C-Suite Perspectives

AI is a powerful accelerant for performance systems, but only when employees trust the system. Here's how Microsoft does it. 

  

Artificial intelligence is helping enterprises improve their performance systems and incentives. How can companies capitalize on this opportunity while also instilling trust, governance, and clarity that motivates employees and improves their decision-making? 

  

Join Diana Scott, Human Capital Center Leader at The Conference Board, and guest Nandini Ramaswamy, corporate vice president of seller incentives at Microsoft, to find out how Microsoft uses AI to improve performance-based decision-making, why trust is the crucial differentiator, and how to measure whether your AI strategy is working. 

  

For more from The Conference Board: 

Important Human Skills in the Age of AI 


How Leaders Can Close the AI Readiness Gap 


The Reimagined Workplace 2026

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Martin Wiese, leader of the European Governance & Sustainability Center at The Conference Board, speaks with Dr. Márcia Balisciano, chief sustainability officer and global head of corporate responsibility at RELX, about how companies can move from sustainability ambition to measurable impact.
They discuss the shift from reporting to execution, how sustainability drives financial performance, and what it takes to embed sustainability into commercial strategy and innovation.
More from The Conference Board:
·         What's Next for ESG Legislation in Europe?
·         Europe 2026: Competitiveness, Clean Industrial Policy, and Industrial Reform
·         EU Regulatory Outlook: The Way Ahead for 2026
·         Corporate Governance in an Era of Sustained Disruption

How are companies translating their AI principles into practice? 

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Steve Odland, President and CEO of The Conference Board, speaks with Andrew Jones, PhD, Principal Researcher at The Conference Board Governance & Sustainability Center, about how companies are putting AI governance into practice. 

They discuss how AI is rapidly moving into core business operations and what that means for risk management, accountability, and leadership. The conversation explores how organizations are shifting from high-level AI principles to formal governance structures; the rise of cross-functional oversight; and the growing role of boards in AI strategy. The discussion also covers emerging challenges, including regulatory complexity, cybersecurity threats, and workforce disruption. 

More from The Conference Board:  

From Principles to Practice: Governing AI in the Corporation 


Top 5 Corporate Governance Priorities for 2026 


Governing Through Uncertainty: US Boardroom Priorities for 2026 


AI and Environmental Sustainability: Risks, Opportunities, and What Comes Next 


AI Risk Disclosures in the S&P 500: Reputation, Cybersecurity, and Regulation

In this episode of C-Suite Perspectives, Barbara Mendes-Jorge, Sustainability Communications Expert
and guest host, speaks with Manali Paranjpe, Program Director of the Governance & Sustainability
Center at The Conference Board Europe, about how sustainability is being integrated into European
businesses' corporate strategy.
They explore a range of insights from C-suite leaders, including on recent ESG regulatory changes, 
resilience as a growth strategy, how the role of CSIO has evolved, and what these developments
mean for the future of sustainable business in Europe.
More from The Conference Board:
Europe 2026: Competitiveness, Clean Industrial Policy, and Institutional Reform
EU Regulatory Outlook: The Way Ahead for 2026
Corporate Governance in an Era of Sustained Disruption
EU ESG Regulatory Outlook Q3–Q4 2025: Navigating Simplification

Consumer confidence has ticked up slightly from March but remains low, and the global economic outlook has been downgraded for a second time. 

 

The growing impact of tariffs, inflation and ongoing war is extending to consumers' expectations for their incomes, job prospects and overall confidence in the economy. The Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index® edged up by 0.6 points to 92.8 (1985=100) in April, from 92.2 in March's upwardly revised reading. 

 

The Present Situation Index — based on consumers' assessment of current business and labor market conditions — retreated, while the Expectations Index — based on consumers' short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions — rose.  

 

Join Dana M Peterson and Erik Lundh, to find out what to make of the latest consumer confidence results and what's next for the global economy. 

 

For more from The Conference Board: 

US Consumer Confidence 


Forecast for the US Economy 


Global Economic Outlook