NEW YORK, Jan. 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- "As CEOs charge into 2015, the top of their agenda is dominated by threats and opportunities taking on a greater urgency than ever before," says Stephen Miles, CEO of The Miles Group and advisor to global chief executives, boards, and corporations. "From managing the demands of their boards and activist investors to effectively leading a sprawling global organization, the CEO's job has never been tougher."

Some of the factors contributing to the extremely challenging role of the CEO in 2015 will be:




    1. Cybersecurity and job security: "Failure to manage the threat of
       cyberattacks is the kind of thing that CEOs get fired for - we've seen it
       this past year - and the real concerns around this have only just begun.
       As attacks have moved beyond the financial sector to other high-profile
       companies, there will be transformational change in the way companies
       secure themselves and how much they spend on security. The silver lining
       is that this investment will drive accelerated innovation and change that
       will benefit consumers."


    2. Hard-charging activist community: "We are in a new era of corporate
       activism: what were once 'barbarians at the gate' are now the cheered-on
       advocates for shareholders - much to the despair of CEOs and boards
       everywhere. Activists have a sense of confidence and purpose like never
       before, and are taking on companies no matter their size, brand, or stock
       performance - even targeting those who outperform the stock market."


    3. Capitalizing on the next emerging market - the U.S.: "While most of the
       news in growth over the past few years has been all about China, Uncle
       Sam is waking up and in a big new way. The U.S. is becoming a petro
       economy with the discovery of shale gas and then the liquids that go with
       it. We are seeing a resurgence in the marketplace - from the Gulf Coast's
       investing billions in chemicals to the southern states' becoming the 'new
       Detroit.' The fall in oil prices and the slow but steady comeback of the
       housing market is creating an urgent opportunity for many companies who
       have been looking for growth in emerging markets - and CEOs may find the
       real growth is right under their feet."


    4. Pressure to grow: "The productivity agenda that reined since the global
       financial crisis began has been extremely effective, but there is now
       massive pressure on CEOs to grow their companies. Investors are calling
       for more capital expenditures, and are also pushing for M&A to accelerate
       growth. We've seen M&A levels rise to unprecedented levels, and CEOs are
       on the constant look-out for more acquisition opportunities."


    5. Need for global talent: "We are coming to the end of the dominance of the
       executive with purely U.S. experience. Boards today are demanding global
       experience and capabilities in a whole new way - and this is not as
       simple as doing a short stint in Western Europe. Emerging markets and
       Asia experiences are at a premium. The future will be about developing
       truly global executive talent, and the CEO selection criteria will change
       from 'nice to have' global experience to 'must have.'"


    6. Creating a culture that unifies the company: "When companies entered a
       new market ten years ago, it was all about establishing a presence and
       using expats to set up shop. Today, it is about localizing talent and
       using that talent in the specific geography they know best. The challenge
       for global companies, then, is how to establish and maintain a company
       culture and values on a global scale with a whole new crop of executives
       that come from very diverse backgrounds."


    7. Board impatience: "Boards are ousting underperforming CEOs much faster
       and more aggressively than in years past. There is an urgency around
       performance metrics, and an expectation on CEOs to be able to shift
       quickly on strategy. If CEOs cannot 'take the board on a journey,' as
       they say, or cannot engage with the board around his or her leadership
       vision, then they will likely fail."
    8. Evolving board committee landscape: "A challenge for CEOs is how to
       continually engage their boards, even as the boardroom landscape changes.
       One new development is the emergence of new board committees, such as the
       technology committee, which pushes certain issues up to a board-level
       area of focus - how does this affect the CEO's priorities? Also,
       compensation committees are starting to focus on more than just
       compensation - taking on things such as talent management and succession
       planning. CEOs must be constantly attuned to these types of shifts and
       how this affects their interaction with the board."

For more information, please contact Suzanne Oaks Brownstein of Temin and Company at 212-588-8788 or sbrownstein@teminandco.com.

About The Miles Group
The Miles Group (miles-group.com) develops talent strategies for organizations, teams, and individuals - focusing on high-performance, world-class leadership. We advise top global corporations through CEO succession, executive transitions, board assessment and training, and talent development. Our coaching and advisory services enable leaders to raise the bar on their own performance, as well as create an environment for success throughout the organization.

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SOURCE The Miles Group