Tesla, Lululemon, Mastercard and Google topped a new global ranking of future-readiness while Apple, Twitter, Spotify, HSBC and Audi underperformed when compared to competitors in their respective industries.
The Institute for Management Development’s (IMD) Centre for Future Readiness in Switzerland studied more than a decade of data from 2010 to 2021 to rank publicly listed companies against their competitors by how prepared they are for the post-pandemic economy and their likelihood of survival in a world of fast and frequent change.
Capital markets plunged across all sectors in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic but a recovery soon followed. Beginning in April 2020, the S&P 500 went on its greatest 50-day rally in history.
Rather than a death sentence for growth, Covid-19 has proven to be a test case, rewarding companies that were prepared to harness the acceleration of trends and hastening the decline of those who were hesitant to change, according to stock performance analysis from McKinsey.
“Our predictive analytics equips executives with intelligence to not just recover from the recent economic blow, but better respond to tomorrow's disruptions – like Omicron – with lessons on how not just to survive, but thrive in the future,” said professor Howard Yu, author of the Future Readiness Indicator at IMD.
The ranking analysed 86 of the highest-grossing companies in the four highest-revenue industries: fashion and retail, automotive, financial services and technology.
The US led the list with 40 American companies. Next came China and Germany with seven each; France and Japan with six each; Switzerland and the UK with four each; South Korea with three; Sweden with two; and Argentina, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain and Taiwan with one each.
The ranking relied on objective measurements to arrive at a composite score, which an artificial intelligence-driven algorithm compared against the industry average.
It used data to rank companies against critical drivers of innovation such as financial fundamentals, investors’ expectations of future growth, employee diversity, research and development, early results of innovation, business diversity, cash and debts, brand value, business productivity and openness to new ideas.
Fashion and retail
The ranking analysed 16 fashion and retail companies based on revenue of $3.2 billion to $44.5 billion and also considered the strength of e-commerce, presence in mobile apps, the volume of Google search presence, the ability to personalise offerings and the extent to which consumers consider the companies to be environmentally sustainable, among other factors.
Sportswear brands Lululemon and Nike were ranked first and second, followed by luxury brands Hermes, Burberry, Kering and LVMH.
Before the pandemic, the researchers found that top-ranking sportswear brands had already rewired their core operations, "allowing them to instantly make markdown and promotion decisions and move inventory across countries".
Lower-ranking brands such Under Armour, H&M and Hanesbrands, which "took a shortcut" of laying new digital tools on top of existing operations, struggled through the pandemic and "will have difficulty competing in the coming years", according to IMD.
The research found that luxury brands are not as reliant on background digital infrastructure to generate revenue. Instead, personalisation is a key to the future of luxury retail.
LVMH and Burberry, respectively low-ranking and high-ranking in digital savviness, are the two fashion or retail brands that rank highest in positive sentiment. Instead of supply chain digitisation, high-ranking luxury brands depend on data analytics to better understand their customers, and the relationship between market scarcity and exclusivity.
Automotive
The ranking looked at the 19 top publicly traded car makers based on revenue of $6.2bn to $291.9bn and looked at data from 2010 to 2020.
Four traditional car makers – Toyota, BMW, Ford, and Hyundai – hold the second through to fifth positions, but new entrant Tesla captured the top spot.
IMD found that most traditional car makers, despite mechanical expertise, "share conservative views and are relatively unsuited to address vehicle electrification, connectivity and autonomous driving".
For example, during the chip shortage, companies such as Audi found themselves in uncharted territory. But the second-ranking car maker, Toyota, had prepared itself by stockpiling chips and avoided the worst of the disruption to reclaim the title of world's largest car maker.
Tesla’s expertise in programming allowed it to rewrite its firmware, continue production and sell a record number of vehicles during the chip shortage, earning it the top spot.
Two Chinese EV-only car makers, BYD and NIO, share their origins with Tesla in software and are poised to survive future crises and achieve continuous growth, according to IMD.
Financial services
High-ranking financial services brands used the pandemic to shift operations from in-person retail to AI-driven applications. They reaped the benefits as the sector generated record revenue.
Traditional payment companies Mastercard and Visa led the rankings, followed by Ant Group, Square and PayPal.
"Mastercard and Visa lacked the expertise and capabilities to outrun the FinTech giants, so they adopted the concept of frenemies, that is, they collaborated with their rising competition by creating easy-to-adopt application programming interfaces to allow access to PayPal, Square and even Coinbase [with its Visa cryptocurrency debit card]," according to IMD.
Opening their systems to the broader digital ecosystem allows Mastercard and Visa to learn from disruptors and apply what they learn to their own organisations.
The research reveals that the highest-ranking financial services brands are more aggressive than their peers in exploring and exploiting new technology, their openness to collaboration and their conviction that they must continue to prepare for disruption. They are already IT companies that happen to be in the financial industry.
Technology
The research includes 29 top technology companies across the semiconductors, software and hardware segments that were selected by revenue of $3.7bn to $218.9bn. It looks at data from 2018 to 2021.
The five top-ranking technology companies – Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, and US-based semiconductor company AMD – "all have an entrepreneurial orientation, willingness to branch out from their core businesses, ability to scale up quickly and a shared inner vision of the future", according to IMD.
The researchers concluded that high-ranking technology companies’ flexible organisational structures enabled them to make quick, tough decisions when the pandemic struck.
Consumer-orientated companies such as Amazon, Facebook, Netflix and Alibaba adapted quickly to meet their customers’ demand for home delivery services and personal electronics. In contrast, business-to-business-focused technology companies such as Microsoft and Salesforce offered new products to enable work at a distance.
Apple scored lower than competitors Microsoft, Amazon and Google on employee diversity, early results on innovation and business productivity.
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.
It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.
The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
FIXTURES
December 28
Stan Wawrinka v Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Milos Raonic v Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 29 - semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Stan Wawrinka / Pablo Carreno Busta, 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Milos Raonic / Dominic Thiem, no earlier then 7pm
December 30
3rd/4th place play-off, 5pm
Final, 7pm
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
