Top CEOs Condemn Chaos At The Capitol | Will ESG Be Dominant Under Biden? | 2021 Priorities For CIOs

Plus: CIOs’ Top Priorities For 2021 Include Digital Defense, Data Mining And Distributed Work

The events at the U.S. Capitol last week stopped the world in its tracks. Then CEOs and other C-suite leaders quickly made strategy calls and spoke out against the chaos. In his roundup, CEO Network Senior Editor Steven Bertoni highlights the CEOs who “delivered blunt and pointed messages and warnings to the Trump administration, violent rioters, and government leadership,” sharing “a sample of what some of America’s Just 100 leaders are saying about [January 6]’s historic and jarring events.”

In moments of crisis, and certainly as we saw amid the myriad challenges of last year, business leaders, CEOs and others, need to make fast decisions about how they respond and take action publicly. We will continue to track that in our C-suite coverage.

Meanwhile, last week, following a fourth-quarter spate of CMO moves, we saw the departure of two prominent CMOs from tech companies: Stephanie Buscemi left Salesforce, and Michelle Peluso left IBM to join CVS Health. Expect to see more C-suite shifts, appointments and departures as we move into 2021.

Finally, CIO Network Senior Editor Martin Giles mapped out CIOs’ 2021 priorities against the backdrop of a year, and the pandemic response therein, that “highlighted just how central technology—and the teams that shape and manage it—have become to companies’ fortunes,” Giles wrote. “Their efforts enhanced tech leaders’ role as key strategic players in the C-suite and now they’re aiming to build on this success.”

Let’s hope this year’s troubling start begets a more peaceful and productive year ahead, with CxOs working together to effect meaningful business change, drive innovation and, indeed, spur growth. We’ll keep following it here.

Comings & Goings

Stephanie Buscemi, Salesforce’s CMO, is leaving after six-and-a-half years at the customer management software company. She is set to be replaced by platform lead Sarah Franklin.

Buscemie wasn’t the week’s only major CMO exit: IBM’s head of marketing, Michelle Peluso, is leaving to become CVS Health’s first chief customer service officer.

Leadership & Strategy

Following the storming of the U.S. Capitol building by Trump supporters on Wednesday, CEOs of some of the world’s largest companies, from JPMorgan Chase’s Jamie Dimon to General Motors’ Mary Barra, spoke out to condemn the chaos.

The complete devolution of order at the Capitol had numerous root causes, one of the most significant being inadequate preparation on behalf of Capitol security. Here are the top crisis-planning and response takeaways that can be applied by business leaders.

If you’re finding it increasingly difficult and stressful to lead your organization, take a step back and consider why tension can be a good thing.

By The Numbers

$17 trillion

Total assets allocated to sustainable investing.

One third of all assets under management in the U.S. are tied up in companies with ESG priorities. Is a new era of environmentally sound business ahead of us?

Talent & Culture

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has been selected by the Biden administration to lead the Department of Labor. A former head of the Laborer’s Union Local 233, Walsh’s appointment could signify a renewed commitment to labor from the Democratic party. Here’s what that could mean for the business community.

If the pandemic has you and your employees rethinking work-life balance, you’re not alone. In China, members of Generation-Z are rebelling against the all-consuming  work culture that’s dominated companies like Alibaba.

As businesses continue to reflect on diversity and inclusion in their workplaces, listening sessions, where employees are encouraged to share candid feedback, are emerging as a powerful tool. Here are three key considerations for implementing listening sessions in your workplace.

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