How Three CEOs Led Their Firms to Success During a Pandemic

Pandemics are disease epidemic that often extends beyond the nation in which they originated. Zika virus in Brazil in 2014 and Ebola in West Africa in 2014 are examples. They constitute a global health crisis. However, crises may also allow firms to evolve and create resilience.

Soren Skou's approach is to benefit all of his workers and the globe as a whole. In addition, he is placing a large wager on decarbonizing his company's fleet, which is responsible for 0.1% of global emissions.

Maersk is a worldwide shipping and logistics behemoth that manages the supply networks of firms like Nike and Walmart. Last year, the Danish corporation sent nearly one out of every five containers worldwide.

Despite the global epidemic of COVID-19 infections and supply chain limitations, Maersk anticipates that trade volumes will swiftly revert to pre-pandemic levels and expand slowly and gradually.

Soren Skou, the leader of the container shipping giant, is to retire as CEO in January 2022 and give over the reins to Vincent Clerc, the new CEO of Maersk's Ocean & Logistics sector. Clerc has held various top positions at Maersk since joining the business in 1997.

Airbnb is a two-sided digital marketplace that links hosts with excess space with visitors. It delivers value for both parties by decreasing the cost of lodging and allowing hosts to generate additional cash from their otherwise unused areas.

Chesky faced an uphill struggle to restore Airbnb's viability after losing 80% of its business in only eight weeks. However, he stated that he had a clear plan for how to proceed.

He described a strategy to attract more hosts by streamlining the onboarding process, providing them with new tools, and concentrating on the user experience. In addition, he stated that the firm would be implementing many major product advancements in 2021, including an easier method for visitors to identify listings that meet their specific requirements.

He also mentioned Airbnb's expanding network of hosts, particularly those who have worked as medical professionals, students, or educators. These are the individuals he feels should steer Airbnb's future, and he has made it his goal to assist them.

PepsiCo (PEP) is a Fortune 500 firm that manufactures soft drinks, snacks, and other items. During her 24-year tenure, Indra Nooyi transformed the company into one of the world's most successful food and beverage firms.

As part of her plan, Nooyi encouraged the firm to produce healthier goods. She made dishes with less salt, fat, and sugar.

She was likewise concerned with reducing the company's environmental impact. The company's revenue increased from $35 billion in 2006 to $63.5 billion in 2017, and Nooyi resigned as CEO in October and board chairperson in early 2019.

She worked diligently to make Pepsi more design-oriented. She hired famous designer Mauro Porcini as the company's first chief design officer. She toured marketplaces each week to observe the appearance of the company's items on store shelves.

The strategy unveiled by Danone's CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique and a bolstered leadership team intends to reestablish sustainable development in the company's core dairy, plant-based, water, and specialized nutrition divisions. It also intends to convert from a category-centric to a local-centric business strategy.

Over the past decade, Danone has extended its company across many continents and into new markets. Now, the corporation has a new challenge: retaining the efficiency and quality of its products and services while managing all of this worldwide.

It was necessary to enhance its B2B channels. Therefore, it began digitizing its goods and procedures to expedite logistics and improve customer service.

Three deputy CEOs were selected to oversee the company's foreign and North American operations. The present CEO of Danone International, Veronique Penchienati-Bosetta, will become group deputy CEO, CEO International, and EVP specializing in nutrition, waters, global marketing, and digital. Shane Grant, the current CEO of Danone North America, will be in charge of Latin America.