Why Skills-First Leadership Is Replacing the Ivy League Playbook in the C-Suite
05/23/2025
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The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
March 30, 2023: Saudi Arabia’s cabinet allowed a decision to enter a China-led security bloc, which makes Riyadh’s eastern links further away from U.S. interests.
On Tuesday, the state-owned Saudi Press Agency said that in a session by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi cabinet approved a memorandum acknowledging Riyadh’s status as a dialogue partner in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. This political, security and trade alliance lists China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and four central Asian nations as full members.
The organization further tallies four observer states and nine dialogue partners in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey. It is the main place in Beijing and served by China’s Zhang Ming as secretary-general.
While falling short of full membership, Saudi Arabia’s decision to join the SCO takes Riyadh’s interests further east when Beijing tests its sway in the Middle East in a potential reach to U.S. influence. In March, China brokered a deal for long-time Mideast rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran to start diplomatic relations and reopen embassies in every other’s country.
Deeper in Europe, Beijing just as ambitiously, if so far less successfully, presented a 12-point plan to achieve peace between Russia and Ukraine.
Saudi interests are intertwined with those leading SCO members, China and Russia. According to Reuters, Beijing is Riyadh’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade valued at $87.3 billion in 2021.
China is a significant consumer of hydrocarbon-reliant Saudi Arabia’s oil exports, with the two countries that make significant inroads in each other’s petrochemical sectors which include the recent announcement by Saudi state-controlled oil company Aramco of a joint venture that will make a refinery and petrochemical complex in Panjin in China, alongside people Norinco and the Panjin Xincheng Industrial Group.
Hence, Riyadh has a close connection with Russia in the crude oil production views of the OPEC+ coalition.
The old prestige pyramid—where Ivy League degrees and blue-chip consulting backgrounds paved the way to the CEO seat—is cracking.
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Following a distinguished Law Enforcement career Joe McGee founded The Securitatem Group to provide contemporary global operational specialist security and specialist security training products and services for private clients, corporate organisations, and Government bodies. They deliver a wide range of services, including complete end-to-end protection packages, close protection, residential security, protection drivers, and online and physical installations. They provide covert and overt investigations and specialist surveillance services with a Broad range of weapons and tactical-based training, including conflict management, risk and threat management, tactical training, tactical medicine, and command and control training.
Jay Wright, CEO and Co-Owner of Virgin Wines infectious energy, enthusiasm, passion and drive has been instrumental in creating an environment that encourages talent to thrive and a culture that puts the customer at the very heart of every decision-making process.
Fabio de Concilio is the visionary CEO & Chairman of the Board at Farmacosmo, a leading organization dedicated to mental health and community support services. With a deep commitment to identifying and meeting customer needs, Fabio ensures that high standards are maintained across the board.
Character Determines Destiny – so said Aristotle. And David CM Carter believes that more than anything else. For David, it has been numerous years of research into codifying Entelechy Academy’s 54 character qualities that underpin everything he stands for as a leader and teacher.
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