Elephants in the Boardroom

The future isn’t hiding in forecasts or trend reports. It’s already standing in front of us.In this special episode, Graeme Codrington and Dean Van Leeuwen examine the grey elephants already reshaping leadership, strategy, and society - highly probable, high-impact forces that are now moving from theory into reality.From human enhancement to climate-driven insurance collapse, antimicrobial resistance and AI-driven deception to fragile tech investment models and an increasingly multipolar world, this episode challenges leaders to abandon passive optimism and adopt deliberate action.The message is clear: 2026 won’t reward those who wait. But it will reward those who recognise what’s already here - and respond decisively.Key takeaways -🐘 The Grey Elephant mindsetGrey elephants aren’t surprises - they’re obvious forces we avoid discussing.2026 will reward leaders who are conscious, decisive, and proactive, even if decisions aren’t perfect.🏟️ Enhanced Games & human augmentationA proposed 2026 sporting event where performance enhancement is transparent and allowed.Less about sport, more about a shift from paternalism → autonomy and changing rules of competition.A signal for societal fractures and new definitions of “fairness”.🌍 Climate change meets insurance realityInsurers quietly withdrawing from high-risk regions or pricing cover out of reach.Knock-on effects: housing markets, migration, supply chains, local government finances.Leaders should watch re-insurance markets closely.🦠 Superbugs & antimicrobial resistanceAlready causing ~1M deaths per year-and rising.An “unsexy” crisis with huge implications for healthcare, productivity, and mortality.A massive blind spot for governments, investors, and businesses alike.🤖 AI fakery & cybersecurityIn 2026, trust collapses: voices, faces, video, and audio can all be faked.The question is no longer “Can we trust?” but “How do we operate when we can’t?”Opportunity lies in verification, design, and new trust infrastructures.🧠 Human connection as a superpowerAs AI intelligence accelerates, human consciousness-empathy, judgement, ethics-becomes scarce and valuable.Leaders should ask two questions:Where can AI drive efficiency?Where does being human create competitive advantage?📉 The AI investment bubbleNot an AI collapse-but potential turbulence in the financial plumbing behind big tech.Circular financing, GPU economics, and concentrated risk could cause a market shock in 2026.🌐 Multipolar geopoliticsThe post-WWII order is fragmenting faster than many expected.New alliances, broken assumptions, and uncomfortable moral trade-offs are emerging.Businesses must scenario-plan for worlds that once felt unthinkable.💡 Reasons for optimismAmid disruption, medical breakthroughs are accelerating.Cancer vaccines and other major advances could define the upside of 2026.Thanks to Lee, Philippa, Jude, Darren and Nasreen for their contributions to this episode. Elephants in the Boardroom is powered by Achilles. Connect with Graeme and...

In this special episode, hosts Graeme Codrington and Dean Van Leeuwen broadcast live from the Dubai Futures Forum, the world’s largest gathering of futurists. They share insights on emerging trends, including the value of focus in a distracted world, the evolving meaning of expertise in the age of AI, and the importance of hope and wonder for driving change. Recorded at the iconic Dubai Museum of the Future, the episode encourages listeners to confront overlooked challenges and actively shape a positive, ambitious future.Our January episode will be another special as we look forward to the year ahead and what we predict 2026 might hold. We’re also inviting listeners to get involved by submitting their 2026 predictions. Submit yours at https://www.tomorrowtodayglobal.com/2026predictions. Elephants in the Boardroom is powered by Achilles. Connect with Graeme and Dean:Connect with Graeme on LinkedIn here Email Dean at [email protected] you're interested in learning more about the 7 Grey Elephants and how they're transforming the world you can download TomorrowToday's white paper herewww.tomorrowtodayglobal.com/greyelephants TomorrowToday Consulting empowers forward-thinking organisations to not just anticipate the future, but to shape it. Staying ahead of the curve is critical, and we provide the visionary thinking and strategic execution you need to thrive.Email [email protected]

Graeme Codrington and Dean Van Leeuwen explore this month’s “grey elephants”: the collision of AI and energy demand, the strategic rise of sovereign AI, and an overlooked resource, sand. Then Graeme sits down with Cape Town–based writer and columnist Tom Eaton to unpack what the world can learn from South Africa’s last 30 years: state capture, institutional decay and repair, and why change can arrive suddenly, good or bad.Key Topics DiscussedAI x EnergyData centres scaling to small-nation power loads; AI is both energy hog and grid optimizer.Two futures: grids buckle vs. AI catalyses smarter, cleaner, more resilient systems.Boardroom takeaway: align digital and energy strategies; efficiency is competitive advantage.“Cloud” in SpaceBig idea doing the rounds: gigawatt-scale AI training clusters off-planet.Regardless of space hype, leaders must solve earthbound energy constraints first.Sovereign AINations racing to control compute + energy + data to reduce dependency on rivals.Corporate echo: prove AI value, then move toward sovereign AI footprints (own models, data, infra).Sand ScarcitySpecific sands for cement, silicon chips, glass are finite and ecologically costly to extract.Expect supply shocks, regulation, and materials innovation opportunities.Quiz CornerSector with up to 60% electricity savings via AI optimization: Utilities.Companies leading in AI projected to widen revenue gap vs. peers by ~30% (near-term).Term for national AI stacks: Sovereign AI.Interview - Tom EatonNo going back: after institutional damage, restoration is slow, contested, and incomplete.Beware “liberator euphoria”: the post-crisis leader gets too much leeway; stay critical.No adults in the building: don’t assume competent saviours or self-preservation will fix systems.Change can be sudden: systems can transform quickly—worse or better—so keep options ready.Personal advice: be less online; read history to gain perspective and pattern recognition.Featured GuestTom Eaton — South African author, screenwriter, and columnist known for incisive commentary across politics and culture. His recent writing distils practical lessons from South Africa’s experience with corruption, state capture, and democratic resilience for a world facing similar trends.Connect with Graeme and DeanConnect with Graeme Codrington on LinkedInEmail Dean Van Leeuwen: [email protected] the 7 Grey Elephants: www.tomorrowtodayglobal.com/greyelephantsGeneral enquiries: [email protected] in the Boardroom is powered by Achilles. Achilles helps the world’s biggest companies build ethical, sustainable, and transparent supply chains, reducing risk while unlocking opportunity.Links and articles

Episode OverviewGraeme Codrington (Johannesburg) and Dean Van Leeuwen (South of London) explore fresh “grey elephant” signals—from subterranean data centres and living with a >2°C world, to UN reform rumblings—then sit down with Øistein Jensen, Chief Sustainability Officer at Oddfjell, to unpack how a 110-year-old global chemical shipping company is tackling decarbonisation, supply-chain due diligence, and industry-wide collaboration.Key Topics DiscussedGrey Elephants RadarConverging, high-impact forces post-COVID; a once-in-a-century transformation.Strategy lens: identify weak signals early; turn risk into opportunity.Subterranean Data CentresOld mines/bunkers reimagined as “underground data fortresses.”Strategic logic: protect critical data; manage cooling, power, and resilience.Side bet: cooling technology becomes a shovel-in-the-gold-rush play.Living with >2°CMove beyond “prevention only” to adaptation + resilience at scale.Practical mindset shift (as with COVID): learn to operate in new conditions.UN & Multipolarity Weak SignalsCalls for African representation; scrutiny of Security Council veto power.Diplomatic flashpoints as indicators of a shifting geopolitical order.Boardroom takeaway: model tariff shocks, sanctions, supply-route rewiring.BANI World & Grey ElephantsToday’s reality: Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible.Build antifragile strategies before the stampede starts.The QuizFirst military “drone” use: Austrian incendiary balloons over Venice (1849).Interview — Øistein Jensen, CSO, OddfjellDecarbonisation now: efficiency first; multiple fuels/tech—no single silver bullet.Regulation & level playing field: strong IMO rules to avoid “go-bankrupt green.”Holistic value chain: avoid offloading emissions upstream; measure Scope 3.Data & transparency: rising customer expectations across the full chain.Partnerships: industry bodies, local forums on human rights, technology co-dev.Supplier due diligence: shared platforms (e.g., Achilles) cut duplication and lift standards.Embedding sustainability: company-wide incentives tied to climate trajectories.Featured GuestØistein Jensen — Chief Sustainability Officer, Oddfjell (global leader in chemical shipping). Oversees sustainability, compliance and strategic safety. Former submarine commander in the Royal Norwegian Navy; prior experience at PwC.Connect with Graeme and DeanConnect with Graeme Codrington on LinkedInEmail Dean Van Leeuwen: [email protected] the 7 Grey Elephants: www.tomorrowtodayglobal.com/greyelephantsGeneral enquiries: [email protected] in the Boardroom is powered by Achilles. Achilles helps the world’s biggest companies build ethical, sustainable, and transparent supply chains—reducing risk while unlocking opportunity.Keywordsgrey elephants, BANI, multipolarity, UN reform, underground data centres, mines to data fortresses, climate adaptation, >2°C world, shipping...

Graeme Codrington and Dean Van Leeuwen return with a timely and urgent discussion about the shifting balance of global power and its implications for business leaders. From startling comments about human longevity by Putin and Xi Jinping to the acceleration of a multipolar world order, the hosts unpack how these geopolitical shifts create uncertainty, and opportunity, in boardrooms everywhere.This episode also features a compelling interview with Mar Bernal Conde, Head of Sustainable Supply Chain at LightSource BP, who shares her journey from operations to sustainability leadership and explains how resilient, transparent supply chains can become a competitive advantage in turbulent times.Key Topics DiscussedImmortality & AgingPutin and Xi joke about living beyond 150.Science shows aging may one day be reversible.Multipolarity RisingNew alliances reshaping global power (Russia, China, India, BRICS+).U.S. tariffs accelerate the shift away from Western dominance.Global RisksTariffs, sanctions, and conflicts (Ukraine, Taiwan, Venezuela, Middle East).Businesses must plan for shocks and instability.Grey Elephants & BANI WorldForces of change that are ignored until too late.Today’s reality: Brittle, Anxious, Nonlinear, Incomprehensible.Mara Vernal-Konda InterviewFrom operations to sustainability leadership.Why transparency, trust, and ESG due diligence matter.Building resilient supply chains in uncertain times.Featured GuestMar Bernal Conde – Head of Sustainable Supply Chain at LightSource BP. With over 25 years of international experience in energy and manufacturing, Mara has led strategic transformations rooted in sustainability. She also teaches sustainability leadership at Cambridge and serves on multiple industry boards.Putin Confirms Rise Of New World Order 👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKhTbMrqUdMConnect with Graeme and DeanElephants in the Boardroom is powered by Achilles. Connect with Graeme and Dean:Connect with Graeme on LinkedIn here Email Dean at [email protected] you're interested in learning more about the 7 Grey Elephants and how they're transforming the world you can download TomorrowToday's white paper herewww.tomorrowtodayglobal.com/greyelephants TomorrowToday Consulting empowers forward-thinking organisations to not just anticipate the future, but to shape it. Staying ahead of the curve is critical, and we provide the visionary thinking and strategic execution you need to thrive.Email [email protected]