This article was originally published in The Food Institute.
Issy Perez, U.S. Managing Partner and Global Practice Leader for Consumer & Retail at Boyden, observes that CEOs are facing unprecedented pressures in 2025, as boards grow less patient with long-term turnaround strategies and increasingly favour continuous change, fresh perspectives, and bold ideas to remain competitive. Perez notes that today’s CEOs must navigate heightened scrutiny from boards and activist investors while delivering results in a challenging economic environment. To succeed, leaders need a unique blend of adaptability, resilience, decisiveness, and emotional intelligence—emphasising that “empathy is non-negotiable”—to inspire trust, foster accountability, and guide organisations through constant change.
You can read the full interview here.
