Over the past three years, Pacific International, through interviews conducted by Margaret Jaouadi, has had the privilege of speaking with many senior-level and C-suite leaders from across industries. These in-depth conversations have provided valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities shaping today’s business landscape, helping Pacific’s audience gain a clearer understanding of how leaders are navigating change. Topics explored include business transformation, growth strategy, leadership skills, company culture and brand, succession planning, sustainability, and the evolving expectations placed on executive leadership.
To continue these important dialogues, Pacific is launching Leadership Pulse, a monthly touchpoint with an exclusive group of executives from its global network who will contribute their voices to the topics dominating C-suite and leadership agendas. This initiative is designed to cut through the noise and focus on what truly matters to business leaders today. Through Leadership Pulse, Pacific aims to surface authentic insights into the real priorities and challenges senior leaders are facing right now.
The December question posed to our group of executives was: What is currently a key challenge you are grappling with, and why is it at the top of your agenda going into 2026?
Chief Operating Officer at an airport operations company based in New South Wales, Australia:
“Our current systems are creating frustration and disengagement among our people rather than enabling them, and this makes meaningful change unavoidable. However, given the scale of transformation the business has already undergone in recent years, there is a real concern about both the appetite for and the capacity to absorb further large-scale change. Are we experiencing change or transformation fatigue? Should we take a more measured approach, moving deliberately and steadily, or do we opt for a decisive “big bang” approach? What is clear is that inaction is not an option, as failing to act risks the loss of key talent.”
Senior leader in the Health & Safety (EHS) space based in Germany:
“The world is changing, and businesses need to adapt faster to accommodate this. The key challenge is to drive cultural transformation and utilise Machine Learning and AI as support. The implementation of those tools, removing the fear among your employees, and putting the leadership team in a position to drive such a change are vital to expanding our business portfolio. To put it simply: The train has left the station, hop on, or miss it forever.”
Seasoned Operations and Business Transformation leader based in North Carolina, USA:
“A key challenge is identifying the best way to leverage AI tools to maximise efficiency, simplify processes, and meaningfully complement my 35 years of experience. While AI offers enormous potential, it takes time for these tools to learn your working style, generate reliable outputs, and be properly tested to determine which solutions truly add value. Looking ahead to 2026, growth sits firmly at the top of my agenda. It’s an exciting period for expansion and new ventures, including the launch of my own initiative in January.”
Chief Technology Officer at a global Renewable Energy company based in the United States:
“A key challenge I am facing is the slowdown in economic growth within the renewable energy sector. This deceleration has been driven by recent US government policy changes since January 2025, including the abrupt elimination of tax incentives, the introduction and uncertainty of tariffs, and increasingly burdensome regulations. This issue sits at the top of my agenda, as constrained growth affects every aspect of the business I manage, from hiring and investment decisions to long-term innovation.”
Seasoned C-suite and Operations leader based in the United Kingdom:
“I am currently grappling with the impact of new housing regulations on the student accommodation sector. My company provides student housing, and the rules coming into effect allow students to remain in their accommodation beyond the end of their tenancy. This disrupts the academic-cycle model on which student housing operates and creates a knock-on effect for incoming students, who may be left without accommodation at the start of term, as well as for landlords managing overlapping or mid-tenancy departures. The likely consequences include stranded students, upward pressure on rents, and landlords exiting the student housing market altogether. While these rules may be appropriate for non–academic-cycle tenancies, they have not been sufficiently thought through for specialised micro-markets such as student housing.”
For a confidential chat about how Pacific International can assist you with your Executive and C-suite hiring or Diversity challenges, please contact Adam Nuzie or one of our Heads of sector.