In our always-connected age, the line between what must be accomplished physically and what can be solved via the internet has radically blurred and shifted. Meetings and presentations take place virtually, orders and deliveries happen without customer interaction, and for many people, their job can be carried out entirely online. The Covid-19 pandemic only cemented the importance of virtual life, as “hybrid working” quickly became “work from home full-time”. Now, with restrictions lifted and employees returned to the office, remote working is no longer a novelty but a well-established norm. 

To say that the demand for diversity in the workplace has never been greater feels insincere. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) are not about filling quotas or scoring brownie points with “diversity-friendly” PR pieces. There is a genuine need for, and value in, diversifying commercial teams for a multitude of reasons. We spoke to a panel of ten DE&I champions from industries across the global spectrum, from toys and games to international banking, to gauge their thoughts on the importance of diversity - both within their businesses, and to themselves as individuals. 

Everyone needs training. Whether it's critical onboarding or valuable upskilling, in-person sessions or online courses - at some point, every employee in every department learns something new. As a commercial capability provider, this is our bread and butter. Helping people enjoy performing at their best is our raison d'être. And yet, we're faced with a challenge! For many businesses, turning down offers of external training is all too easy: "No thanks, we'll do it in-house". Of course we recognise that external training programmes aren’t for everyone, but surely there are drawbacks to running your own training in-house - right? 

WINNER: BEST SALES TRAINING AND BEST LEARNING TRANSFER!

Back in 2020, Acosta Europe started a review of its level of capability across its client facing functions, with competition accelerating and a clear view that companies with a superior commercial capability outperformed their peers in both revenue and margin growth.