Growing their own2007 Global Survey of CEOs in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 |
Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 is an annual ranking of the world’s fastest-growing technology companies. This elite group includes 500 companies from each major region: Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and North America. This year, 546 CEOs from around the world participated in the global survey, with significant representation from every region. The survey addressed the full range of business challenges, from strategy and marketing, to operations and finance. It also looked at the growth prospects for individual companies and the economy overall – including an assessment of the market’s hottest growth areas over a one-year and three-year time horizon.
CEOs of the world’s fastest-growing technology companies recognize the potential threats to growth; however, they do not appear to be particularly worried. In fact, the vast majority say they are “very confident” or “extremely confident” that their company can sustain its spectacular growth rate. Their biggest challenge is likely to be finding and cultivating the talent necessary to achieve their aggressive growth goals.
Most companies in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 plan to grow organically, which means they have a significant talent pipeline to fill. At the same time, long-term, socio-economic trends such as baby boomer retirements, declining birth rates, and shifting education patterns are making it increasingly difficult for fast-growth technology companies to find the talent they need.
The CEOs in this year’s survey are focusing more attention than ever on people-related issues such as recruiting, education and training, and employee retention. In fact, they consider their biggest personal challenge to be grooming the next generation of leaders – rating it even higher than achieving and sustaining profitability.
These forward-thinking leaders realize that without the right people, a business cannot succeed.
Growing Their Own
(1073.77 KB)
