing Partner at management consultancy firm Hildebrandt & Brandi, who came to OWP this year with a team of 20 people, including his fellow partners as well as the company’s future talent. “It’s a great team experience to be here in a relaxed yet professional atmosphere. You are together to do some professional learning, while you at the same time get the chance to talk about stuff that is important in your own team,” he said. His number one priority at OWP is to fuel the inspiration, motivation, and engagement for individual learning on topics as diverse as sustainability, future readiness, and complex leadership challenges. “We didn’t put any restrictions or guidelines on which streams and insight sessions they should use. Instead, we told them to pick what they find most relevant,” he said. “We believe the systems learning will come through the individual’s learning.” Once back in Denmark, Brandi believes the company will the reap the spillover effects of knowledge sharing. “The number two priority is that the company gets stronger, and we will grow through the people,” he said. Both Brandi and Sørensen praised the energy at this year’s OWP and the importance of being able to connect with executives from around the world, many of whom are facing similar challenges and some of whom may go on to become future business partners.

Throughout the week, Sørensen collects insights on a whiteboard to help him visualize the broader trends that will shape the company’s strategy. “Last time, in 2019, we really realized that sustainability was knocking on the door,” he said. “I took a lot of decisions based on that. I took a picture of the whiteboard, and I’ve been using it over the past few years to set direction. And one word came out of that was ‘responsible’.” Following that OWP, Schouw & Co established a corporate center of sustainability and ESG and came up with some new ideas around how to digitalize. One of his key takeaways this year is that volatility is here to stay. “The world is not as easy as it used to be. I learned that you need to keep and stick to a clear strategic direction,” he said.

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