“ANYONE’S GAME”: NEW INDEX FLAGS DISPARITIES IN AI USE
SCHOOL : IMD Business School COUNTRY : Switzerland
The world’s tech giants are not the only companies leading the way in the effective use of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new index launched by IMD Business School. While Microsoft, Alphabet and Amazon place first, second and third in IMD’s new AI Maturity Index, Accenture, Visa, Deutsche Telekom and Bayer all occupy positions in the top 20. “It’s no surprise that tech titans lead the way, but the non-tech players are proving that AI is anyone’s game. The AI Maturity Index shows there is a massive disparity both between and within industries in how organisations have invested in and leveraged AI technologies to improve their business operations,” declared Michael Wade, an IMD professor and director of the school’s Tonomus Global Centre for Digital and AI Transformation, which developed the index. The index offers a barometer for tracking companies’ progress across five dimensions of AI implementation: strong executive support; technology and infrastructure; operational excellence; workforce development and culture; and ethics and risk management. In so doing, it aims to identify the field’s leaders, one of which is currently Accenture. Rated seventh on the index, the professional services firm announced a $3 billion investment in its data and AI practice last year and plans to double its AI talent to 80,000 professionals. It also has more than 1,450 patents and pending applications globally, dating back more than 10 years. In 20th position, meanwhile, is the pharmaceutical firm Bayer. Again, the company has backed the technology financially, to the tune of a $1.4 billion AI and data science investment in 2022. The company currently uses AI to speed up product development, improve manufacturing, optimise supply chains and ensure safety and compliance. It has also partnered with Google Cloud on drug discovery and uses the technology in agriculture to help predict crop performance and minimise the need for field testing. TBD
The number of women holding executive directorships on FTSE 250 boards has fallen from 47 in 2022 to 42 this year – an 11 per cent decrease, according to Cranfield University’s latest Female FTSE Board Report . In total, women now account for 12 per cent of executive directorships across these companies. In more positive news, the report also revealed that 42 per cent of all overall directorships on FTSE 250 boards are currently held by women, a three per cent increase over the same time period. Additionally, 70 per cent of FTSE 250 companies have now met the Women Leaders Review target of having at least 40 per cent female representation on their boards. However, a delve beneath the surface reveals that the increase in female representation in directorships on FTSE 250 boards has been driven by women in non-executive director roles. The number of women in key leadership positions are down on the equivalent figures from 2022, including CEO (down 17 per cent) and CFO (down 12 per cent), while female senior independent directors (SIDs) are up 50 per cent. On the FTSE 100, meanwhile, 75 per cent of companies meet the same 40 per cent target for women on boards. However, while women hold 43 per cent of FTSE 100 overall directorships, only 24 companies have female CFOs and just 10 companies are led by female CEOs. “With the percentage of women in director roles meeting the Women Leaders Review targets, the headlines look great – but the reality is that the glass ceiling for women in executive-level positions is still stubbornly in place. An ‘executive gender paradox’ across FTSE 250 boards has emerged, as the gap between the number of women in non-executive director roles and executive roles grows,” said professor of women and leadership at Cranfield School of Management Sue Vinnicombe, who has overseen the Female FTSE Board Report since 1999. EB DECREASE IN WOMEN HOLDING EXECUTIVE ROLES ON FTSE 250 BOARDS SCHOOL : Cranfield School of Management Cranfield University COUNTRY : UK
10 | Ambition | DECEMBER 2024
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