Almost every industry today is undergoing a radical reimagining. Yet simple catchphrases like 'strategic pivot' and 'disruptive innovation' do little to encapsulate the complex challenges that organizations face in the accelerated world unleashed by the pandemic. The problem is particularly acute for technology companies. When decision-makers are inundated with marketing hype, white papers, and all-encompassing positioning statements, how do you articulate the specific value you bring while also being engaging, relevant, and insightful?

I'm very grateful and honored to announce the first Japanese edition of The Algorithmic Leader, released in partnership with KPMG Japan. This book would never have existed if it were not for the many trips I've taken to Japan over the years. With its sophisticated and refined consumer culture, it has been the birthplace of unique ideas in mobile content, gaming, and entertainment - that frequently re-emerge later in other parts of the world. At the same time, Japan is also a country of fascinating juxtapositions: high technology and traditional culture, automation and human craftsmanship, agile manufacturing, and hierarchical organizations.

Fashion retailer Mr Porter recently profiled Mike Walsh in a style feature, in which six influential men from different fields share what essentials they keep in their desk drawer. Although not feeling entirely sure what he was doing in that list to start with, given the inherent stylishness and influence of the other five men in the group - you can read on nonetheless to discover a selection of Mike's favourite things...

Law graduate Mike Walsh endured 10 rounds of interviews and an exhaustive series of tests before he was offered the prize of a job with McKinsey & Co. It was 1999 and this was to be his ticket to a bright future – but he turned it down. Instead, he jumped on a plane for the United States, enthralled by the possibilities offered by the development of the internet. In that heady time of start-ups, it took little time for lunch in New York with a friend to be converted to an offer to head the Australian office of research company Internet.com (later, Jupiter Research).