Workplace Trends

Amid all the economic & geopolitical uncertainty, global energy investment is set to rise this year to $3.3 trillion. China is by far the world's single largest investor in energy, spending almost as much as the US & EU combined. Read more in the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s new report → https://iea.li/4kVvhkF Around $2.2 trillion is set to be invested collectively in renewables, nuclear, grids, storage, low-emissions fuels, efficiency & electrification in 2025. This is twice as much as the $1.1 trillion going to oil, gas & coal. Explore IEA's World Energy Investment → https://iea.li/43FIxCN Global upstream oil investment is set to fall for the 1st time since 2020. The 6% drop is driven mainly by a decline in the US shale sector. By contrast, investment in new LNG facilities is on an upward trajectory, with new projects in the US, Qatar, Canada preparing to start up. Today’s investment trends clearly show a new Age of Electricity is drawing nearer. This year, electricity investments are on course to be some 50% higher than the total amount being spent bringing oil, natural gas and coal to market, accounting for over half all energy investment. In a worrying sign for electricity security, #investment in grids is failing to keep pace with spending on power generation & electrification. Maintaining electricity security requires investment in grids to rise towards parity with power generation spending by the early 2030s. Fierce competition is contributing to falling prices for solar PV & batteries – but electricity equipment costs are going up, with transformers & cables in short supply. Meanwhile, higher US steel & aluminium prices are pushing up costs for drilling & large engineering projects. Rapid growth in electricity demand is underpinning continued investment in coal supply, mainly in China and India. In 2024, China started construction on nearly 100 GW of new coal-fired power plants, pushing global approvals of coal-fired plants to their highest level since 2015. Investment in biofuels, biogases & low-emissions hydrogen is set to rise to a record high in 2025. But projects are facing headwinds given an uncertain policy environment and a number have been cancelled or delayed. Read the IEA's World Energy Investment 2025, freely available in full on our site → https://iea.li/43FIxCN And to learn more, join our Chief Energy Economist Tim Gould, lead report author Cecilia Tam & me for the LIVE launch event from 11:00 CEST → https://iea.li/4jup9yA

Vintage Illustration, luxury driving nostalgia. +73% of Gen Z consumers say they find comfort in content and design that reminds them of the past. Is trending hard, especially among lifestyle and fashion brands trying to win over Gen Z. But this isn’t just a vibe shift, it’s a strategic move backed by cultural data, behavioral insights, and evolving consumer expectations. Fashion and lifestyle brands are leveraging these illustration trends across packaging, social media, and product design. This appetite for nostalgia isn’t about looking backward, it’s about finding emotional grounding in an overwhelming digital world. +120% YoY increase in searches for terms like “vintage cartoon art” and “retro aesthetic outfit.” +58% of Gen Z shoppers prefer brands with a “strong aesthetic identity rooted in storytelling and nostalgia.” >>Nostalgia-Driven design is here to stay<< Reports predicts that “neo-nostalgia” will define aesthetic strategies through 2026, particularly as Gen Alpha begins to enter the consumer space and Gen Z’s influence continues to peak. Meanwhile, AI and generative design tools are making vintage-style illustration easier to scale, enabling brands to customize retro visuals for seasonal campaigns or limited drops, all while keeping production costs low. +Digital Burnout: In a screen-saturated age, tactile, analog-style graphics stand out. +Sustainability: Vintage aesthetics pair naturally with thrifting, upcycling culture. +Anti-Overdesign: After hyper-polished brand visuals, there's a desire for hand-drawn, imperfect, real art. >>Illustration styles to review<< +Rococo Fashion Plates +Toile de Jouy Designs +Chinoiserie +Scientific & Botanical Illustration +Neoclassical Engravings In Conclusion: Vintage illustration isn’t just a throwback, it’s a forward-looking strategy for brands that want to connect with Gen Z’s complex mix of irony, emotion, and aesthetic intelligence. It signals soul in a world of sameness, and smart brands are taking note. Find my curated search of luxury Illustrations, and get inspired for success. featured Brands: Bulgary Chanel Dolce & Gabbana Dior Dyptique Gucci Hermes Kohan Loewe Versace #beautybussines #beautyprofessionals #luxurybussines #luxuryprofessionals

Global sales of EVs and hybrid vehicles hit 1.2 million units in February 2025. That's a massive 50% jump compared to last year. But get this: China accounted for nearly 75% of those sales! I've posted before about the pace in China, and it just keeps accelerating. EV sales there are up 76% year-on-year. Brands like BYD, Xiaomi, Xpeng, and Zeekr are launching new models at lightning speed, moving from plug-in hybrids to fully electric in record time. In Europe, the race is still on. Volkswagen boosted BEV sales by 180%, BMW overtook Tesla, and Chinese-owned brands reportedly outsold Tesla in Europe for the first time. Meanwhile, Tesla's EU market share hit a five-year low. But what I still can't get over is the insane pace in China! I recently drove a Xiaomi EV in Shanghai that felt like a one-to-one copy of the Porsche Taycan for $40,000. Incredible materials, smooth drive, and great steering. Even my engineer, who was with me, was impressed. And this is just four years after Xiaomi said, "Let's make cars." Now, they're producing 100,000 a year. Also extremely interesting is that 20% of the car's cost is subsidised. That kind of scale-up is of course possible based on massive government backing. On the autonomous side, I've experienced Waymo in San Francisco and Hyundai's lidar-based system in Shanghai: fully self-driving, even in chaotic traffic. The future is already here. And I've become a real fan, especially when I need to work between meetings or get to the airport. Same as Vay for teledriven car sharing. There’s so much going on! Has Europe lost the race? No! Not yet. But we're under pressure. And we need to move faster. The future is 100% electric: that's crystal clear to me. Hybrids may be an important bridge, but the long-term path is electrification, enabled by renewables. So the real question is: Can Europe match China's speed, scale, and tech leadership? Or are we looking at a permanent power shift in the EV industry?  I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. #EV #ElectricVehicles #Mobility #Innovation #ChinaEV #EuropeEV #Automotive

🚗 Germany's passenger car market declined by 4.3% in Q1 2025, totaling 664,571 new registrations – a sign of increasing market volatility and changing consumer preferences. 🔹 Volkswagen Group continues to lead the German market with 288,950 new registrations, marking a +5.2% increase. The core brand Volkswagen grew by +6.4%, supported by solid contributions from Škoda and Audi (both at +2.6%), while Seat/Cupra delivered an impressive +21.5%. 🔹 Stellantis recorded a substantial -23.9% loss overall. While Peugeot managed a +4.2% increase, other brands such as Opel (-35 %) and Citroen (-26.3%) were hit hard. 🔹 BMW Group showed modest decline at -1,4%, with BMW maintaining stable demand. However, Mini declined significantly by -18.0%, slightly offsetting the group’s overall performance. 🔹 Mercedes-Benz faced a -4.0% drop, indicating growing pressure in the high-end market. 🔹 Renault Group registered +11,3% growth, fueled by a strong +44.7% increase at Renault, underscoring the appeal of affordable mobility solutions. 🔹 Chinese manufacturers - though still with low volumes - saw the strongest gains: BYD soared by +211.7%, and other Chinese brands (e.g., Volvo, MG, Polestar, Nio) collectively expanded by +5,3% – positioning themselves as serious challengers in the European market. 🔹 US brands showed mixed performance: Ford recorded a modest +0.5% increase, while Tesla experienced a significant -62.2% decline. The reputational challenges linked to Elon Musk’s public profile is a contributing factor impacting the brand’s current market performance. 🔹 South Korean brands faced an overall decline of -14.6%, with Hyundai down -11.1% and Kia dropping by -19.2%. The figures reflect broader challenges across the group, despite strong product lineups in recent years. 🔹 Japanese brands declined by -15.9% overall. Especially Mitsubishi (-50.3%) and Toyota (-16%) contributed to the downtrend, facing tough competition in nearly every segment. The full report is available in English and German ($): https://lnkd.in/e9ENmkFz 📩 Subscribe to "AutomotiveCOMPASS": Stay ahead of the latest automotive trends with exclusive insights and data-driven analysis from the Center of Automotive Management (CAM): https://lnkd.in/ehGCnrzK #AutomotiveMarket #MarketAnalysis

I’ve been headhunting in the CPG industry for the past decade, and I’ve never seen a post-inflation market like we’re in right now. For the past three years, customers have been capitulating to price hikes by extending their budgets. But now, they’re at a breaking point. American families, already tethering on edges of their budgets, do not have the ability or the desire to expand their budget in order to accommodate increased prices. I’m sure you’d agree with this, because my family certainly does. With grocery bills through the roof, we’d rather skip on groceries and essentials rather than paying a premium right now. A couple things led us here, starting the pandemic and the post-pandemic impact on spending and savings. Secondly, the wave of AI and tech developments that caught us off guard. So, where do the companies go now? Once the “price increase” playbook is done, CPG brands can only win in both value and volume by shifting gears. In my chats with executives, I’m sensing a change in tone. To stay competitive, they’re looking for ways to shift from the post-pandemic survival mindset to a growth-focused one that accommodates the customer as well. Rather than hiking prices, the focus is now on bringing down costs, and getting to terms with consumer’s limited budgets and increasing product choices. Layoffs aren’t the only way to bring down costs. In my view, CPG companies do have the leeway to embrace data-driven innovation and efficiency to cut costs. Here are some of the ways in which companies can use AI and ML to achieve targets in 2025 and beyond: 1/ Predicting the demand: Post-pandemic behavior is tough to predict, especially in CPG markets. With AI, the companies can now leverage real-time insights from sources like point-of-sale systems, social media, and even economic indicators to see future trends more clearly. PepsiCo, uses Tastewise to track what consumers are eating across 60+ million touchpoints and making decisions that align with local preference. 2/ Inventory management: With AI-powered predictive analytics, companies are now turning inventory management into a science. Procter & Gamble’s Supply Chain 3.0 initiative is one example of this shift. 3/ Increased personalization: Leaders are tapping into geographical intelligence to connect meaningfully with audiences. Estée Lauder has a voice-enabled makeup assistant for visually impaired customers, reaching a new market while boosting brand loyalty. Bottom line is: customers are no longer meeting brands where they’re at. It’s high time that companies start caring about customers and their shrinking bottom lines. Are you excited to see your grocery bill go down in the next few months? #CPG #AI #ML #fmcg #marketing #trending

HUGE AI LEGAL NEWS! The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has published its much anticipated Opinion on AI and data protection. The opinion looks at 1) when and how AI models can be considered anonymous, 2) whether and how legitimate interest can be used as a legal basis for developing or using AI models, and 3) what happens if an AI model is developed using personal data that was processed unlawfully. It also considers the use of first and third-party data. The opinion also addresses the consequences of developing AI models with unlawfully processed personal data, an area of particular concern for both developers and users. The EDPB clarifies that supervisory authorities are empowered to impose corrective measures, including the deletion of unlawfully processed data, retraining of the model, or even requiring its destruction in severe cases. On the issue of anonymity, the opinion grapples with the question of whether AI models trained on personal data can ever fully transcend their origins to be considered anonymous. The EDPB highlights that merely asserting that an AI model does not process personal data is insufficient. Supervisory authorities (SAs) must assess claims of anonymity rigorously, considering whether personal data has been effectively anonymised in the model and whether risks such as re-identification or membership inference attacks have been mitigated. For AI developers, this means that claims of anonymity should be substantiated with evidence, including the implementation of technical and organisational measures to prevent re-identification. On legitimate interest as a legal basis for AI, the opinion offers detailed guidance for both development and deployment phases. Legitimate interest under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR requires meeting three cumulative conditions: pursuing a legitimate interest, demonstrating that processing is necessary to achieve that interest, and ensuring the processing does not override the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects. For third-party data, the opinion emphasises that the absence of a direct relationship with the data subjects necessitates stronger safeguards, including enhanced transparency, opt-out mechanisms, and robust risk assessments. The opinion’s findings stress that the balancing test under legitimate interest must consider the unique risks posed by AI. These include discriminatory outcomes, regurgitation of personal data by generative AI models, and the broader societal risks of misuse, such as through deepfakes or misinformation campaigns. The opinion also provides examples of mitigating measures that could tip the balance in favour of controllers, such as pseudonymisation, output filters, and voluntary transparency initiatives like model cards and annual reports. The implications for developers are significant: compliance failures in the development phase can render an entire AI system non-compliant, leading to legal and operational challenges.

We’ve called efficiency the unsung hero of the energy transition in the past. While the energy transition will happen first through the transition of energy usages, like the shift with transport, from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, or from fuel or gas boilers to heat pumps, we cannot ignore the utmost priority of the energy transition: efficiency. Efficiency is the greatest path to reduce our energy use, our impact on the world’s climate through CO2 emission reduction, and very importantly, the best way to make solid and practical savings. In its most historical form, energy efficiency is about better insulation, to reduce heating (or cooling) loss in buildings like family homes, warehouses, office high rises, and shopping malls. This is useful, but expensive and tedious to realize on existing installations. Digitizing home, buildings, industries and infrastructure brings similar benefits at a much lower cost and a much higher economic return. The combination of IoT, big data, software and AI can significantly reduce energy use and waste by detecting leaky valves, or automatically adjusting heating, lighting, processes and other systems to the number of people present at any given time, using real-time data analysis. It also allows owners to measure precisely progress, report automatically on their energy and sustainability parameters, and benefit from new services through smart grid interaction. And this is just the energy benefit. Automation and digital tools also optimize the processes, safety, reliability, and uptime leading to greater productivity and performance.

1st Time Ever, CLO Market For the first time ever in the history of the U.S. CLO market an interesting dynamic has emerged. CLO new issue volume is at a record levels, YET the size of the CLO market has declined. This table below illustrates 10-years of history; however, one can go all the way back to 1990 (first CLO ever issued) to see that this is indeed a first. Negative net issuance despite record primary issue occurred as seasoned/older CLOs that are past their reinvestment period are amortizing or being liquidated, either into the open market (BWIC) or used to form new CLO from the same manager. Demand for CLO tranches starts with the AAA tranche since it is ~60% of the capital structure. AAA demand is rock solid, led by large U.S. & Japanese banks, global insurance companies, and the new kid on the block: Janus’ CLO ETF (JAAA) which has grown to $10B, creating an additional bid for AAAs. As a result, CLO liabilities have tightened, which is accretive for CLO equity investors. CLO managers employ teams of investment professionals that are experts in underwriting each BSL, building and managing a highly diversified portfolio with an enduring credit profile to maintain low default rates, and avoiding CCCs, a bifurcation that drives default rates. Cash flow distributions to CLO equity investors benefit from tighter CLO liabilities, the return generated during the warehouse period as the CLO ramps, +reinvestment during the investment period, +active management that adds alpha via relative value generated by CLO manager, +repricing and extensions of CLO liabilities later in the CLO life span. Today, CLO equity holders are earning their highest cash distribution in years, resulting in mid-teens IRRs, strong DPI and MOICs. I believe this dynamic will continue to be net-positive for world-class CLO managers, who have proven incredibly adept managing through the cycles. The kicker is when the CLO manager shares a portion (10-20%) of its management fees that it earns from managing the CLO (~40 bps) with the CLO equity holders. This fee sharing arrangement was first introduced post-GFC when CLO managers raised CLO equity funds required under risk-retention requirements known as The Volcker Rule. Since the Volker rule is no longer applied to U.S. CLOs, fee sharing arrangements are less prevalent today, but available from select managers. Conclusion: The technical condition that exists today, with tight liabilities and net-negative primary issuance, yet robust new issue supply and improving credit dynamics represents a unique opportunity for CLO equity.

The #instantpayments regulation (adopted last week) brings sweeping changes to the European payments landscape. Let’s take a look. The regulation is a big upgrade for the EU #payments infrastructure by standardizing instant payments across the EU. Key provisions: 1) Instant payments are becoming compulsory 2) Both consumers and businesses are addressed 3) Instant payments cannot be more expensive than normal credit transfers. Up to now there were huge variations with instant transfers costing even up to €12 in some cases! 4) Banks need to check that the account number matches the name of the payment beneficiary and alert in case of a possible mistake or fraud 5) Instead of screening transactions one by one, instant payment providers will be required to check their clients against EU sanctions lists at least daily 6) Payment and e-money institutions (PIEMIs) get direct access to payment systems, removing reliance on banks as sponsors. Banks are no longer the gatekeepers to EU payment systems and that’s a huge change. When will this be effective? — New rules enter into force 20 days after publication in the EU Official Journal — A transition period is planned. It will be faster in the euro area and longer for non-euro countries (i.e. Poland, Sweden) — PSPs in the euro area need to be ready to receive Euro instant credit transfers in 9 months / send them in 18 months. Example use cases: — Immediate availability of funds (i.e. loan disbursements, payouts, etc) — Real-time re-conciliation — Instant top-ups (gaming apps, wallets, etc) — Instant insurance claim payments / charity payments — Cash-flow management / improved liquidity and treasury view Why was this necessary? — Catch-up with global frontrunners like India or Brazil — SEPA instant credit transfers (SCT Inst) account for ONLY 15% of all conventional SEPA credit transfers (SCT). Removing the barriers to adoption is key — The EU landscape is very fragmented. There are several instant local payment schemes across some EU countries (i.e. iDEAL in the Netherlands, Blik in Poland, Bizum in Spain, DIAS in Greece), but they are not interoperable What are the real drivers? This is a game long in the making: developing pan-European transaction solutions built on instant payment rails, has been an EU retail payments #strategy goal since 2020. But reading behind the headlines there are 2 main drivers: — Independence: Europe depends on US payments rails (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Apple, Google, Amazon) missing a domestic scheme. Instant payments are part of the effort to fix this with EPI and the digital Euro being the rest — Efficiency: The Commission estimates almost €200 bn are locked in transit in the financial system daily, a so-called “payment float” that could be freed up and be reinjected faster into the #economy Opinions: my own, Graphic sources: European Payments Council, TreasuryXL

As a junior lawyer, I got copied into client email threads and didn’t know what I should do besides waiting to be delegated tasks. Here are 5 things that I’ve learned to do to be more involved: 1️⃣ Project management Extract actions and proposed due dates from client correspondence. Bonus points if you have a project tracker that you can continually update. “Hi Jane, I’ve read through the 6 emails sent by [client] today and set out the action items below. I’ll keep updating this list as the day goes on.” 2️⃣ File management Save all correspondence and documents to the client / matter file. “Hi Jane, just letting you know I’ve saved these documents to [system]. Attached is the link to the [document] if you’d like to review it now.” 3️⃣ Offer to do the first draft of the document / task / email response “Hi Jane, [client] has asked us to amend the contract to reflect the agreed issues list by Friday (4 August). I can prepare a first draft for your review by Thursday morning if you’d like.” 4️⃣ Get familiar with the client Take note of their communication style, key contacts, approvals process, concerns, business drivers, preferred forms of documents, billing procedures, upload portals etc. Being aware of these things helps with providing a better personalised legal service. 5️⃣ Handle routine inquiries Simple and routine inquiries from clients can be handled by junior lawyers, freeing up the senior lawyer's time for more complex and strategic matters. Check with your supervisor about the types of things they would like you to handle. For those tasks, if not you’re not sure about your response, prepare a draft email for their review. “Hi Jane, I’ve prepared a draft response to [client] below but was not 100% sure about a few things. I’ve flagged my questions and proposed responses but would appreciate it if you could run your eye over it before we send it out.” Are these things that you do? Anything else you’d add? ------------- Btw, if you're a junior lawyer looking for practical career advice - check out the free how-to guides on my website. You can also stay updated by sending a connection / follow. #lawyers #lawstudents #legalprofession #lawschool