From the power of purpose to responsible AI, Season 1 of Envision was jampacked with lively discussions on critical topics facing businesses today – and tomorrow. Speakers included Trevor Noah, comedian and host of “The Daily Show”; Beth Ford, CEO, Land O’Lakes; Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft; and Karenann Terrell, chief digital and technology officer, GlaxoSmithKline.

The digital series, presented by Accenture, Avanade, and Microsoft, consisted of four episodes with themes focused on “Purpose-Driven,” “The 5 Crisis Crucibles,” “Where to Now?” and “Digital Optimism.” The common thread throughout the series was transformation, not surprising given the events of the past 18 months, which have been all about change.

Wondering what you missed? Ready to binge watch? Below are some soundbites from Season 1.

Episode 1: Harnessing the power of purpose
The first episode of Envision focused on purpose. Guests explored a range of topics, including digital resiliency; reimagining the future of work; and how individuals, employees, organizations, and industries can find purpose, overcome current challenges and drive growth.

Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft
“Microsoft’s success has to be fundamentally built on success all around us, so there’s equitable economic growth in every community in every country.”

Christophe Beck, President and COO, Ecolab Inc.
“We set a commitment a few years ago that by 2030, we will help our customers save over 300 billion gallons of water, which is the drinking need equivalent of a billion people, by the way.”

Pam Maynard, CEO, Avanade
“Purpose is what really motivates us all, whether it’s in your personal or your professional life, to really go above and beyond. It explains the why of what we do every day. And in organizations, it’s the thing that helps to bring together employees and clients and bind them around a common goal.”

Episode 2: The keys to moving forward
In the second episode, our group of global leaders looked at five macro forces impacting the world and discussed opportunities for resilience as we move ahead: health, climate change, employment, technology and global GDP.

Dr. David A. Rodriguez, Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Marriott International
“The dimensions people value most, and interestingly that also contribute the most to unlocking their potential at work, go beyond the paycheck to overall well-being and a sense of connection to others and the world around them.”

Ellyn Shook, Chief Leadership and Human Resources Officer, Accenture
“Organizations that lead with values, while creating values will really become the winners in the end, because in the beginning and in the end, it all starts with people.”

Craig Gorsline, Chief Growth Officer, Avanade
“As our clients and stakeholders demand more environmental, social and governance efforts, organizations are increasingly demonstrating that they intend to be purposeful about sustainability.”

Episode 3: What’s next?
The future was front and center in episode 3, as the group of business and tech leaders discussed impacts resulting from the pandemic, including the economy, privacy and security, the global skills gap and how to improve access to technology.

Trevor Noah, Comedian and Host of “The Daily Show”
“Let’s move forward. Let’s take the horrible experience we’ve had during the coronavirus but extract all of the positive things we’ve learned from it and apply that to the future.”

Athina Kanioura, EVP and Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer, PepsiCo
“Ultimately AI is not just the responsibility of a chief technology officer or a CIO or a chief transformation officer. It’s the responsibility of all the stakeholders of the company.”

Ryan Roslansky, CEO, LinkedIn
“The focus on skills as the currency is the key to our path forward.”

Brad Smith, President, Microsoft
“It’s an exciting time for tech. Exciting because as we think about a post-COVID future, we can put technology to work to really fuel a more inclusive economic recovery.”

Episode 4: Optimism takes center stage
While the world faces challenges, there’s still room for optimism, which was the topic for discussion in our fourth episode. The panel addressed issues like hybrid working, the power of a growth mindset, responsible AI and empowering stakeholders through shared values.

Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture
“It’s the tale of three worlds right now: It’s leaders, laggards and leapfroggers. And that’s where the optimism is.”

Beth Ford, President and CEO, Land O’Lakes
“Growth mindset is about resilience and taking the opportunity to learn from mistakes.”

Chris McClean, Global Lead, Digital Ethics, Avanade
“You should have a set of values that say things like ‘We care about the environment, we care about inclusion and diversity, employee well-being and customer satisfaction.’ You should be able to say how are we imparting these values into the technology that we’re working on.”

If these soundbites caught your attention, we invite you to watch all of Season 1 on demand – and stay tuned for Season 2, coming in October. We’ll explore the latest innovations and trends to empower your organization, including topics such as digital transformation, sustainability, culture, AI, and the modern workplace. Register now.

More food for thought
Looking for more thought-leading content? Check out the links below:

• Accenture – Built for Change podcast
• Microsoft – Best of Business AI
• Microsoft – How resilience can help your organization thrive
• Avanade – Trendlines: Make smarter bets
• Avanade – The Future Workplace Experience series

Learn more about the Accenture, Avanade, Microsoft partnership.