Finding Opportunity in the Fast-Paced Apparel Industry

PVH is one of the largest apparel companies in the world with 30,000 associates in more than 40 countries and iconic American brands such as Calvin Klein, IZOD, and Tommy Hilfiger. What role do you play in this huge operation? I lead a team that is focused on the future of supply chains, and how PVH should be operating in that future space. We’re not responsible for day-to-day supply chain operations, but we explore, build, and implement how they’re going…

Why the Future Needs WorkHuman

After a decade as a finance professional, I was tapped to lead a division focused on the future of work at Disney. But in just the 7 or so years I’ve been in the field, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend. In an attempt to earn the coveted “seat at the table,” most HR professionals seem singularly focused (obsessed even) on data and quantification.

Hyperweb: Wired For Next Part 1

The Wired For Next series looks at the deepening relationship between technology and humanity, and how that co-evolutionary relationship is changing the way that we approach the future of work, consumption, connection, food, play, learning, health, governance, transportation, organizational development, and so much more. In 1973, renowned design theorist and university professor Horst Rittel penned a treatise on an original concept that he called wicked problems. According to Rittel, a wicked problem differs from a regular problem in that the…

Is Foresight a Luxury?

You could think of Richard Ramsey as the foresight maestro at Walt Disney International. He expertly coordinates training, projects, and presentations for hundreds of practitioners in various time zones. While his work started with a focus on talent in the workplace, it now affects all aspects of the company. Members of Disney’s regional foresight teams span different functional areas, ethnicities, and age groups. The foresight program is taken very seriously (they have an application process with a mile-long waitlist), and…

Take Off The Blinders: Working Around Our Assumptions and Biases

A key focus of The Futures School is on assumption and bias work.  This unique feature set us apart from similar training programs, and is THE critical success factor of any foresight effort. It’s tempting to skip the “Discover” phase (where we uncover our blind spots) and jump right to scanning and scenarios.  Unfortunately, if you fail to challenge your perspectives, you will only find trends and build scenarios that look much like today’s world, and that’s a waste of…

Marching Toward a Feminine Future

Today, Donald J. Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States of America. Every single day since the election, I have spent countless hours thinking about what this presidency – born in an atmosphere of fear, anger, hate, and authoritarianism – means for the future of the great American dream and experiment.

The Kedge 2016 Year-in-Review

As we get ready for 2017, it’s time to reflect on the amazing year that we had at Kedge, helping clients and professionals all over the world to discover and create the future for better strategy, innovation and organizational transformation.

The Futures School Goes Global

The Natural Foresight framework and tools have been leveraged in major companies in 23 countries over the past 5 years under our parent company, Kedge. The Futures School is the democratization of these same tools, now available to everyone.

Today’s Leaders Must Lead From The Future

If you’re in a position of leadership today, then you’ve definitely experienced what it means to be “environmentally challenged.” Normally, this phrase refers to the frustration of being too small or too tall in a world made for “normal” people.