ExecutiveEDGE Podcast

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 

Are manufacturing leaders seeing something the economic data hasn't fully captured yet?
In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE, we explore how second-quarter earnings calls, growing order backlogs, and increased capital investment are shaping executive confidence—and what those signals may reveal about the direction of the U.S. economy.Episode Resources 
Q2 Vibe Check: The Manufacturing Upturn Looks Like It Has Legshttps://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/market-outlook/news/55395828/q2-vibe-check-the-manufacturing-upturn-looks-like-it-has-legs?utm_source=ExcEDGE+NL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS260805166&o_eid=&rdx.ident[pull]=omeda|&oly_enc_id= 
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What will it take to succeed in 2027?
In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE, economist Lauren Saidel-Baker shares her outlook on inflation, margin pressure, labor markets, consumer spending, and the industries positioned for growth. Learn what executives should consider now as they prepare their organizations for another year of economic uncertainty. Episode Resources 
Economist: 2027 Success Predicated on Protecting Margins and Preparing for More Inflationhttps://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/market-outlook/article/55392103/economist-2027-success-predicated-on-protecting-margins-and-preparing-for-more-inflation?utm_source=ExcEDGE+NL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS260722153&o_eid=1789B5875812D4V&rdx.ident[pull]=omeda|1789B5875812D4V&oly_enc_id=1789B5875812D4V 
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On this episode of ExecutiveEDGE Podcast, Geert De Lombaerde and Paul Mattioli discuss a recent survey conducted through Endeavor Business Intelligence about how productivity looks from where they sit.
338 professionals participated, and the findings are clear... Tune in to hear a cross-level look at the gap between how productive we feel and how productive we actually are,  covering personal performance, organizational strategy, economic pressure, and the real state of AI adoption in the workplace. The results are candid, timely, and built for the leaders who need to do something about it.Get the report: https://intelligence.endeavorb2b.com/pulse-report-world-productivity-day-survey/
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AI adoption is accelerating—but proving its value is becoming even more challenging.
In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE, we examine why measuring AI ROI has become a top priority for business leaders and how organizations can move beyond tracking usage to understanding real business impact.Episode Resources
The Game of Tokenmaxxing: Worth Playing, Dead or Salvageable?
https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/workforce/article/55391123/the-game-of-tokenmaxxing-worth-playing-dead-or-salvageable?utm_source=ExcEDGE+NL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS260715127&o_eid=1789B5875812D4V&rdx.ident[pull]=omeda|1789B5875812D4V&oly_enc_id=1789B5875812D4V Subscribe to the ExecutiveEdgehttps://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/subscribe Follow the ExecutiveEdgeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/executive-edge-endeavorb2b/?viewAsMember=trueFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581825235566X: https://x.com/ExecEdgeB2B

In this episode of the ExecutiveEDGE Podcast, Abby White and Geert De Lombaerde unpack the five stories ExecutiveEDGE readers spent the most time with this month and what those choices reveal about the pressures shaping executive decision-making right now.
What you'll learn:• Why tariff pressure is still forcing leaders to absorb more than they can adapt• How confident leadership teams are managing through disruption coming from several directions at once• What executives should focus on when the economy stays uncertain and capital gets more selective• What boards need to do when a company moves from strain into real distress• Why AI orchestration is becoming a leadership and governance issue, not just a technology one
Episode resources:
Tariffs One Year On: Leaders Are ‘Absorbing More Than Adapting, Waiting More Than Acting’ 
Confident C-Suites Face Up to a Multidimensional Disruption 
2026 Competitive Landscape: What Should Executives Focus on During Economic Uncertainty?
From Chaos to Clarity: Essential Advice for Boards Facing Company Distress
Transforming Business Operations with Multi-Agent AI Orchestration Frameworks
 
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In this episode of the ExecutiveEDGE Podcast, Abby White and Geert De Lombaerde dig into five stories that got executive readers’ attention this month and the bigger picture behind them. From tariff uncertainty and earnings pressure to workforce readiness and change management, this conversation is really about what happens when business problems stop feeling temporary and start looking like the new operating environment.
What you'll learn:
How to lead change after a spinoff
Why tariff uncertainty is still dragging on business
What it takes to rescue a struggling company
Why Gen Z readiness is also a management issue
What Q1 earnings revealed about costs, labor and demand
Episode Resources:
CEO Corner: David Sewell On Managing Change and Defining Success Beyond Early Wins  
Tariffs One Year On: Leaders Are ‘Absorbing More Than Adapting, Waiting More Than Acting’  
Tough Choices: How to Rescue a Struggling Company   
Survey: Gen Z is Unprepared for the Workforce, but Nearly Half of Companies Have Yet to Adapt to Them  
Pressure Points: Early Takeaways From Q1 Earnings Season  
 
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In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE, Abby White and Geert De Lombaerde break down the five most-read stories of the past month—and what they reveal about how executives are thinking right now.
Leaders are weighing action against complexity across tariff refunds, supply chain resilience, geopolitical risk, cybersecurity during organizational change and proactive tax planning. The throughline? In a volatile environment, discipline, control and optionality matter as much as speed.
Episode Resources
Why Businesses Aren’t Rushing for Tariff Refunds:https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/market-outlook/article/55363103/why-businesses-arent-rushing-for-tariff-refunds 
Case Study: Building a Resilient Supply Chain in a Volatile World:https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/strategy/article/55368190/case-study-building-a-resilient-supply-chain-in-a-volatile-world 
The Supply Chain Impacts of the Iran War:https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/insights/whitepaper/55364170/the-supply-chain-impacts-of-the-iran-war 
Protecting Data and Systems in Organizational Transitions: A Guide for Leaders:https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/risk/article/55363110/protecting-data-and-systems-in-organizational-transitions-a-guide-for-leaders 
Your Guide to Proactive Tax Planning: The Executive Tax Advantage:https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/strategy/podcast/55362215/your-guide-to-proactive-tax-planning-the-executive-tax-advantage 
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Tariffs are still squeezing margins—but most companies aren’t making major strategic changes.
Why?
In this episode of ExecutiveEDGE, we break down new data on how business leaders are responding to ongoing tariff pressure—and why many are choosing to wait rather than act.
You’ll learn:
How tariffs are impacting pricing, margins, and customers
Why most companies are relying on short-term fixes
The risks of delaying long-term strategy changes
Where leaders can regain control through smarter cost management 
Episode Resources 
Tariffs One Year On: Leaders Are ‘Absorbing More Than Adapting, Waiting More Than Acting’https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/strategy/article/55369833/tariffs-one-year-on-leaders-are-absorbing-more-than-adapting-waiting-more-than-acting?utm_source=ExcEDGE+NL&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=CPS260415188&o_eid=1789B5875812D4V&rdx.ident[pull]=omeda|1789B5875812D4V&oly_enc_id=1789B5875812D4V Subscribe to the ExecutiveEdgehttps://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/subscribe Follow the ExecutiveEdgeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/executive-edge-endeavorb2b/?viewAsMember=trueFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581825235566X: https://x.com/ExecEdgeB2B

Executive confidence was climbing in early 2026—but new global shocks are putting that optimism to the test.
In this episode, we break down fresh data from executive sentiment surveys and explore how CEOs and CFOs are responding to rising geopolitical tension, inflation concerns, and supply chain risk.
Episode Resources 
Confident C-Suites Face Up to a ‘Multidimensional Disruption’https://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/strategy/article/55368652/confident-c-suites-face-up-to-a-multidimensional-disruption Subscribe to the ExecutiveEdgehttps://www.executive.endeavoredge.com/subscribe Follow the ExecutiveEdgeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/executive-edge-endeavorb2b/?viewAsMember=trueFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581825235566X: https://x.com/ExecEdgeB2B