Author: Julia Streets, MBE, Founder & CEO
August might signal a slowdown for some, but for us, it’s a pivotal time. As we guide our clients through their year-end campaigns and even begin mapping out 2026 budgets, I always dedicate the summer to deep reflection on what our clients truly need next and the evolving pulse of our industry. This practice is an integral part of our executive coaching, so I really should practice what I coach!
Last year, we partnered with Whitecap Consulting and Innovate Finance to publish a report called ‘Scaling UK Regional Fintech’. Naturally, I’ve been giving the current scaleup landscape a lot of thought. This year, I have had the privilege of spending a significant amount of time with industry leaders on the world’s largest stages and in the smallest rooms, exploring how we can help them scale and achieve the growth and transformation they seek.
The prevailing imperative is that success hinges on an unwavering commitment to commercial focus, clarity of message, rich with value and evidence of impact. And while fundraising is tough, we’ve been immensely proud to support and work with many of the success stories out there. Once funding is secured, the dynamics really shift, as the capital propels firms along their growth curves of ambition.
As I think of those global PE/VC-backed organisations, at this stage of maturity, I know that they are navigating a cautionary period characterised by ever more intense focus on growth at scale, and often profound enterprise-wide transformation. With all these significant factors in play, I wanted to share 10 key themes that I’ve observed to be top-of-mind for CEOs right now:
1 . The overarching imperative of focus, clarity and impact
These are exciting times characterised by continuous change and transformation. The overarching thread that unifies all these leaders is the relentless pursuit of focus, clarity and impact in every strategic decision and operational move. This principle underpins the ability to navigate complexities and seize opportunities effectively. From our work with CEOs and their teams, it is evident that the most successful organisations view these not as challenges, rather as offering immense opportunities, particularly for those who embrace them with strategic intent and operational rigour.
2. A laser focus on the investment deal value and the quest for realistic outperformance
CEOs never lose sight of the fundamentals. They have a keen focus on the inherent value of any deal, whatever its size. And great leaders ensure that the value generated is consistently greater than the sum of its parts, or is fast reaching its potential to achieve this goal. They have a strong drive to outperform at every stage and step, and this demands rigorous evaluation, execution and optimisation, from start to finish.
3. Incisive understanding of current and future investment dynamics delivers mutual Board value
The private equity and venture capital worlds are themselves navigating challenges and pressures. Bringing essential, incisive intelligence to the Board, with an appetite to foster a deep understanding of all the concerns at the table, adds so much mutual value and creates a true meeting of minds. While always remembering that opportunity, risk, and governance are all meticulously considered and strategically addressed, of course.
4. Strategic roadmap design for consistent value extraction
Beyond focusing on landing investment, success is delivered from well thought-through, crystal-clear strategies, priorities and actionable roadmaps. These are all designed with the customer in mind and deliver – and extract – every possible ounce of value, every day. This involves a proactive approach to creating and taking advantage of momentum, catching or creating a wave, and finding cut-through to stand out in a highly competitive landscape. Engaging customers and prospects both early and consistently along the way is seen as vital to help shape the future of these roadmaps, and secure all-important future commitment.
5. Context matters
Understanding – and reflecting an appreciation of – the regulatory, industry, regional, customer and technology context, adds rich value and evidence of deep seated expertise. Leaders – and organisations – who listen and understand can truly sharpen their messaging and product positioning in a way that resonates with their customers and target markets, driving their business development and delivery capabilities.
6. Mastering storytelling and relationship building
The power of storytelling is paramount. Great leaders crystallise their vision and purpose, ensuring that all stakeholders, from the end customer to their own people, sit at the very heart of every message. This narrative must be rich with relevant regional and industry context. The art is to empower all employees to tell these compelling stories and build solid relationships across every possible platform: on the ground, online, and on stage.
7. Harnessing and enjoying customer and stakeholder advocacy
A powerful indicator of market success is customer advocacy. It is a simple yet profound truth. As I always say, happy clients inspire your pipeline. Harnessing the power of the community and customer advocacy can deliver a competitive edge. Fostering an environment where clients become champions of your brand creates a potent engine for organic growth and market leadership.
8. A deeply held appreciation for all talent
In an industry driven by intellectual capital, truly appreciating the value and diversity of your people is non-negotiable. As Jim Collins describes it in his book ‘Good to Great’, the core question remains: Who is on the bus? The importance of identifying and nurturing high potentials and high performers at every level can never be overemphasised.
9. Cultivation of next-gen talent and the empowerment of senior leaders really matter
10. The strategic deployment of AI for impact and efficiency
Technology, and specifically Artificial Intelligence (AI), is a critical enabler – no surprises there. The focus is firmly on leveraging AI to truly drive impact at scale, extracting every ounce of intelligence contribution and operating efficiency. This means strategically deploying AI to shift the focus of people across the entire organisation from low-value tasks to high-value contributions.
It will be interesting to note how these priorities may change in the second half of the year. Given consistency is also key for these CEOs, I very much doubt it.
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