ExecutiveEDGE Podcast

Endeavor Business Media

Welcome to The ExecutiveEDGE Podcast — your inside track to the intelligence that powers strategic business decisions. Backed by North America’s largest B2B newsroom, we deliver precision-crafted analysis to help you see around corners and lead with confidence. Each episode cuts through the noise with actionable insights in Strategy, Market Outlook, Technology, Workforce, and Risk — giving you the clarity to move first and move right. Subscribe today and join the ranks of executives shaping the future of business with clarity and confidence. https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/

  1. Aug 26

    Stop Budgeting by Department. Start Investing in Capabilities.

    What does your company's budget reveal about its strategy? In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE, we explore why some organizations are moving beyond traditional department-by-department budgeting and instead investing in capabilities that span the enterprise. Using Cisco's investment strategy as an example, we look at how capability-based budgeting can help executives connect capital allocation to long-term growth, manage strategic investments as a portfolio of bets and use milestones to determine which initiatives deserve more funding. We also examine how AI is putting pressure on fixed annual budgets as technology roadmaps accelerate and investment needs change faster than traditional planning cycles can accommodate. You'll learn: Why departmental success doesn't always translate into enterprise success How capability-based budgeting changes capital allocation Why strategic investments should be managed as a portfolio How milestones can balance long-term investment with financial discipline Why AI demands greater flexibility in budgeting and planning How shared goals can create accountability across functions The question isn't simply whether every department has enough resources to execute this year's plan. It's whether the company is investing in the capabilities it will need to compete tomorrow. Episode Resources The Strategy Budget: Turning Capital Allocation Into Competitive Advantage https://bit.ly/4hCOusX  Subscribe to ExecutiveEDGE Follow ExecutiveEDGE LinkedIn Facebook  X

  2. Aug 19

    Supply Chains, AI and Talent: When the Old Playbook Stops Working

    What if supply chains aren't going back to normal? What if counting AI usage tells you almost nothing about its value? And what if the fastest way to hire the talent you need is to buy the company they already work for? In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE, Abby White and Geert De Lombaerde unpack three of the month's most-read stories and the difficult decisions they raise for business leaders. First, they examine why waiting for supply chain volatility to disappear could create its own business risk—and how leaders can think about resilience, flexibility and scenario planning heading into budget season. Then comes "tokenmaxxing": the practice of encouraging employees to maximize AI usage. It worked—perhaps too well. Abby and Geert discuss what happens when companies measure AI activity instead of business value, and why finance teams may play an increasingly important role in the next phase of AI adoption. Finally, they explore acquihiring. As specialized talent becomes harder to recruit, buying an established team could give companies faster access to critical capabilities—but only if leaders get the integration right. In this episode: Why waiting for supply chains to "normalize" could be a strategic mistake How to think about the cost of resilience and optionality What tokenmaxxing teaches us about measuring AI Why more AI usage doesn't necessarily mean more productivity How leaders can connect AI spending with actual business outcomes Why AI agents may need their own version of expense controls When buying a company for its talent might make sense Why the integration strategy can make or break an acquihire The common thread? Don't keep forcing the old playbook when the operating environment has changed. Build flexibility where it matters. Measure outcomes instead of activity. And know what capabilities the business actually needs before deciding how to acquire them. Featured ExecutiveEDGE Stories The Supply Chain Has Been a Mess. Here’s How to Think About It This Budget Season Andrea Zelinski  The Game of Tokenmaxxing: Worth Playing, Dead or Salvageable? Andrea Zelinski  Struggling to Hire Needed Talent? Think About Buying It Geert De Lombaerde

About

Welcome to The ExecutiveEDGE Podcast — your inside track to the intelligence that powers strategic business decisions. Backed by North America’s largest B2B newsroom, we deliver precision-crafted analysis to help you see around corners and lead with confidence. Each episode cuts through the noise with actionable insights in Strategy, Market Outlook, Technology, Workforce, and Risk — giving you the clarity to move first and move right. Subscribe today and join the ranks of executives shaping the future of business with clarity and confidence. https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/