The Executive Magazine Issue 25.2

Boris

Susan

powering

Key

OneAdvanced Maserati

Watches

Executive

The Business of Cyber Security

Contents

The Executive Explorer: California p66

The Business of Cyber Security Special Feature p28

BUSINESS

p04. Key Market Themes for 2025

p06. Latest Executive Appointments

p08. Reshaping the FinTech Sector

p10. Powering Your World Of Work

p12. Diogo Dalot Invests €1m in Bioniq

p14. Quantum Computing Breakthrough

p16. Exclusive Interview: Boris Hodakel

p22. Exclusive Interview: Susan Robson MBE

p26. Finding Your Leadership Rhythm With Golf

THE BUSINESS OF CYBER SECURITY

p29. Foreword From The Editor

p30. Exclusive Interview: Alistair Wildman

p36. Female-Led Cyber Startup Secures £15m

p39. Global Cybersecurity Workforce Gap

p40. The Birth of Digital Extortion

p42. Visa Tackles Fraud with Advanced AI

p44. The Strategic Frontier of Digital Defence

p46. Balancing Digital Innovation with Risk

LIFESTYLE

p76. Maserati Grecale Trofeo Road Test

p80. Pagani Utopia Roadster First Look

p82. Nilu27 Unveils Debut Model

p88. Best of Watches & Wonders 2025

p90. AP Reinvents the Perpetual Calendar p92. Omega Takes a Deeper Dive

EDITORIAL

Elizabeth Jenkins-Smalley Editor in Chief editorial@theexecutivemagazine.com

Alice Weil

Business Editor

Jack Bell Lifestyle Editor

Aleks Bond Travel Editor

Molly Ferncombe Features Editor

Mike Jennings Food & Drink Editor

Aaron Kelly Art Director

SALES

Adam Busby Director of Strategic Partnerships advertising@theexecutivemagazine.com

Nathan Taylor Strategic Partnerships Lead

Elroy Oduor Business Development Manager

MARKETING

Bjorn van den Akker Marketing Director

Jack Salmon Subscriptions Manager subscribe@theexecutivemagazine.com

Elie Robbins Outreach Project Manager

MANAGEMENT

Francis Falodun Operations Manager

Ian McDonald

Finance Director

COMPANY

©Executive Media Group Ltd

Studio 306 Bonded Warehouse Manchester, M3 4AP

Tel: 0208 1359 527

Company No. 14993504

VAT No. 444948655

Cover Story: Monaco GP 2025 p48

Key Market Themes For 2025

Pepperstone’s Head of Research, Chris Weston, guides us through five crucial themes that will define markets for the remainder of this challenging yet opportunity-rich year. Turbulent waves crash through global markets as President Trump’s bold policies reshape America’s economic landscape.

Meanwhile, European and Chinese equities emerge as compelling alternatives to traditional US investments

IIt’s been a tumultuous start to the year for investors, with President Trump’s policies on trade and immigration fuelling concerns of slower US growth, higher unemployment and rising risk of stagflation.

The emergence of compelling investment opportunities outside of the US, notably in European and Chinese equities, combined with Trump’s ‘no pain, no gain’ approach to tariffs, has resulted in broad market volatility: the Nasdaq100 fell 14.2% through February and March, pulled down by Tesla, Nvidia and the full MAG7 basket.

The Main Market Theme for 2025?

Gauging the impact of tariffs on company margins and inflation remains the near-term theme. Later this year, the focus will roll towards the US debt ceiling and the prospects for deregulation, tax cuts and other fiscal levers. The big macro theme for 2025 is therefore pricing the extent of a US economic slowdown – and the prospects for deeper Fed rate cuts.

Playing for Outperformance?

The risk of choppy price action remains high, so long/short or ‘relative value’ strategies that capture outperformance of one market over another could be worth consideration.

For example:

• Long S&P500 / short Russell 2000

• Long DAX / short FTSE 100

Playing Defence?

Gold has been a juggernaut in 2025, although it’s hard to buy at current levels. Pullbacks could be seen as an opportunity to buy in, as demand for safe-haven assets isn’t likely to wane anytime

soon. Shorting USDJPY could also be a shrewd move against a deepening economic slowdown in the US.

The Trade in Tech?

With the recent explosion in AI capabilities in China, key tech equities could have further to run. US-listed tech equities remain challenged by incoming export controls, with investors waiting for the facts before buying with greater conviction. That time will come, though, and we could see an Nvidia rally ahead of August’s earnings announcement.

The Wildcard?

Trump has campaigned to increase crude production in the US, ultimately intending to lower oil prices and help bring down headline inflation. However, WTI crude simply refuses to break below $65, with buyers supporting this level repeatedly since August 2024. A fall through this level would reveal expectations of slower global growth, creating volatility and raising the risk that US onshore production will reduce.

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This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Note past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Executive Appointments

Jonathan Wheatley

Jonathan Wheatley serves as Team Principal at Kick Sauber, having assumed the role on 1st April 2025 with his debut at the Japanese Grand Prix. The veteran Formula 1 executive brings decades of experience, having most recently served as Red Bull's Sporting Director during a period that yielded six Constructors' Championships and seven Drivers' titles. Wheatley works alongside Mattia Binotto in a dual leadership structure as the Swiss racing organisation prepares for its transformation into Audi's factory team in 2026.

Ridhi Chaudhary

Dragon Fund's Chief Investment Officer Ridhi Chaudhary has joined the Board of Directors at global insurtech bolttech following the company's Series C funding round. With over a decade of private equity experience spanning technology, healthcare and sustainability sectors across Singapore, India and the United States, Chaudhary will provide strategic guidance as bolttech expands its platform capabilities and global market presence. The appointment strengthens the company's governance structure during a period of aggressive growth.

Andrew Grant

Andrew Grant serves as Group Director of Music at Langham Hospitality Group, a pioneering role that positions audio marketing as a core business priority. With over 25 years of music industry expertise, Grant will develop comprehensive audio strategies spanning live performances, artist collaborations, and bespoke soundscapes. His responsibilities include forging partnerships with prominent artists, festivals, and record labels while crafting distinctive sonic identities across the global property portfolio. Grant will also design special events for the 160th anniversary of The Langham Hotels & Resorts while maintaining his role as Director of Music and Radio at Eaton DC.

Axel Dewitz

Axel Dewitz serves at Bentley Motors as Board Member for Finance and IT, having joined effective 1st April 2025, following a distinguished 22-year career within the Volkswagen Group. His most recent role as Executive Vice President, Head of Corporate Finance and Mergers and Acquisitions at AUDI AG provided valuable experience in high-level financial strategy. Dewitz played an instrumental role in the initial public offering of Porsche AG and reports directly to Chairman and CEO Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser.

Sid Baveja

Sid Baveja has been appointed Vice President of Operations for Central Europe, the UK and Ireland at Too Good To Go, developer of the world's largest surplus food marketplace app. Bringing nearly 15 years of expertise in scaling global technology platforms, Baveja previously managed multi-million-euro P&Ls at Just Eat Takeaway.com and viagogo, expanding operations across 25 international markets. His appointment coincides with the launch of innovative services including Too Good To Go Parcels, which addresses food waste in manufacturing.

Nikhil Rathi

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has reappointed Nikhil Rathi as Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority for a second fiveyear term extending until September 2030. Under his leadership, the FCA has implemented significant reforms that balance consumer protection with economic growth priorities. These include modifications to mortgage regulations, enhanced support for financial services startups, and streamlined authorisation processes. The reappointment signals continued momentum for the government's regulatory reform agenda.

Mark Schmitz

Mark Schmitz serves as Chief Executive Officer at Bristol-based cyber security firm Immersive, joining as part of a strategic leadership transition. With more than 25 years of enterprise software experience, Schmitz previously held positions as president at Collibra and interim Chief Executive at Citrix Systems. The appointment enables founder James Hadley to step into the role of Chief Innovation Officer while remaining on the board. This leadership restructuring creates a deliberate separation of duties, with Hadley focusing on strategic vision and innovation while Schmitz drives operational execution and growth initiatives.

Robin Washington

Robin Washington holds the newly created position of President and Chief Operating and Financial Officer at Salesforce, having assumed the role on 21st March 2025. Her appointment builds upon substantial contribution to the company, having served on its board since 2013 and as Lead Independent Director since 2022. Washington brings decades of financial and operational expertise from executive roles at Gilead Sciences, Hyperion and PeopleSoft. Her leadership comes during Salesforce's development of Agentforce, their digital labour platform.

Kick Sauber Too Good To Go

Salesforce

Immersive

bolttech

Financial Conduct Authority

Bentley Motors

Langham Hospitality Group

5

Strategic Investments Reshaping The Financial Tech Sector

The strategic deployment of technology resources emerges as critical differentiator for banking institutions

Modern banking faces unprecedented technological transformation challenges, yet despite global technology spending in the sector increasing by 9% annually—outpacing revenue growth of 4%—quantifying returns remains elusive. Recent McKinsey research reveals that technology investments must align with specific value drivers to deliver meaningful shareholder returns

TThe financial landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with technology spending across banking institutions reaching £513 billion in 2023. This substantial figure, comparable to the GDP of Belgium or Sweden, underscores banking’s technological dependency. However, this significant expenditure has not necessarily translated to measurable competitive advantages or productivity gains.

McKinsey’s comprehensive analysis offers a framework for financial institutions to strategically allocate technology resources and transform what many view as a cost centre into a proven catalyst for value creation.

Addressing productivity paradox

The analysis highlights concerning trends within the sector. Since 2010, productivity at US banks has fallen by 0.3 percent annually on average—a stark contrast to productivity gains enjoyed by most other sectors. Furthermore, the strong correlation between banking revenues and employee numbers, regardless of institution size, suggests the industry struggles to achieve economies of scale from technology investments.

“Most of the technology spending seems to be table stakes or required to meet regulatory requirements—the share of technology investments driving competitive differentiation seems very limited,” noted one banking equity analyst interviewed for the McKinsey study.

Another critical observation reveals that banks across all sizes typically allocate approximately 10 percent of revenues to technology. However, the mature ecosystem of vendors ensures rapid commoditisation of technological innovations, minimising first-mover advantages and complicating differentiation efforts.

Breaking the negative cycle

Many financial institutions find themselves caught in what McKinsey terms a “negative loop.” Limited discretionary capacity for technology spending forces institutions to develop bespoke solutions when vendor offerings prove inadequate. Prioritisation typically happens from the bottom up, resulting in numerous small technology initiatives without sufficient funding or focus on immediate outcomes.

The research proposes a transformation toward a “virtuous cycle” where technology investments directly enable shareholder value. This approach begins with freeing up discretionary technology capacity, followed by strategic allocation of investments based on value drivers, outcome-based execution, and transparent communication about technology-enabled value to stakeholders.

Five strategic investment areas

McKinsey identifies five strategic themes that financial institutions should consider when allocating technology investments:

1. Data-driven relationship banking to expand growth and enhance net interest margins, particularly through personalised services powered by comprehensive customer data.

2. Building technology-enabled businesses in high-growth areas such as payments, wealth management, and

transaction banking to boost recurring fee income.

3. Deploying digitisation and artificial intelligence to improve operating leverage and customer experience through selfservice onboarding and back-office automation.

4. Implementing technology-enabled risk management and compliance solutions to prevent value compression in areas including cybersecurity, operational resilience, and financial crime prevention.

5. Optimising technology productivity through engineering excellence, modernising platforms, and establishing robust data and AI capabilities.

The research indicates that focusing on one or two of these strategic areas could enable typical banks to improve return on tangible equity by three to four percentage points.

Beyond cost reduction

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the McKinsey analysis reveals that reducing operating expenses represented less than 10 percent of the difference in total shareholder returns between top-performing and bottom-performing banks. Revenue growth emerged as the single most important variable, accounting for 34 percent of performance differentiation.

“Technology investments are like a call option on becoming a best-in-class digital bank 2.0, but it is unclear to us if or when this option will be in the money,” observed one analyst interviewed for the report.

Generative AI driving transformation

The research highlights generative AI as a transformative force for banking. Early adopters report 40-50 percent acceleration in software engineering tasks, including code generation, documentation, and testing. Customer relationships benefit from hyper-personalised, contextual communications that were previously impossible to deliver at scale.

Additionally, generative AI promises to fundamentally transform customer service through text and voice assistants for simpler queries, while human agents handling complex issues gain productivity through AI copilots providing real-time suggestions.

The increasing regulatory scrutiny of technology also demands attention. US banks face growing numbers of consent orders covering cybersecurity, operational resilience, data risks, and legacy system modernisation. Failure to address these concerns can result in significant remediation costs, penalties, and regulatory restrictions that limit growth opportunities.

McKinsey’s research provides a clear message: technology in banking must transition from a budget line item to a strategic enabler of value creation. This requires financial institutions to elevate their approach, focusing investments on areas that drive differential value while establishing frameworks that link technology spending directly to business outcomes.

The evolving expectations of management teams, boards and investors highlight the need for greater transparency around technology-enabled value creation. As competition intensifies and technological demands grow, banks that establish a virtuous technology investment cycle stand to gain substantial competitive advantages in the coming years.

Powering Your World of Work

OneAdvanced is a leading strategic software provider, dedicated to empowering organisations with innovative, secure, and efficient solutions. By blending cutting-edge technology, a deep commitment to customer relationships, and a focus on Bettering Society, OneAdvanced is transforming the way businesses operate in the digital age

A OneAdvanced

At OneAdvanced, the business is organised around key vertical sectors, employing experts in their fields to create deep sector knowledge and tailor software portfolios to address the specific needs of its customers in sectors such as Education, Health, Wholesale & Logistics and Legal. Central to these offerings is the OneAdvanced Platform, a secure, scalable foundation delivering modern SaaS solutions that incorporate identity management, user experience, API management and secure, private AI to ensure consistency and reliability.

The platform enables organisations to stay ahead of the curve by providing secure and innovative solutions. With technological innovation at the core, OneAdvanced invests heavily in engineering capabilities to accelerate time-to-value, streamline workflows, and embrace AI-enabled development. This allows them to power a customers journey, from initial implementation to achieving long-term success.

Value drivers

Customer-Centric Approach: OneAdvanced places its customers at the centre of everything they do, emphasising long-term value and supporting clients at every stage of their journey.

Their ‘Customer for Life’ service experience– ensures a seamless, frictionless service across the entire customer lifecycle.

Technological Innovation: Significant investments in engineering and AI-driven solutions enable OneAdvanced to push the boundaries of technology, optimising product design for faster user adoption, better integration, and job-specific workflows.

They have just delivered the UK’s first secure AI service for organisations with UK data sovereignty.

Comprehensive Security: Robust cybersecurity measures are embedded across all services, ensuring businesses are shielded from threats while remaining compliant with data privacy regulations. OneAdvanced’s security practices protect not just data, but also the integrity of their relationships with customers, reinforcing trust and enhancing the customer-for-life experience.

Platform Technology

The OneAdvanced platform offers built-in security with policy enforcement and threat monitoring, streamlined API management for security and monitoring, and a cost-effective hybrid cloud infrastructure that’s reliable and scalable. With reusable platform services and a consistent UX, they ensure a seamless, secure interface with single sign-on and mobile access for usability across devices.

This unified approach of embedding technology in every aspect of the business reflects OneAdvanced’s commitment to bettering society by enabling businesses to thrive through innovation and security.

Customer Experience

OneAdvanced’s ‘Customer for Life’ service approach ensures that every step of the customer journey is optimised:

• Enrol: Implementation is streamlined with zero-day deployment and self-guided digital onboarding, delivering quick, impactful results that ensure faster ROI.

• Adopt: Automated, frictionless adoption through digital journeys and an AI-powered knowledge base supports easy, self-service engagement for customers.

• Support: On-demand support through tiered customer care packages, live chat, and AI agents ensure a personalised and responsive service.

• Enhance: Long-term value is fostered through expert services such as health checks, vision sessions, and ongoing reviews to ensure continued success.

Security and Compliance

OneAdvanced prioritises data security with robust measures across its platforms, including identity management with SSO and MFA, AI-driven threat detection, and compliance with standards like GDPR and ISO certifications. Leveraging Microsoft and Amazon frameworks, it ensures proactive monitoring, data protection, and seamless business continuity with disaster recovery plans and minimal recovery time objectives.

Future Outlook

OneAdvanced is poised for future growth, continuing to invest in its

platform and services to better serve the evolving needs of customers.

OneAdvanced AI enables customers to leverage the analytical capabilities of AI to solve complex problems using their own organisational data in a private, secure way – giving complete visibility to monitor and control users thanks to the identity and security tooling in the platform itself.

From a data security and governance perspective, OneAdvanced AI is hosted in the UK offering complete UK data sovereignty, and is a closed, secure, encrypted service giving you the assurance that your data is completely private.

OneAdvanced AI offers:

• Retrieval-Augmented Generation using organisation specific documents and data to tailor responses from the LLM

• AI Assistants to automate tasks within our software workflows to free up time from admin-heavy tasks

• Agentic AI combines the power of the private LLM and AI systems – OneAdvanced AI can learn and make recommendations for better ways of working.

OneAdvanced’s mission is clear – to power the world of work. Their customer first approach, technological prowess and commitment to security make it a formidable player in the software industry, ensuring businesses are equipped for long-term success while contributing to a more secure, innovative, and sustainable world.

Premier League Star Diogo Dalot Invests €1m in Bioniq

Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has made a strategic €1 million investment in personalised nutrition company Bioniq, following the path of his Portuguese teammate Cristiano Ronaldo who became a major stakeholder earlier this year

TThe right-back for Manchester United and Portugal national team has committed over €1 million to the personalised nutrition company, which specialises in creating bespoke nutritional supplements based on blood biomarker analysis. This significant investment comes after Dalot’s four-year journey as a dedicated Bioniq customer, during which he has integrated the company’s personalised formulations into his professional performance regimen.

Founded in 2019, Bioniq has established itself as a frontrunner in the personalised nutrition sector, with its valuation now reaching $82 million. The company originally developed its science-backed approach to improve physical and cognitive function for Olympic athletes, but has since expanded to serve customers across 70 countries worldwide.

A personal connection to performance nutrition

Dalot’s investment stems from his firsthand experience with the product. “When it comes to high-level performance, my biggest focus has always been finding that extra 1% – the key to setting myself apart from the rest,” the footballer explained. Having used Bioniq’s products since 2022, he described the supplements as “a game-changer” that delivered measurable results.

The Portuguese defender has been particularly drawn to the scientific, data-driven approach that underpins Bioniq’s offerings. His engagement with the brand extends beyond financial investment, as he actively collaborates with the product development team, offering insights from his perspective as an elite athlete.

With the launch of Bioniq’s hyper-personalised “Build Your Own” supplement line, Dalot has further refined his nutritional strategy, tailoring his nutrient intake to specific performance objectives. While he utilises the PRO formula to reduce inflammation, increase resilience and improve endurance, his additional custom-

ised supplements allow for controlled inflammatory responses that support muscle development.

Strategic growth in a booming market

Bioniq operates within the rapidly expanding supplements market, which was valued at $177.50 billion in 2023 and projects a compound annual growth rate of 9.1% between 2024 and 2030. The company’s user base has shown remarkable expansion, growing more than tenfold during 2024 alone.

Vadim Fedotov, Founder and CEO of Bioniq, praised Dalot’s approach to performance optimisation: “Diogo has an exceptional approach to performance optimisation and recovery, constantly seeking the most effective and scientifically backed methods to enhance his physical and cognitive capabilities.”

The CEO further emphasised the alignment between Dalot’s performance philosophy and the company’s vision, noting that both recognise “the future of health lies in precision, personalisation, and efficacy.”

Building on celebrity investment momentum

Dalot’s financial commitment follows the high-profile investment made by his national teammate Cristiano Ronaldo earlier in 2024. These celebrity endorsements complement a successful Series B funding round that raised $15 million, led by Principal Investors HV Capital and Unbound.

The nutritional science company has built strong partnerships with prominent health and sports organisations, including Lanserhof and UFC. Its appeal extends across the professional sports spectrum, attracting Soccer World Cup Champions, NBA AllStars and Iron Man winners.

A key factor in these partnerships has been Bioniq’s ability to provide quantifiable before-and-after analyses of users’ nutritional needs and optimisation progress. This data-driven approach offers athletes concrete evidence of improvement, moving beyond the subjective assessments common in the supplement industry.

Accelerating the Future of Technology Microsoft

Microsoft's revolutionary Majorana 1 chip promises to shrink the timeline for practical quantum computing from decades to mere years, potentially transforming industries through unprecedented computational power.

The technology giant's development of a novel 'topoconductor' material may prove as transformative as the semiconductor was for classical computing, though experts urge measured optimism as the technology scales

T Quantum Computing Breakthrough

The race for quantum supremacy has taken a significant leap forward with Microsoft’s unveiling of Majorana 1, a quantum chip poised to fundamentally alter the timeline for practical quantum computing implementation. While sceptics have long maintained that meaningful quantum computing applications remained decades away, Microsoft’s technical achievements suggest the wait might be considerably shorter.

This development represents a potential watershed moment in computing history. The Majorana 1 chip incorporates what Microsoft describes as a ‘topoconductor’ – a revolutionary material creating a unique state of matter that exists beyond conventional gas, liquid, or solid classifications. For businesses and industries grappling with previously unsolvable computational challenges, this advancement offers tantalising possibilities for transformative progress.

The technological breakthrough

Microsoft’s approach diverges markedly from competitors in the quantum space. Rather than following established quantum computing development paths, the company pursued the creation of a topological conductor – a strategy described by Microsoft executives themselves as “high-risk, high-rewards.”

The gamble appears to be paying dividends as the company now positions its technology to dramatically accelerate quantum computing timelines.

Chetan Nayak, technical fellow of quantum hardware at Microsoft, expressed confidence that these developments would fundamentally recalibrate expectations about quantum computing’s future. “Many people have said that quantum computing, that is to say useful quantum computers, are decades away,” noted Nayak. “I think that this brings us into years rather than decades.”

The technology centres on Majorana particles, previously considered largely theoretical – indeed, earlier claims of their discovery in 2018 required retraction. Microsoft’s breakthrough demonstrates not just theoretical progress but practical implementation, creating a pathway to computationally powerful quantum systems.

Quantum potential versus practical reality

Quantum computing holds the promise of performing calculations that would require millions of years on classical computers. This capability could unlock revolutionary discoveries across medicine, materials science, cryptography, and numerous other fields by

solving previously intractable problems.

The fundamental advantage of quantum computing lies in its basic unit – the qubit. Unlike classical bits that represent either 0 or 1, qubits can exist in multiple states simultaneously through quantum mechanical properties. This enables quantum computers to process vastly more information than their classical counterparts when handling certain types of problems.

Microsoft claims its topological qubits offer superior stability compared to conventional approaches. The company has successfully placed eight qubits on the Majorana 1 chip –numerically fewer than some competitors have achieved, yet potentially more resistant to the errors that plague quantum systems. Most significantly, Microsoft asserts it has identified a pathway to scale the technology to one million qubits, which would represent extraordinary computational power.

Expert perspectives remain measured

While Microsoft’s announcement has generated substantial interest across the technology sector, quantum computing experts maintain cautious optimism. Travis Humble, director of the Quantum Science Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, acknowledged Microsoft would likely deliver prototypes faster but emphasised remaining challenges.

“The long term goals for solving industrial applications on quantum computers will require scaling up these prototypes even further,” Humble observed, highlighting the distance between current achievements and truly industrialised quantum computing.

Professor Paul Stevenson of Surrey University characterised Microsoft’s published research as a “significant step” while noting substantial hurdles ahead. “Until the next steps have been achieved, it is too soon to be anything more than cautiously optimistic,” he stated.

Professor Chris Heunen, who specialises in Quantum Programming at the University of Edinburgh, described Microsoft’s plans as “credible” but emphasised the journey ahead: “This is promising progress after more than a decade of challenges, and the next few years will see whether this exciting roadmap pans out.”

The semiconductor parallel

Microsoft draws purposeful parallels between the topoconductor and the semiconductor – the latter being the foundation upon which modern computing was built. The company suggests topoconductors could trigger similar revolutionary advancements in quantum computing as semiconductors did for classical computing systems.

The comparison holds significant weight. Semiconductors

transformed computing from room-sized machines accessible to few into the ubiquitous technology that now powers everything from smartphones to data centres. Should topoconductors achieve similar impact in quantum computing, the technology could become far more accessible and practical than currently imagined.

This trajectory would mirror the semiconductor’s path from theoretical concept to technological foundation. However, quantum systems face unique challenges around maintaining quantum coherence – the delicate quantum state necessary for computation – which makes direct comparisons imperfect.

Competitive landscape remains dynamic

Microsoft’s announcement arrives amidst intense competition in the quantum computing space. Numerous technology firms, including Silicon Valley giants and specialised quantum startups, have invested billions in developing viable quantum computers.

Google notably announced its “Willow” quantum system at the end of 2024, emphasising the accelerating pace of development across the industry. Each company employs distinct approaches to overcome the fundamental challenges of quantum computing, creating a varied landscape of potential solutions.

Jensen Huang, CEO of leading chip manufacturer Nvidia, stated in January his belief that “very useful” quantum computing remained approximately 20 years distant. Microsoft’s announcement directly challenges this timeline, suggesting the first meaningful applications could emerge much sooner.

Quantum computing also threatens to disrupt cybersecurity fundamentals by potentially breaking widely-used encryption standards. While practical quantum computers capable of such feats remain distant, accelerated timelines compress the window for transitioning to quantum-resistant cryptography.

Forward-thinking executives should monitor quantum computing developments closely while evaluating potential applications within their industries. Understanding quantum technology’s capabilities and limitations will prove increasingly valuable as practical systems emerge, allowing organisations to capitalise on opportunities while mitigating risks.

The technical path forward

The road from Microsoft’s current eight-qubit system to practical quantum computers requires substantial scaling. Each additional qubit exponentially increases a quantum computer’s potential power, but also magnifies the challenges of maintaining quantum coherence and minimising errors.

The varied perspectives highlight quantum computing’s current position at the intersection of established science and emerging technology. While the fundamental physics are well-understood, translating theoretical possibilities into practical computing systems requires overcoming substantial engineering hurdles.

Business implications of accelerated quantum timelines

For executive decision-makers, Microsoft’s breakthrough demands strategic consideration. Should quantum computing indeed arrive years rather than decades hence, businesses must prepare for a dramatically altered technological landscape.

Organisations facing computationally intensive challenges – from pharmaceutical companies conducting molecular modelling to financial institutions optimising portfolios – may soon access computational resources orders of magnitude more powerful than current systems. This capability could render currently impossible calculations routine, creating competitive advantages for early adopters.

Microsoft’s approach using topological qubits potentially offers advantages in error correction – a critical requirement for practical quantum computing. Traditional qubits require extensive error correction measures that consume substantial resources, limiting scalability. If Microsoft’s topological approach delivers the stability it promises, the path to larger systems may accelerate dramatically.

The company must now demonstrate its ability to expand beyond the current eightqubit implementation while maintaining the advantages of its topological approach. Success would represent a genuine paradigm shift in quantum computing development; failure would vindicate more cautious timeline assessments.

Conclusion

Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip and topoconductor material represent potentially revolutionary advancements in quantum computing, with far-reaching implications across industries. While substantial challenges remain before practical quantum computers solve real-world problems, the timeline appears to be compressing.

For business leaders, these developments warrant attention without premature commitment. Quantum computing continues its trajectory from theoretical concept toward practical technology, with Microsoft’s breakthrough potentially accelerating this journey significantly.

As with all technological revolutions, those who understand the capabilities, limitations and opportunities earliest will likely extract maximum advantage. The quantum era may arrive sooner than expected – and preparedness will determine which organisations thrive in this new computational landscape.

Boris Hodakel Exclusive Interview

Founder & CEO of Feel

In this exclusive interview, tech maverick Boris Hodakel unveils how he's shattering industry norms with Feel—his wellness brand that combines cutting-edge software development with scientific innovation to achieve remarkable growth and 95% customer loyalty. Discover the high-risk decisions, technology integration, and market disruption strategies that transformed a borrowed €3,000 into a global wellness empire

BBoris Hodakel arrived in the UK a decade ago with borrowed funds and a bold vision. Today, his wellness brand Feel boasts an eight-figure turnover, a presence in six global markets, and a revolutionary approach that merges technology with health solutions. In this exclusive interview with The Executive Magazine, the serial entrepreneur shares the journey that transformed a €3,000 investment into a global wellness empire.

From near-bankruptcy to pioneering vegan collagen products, we discover how Hodakel’s technology background created an unprecedented 95% customer retention rate. The founder reveals his unique approach to business resilience, his strategy for expanding into the UAE market, and his vision for integrating artificial intelligence into personalised wellness solutions that are reshaping the industry.

You arrived in the UK a decade ago with just €3,000 to start your first business. What were the most crucial lessons you learned during those early entrepreneurial days that continue to guide your decision-making today?

“The biggest lesson was resilience. When you have limited money, every decision matters. I had to be resourceful, learning digital marketing, SEO, and branding on my own. I also realised that building a strong network is just as important as having cash. Today, I make decisions based on data, stay flexible, and focus on solving real problems, just like I did in the early days.”

Feel has achieved an impressive 95% recurring revenue rate, significantly higher than industry standards. How has your background in technology rather than consumer goods shaped this success?

“Feel is built like a tech company, not a traditional supplement brand. I guess this happens when a guy from tech/SaaS starts a consumer business. We go deep into technology and a lot of data to create a seamless customer experience. Our team is obsessive about convenient software solutions. This means we can personalise products, optimise retention, and keep customers engaged. Most consumer goods companies focus on selling products and discounts —we focus on building long-term relationships through ease of use.”

The wellness supplement industry is notoriously competitive. What specific gaps did you identify in the market that led you to launch Feel in 2019?

“We saw a major gap in the industry—most supplements were full of fillers, outdated formulas, and vague claims. We wanted to change that by creating a brand that is 100% science-first. Everything we do is research-backed, from the ingredients we use to the way we formulate our products. We don’t just follow industry trends—we innovate. If we’re pushing boundaries with tech, we’re doing the same with our supplements. Innovation in both tech and ingredients is in our DNA, and that’s why Feel is different.”

Your company is described as “60% a software business and 40% a beauty-from-within business.” Could you elaborate on how this hybrid model provides competitive advantages in the wellness sector?

“Technology allows us to give customers a better experience. With 30% of our team in tech, we personalise recommendations, automate services, and make ordering simple. Same approach as our formulations. We go deep into the science of ingredients, just as we do with tech.

“Beauty-from-within is a fast-growing, but often overlooked as a category. It’s not just a trend—it’s a real industry and one we’re disrupting. Women’s health and wellness, in particular, has been underserved for years. We’re changing that. Our products, like Feel Pro Collagen and our menopause support range, are market leaders—some of the first of their kind. We don’t just follow what’s already out there; we set new standards, whether that’s through new ingredient combinations or first-to-market research-backed formulas. Our innovations in tech and supplements go hand in hand—when we push boundaries in ML, we’re also pushing boundaries in formulations. That’s how we stay ahead.”

Feel recently expanded into the UAE market. What factors make this region particularly attractive for your business model, and how are you adapting your approach for this new market?

“The UAE has a strong wellness culture and a growing demand for high-quality supplements. People there care about premium health products and are comfortable shopping online, which makes it a great fit for Feel. We’re adapting by localising our marketing, working with key influencers, and making sure our products meet the needs of customers in the region.”

You’ve experienced near-business failure before Feel, being saved by last-minute venture capital. How has that experience influenced your approach to risk and resilience?

“That experience was self-inflicted because I took a high-risk, a calculated bet on myself. Sometimes business bets don’t pay off, but betting on yourself pays off more often than not— that’s what really matters. I put everything on the line because I believed in the vision, and even though I was days away from losing everything, that risk led to something much bigger. Did you know, early-stage investors invest in people and teams first, as ideas and the course of the business will change many times, the person they invested in – will hopefully remain the same person,

just with more learnings.

“As a CEO, that experience shaped how I think about risk. It taught me to trust my instincts but also to plan for every possible outcome. I encourage my team to take smart risks, because real growth doesn’t happen when you play it safe. At Feel, we don’t just follow the market—we push boundaries, whether in product innovation, technology, or expansion. That mindset came from betting on myself when the odds were against me, and it’s a core part of how we operate today.”

With 30% of your headcount being developers, how do you balance technological innovation with creating effective wellness products that deliver tangible results?

“It’s not common to have both—a consumer marketing brand and a software company. Most businesses do one or the other. But at Feel, we don’t balance the two; we run them separately. Our software and product teams have different principles, different management, and different expectations. The only thing that unites them is the vision, the mission, and me at the helm, laying out the roadmap.

“There are no strict barriers between the teams, but we allow them to work in isolation so they can go deep without distractions. But we celebrate the wins together. This approach allows us to innovate in both areas at the highest level without compromise.”

Feel is poised to implement more machine learning and AI capabilities. What specific improvements do you envision these technologies enabling?

“AI will help us personalise customer journeys even more. We’ll be able to predict what people need before they even realise it, automate support, and refine our product recommendations. It will also improve inventory management and help us develop new products based on emerging health trends. Just like we innovate in supplements, we’re pushing the boundaries in AI. It’s not just about improving operations—it’s about redefining how wellness works.”

The wellness industry often struggles with trust and transparency issues. How does Feel approach scientific validation and communicate efficacy to customers?

“We focus on being open and honest. Every ingredient we use is backed by science, and we share that research with customers. We don’t make wild claims, and we make sure people understand exactly what they’re getting. We follow clinical studies and published research but make our science claims simple so anyone can understand them. Explaining complex things in simple ways is our superpower. That’s how we build trust—by making sure customers feel informed, not confused.”

Looking ahead, how do you see the intersection of technology and wellness evolving, and what position do you want Feel to occupy in that landscape?

“At the speed things are moving, these two industries—tech and wellness—must become one. The future isn’t just about supplements or AI-driven health—it’s about integrating them seamlessly. Our goal is to be at the forefront of that convergence, setting new standards and leading the way for how people engage with their health.”

Susan Robson MBE Exclusive Interview

Chief Executive of the Women's Engineering Society

Susan Robson MBE, Chief Executive of the Women's Engineering Society, tackles the engineering skills crisis with strategic clarity. In this exclusive interview, she reveals how diversity drives innovation and business performance as the UK races to meet net zero targets

TTackling the engineering skills shortage whilst driving innovation requires a fundamental shift in how the sector approaches talent—a challenge Susan Robson MBE embraces headon as Chief Executive of the Women’s Engineering Society. With engineering at the core of solutions to monumental challenges like the energy transition and climate resilience, Robson brings strategic clarity to the task of connecting diverse talent with an industry experiencing critical capacity issues. In this exclusive interview, she shares incisive perspectives on why diversity isn’t merely desirable but essential for business success, particularly as the UK races to meet ambitious net zero targets.

The Women’s Engineering Society, established in 1919, stands at a pivotal moment as it expands its vision to encompass the entirety of the engineering economy. Through Robson’s leadership, the organisation is fostering pathways for women across all dimensions of the sector—from corporate environments to entrepreneurial ventures and research roles—demonstrating how strategic diversity initiatives deliver tangible business outcomes in an increasingly competitive global landscape.

Your recent appointment as Chief Executive of the Women’s Engineering Society comes at a crucial time for the engineering sector. What do you see as the most pressing challenges facing the industry regarding skills capacity, particularly in relation to net zero targets?

“Engineering is at the core of solutions of monumental challenges like the energy transition, infrastructure resilience, and sustainable food production. But progress is threatened by a critical bottleneck around the availability of skilled workers in engineering roles, particularly those aligned with green energy and the transition to net zero.

“The engineering investment landscape is, quite frankly, bonkers. For the UK’s energy transition goals alone, PwC forecasts approximately 200,000 additional workers will need to be trained in green energy roles – a number that is as staggering as it is urgent. Meeting this demand will require a new, multifaceted approach which taps into under-utilised talent pools and reshapes recruitment strategies to reflect the changing landscape of the engineering economy.

“An effective strategy must consider solutions that benefit both industry and society. Reskilling workers from declining sectors offers opportunities for individuals to pivot toward thriving green energy industries while simultaneously addressing skill shortages. Regional specialisations within the UK also play an important role, highlighting the need to align training initiatives with specific engineering strengths in different areas of the country. Women are much more likely to be tied to “place”, and if we are going to benefit from their talent, we should pay heed to regional ties.

“Innovation must also underpin this task, and innovation relies on diverse, representative talent. For engineering to effectively address societal challenges, the workforce must reflect the society it serves. This means creating inclusive pathways for all

“For engineering to effectively address societal challenges, the workforce must reflect the society it serves.”

Susan Robson MBE, Chief Executive of the Women's Engineering Society

talent to engage with the engineering economy in a meaningful way, spanning industry, research, start-ups, and leadership positions.

“Closing the skills gap will demand coordinated, systemic efforts from all stakeholders: government, industry, educational institutions, and NGOs. Organisations such as the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) are poised to play a pivotal role by championing initiatives that establish clear, accessible routes into engineering and fostering workplace cultures that prioritise inclusivity and retention.

“The challenge ahead is certainly formidable, but the rewards are transformative.”

Throughout your 25-year career in business consulting and strategy, what fundamental shifts have you observed in how the engineering sector approaches talent acquisition and retention?

“Over the last 25 years, the engineering sector has shifted its approach to talent acquisition and retention. While some of these changes stem from efforts to address imbalances in gender, race, or disability, the ultimate driver remains the market. Whether one views targeted strategies to attract diverse talent as progressive or merely fashionable, the underlying reality is clear: securing the capacity for growth and the capability for innovation directly correlates with business success. For companies poised to succeed, aligning talent strategies with market needs is nonnegotiable.

“This principle is neither novel nor fleeting. In 1919, the Women’s Engineering Society was established as industry responded to the need for female workers during the war. The motivation was pragmatic then, and it remains so today. Business imperatives have always dictated workforce strategies, and they will continue to do so.

“What has evolved, however, is the complexity of the operating models required to meet these demands. Achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion (EDI) is not a standalone effort – it permeates every aspect of a business’s strategy. A robust operating model provides the framework to align EDI goals with long-term sustainability. Implementation, of course, must adapt to ever-changing societal, political, and technological conditions, whether through innovative talent engagement or streamlined processes. In an industry shaped by external forces, adaptability and inclusivity remain the cornerstones of success.”

The Women’s Engineering Society has been championing female engineers since 1919. How do you plan to evolve its legacy to address contemporary challenges while maintaining its foundational principles?

“Since 1919, our founding objectives have remained consistent, a testament to their enduring relevance, even if the language reflects the era in which they were written. Over the past century, we have built a legacy of championing women in engineering, with much of our focus directed toward large corporate environments. However, the landscape is evolving, and so is our approach.

“We are now expanding our vision to encompass the entirety of the engineering economy, ensuring that women can thrive across all its dimensions. This includes bolstering support for women

launching their own ventures, exploring non-traditional pathways into the profession, and facilitating re-entry for those returning from career breaks or transitioning from adjacent industries into engineering roles or research.

“Equally important is strengthening our alliances within the sector. In an era of constrained funding and resources, collaboration is no longer optional but essential. By working closely with our peers, we can amplify our collective impact, driving meaningful change for women and girls in engineering. Such cooperation reflects both the challenges and the opportunities of our times.”

Looking at the global engineering landscape, which regions or countries do you believe are leading the way in creating truly inclusive engineering workplaces, and what lessons can the UK sector learn from them?

“The proportion of women in engineering in the UK remains stubbornly low, hovering around 15.7% (worryingly and disappointingly down from 16.5% in 2022), with troubling trends in particular career stages (the leadership stage is most troubling). Meanwhile, other regions offer glimpses of what is possible. In Africa and Asia, countries such as Benin, Algeria, Morocco, Brunei Darussalam, and Bangladesh report gender parity figures that are enviable. Closer to home, Scandinavia and parts of Europe— Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Latvia, and Bulgaria—also stand out as examples of success in attracting women into the profession.

“These statistics present a dual challenge for the UK. On the one hand, they offer valuable lessons and opportunities to emulate best practices. On the other, they pose a potential risk: British engineering talent, particularly women, may be drawn to regions where conditions better support fulfilling and inclusive careers. This “brain drain” threat can’t be ignored.

“Understanding why the UK continues to struggle in attracting and retaining women in engineering is a complex task. The issue is undoubtedly multifaceted, with some causes rooted in the broader societal challenges faced by women so pervasive in the news right now. Addressing these barriers will require not only deeper research but also a concerted effort to develop and implement targeted, actionable initiatives. Without such measures, the UK risks falling further behind in fostering a truly diverse and innovative engineering workforce. That is why we are working alongside fantastic organisations such as Engineering UK to conduct research that will help us understand how we can raise our game in the UK.”

Your recent MBE recognition highlights your commitment to inclusion in engineering. Could you share a particular initiative or project that has delivered unexpected positive outcomes for both diversity and business performance?

“At a previous employer, I had the opportunity to establish an employee resource group, applying the same strategic tools that had proven effective in my consulting roles. The initiative yielded great results, ultimately contributing to earning the company a coveted spot on The Times Top 50 Places for Women to Work. Reflecting on the experience, one of the most rewarding moments came about a year later when the CFO highlighted the tangible impact this work had on the firm’s ability to attract and retain female talent. It was a clear demonstration of how thoughtful strategy can drive meaningful outcomes, both for employees and

the business.”

Skills shortages remain a persistent challenge across engineering disciplines. What strategic approaches would you recommend to organisations struggling to tap into diverse talent pools?

“The strategic recommendations I offer to organisations centre around ensuring recruitment processes are both equitable and effective. It is essential to assess whether your hiring practices inadvertently exclude specific talent pools. A systematic review of these processes can identify areas where bias may be entrenched.

“Use of artificial intelligence requires a careful touch. AI holds great promise in streamlining recruitment, but its application must be thoughtfully managed to eliminate bias, not perpetuate it. Vigilance is needed to ensure its implementation aligns with the goal of diversity.

“Organisations must re-evaluate their attitude to risk. Viewing candidates who fall outside conventional norms as “risky hires” is counterproductive. Instead, see these individuals as opportunities: valuable contributors who can bring fresh perspectives and drive innovation.

“Partnerships are key. Collaborating with specialists who can bridge the gap between organisations and diverse talent pools opens doors to candidates who might otherwise be overlooked. These partnerships are especially effective when combined with efforts to position the organisation’s brand in spaces it has historically underrepresented itself.

“Finally, success in recruitment and retention depends on the cultivation of networks. Engaging in new environments and building “weak ties” – connections outside of traditional channels – can yield strong results, creating a pipeline of hires who offer fresh skills and perspectives.

“These strategies, when executed effectively, position organisations not just to attract diverse talent, but to embed diversity as a driver of innovation and competitive advantage.”

The International Women in Engineering Day has become a global celebration. How do you measure its tangible impact on recruitment and retention of women in the sector?

“The truth is we can’t. But we can assume that the growing reach of the campaign (aim: to raise awareness of women in engineering) is a leading indicator of engagement of the industry and society in looking to understand and address barriers that will then enable us to increase the number of women going into and staying in engineering. At a local level, companies who collaborate with us on the campaign do so to showcase their brand as an inclusive employer and use the campaign as a tool to demonstrate their commitment to finding the best talent at the levels they need to deliver their business goals. If it didn’t realise tangible impacts on their business, they would not be investing their resources in it. The campaign continues to grow.”

Engineering solutions shape our society’s future. How crucial is it that engineering teams reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, particularly when addressing climate challenges?

“The climate emergency, while driven by local actions, is a crisis that transcends borders and impacts the globally. Engineering stands as a linchpin in crafting sustainable solutions, yet those solutions can only be viable and ethical if they are informed by the voices of the communities they aim to serve. Addressing the challenges of climate change demands a workforce that mirrors the diversity of these communities.

“Women and minority groups, who often face the brunt of climate-related disruptions, must have a seat at the table. Their perspectives are not merely valuable but essential in ensuring that the strategies devised are equitable and effective. The reality is stark: we either solve the climate emergency inclusively, for the benefit of all, or we fail collectively. There is no middle ground.

“Engineering, when done right, is about collaboration. It is about bringing together varied experiences and expertise to tackle problems that affect us all. In the face of the climate crisis, that principle has never felt more important.”

Given your experience in both consulting and the energy sector, how do you see the relationship between diversity and innovation playing out specifically in engineering projects focused on climate resilience?

“Diverse perspectives within a team fundamentally enhance the ability to break down and analyse complex problems. In the realm of the climate emergency and infrastructure resilience, this diversity becomes even more critical. Women and minority groups are disproportionately affected by these challenges, meaning their experiences provide unique insights into both risks and opportunities. Including such voices ensures a more comprehensive and innovative approach to problem-solving— one that is not just thorough but forward-looking.

“This principle is not new. Tackling ‘wicked problems’ in business has consistently demonstrated that diversity and inclusion within the operating model are key to achieving the best outcomes. Drawing on my experience in strategy and consulting, I’ve seen how embedding these practices across all aspects of an organisation leads to superior decision-making and results. When confronting a crisis as profound as climate resilience, there is simply no excuse for doing anything less. The stakes demand it.”

What single piece of advice would you give to engineering firms that are serious about transforming their approach to diversity and inclusion?

“That depends. There are some hasty and unthinking transformations in EDI going on at the moment. Yet the fundamental question remains unchanged: does your business require a larger talent pool to drive growth, and does it need innovation to maintain a competitive edge? If the answer is yes, then EDI is not optional. It must be embedded in every facet of your operating model.

“Integrating EDI is not about rhetoric or fleeting trends; it is about building a robust foundation for long-term success. Companies that fail to adopt this approach risk losing access to the diverse perspectives and capabilities that are essential for innovation and resilience in a rapidly evolving market. The need is clear: thoughtful, strategic incorporation of EDI will distinguish the businesses that thrive from those that falter.”

Finding Your Leadership Rhythm on the Golf Course

In this exclusive contribution for The Executive Magazine, Paul Miles, Founder of In The Swing Leadership, explores how the golf course reveals leadership patterns hidden in plain sight. His analysis shows how swing mechanics mirror executive decision-making, offering leaders a unique diagnostic tool that transforms recreational rounds into valuable professional development opportunities

The Hidden Connection Between Executive Performance and Golf

The relentless pace of modern leadership creates significant demands on executive attention and focus. Many leaders find themselves operating reactively rather than strategically, resulting in suboptimal team direction, missed business opportunities and declining staff engagement. However, a solution exists through understanding and calibrating one’s “leadership tempo”—a concept that becomes surprisingly clear on the golf course.

The golf course offers more than recreational value for busy executives; it provides a laboratory for self-awareness and leadership development. As business pressures mount, the fairways and greens become perfect testing grounds where executives can diagnose their leadership approach through the microcosm of their swing.

Understanding leadership tempo

Leadership tempo refers to the natural rhythm at which executives perform optimally. Similar to a musician keeping perfect time, leaders must find their ideal pace for decision-making, communication and strategic thinking.

When operating at the right tempo, leaders experience what psychologists call a flow state—that remarkable condition where decisions seem intuitive, creativity flourishes, and focus sharpens automatically. Tasks that typically require significant effort suddenly feel effortless. Most successful executives have experienced this state when tackling consecutive leadership challenges with apparent ease.

The consequences of an incorrect tempo can be severe. Leaders operating too quickly often make preventable errors, requiring constant correction and revision. Conversely, those moving too slowly may struggle with timely decisions or effective prioritisation, resulting in teams stretched thin across too many low-value projects.

Recognising personal tempo patterns represents the first step toward calibrating this essential leadership quality.

The golf course diagnostic

Golf provides exceptional insight into leadership tendencies. Arnold Palmer famously noted that “Success in golf depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind.” This wisdom extends beyond the fairway into the boardroom.

The concept of “Self as an Instrument” explains this connection—we carry our comprehensive experiences, beliefs and inherent biases into every environment, whether professional or recreational. The executive mindset active in critical business decisions manifests similarly during leisure activities like golf.

Nick Faldo, six-time major tournament champion, observed that “Tempo is the glue that sticks all elements of the golf swing together.” This parallel proves remarkably accurate for leadership. Just as proper tempo coordinates the complex movements of an effective golf swing, appropriate leadership tempo harmonises the various elements of executive performance.

Golf swing tempo clearly reveals leadership patterns. Executives who rush their swing—forcing excessive speed for greater distance—often slice balls into rough terrain or hook shots into water hazards. Similarly, hesitant leaders who cannot commit to their swing frequently strike the ground before the ball, producing ineffective shots.

Exclusive contribution for The Executive Magazine by Paul Miles, Founder of In The Swing Leadership

Practical application for executives

A thoughtful round of golf becomes an executive diagnostic tool for leadership assessment. The first nine holes often reveal current tempo patterns, while the back nine provide space to experiment with adjustments and improvements.

Executives finding their golf shots consistently veering right might examine whether they rush critical business decisions. Those noticing consistent left-side misses might consider if they become overly analytical and hesitant with important choices. Ground strikes before the ball could indicate leadership paralysis— unable to commit fully to directions for their teams.

Self-awareness developed on the course transfers directly to professional environments. Executives who master tempo recognition require progressively less time for self-assessment, creating additional mental bandwidth for strategic planning and team development.

Dual improvement methodology

The relationship between golf performance and leadership effectiveness works bidirectionally. Tempo improvements in one domain frequently transfer to the other.

Executives who consciously slow their pre-shot routine often discover enhanced decision quality in business contexts. Those who commit fully to their swing after careful preparation frequently report greater conviction in strategic direction with their teams.

The golf course offers a pressure-free environment to practice tempo adjustments before applying them to high-stakes business situations. Executives can experiment with various approaches, noting which produces optimal results both for their golf score and their mental clarity.

Advanced practitioners develop micro-adjustments to recalibrate tempo throughout both golf rounds and business days. A slight pause before addressing the ball parallels the valuable moment of reflection before entering important meetings. The deep breath before a swing mirrors the mental reset needed between consecutive executive decisions.

Golf becomes not merely recreation but practical leadership development—a valuable investment rather than time away from responsibilities.

Results beyond recreation

Understanding and controlling leadership tempo delivers measurable business outcomes. Executives who master appropriate tempo consistently report improved team performance, enhanced decision quality, and more sustainable personal energy management.

The golf course serves as both diagnostic tool and training ground for this crucial leadership attribute. When executives recognise swing patterns that mirror their leadership approach, they gain immediate feedback on effectiveness without the high stakes of business consequences.

Next time frustration emerges on the golf course, thoughtful executives might view it as valuable leadership feedback rather than merely a recreational disappointment. The slice into the woods, the hook into the water, or the duffed chip shot potentially reveals more about leadership style than about golfing ability.

By viewing golf through this lens, executives transform recreational hours into productive leadership development. The fairways and greens become the ideal laboratory for perfecting the tempo that maximises effectiveness both on the course and in the boardroom.

Foreword Elizabeth Jenkins-Smalley

Editor In Chief, The Executive Magazine

As the digital economy continues to expand at an unprecedented pace, cybersecurity has moved beyond a technical concern to become a fundamental business imperative. This special feature, The Business of Cyber Security, examines the strategic importance of robust security frameworks and how forward-thinking organisations are adapting to an increasingly sophisticated threat landscape.

Our cover interview presents an in-depth conversation with Alistair Wildman, Managing Director EMEA North at Palo Alto Networks. Wildman provides a detailed analysis of the accelerating consolidation within the cybersecurity sector and offers practical insights into how AI is transforming both defensive capabilities and attack methodologies. He articulates why platformization has become essential for organisations struggling with the complexity of multiple security solutions and explains the shift in focus from breach prevention to detection speed as the critical metric for effective cyber defence.

This feature also examines the emergence of innovative security firms challenging established players. We analyse Edera, a company founded by three women that recently secured £15 million in Series A funding led by Microsoft's venture fund, M12. Their container isolation technology addresses persistent vulnerabilities in cloud infrastructure, particularly for GPU-intensive workloads common in artificial intelligence applications.

The evolution of financial security receives focused attention through our examination of Visa's integration of ARIC Risk Hub from Featurespace. This advanced fraud prevention platform, powered by adaptive artificial intelligence, demonstrates how behavioural analytics and machine learning are being deployed to protect financial institutions against increasingly sophisticated fraud attempts while maintaining seamless customer experiences. The implementation at Eika Gruppen, an alliance of 46 local banks in Norway, showcases the practical benefits with a reported 90% reduction in phishing losses.

Industry experts contribute substantive analysis throughout. Steve Williamson from GSK explores the accumulation of technology risk as organisations expand their digital footprints, offering a framework for balancing innovation with robust protection measures. His analysis references historical incidents from the "Love Bug" virus to the recent CrowdStrike outage that affected 8.5 million computers, highlighting how both malicious attacks and human errors can cause widespread disruption. Felicia A. Omoediale-Samuel, working at Anglia Ruskin University and Sycom Integrated Solutions, presents data-driven insights from ISC2's research showing a 19% increase in the global cybersecurity skills gap, with an estimated 4.76 million vacant positions worldwide. René-Sylvain Bédard, founder of Indominus Managed Security, provides practical strategies for strengthening digital identity protection.

Additional analyses examine the evolution of ransomware from the AIDS trojan of 1989 to today's sophisticated multi-extortion methodologies employed by groups like Maze. We also explore how technology companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Cisco are reshaping the security landscape through cloud services that offer both benefits and potential vulnerabilities.

This comprehensive examination of contemporary cybersecurity challenges and solutions aims to provide executives with the strategic intelligence needed to make informed decisions about their organisation's security posture in an environment where digital protection has become inseparable from business continuity and stakeholder confidence.

Alistair Wildman Exclusive Interview

Managing Director EMEA North at Palo Alto Networks

Alistair Wildman, Managing Director EMEA North at Palo Alto Networks, joins The Executive Magazine in an exclusive interview to discuss the accelerating consolidation of cybersecurity and how AI is transforming both defence and attack strategies. As organisations grapple with unprecedented complexity in protecting digital assets, Wildman explains how platformization is reshaping security approaches and why detection speed, rather than breach prevention, has become the critical metric for modern cyber defence

AAlistair Wildman, Managing Director EMEA North at Palo Alto Networks, joins The Executive Magazine in an exclusive interview to discuss the accelerating consolidation of cybersecurity and how AI is transforming both defence and attack strategies. As organisations grapple with unprecedented complexity in protecting digital assets, Wildman explains how platformisation is reshaping security approaches and why detection speed, rather than breach prevention, has become the critical metric for modern cyber defence.

Palo Alto Networks recently reached its 20th anniversary. This is a great achievement, especially in the cybersecurity sector. What drove the company to reach the milestone?

“Thanks for the recognition! We’re proud to have reached this landmark and it’s a testament to how the company has evolved in line with customer needs over the years. It all started as a small group of engineers with a passion for solving critical security problems and this drive has remained despite our expansive growth.

“Innovation and disruption have always been key principles of the organisation and I believe they have also played a big part in reaching the milestone. We’re excited for what the future holds!”

If you had to call out one big challenge that customers are currently raising with you, what would it be?

“A major market challenge we are seeing today is tech fragmentation, which is significantly influencing the direction of the industry. Many organisations are picking various ‘best of breed’ solutions that have created a highly complex cybersecurity environment. Attempting to integrate multiple security products into an end-to-end architecture means that they’re fighting a losing battle when it comes to detecting and responding to threats in real-time.

“The solution to this is platformization, which focuses on identifying ways to consolidate security functions to reduce complexity, while improving overall levels of security.

“To give you an idea of the opportunity, Gartner sees 75% of security leaders actively pursuing a vendor consolidation strategy, despite the fact that less than 15% of large enterprise customers have implemented a security platform solution. This shows why platformization will play a big part in the future of Palo Alto Networks and the cybersecurity industry as a whole.”

If business leaders want to make the safest, yet most straightforward security choice, is platformization the best option?

“Most organisations realise that using 30-40 different tools is expensive, complicated, and difficult to manage, but the situation has arisen thanks to both ‘what’s being protected’ and ‘what it’s being protected from’ being in a state of constant flux. The technology trends that have transformed businesses in the past decade also present new weaknesses for bad actors to leverage.

“This landscape will continue to change – of that we can be sure. Platformization – thanks to its ability to combine numerous products and services into unified architecture with a single data store and

“If I were a CIO today with an extra dollar to spend, I’d most likely spend it on cyber or AI.”

Alistair Wildman, Managing Director EMEA North, Palo Alto Networks

The Business of Cyber Security

streamlined management – is the answer for businesses looking to increase productivity, simplify operations and improve security outcomes all at once.”

Offensive vs defensive uses of AI in cybersecurity is another hot topic right now. What impact are you seeing?

“The opportunity that AI provides for driving efficiency and technological innovation is huge, and this has led to enterprises rapidly integrating it in their applications. This is a 5-10 year tech wave, where long-term success hinges not on speed but in thoughtful implementation with good data and processes. At the same time, we have to acknowledge that swift adoption has also expanded the attack surface.

“We are actively helping customers to stop bad actors by using AI to detect and remediate threats efficiently. However, while AI is strengthening organisational defence, attackers are leveraging it too. Their current use of the technology is evolutionary – not revolutionary. They’re using GenAI to generate code and advanced phishing emails using tools like WormGPT and FraudGPT. A game changer could be future agentic AI technology which will greatly enhance their capabilities.

“The impact of breaches is also intensifying – our research shows that in nearly half of cases, attackers exfiltrate customer data within a day. AI is helping adversaries to do this, as well as expand attacks, refine targeting, and scale beyond traditional defences.”

You mentioned that integrating AI into business operations has increased the attack surface. How should organisations approach this if they still want to harness the benefits of using AI?

compromising data integrity.”

How does your Precision AI solution help customers?

“Enterprises are now using hundreds of AI apps and thousands of models, and also generate vast amounts of training data every year. This growth is great, but it also leaves a lot of doors unlocked for security challenges. That’s why businesses need a holistic approach to AI security.

“At Palo Alto Networks, we’re leading the charge with Secure AI By Design, helping businesses protect themselves at every step, from building AI apps to protecting against cloud threats. This also means securing supply chains from AI attacks and staying compliant with workplace AI usage through internal policies.

“We’re using AI to fight AI threats. Precision AI guards your systems against a host of cyber threats — sophisticated web-based threats, zero-day exploits, command-and-control attacks, as well as DNS hijacking. We’ve also added three copilots – Strata, Prisma Cloud, and Cortex – that work with our existing security platforms and simplify daily security operations. This allows security teams to spend less time on routine tasks and more time on what matters most — staying ahead of evolving threats.”

“Completely blocking access to new AI applications won’t work – it only increases shadow use of AI which is worse. These applications are becoming so widespread that it’s hard to stop their use. My nine-year-old daughter uses ChatGPT for her homework already!

“Organisations need to find ways of allowing people to use these tools and applications in a secure way. That’s exactly what our new suite of solutions provides – we track thousands of AI applications to prevent sensitive data from leaking into larger models.

“The risks are real. We saw this in the Samsung case where an engineer using an early version of ChatGPT unintentionally exposed valuable IP that was then extracted. Companies are rightfully concerned about protecting their IP, but they must also support their workforce with secure AI usage.

“Statistics vary, but around 75% of knowledge workers are now using some form of AI. Organisations need to understand the implications of using these applications and work with security providers to ensure employees can be productive without

Is there an area of cybersecurity that you feel is overlooked by organisations at the moment, but will soon become a priority?

“The browser now accounts for approximately 85-100% of where the workday takes place. A recent survey that we conducted found a staggering 95% of respondents reported experiencing browser-based attacks in the past 12 months, including account takeovers and malicious extensions.

“In this new world of hybrid work, AI and the cloud, organisations must protect this final frontier with security that extends seamlessly to every device, enabling both companies and endusers to operate with agility. Our secure browser product Prisma Access Browser prevents clicking on phishing links and can block document sharing or printing based on security policies. As so many companies are now cloud-based and access applications through browsers, this approach is increasingly important but overlooked by many.”

How has your experience at Cisco, Salesforce and Microsoft shaped your leadership approach?

“Cybersecurity wasn’t my primary focus until about eight months ago. What drew me to Palo Alto Networks was CEO Nikesh Arora and his passion for the technology.

“At Cisco, I spent six years deeply involved in networking. I led a global team of about 25,000 people which taught me a lot about scaling organisations. During my time at Microsoft I worked alongside Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer which gave me a front-

row seat to transformative leadership. Joining Salesforce in 2009 was like stepping onto a rocket ship – it was an incredibly fastgrowing company at the time, at the forefront of innovation. With Palo Alto Networks, I see the same energy – rapid growth in a space that’s more critical than ever.

“As a technology leader, I believe it’s critical to invest where the future is headed. If I were a CIO today with an extra dollar to spend, I’d most likely spend it on cyber or AI.

“Over the next five years, I expect organisations to completely transform how their SOCs operate – shifting to AI-driven, semiautonomous operations rather than people-first approaches. However, the fundamentals of leadership remain constant: customers have challenges, and our role is to listen and align technology with their needs.”

Regulatory requirements are clearly tightening. How are you helping organisations with this?

“We closely monitor regulations that impact our customers be it NIS2, DORA or the AI Act. One of our main focuses is on how heavily regulated sectors like banking, government, and pharmaceuticals can ensure they meet compliance and reporting requirements.

“Beyond compliance, we play an active role in shaping industry regulations. We support governments to set standards by sharing insights that aid policy development and help our customers stay ahead of regulation. If you wait for regulation to take effect, it’s too late – by the time it’s implemented, the market has often already evolved.

“A recent example of this is a major European bank that identified gaps in its technology ahead of a central bank audit. They proactively engaged us to upgrade their network security infrastructure, ensuring compliance before the audit took place.

“Currently, Europe is more heavily regulated than the U.S and our global presence gives us a strategic edge here – we have dedicated teams and a strong legal department collaborating with the EU, UK government, and various policymakers to help shape standards for responsible AI and cybersecurity.”

How important is it for the C-suite to become more directly involved in their organisation’s cybersecurity efforts?

“Cybersecurity is no longer just an IT department issue. Most modern companies use technology in every area of the business so security has already become a board-level conversation and demands direct involvement from the C-suite.

“Security statistics now feature in board reports, and regulations affect not just IT leaders but also CFOs, COOs, and other key executives. When engaging with customers, we’re no longer meeting just security teams – we’re meeting with CFOs, COOs, and even heads of sales.

“The big challenge about cybersecurity is that attackers only need to succeed once. That’s why the right mindset isn’t about preventing every breach but about ensuring rapid detection and response. Some organisations still take weeks to even realise they’ve been compromised, whereas we now have tools to detect and remove threats in minutes. For today’s business leaders, cybersecurity is not just a technical issue – it’s a fundamental part of business resilience.”

Reshaping Cloud Security for the AI Era

The Business of Cyber Security

Female-Led Startup Secures £15 Million to Transform Cloud Protection Systems

The escalating demand for robust cloud security has prompted significant innovation in a sector traditionally dominated by established players. Edera, a groundbreaking security firm founded by three women, recently secured £15 million in Series A funding led by Microsoft's venture fund, M12

CCloud computing revolutionised business operations across sectors, yet the foundational architecture suffers from inherent security weaknesses. These vulnerabilities become particularly pronounced when multiple applications or customers share cloud resources—a common scenario in today’s digital landscape. Edera’s innovative container isolation technology offers sophisticated solutions to these persistent challenges, positioning the firm as a formidable contender in the cybersecurity arena.

The technical challenge behind shared resources

Cloud infrastructure efficiently allocates computing resources across numerous users and applications, creating remarkable economies of scale. However, this shared environment presents significant security considerations that many organisations overlook until breaches occur.

The problem proves particularly acute with GPU-intensive workloads common in artificial intelligence applications. These specialised processors, optimised for computational efficiency rather than security, often lack robust isolation mechanisms between processes. Alex Zenla, one of Edera’s co-founders, identified this critical vulnerability years before establishing the company.

“These problems are very hard, both on the GPU and the container isolation, but I think people were too willing to accept trade-offs that were not actually acceptable,” Zenla explains.

The consequences of inadequate isolation extend beyond theoretical concerns. When security boundaries between workloads become compromised, attackers gaining access to one section of a system can potentially pivot laterally, expanding their reach throughout the infrastructure. This scenario represents precisely the type of catastrophic breach that keeps security executives awake at night.

Traditional container technology, though revolutionary for application deployment, was never fundamentally designed with strong isolation principles. This architectural limitation creates an uncomfortable choice between operational efficiency and security—a compromise Edera refuses to accept as inevitable.

From IoT revelation to enterprise solution

The genesis of Edera’s technology traces back to Zenla’s work on Internet of Things security during the mid-2010s. Then a teenage prodigy working on IoT platforms and open source projects, Zenla observed a troubling pattern: embedded devices with limited processing capabilities couldn’t support standard cloud protection measures.

This limitation forced many IoT deployments to connect directly to local networks without proper isolation, creating substantial security exposures. The problem captivated Zenla, who spent years developing technology to enable even resource-constrained devices to operate within isolated cloud containers.

A decade later, this early insight evolved into Edera’s comprehensive approach to cloud workload isolation. The company’s technology now addresses security concerns across diverse computing environments, from embedded systems to enterprise-grade cloud infrastructure.

Funding success against market headwinds

The £15 million Series A funding round follows a £5 million seed investment secured in October. This progression demonstrates remarkable momentum considering the current subdued venture capital environment, where investors exercise heightened scrutiny and conservatism.

More notable still is Edera’s success as a company founded entirely by women, including two transgender women. This achievement stands in stark contrast to persistent patterns in technology funding, where female founders receive a disproportionately small percentage of venture capital investment.

Emily Long, CEO and co-founder of Edera, acknowledges the significance of their position. “We cannot ignore the fact that we are a small minority in our industry, and that a lot of the changes that are happening around us are not lifting us up,” she states. “We take great pride and responsibility in continuing to be in the front on this.”

The company’s distinctive leadership composition creates unexpected advantages in talent acquisition. “Since our founding, I cannot tell you how many incredibly technical, talented women have proactively asked us to hire them from large institutions,”

The Business of Cyber Security

Long reveals. “You start to see that just by existing and being different, you are showing what’s possible.”

Practical security for imperfect systems

Edera’s approach to security recognises the practical realities facing most enterprises. Rather than assuming organisations can achieve perfect software hygiene—patching every vulnerability and retiring all legacy systems—the company’s container isolation technology establishes robust boundaries regardless of underlying software conditions.

“People have legacy applications in their infrastructure and use end-of-life software; there’s no way to do security and believe that you can always patch every existing vulnerability,” explains Long. “But it inherently creates a pretty large risk profile.”

The company’s third co-founder, Ariadne Conill, brings extensive background in open source software and security to this pragmatic approach. Together, the founding team combines deep technical expertise with clear-eyed understanding of enterprise realities.

Their solution aims to make robust isolation feasible for network engineers and IT managers to implement across diverse systems. The goal: ensuring that security compromises remain contained rather than cascading into enterprise-wide disasters.

Rethinking fundamental security assumptions

Edera’s technology challenges long-accepted compromises in cloud computing. Traditional containers offered convenience and deployment efficiency but lacked truly robust isolation. This shortcoming forced organisations to choose between operational agility and comprehensive security.

“Containers were never originally designed to be isolated from each other, so you had to choose between innovation and performance and security, and we don’t want people to have that trade-off anymore,” Long emphasises.

By reconsidering these fundamental assumptions, Edera’s approach represents more than incremental improvement. The technology rethinks how cloud resources share boundaries, potentially transforming security practices across the industry.

AI security implications

The timing of Edera’s emergence coincides with explosive growth in artificial intelligence deployment. AI workloads present particularly challenging security scenarios due to their reliance on GPU processing power. These specialised chips excel at computational tasks but typically lack the security partitioning built into modern CPUs.

This architectural reality creates significant vulnerabilities when multiple AI processes share GPU resources—an increasingly common scenario as organisations deploy AI capabilities across business functions. A compromise in one AI workload potentially exposes others, creating opportunities for data theft or model manipulation.

Edera’s container isolation technology directly addresses these

concerns by establishing stronger boundaries between workloads, even on GPU infrastructure traditionally difficult to partition securely. This capability positions the company advantageously as AI deployment accelerates across industries.

Market positioning and competitive landscape

While numerous security vendors address cloud protection, Edera’s focused approach to container isolation represents a specialised niche with broad applicability. The company avoids competing directly with comprehensive security platforms, instead offering complementary technology that strengthens existing security architectures.

Microsoft’s investment through M12 suggests potential strategic alignment with the tech giant’s cloud infrastructure. This relationship could accelerate Edera’s market penetration by providing access to Microsoft’s extensive enterprise customer base.

The company faces challenges typical of security startups— proving effectiveness against sophisticated threats, demonstrating scalability across diverse environments, and establishing sufficient trust to secure adoption by risk-averse enterprises. However, the founding team’s technical credentials and early funding success position them favourably to overcome these hurdles.

Future trajectory

With substantial funding secured, Edera faces critical decisions regarding growth strategy. The company must balance expanding technical capabilities against broadening market reach—choices that will shape its trajectory in coming years.

Enterprise adoption typically requires extensive proof-ofconcept deployments and rigorous security validation. Building the necessary sales and implementation infrastructure represents a significant challenge separate from the technical innovation that established the company.

However, the founding team’s recognition of practical security realities suggests pragmatism that should serve them well through this growth phase. By acknowledging the imperfect nature of real-world security environments, Edera positions its technology as an essential protection layer rather than an aspirational ideal.

This practical approach, combined with innovative isolation technology and strong financial backing, creates promising foundations for sustainable growth. As organisations increasingly recognise the security implications of shared cloud infrastructure—particularly for sensitive AI workloads—Edera’s specialised protection measures address a critical and expanding market need.

Addressing The Global Cybersecurity Skills Gap

Felicia A. Omoediale-Samuel MSc CRISC observes that business leaders face an unprecedented security challenge as the global cybersecurity workforce gap widens at an alarming rate. With an estimated 4.76 million unfilled positions worldwide and predictions of record shortages in 2025, organisations now confront elevated risk profiles just as digital threats reach new levels of sophistication. This talent crisis demands innovative solutions from both employers and aspiring professionals to safeguard our increasingly vulnerable digital ecosystems

Exclusive contribution for The Executive Magazine by Felicia A. Omoediale-Samuel MSc CRISC, a Professional Doctorate Researcher, Cybersecurity & AI GRC Professional, and Non-Executive Director, working at Anglia Ruskin University and Sycom Integrated Solutions

The persistent shortage of cybersecurity workforce remains one of the known challenges facing the technology industry. The increased dependencies on technology for business processes and the complexity of dealing with cyber threats has led to the dire need of cybersecurity professionals. Unfortunately, the demand far exceeds the availability of skilled talents.

A study conducted ISC’s in 2024, revealed a 19% increase in the global cybersecurity workforce gap from 2023 to 2024, with an estimated 4.76 million vacant positions needed to adequately protect organisations. There are predictions that the workforce gaps may reach historic levels in 2025. The lingering question is: What continues to drive such a pronounced shortage?

Causes of the Cybersecurity Skills Shortage

The global cybersecurity talent shortage is not just a headline; it is a reality shaped by several compounding factors. Digitalisation is a major element, as organisations’ digital footprints grow, increasing cyber-attack frequency, persistence, and sophistication. As digital ecosystems evolve in complexity, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes ever more critical to safeguard sensitive data and infrastructure.

Another major challenge is the high expectations placed on job seekers. Many organisations seek highly experienced cybersecurity professionals with multiple certifications, years of experience, and broad tool familiarity. These stringent requirements often exclude emerging talent and career changers, narrowing the talent pool and worsening the cybersecurity skills gap.

Funding remains a key challenge. Organisations often prioritise core services, leaving cybersecurity initiatives underfunded. Hiring freezes, limited training budgets, and lean staffing are com-

mon, leaving security teams overstretched and hindering talent development. These challenges significantly obstruct the growth of skilled talent at a time when sustained investment in cybersecurity is essential.

The Solution: A Shared Responsibility

For years, the focus has been on what organisations must do to bridge the cybersecurity talent gap, but it has become more apparent that this situation is an industry-wide issue that requires collaboration between employers and aspiring professionals.

From an organisational perspective, businesses should invest in internal talent by supporting transitions from related fields such as IT, software development, and risk management. Creating structured learning pathways like apprenticeships, internships, and mentorships offers practical experience that builds capability. Additionally, partnering with academic institutions and boot camps ensures that training is aligned with evolving industry demands, helping to develop a workforce equipped for current and future cybersecurity challenges.

While companies play a key role, job seekers must also take initiative. Cybersecurity values various professionals, not just IT ones. Aspiring candidates should prioritise industry relevant certifications provided by organisations such as ISC2, ISACA and Cloud Security Alliance. They can also seek hands-on learning through platforms like TryHackMe and CTFs and attend industry networking events and conferences. Success in the area requires staying up to date with the evolving trends.

Bridging the cybersecurity skills gap requires a collective effort. Organisations must step up their talent development strategies, and aspiring professionals must take intentional steps toward growth. The cybersecurity industry is not just for those with years of experience; it is open to anyone with the right mindset, skills, and passion to protect the digital world.

The gap is wide, but the bridge is being built, the goal it to be ready to cross it.

The Evolution of Modern Ransomware: Beyond Basic Encryption

The Birth of Digital Extortion

The Business of Cyber Security

Ransomware attacks have transformed dramatically since their inception, evolving from straightforward encryption schemes to sophisticated multi-layered extortion strategies. Today's cybercriminals employ an arsenal of psychological and technical tactics to maximise their chances of payment, creating unprecedented challenges for organisations worldwide. This comprehensive analysis examines how ransomware has evolved and what business leaders must understand about contemporary cyber threats

TThe landscape of cyber threats changed forever when the AIDS trojan emerged in 1989, targeting the World Health Organization’s AIDS Conference. This primitive yet groundbreaking attack introduced a new form of digital extortion. The trojan operated through a simple mechanism – after 90 computer reboots, it would encrypt files and demand payment for their release. Though basic by modern standards, this attack laid the groundwork for decades of increasingly sophisticated ransomware developments.

From Simple Encryption to Strategic Warfare

Traditional ransomware attacks followed a predictable pattern. Cybercriminals would gain system access, deploy malware, encrypt data, and demand payment. The strategy proved effective until organisations began implementing robust backup systems, forcing criminal enterprises to adapt their methodologies.

The mechanics of basic attacks

Successful ransomware deployments typically begin with system infiltration through phishing schemes or security vulnerabilities. Once inside, attackers establish their presence, distribute malicious payloads, and execute their encryption protocols. Negotiations follow, often accompanied by deadline pressures designed to expedite payment.

The emergence of double extortion

Early 2020 marked a significant shift when ransomware groups, notably Maze, pioneered double extortion techniques. Rather than merely encrypting data, criminals began extracting sensitive information and threatening its release. This tactical evolution proved so successful that some groups abandoned encryption entirely, focusing solely on data theft and extortion.

Modern Multi-Extortion Methodology

Contemporary ransomware groups have developed an extensive playbook of pressure tactics. Their arsenal includes coordinated distributed denial-of-service attacks, calculated reputation damage, regulatory compliance threats, and supply chain targeting. Some groups even manipulate stock markets by offering short-selling opportunities to unethical traders.

The DDoS dimension

Sophisticated attackers frequently combine ransomware with distributed denial-of-service attacks, creating an overwhelming

sense of vulnerability. This multi-pronged approach severely disrupts business operations while demonstrating the attacker’s technical capabilities.

Reputation and regulatory leverage

Modern cybercriminals understand the value of corporate reputation. They threaten public exposure of security failures while highlighting potential regulatory penalties. This psychological warfare exploits fears of both public scandal and governmental sanctions.

Supply chain vulnerabilities

Today’s ransomware groups recognise the interconnected nature of modern business. By targeting an organisation’s partners, suppliers, and customers, they create cascading pressure that extends far beyond the initial victim.

Market manipulation tactics

Publicly traded companies face additional risks as attackers offer short-selling opportunities to market speculators. This strategy transforms cybercrime into a complex financial weapon with farreaching consequences.

Building Contemporary Defence Systems

The sophisticated nature of modern ransomware demands equally sophisticated defensive measures. While fundamental security protocols remain essential, organisations must adopt comprehensive strategies that address multiple threat vectors.

Core security foundations

Robust backup systems, regular security audits, and comprehensive staff training form the bedrock of effective ransomware defence. However, these measures alone no longer suffice against advanced threats.

Supply chain security integration

Modern defence strategies must extend beyond organisational boundaries. Companies need to establish and enforce stringent security standards across their entire business ecosystem, including partners, suppliers, and service providers.

The sophistication of contemporary ransomware attacks reflects the broader evolution of cybercrime. As criminal enterprises continue developing new extortion methods, organisations must maintain vigilance and adaptability. Success requires understanding both technical and psychological aspects of modern cyber threats while implementing defence strategies that protect not just data, but entire business networks.

Visa Tackles Fraud with Advanced AI Technology

Payments giant Visa has broadened its value-added services portfolio through the addition of ARIC Risk Hub from Featurespace, an advanced fraud prevention platform powered by adaptive artificial intelligence. The technology, designed to safeguard banks, acquirers and financial institutions against fraud and financial crime, builds profiles around genuine customer activity to maximise approvals while blocking malicious actors in real time

TThe platform comes from Featurespace, a recent Visa acquisition, and has already demonstrated significant practical benefits. A partnership with Eika Gruppen, an alliance of 46 local banks in Norway, showcases the potential of this AI technology to substantially reduce financial losses due to fraud and scams. After implementing ARIC Risk Hub, Eika Gruppen reported a 90% reduction in phishing losses in 2024 compared to 2023.

Enhancing payment security through technological innovation

Antony Cahill, President of Value-Added Services at Visa, highlighted that accepting payments efficiently and securely can differentiate businesses in the increasingly digital marketplace. “Accepting a payment is a fundamental need of any business,” Cahill stated. “Leveraging new technology to accept payments more efficiently and securely can be what sets a business apart in today’s rapidly digitalising world.”

The company aims to assist businesses with data-driven insights, simplified checkout experiences, and enhanced fraud prevention capabilities through these new services. This approach aligns with Visa’s long-standing commitment to payment security and innovation.

Tareq Muhmood, Head of Value-Added Services, Europe at Visa, noted that the organisation has utilised AI for fraud prevention for over three decades. The integration of behavioural data with ARIC’s technology represents the next step in helping clients counter emerging threats. “We are thrilled to be integrating ARIC Risk Hub into our offer to businesses and financial institutions,” Muhmood said.

Advanced technology with academic foundations

ARIC Risk Hub has strong academic roots, having originated from Cambridge University 15 years ago. Tim Vanderham, Chief Operating Officer at Featurespace, explained that the company’s mission centres on making transactions safer worldwide.

“We enable our customers to access the latest technology in fraud prevention through the ARIC Risk Hub, adapting in real-time to accurately identify abnormal behaviour at speed,” Vanderham remarked. The combination of Featurespace’s technological depth with Visa’s global reach creates significant potential for customer benefits.

The platform is currently available globally, offering businesses a robust tool to combat fraud and protect their customers from financial crimes. As digital payments continue to expand, such protective measures become increasingly vital for financial security.

Real-world application: The Eika Gruppen case study

The partnership with Eika Gruppen provides valuable insights into how AI technology can address specific challenges in fraud prevention. The banking alliance faced three primary obstacles: increasing fraud rates, particularly phishing attacks targeting elderly customers; complex fraud patterns that proved difficult to identify with existing systems; and limitations of manual reviews that were becoming unsustainable given the growing volume of payments.

These challenges necessitated a fraud solution that could effectively detect threats while improving operational efficiency and reducing manual workload. ARIC Risk Hub was implemented to learn the behaviour patterns of Eika’s customers and establish a baseline of normal activity.

When operational, the system assessed the risk of every payment initiated via online or mobile banking services in real time. If a payment was flagged as suspicious, ARIC would instruct the bank to halt the transaction for further investigation. This automated approach significantly reduced the need for manual intervention while improving fraud detection rates.

Adaptability as a key feature

A significant advantage of the ARIC Risk Hub lies in its adaptability. Jon Hagen, Chief Architect at Eika Gruppen, praised this aspect of the technology, noting: “Featurespace’s unique AI-powered technology learns and adapts in real-time, and profiles normal user behaviour in an efficient manner.”

The system’s flexibility allows for adjustments as fraud patterns evolve. Hagen emphasised that modifying rules within the system is straightforward due to Featurespace’s powerful support framework. This adaptability ensures the solution remains effective against new and emerging fraud techniques.

The integration of ARIC Risk Hub into Visa’s portfolio represents a strategic enhancement of the company’s fraud prevention capabilities. With digital payments continuing to grow globally, robust security measures that can adapt to evolving threats remain essential for financial institutions and businesses alike.

The Strategic Frontier of Digital Defence

Artificial intelligence now stands at the forefront of modern cybersecurity strategy. As digital threats evolve at unprecedented rates, traditional security measures prove increasingly inadequate. Forward-thinking organisations are turning to AI-powered solutions for real-time threat detection and automated defence mechanisms, transforming cybersecurity from a technical function to a critical business asset essential for operational resilience and stakeholder confidence

AArtificial intelligence has transformed numerous aspects of business operations—from automation and customer service to data analysis and strategic decision-making. This technological evolution has delivered remarkable efficiency gains and competitive advantages across sectors. However, as digital capabilities advance, cyber threats progress with equal momentum.

Cybercriminals currently launch sophisticated attacks at rates that overwhelm conventional security defences. This escalating threat landscape requires a corresponding advancement in protective measures. Businesses across sectors now leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies to implement real-time threat detection, automated defence mechanisms, and predictive protection protocols.

The evolution of AI-driven security

With cybercrime costs projected to exceed $23 trillion by 2027, organisations can no longer rely on outdated security approaches. AI-powered cybersecurity solutions deliver superior protection by shifting security postures from reactive to proactive. These advanced systems continuously monitor network activity, identify anomalous behaviour patterns, and respond to potential threats before significant damage occurs.

Cybersecurity has evolved beyond its traditional position as primarily an IT concern. The protection of sensitive data now represents a business-wide priority, reflecting growing expectations from both corporate stakeholders and customers for robust information security. Effective data protection has become fundamental to maintaining market position and stakeholder confidence.

Advanced security solutions powered by artificial intelligence deliver benefits extending beyond immediate threat prevention. These systems help organisations maintain compliance with complex regulatory frameworks such as GDPR and CCPA while simultaneously building customer trust through demonstrated commitment to data protection. This dual functionality positions businesses advantageously regarding both regulatory requirements and market perception.

Responding to contemporary threats

AI technologies make cybersecurity operations faster, more intelligent, and increasingly resilient against emerging attack vectors. Machine learning algorithms analyse vast quantities of security data, improving threat detection capabilities while reducing false positive alerts that often overwhelm human security teams. This efficiency allows security professionals to focus on strategic planning rather than routine monitoring tasks.

The speed advantage proves particularly valuable against modern ransomware and zeroday exploits, which typically cause damage rapidly once activated. AI systems capable of detecting attack indicators in their earliest stages can intervene before widespread impact occurs, potentially saving organisations from substantial financial losses and operational disruption.

Building digital resilience

Organisations should proactively refine their defensive capabilities by embracing technological innovations that maintain protective advantages against evolving threats. This approach requires ongoing investment in both technical solutions and human expertise, creating comprehensive security frameworks rather than isolated protective measures.

Prioritising advanced cybersecurity capabilities allows companies to safeguard their operational continuity while simultaneously building trust among customers, partners and stakeholders. Robust security measures protect brand reputation and demonstrate organisational reliability, supporting both immediate security objectives and longer-term business goals in an increasingly digital commercial environment.

Digital Innovation & the Accumulation of Technology Risk

The rapid adoption of digital technologies offers unprecedented business advantages, yet simultaneously creates a complex landscape of technology risk. From cyber threats to system vulnerabilities, organisations face increasing challenges as their digital footprints expand. This examination by Steve Williamson from GSK explores how businesses can effectively balance digital innovation with robust risk management strategies to protect operations and maintain continuity in an increasingly interconnected world

Exclusive contribution for The Executive Magazine by

In 2000, the “Love Bug” virus infected approximately fifty million computers. Spreading through email with the subject line “ILOVEYOU” and an attachment labelled “Love-Letter-For-You.

Txt,” it remains one of the most far-reaching malware attacks in history. Fast forward to 2024, when the CrowdStrike incident affected 8.5 million computers, causing widespread disruption, including grounded flights and cancelled medical procedures. While the Love Bug attack resulted from malicious intent, the CrowdStrike “glitch” stemmed from a human error. Whether driven by malice or mistakes, cyber incidents — and their potential to disrupt business operations — are on the rise. As businesses continue to integrate more digital solutions, these disruptions will only increase.

The digital landscape has dramatically changed since 2000. The complexity of cyber threats has grown, organisations’ digital footprints have expanded, and new regulations — covering data privacy, AI, and cybersecurity — are emerging.

Today, e-crime and nation-state actors dominate the threat landscape. Financial gain is the primary driver for e-criminals, who deploy ransomware, steal sensitive data, and use extortion tactics to target organisations. Many businesses, facing no viable alternative, pay the ransom to restore their systems or protect their stolen data. These threat actors are well-organised, often purchasing services through dark web marketplaces. Yet, despite their sophistication, they frequently rely on familiar attack methods such as social engineering, credential theft, and exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities in software.

A growing complexity for organisations is managing their increasingly distributed digital ecosystem, which spans on-premise infrastructure and cloud service providers. Mapping this web of third-party dependencies — including software as a service (SaaS) providers, software distributors, technology support specialists, and major cloud service players like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon — can be daunting. This distributed model offers many advantages, such as dynamic, consumption-based pricing, the ability to access best-in-class services and ease of scalability.

A small enterprise with only twenty employees can leverage the same functionality, security, and resilience as a large corporation, thanks to cloud services. This enables businesses to innovate rapidly, allowing them to integrate advanced technologies like generative AI with minimal investment in infrastructure. However, this continued expansion of the digital footprint introduces more attack vectors and points of failure.

As organisations become more reliant on digital and data, the fundamental cybersecurity triad — Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) — takes on new importance. Availability has become a critical focus, as businesses from manufacturing to e-commerce can no longer operate without their digital infrastructure. Therefore, their tolerance for downtime is low. As such, it’s no longer sufficient to rely solely on business continuity and IT disaster recovery plans. Systems must be resilient. For instance, if a data centre experiences an outage, workloads should automatically failover to an alternate data centre to minimise disruption to business workflows.

Technology outages can occur due to cyber-attacks, system failures, or human errors. Mitigating these risks requires a balanced approach with preventive, detective, and corrective controls. Preventive measures include cybersecurity education for all users, identity and access management, and continuous software patching. Detective controls enable security teams to monitor and respond to suspicious activities that could indicate a breach. Corrective controls focus on system redundancy, failover mechanisms, and effective backup and restore processes. Together, these layers of defence ensure data security and system resiliency.

Much has changed since the Love Bug computer worm. Organisations have a vastly more complex digital environment, resulting in an accumulation of technology risk. The growing internal digital footprint, combined with a more challenging external threat landscape and the increasing regulatory burden, means that cybersecurity must now be considered an enterprise-level risk. Ensuring that systems are designed with the right mix of preventive, detective, and corrective controls is essential to achieving a high level of security and resiliency. While it’s impossible to eliminate all risk, this proactive approach will enable businesses to manage their digital transformation whilst reducing their risk to an acceptable level. This is the cost of innovation.

Steve Williamson, Audit Account Director (Cyber Security & Data Privacy) at GSK.

The Business of Cyber Security

5 Ways to Build a Better Armour Around Your Identity

Digital vulnerabilities lurk behind every login, threatening the foundation of modern professional life. This exclusive contribution for The Executive Magazine by René-Sylvain Bédard, author of Secure by Design, cybersecurity expert, and Founder of Indominus Managed Security, reveals five essential strategies to fortify your digital identity against evolving threats

Exclusive contribution for The Executive Magazine by René-Sylvain Bédard, author of Secure by Design, cybersecurity expert, and Founder of Indominus Managed Security

In this age where our digital identity is the backbone to access a constellation of cloud-based services, from our bank accounts to our children’s picture, how do we keep it safe?

Here are 5 ways to make it more SECURE.

5. Know your digital landscape

First, consider how large a breadcrumb trail you have created online. The bankruptcy of 23andMe is a hard reminder that if you leave personal data lying around online, someone might be tempted to buy it. And your data could already be for sale or simply published on the dark web.

This calls for a spring cleanup. Figure out what accounts you have and what you are no longer using. Log onto them and make sure that you securely delete your personal information.

4. Have a way out, a backup method to re-authenticate

Make sure that your master account has an exit clause, that if ever it gets locked out, there is another account or phone that you have access to and allows you to reset it. Why? So that if ever it falls victim to a cybercriminal, you have a way to get it back.

Then take that phone and the credentials of this secondary account and store them in a safe somewhere. That way, it can also be used by your succession, should something even more terrible happen.

3. Strengthen your identification method

Here are a few shortcuts:

• Don’t use the same password twice

• Use pass-phrases instead of passwords, augmenting your capacity to remember them (making them longer, as a bonus)

• Never share them

• Never write them down

• If you are technologically savvy, you can also look at the latest and greatest such as password-less technologies or biometrics. This works very well but the scope of acceptance is still somewhat limited.

2. Use a password vault

There are a few great alternatives out there such as 1Password and LastPass which grant you a centralized way to host and defend usernames, passwords and even MFA (Multiple Factor Authentication) methods. Consider this exactly as a normal vault. The level of security of your vault is directly related to how hard it is to get in. If you have a vault that has your entire life in it, and it is always opened as soon as you log in to your PC, that’s dangerous.

Lesson: keep it hard to get into, and make sure the platforms you are using to get into them are also safe, even, if possible, monitored.

1. Use multiple factors

MFA is a way for you to prove that you are the person attached to this identity. By adding another factor, such as receiving a code to your mobile, you reduce by over 80% the chance of your digital identity being successfully stolen.

They might have your username and password, but they still can’t access your services or data. They can still harm you, but their power is very limited.

Conclusion

Hygiene is the main keyword to remember. Close unused services by ensuring data is properly exported/deleted, have a backup method to reauthenticate credentials and strengthen your identification methods. Password vaults and MFA are your friends when used correctly.

With these tips, you will be able to avoid the worst of the storm. Stay secure.

Grand Prix 2025 Monaco Special Feature

Join The Executive Magazine at the most glamorous F1 fixture of the racing season, the Monaco Grand Prix.

Top Five F1 Team Sponsorship Deals of 2025

The commercial landscape of Formula 1 has transformed with Ferrari matching Red Bull's sponsorship prowess, establishing a new financial equilibrium at the summit of motorsport's sponsorship hierarchy

1 2 3 4 5

Oracle and Red Bull - £100 million

Red Bull's partnership with American technology corporation Oracle maintains its position as joint-highest valued team sponsorship in Formula 1. The £100 million annual agreement delivers both financial backing and critical technological advantages.

Team officials report that Red Bull processed over 150 billion race strategy simulations through Oracle Cloud Infrastructure during the 2024 season. This computational capability has contributed significantly to their on-track dominance, transforming how the team approaches race weekends through data-driven strategy development.

HP and Ferrari - £100 million

Ferrari's newly established partnership with HP brings the Italian racing giant level with Red Bull in sponsorship value at £100 million per season. The timing proved fortuitous, coinciding with Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari for 2025.

The arrangement grants the Scuderia access to HP's advanced computing technologies, creating a mutually beneficial relationship between the historic racing team and the multinational technology firm. The HP branding now features prominently on Ferrari's iconic red cars, creating a powerful visual association between the two globally recognised brands.

Aramco and Aston Martin - £75 million

Aston Martin's partnership with Saudi Arabian petroleum corporation Aramco secures third position at approximately £75 million annually. Aramco maintains a dual presence in Formula 1, simultaneously sponsoring both the Aston Martin team and the championship itself.

Their branding appears prominently on Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll's racing cars while also featuring at numerous Grand Prix circuits. The company strengthened its commitment to Aston Martin last year by becoming their exclusive title sponsor.

Petronas and Mercedes - £70 million

Mercedes benefits from the fourth most valuable team sponsorship through their enduring relationship with Malaysian oil company Petronas, valued at approximately £70 million annually. The partnership has become one of the most visually distinctive in Formula 1, with Petronas' turquoise branding firmly established as part of Mercedes' identity.

The collaboration has spanned Mercedes' most successful competitive era, with the Petronas logo prominently displayed throughout their period of championship dominance. Beyond financial support, the technical partnership has contributed to powertrain development and performance.

Stake and Sauber - £50 million

Completing the top five is Sauber's arrangement with Australian company Stake, valued at approximately £50 million per season. The company previously maintained a lower-profile sponsorship with Alfa Romeo before substantially increasing their investment to become Sauber's primary title sponsor for 2024.

This escalation highlights how Formula 1 continues to attract emerging brands seeking global exposure. The Sauber team, which will transition to become Audi's factory outfit in coming seasons, benefits from this substantial financial backing during their critical development phase ahead of the manufacturer's official entry to the grid.

F1 2025 Rule Changes

Everything You Need to Know

The 2025 Formula 1 season brings several important rule changes that will affect racing strategies and technical requirements. This guide explains each new regulation and what it means for teams and races. While the big changes are coming in 2026 with new car designs and engines, this year's modifications will still make a significant difference to how races unfold

Changes to race management procedures

Several changes have been made to how races are managed. Race steward panels can now have four officials instead of three during busy race weekends, helping them handle complicated situations better.

Race directors now have more options for wet weather starts. They can start races behind the Safety Car without forcing teams to use full wet weather tyres. This helps in situations where the track is wet but not wet enough for extreme rain tyres. The 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix is an example where this rule would have been useful.

If qualifying can’t happen due to bad weather (like almost happened in Brazil last year), the starting grid will now be formed based on championship positions. This gives a clear backup plan.

Drivers starting from the pit lane will now be allowed to complete the formation lap. This makes pit lane procedures match what happens on the grid. Teams working in the pit lane will follow the same timing rules as teams on the grid.

Mandatory two-stop racing strategy for Monaco

Monaco’s Grand Prix is famous for having little overtaking, so a new rule aims to create more exciting racing. Drivers now must use three sets of tyres across two different compounds during the race, with one compound being mandatory. This change comes after the 2024 Monaco race, where an early red flag allowed all cars to change tyres and finish the race without making any pit stops during normal racing.

There’s no rule about how long drivers must use each set of tyres, and they can still change tyres during red flags or safety car periods. This keeps strategy options open for the teams.

Pirelli will bring their softer C6 tyre to Monaco, which should encourage more pit stops. Usually at Monaco, a two-stop strategy would be faster in theory, but teams avoid it because track position is more important than pure speed on such a narrow circuit.

Teams with cars starting at the back might try unusual strategies, like making both required pit stops early, especially if there’s a safety car early in the race.

Technical testing limitations and post-season testing protocols

Testing older F1 cars (from previous seasons) now has new limits. Teams can only test for 20 days and drive up to 1000km. Previously, there were no limits. This rule helps control costs while still giving teams some testing opportunities.

The end-of-season test in Abu Dhabi has been adjusted too. Each team will run one 2025 car for young driver testing and one special 2026 “mule car” for Pirelli to test tyres for the new rules coming in 2026. This approach allows teams to develop new drivers while also helping prepare for the major rule changes coming next year.

Stricter aerodynamic component testing

The rules about how much wings can bend have gotten stricter, with tougher tests now applied to both front and rear aerodynamic parts.

From the start of the season, rear beam wings can only bend by 0.8 degrees when two forces of 150N are applied. Front wing tests will get stricter from late May, reducing allowed bending from 15mm to 10mm when 1000N of force is applied to both sides. When force is applied to just one side, allowed bending decreases from 20mm to 15mm. Front wing flaps can now only bend 3mm under 60N of force, down from 5mm.

These changes target teams that might be using flexible wings to gain an advantage by changing shape at high speeds. The stricter rules close potential loopholes that teams might have been exploiting.

Teams will have been working hard to make sure their cars pass these stricter tests while still performing well. This might change which teams have the fastest cars early in the season.

Increased minimum vehicle mass requirements

The minimum weight for F1 cars has gone up by 2kg in 2025, increasing from 798kg to 800kg. This small increase helps teams meet various technical requirements while keeping the competition fair.

As mentioned earlier, cars are allowed an extra 5kg when using driver cooling systems in hot races. This ensures teams aren’t punished for keeping their drivers safe.

This small weight increase shows how F1 regulations try to balance controlling the cars while allowing for technical progress. F1 cars have gradually become heavier over the years as safety and performance features have been added.

Driver cooling provisions for extreme temperatures

After the extremely hot conditions during the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where drivers struggled physically due to the heat and were forced to push hard continuously because of tyre rules, F1 has added new cooling rules for 2025.

The rules now require teams to provide extra cooling for drivers when temperatures go above 31 degrees Celsius. This focuses on driver health and safety during races in very hot conditions.

Teams are allowed to add up to 5kg of extra weight to the car when using these cooling systems. This means teams won’t be at a disadvantage for keeping their drivers safe. The rule balances driver safety with fair competition.

Expanded young driver participation requirements

Teams now need to give more chances to new drivers, with rules doubling the number of mandatory young driver appearances in Friday practice sessions. Each team must now give two FP1 practice opportunities per car to drivers who have raced in fewer than three F1 races.

This change helps develop new talent while giving teams fresh feedback about their cars. Teams usually schedule these sessions toward the end of the season, often at the final race in Abu Dhabi. They avoid putting rookies in during Sprint weekends because there’s only one practice session.

This rule creates an interesting situation for drivers like Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), and Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls). If they compete in two races early in the season, they’ll still count as “young drivers” for these practice sessions, while drivers with more experience will need to sit out.

How these rule changes will affect the 2025 season

Elimination of fastest lap point allocation

The point that was given to the driver with the fastest lap in a race (if they finished in the top ten) has been removed for 2025. This change means there will be 24 fewer points available across the entire season.

This change will most affect teams that typically finish third or fourth in races. These teams often had enough of a gap to the cars behind them to make a “free” pit stop for fresh tyres late in the race, just to try for the fastest lap point. Now, racing will focus only on finishing positions.

The new points system will likely change how teams make decisions near the end of races. We’ll probably see fewer pit stops when positions are already secure. Teams will need to adjust their strategies now that this extra point is no longer available.

This guide has explained all the important rule changes for the 2025 Formula 1 season. Here’s what these changes mean:

The two-stop rule for Monaco will completely change how teams approach F1’s most famous race. Teams will need to plan different strategies rather than just focusing on qualifying well and keeping track position.

Removing the fastest lap point takes away 24 points from the total championship. Teams will need to rethink how they approach the end of races since there’s no longer a reward for pitting for fresh tyres to set the fastest lap.

The stricter tests for flexible wings will affect how teams design their cars. Technical teams will need to make sure their wings pass these tougher tests while still performing well. This might cause some teams to be faster or slower at the start of the season depending on how well they’ve adapted.

The new cooling rules for hot races help protect drivers’ health while the extra weight allowance makes sure teams aren’t penalised for safety measures.

Doubling the number of practice sessions for young drivers creates more opportunities for new talent and gives teams fresh perspectives on their cars.

The changes to race management procedures give race directors more options and better backup plans for unusual situations.

The MultibillionPound Business Behind F1

Formula One continues its remarkable financial trajectory with revenue reaching £2.74 billion in 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth for the global motorsport series. Behind the roaring engines and champagne celebrations lies a sophisticated business model that has transformed a racing championship into one of the world's most valuable sporting properties

FFormula One’s global expansion strategy saw a record 24-race calendar in 2024 and viewership figures climbing to 1.6 billion, up from 1.5 billion in 2023. With an average of 66 million viewers per race across linear platforms and social media followers surging to 97 million, the business fundamentals underpinning Formula One have never appeared stronger. The 14% year-overyear increase from 2023’s £2.4 billion demonstrates the sport’s unprecedented commercial momentum despite challenges in specific markets.

Revenue streams driving growth

Formula One’s financial structure is built upon three primary revenue streams that collectively generate the majority of its income. Media rights remain the dominant source at 32.8% of total revenue, reflecting the premium broadcasters worldwide place on live sports content with affluent, engaged audiences.

Race promotion fees contribute 29.3% of revenue, though this segment experienced a slight decline in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Las Vegas Grand Prix specifically generated lower-than-expected income from tickets and hospitality. Derek Chang, president and chief executive of Liberty Media, addressed this challenge directly, noting: “The team has moved very quickly to enact changes that will benefit 2025 and support a financially successful race for F1 and continued growth and positive impact for the Las Vegas community.”

Sponsorship provides the third major revenue pillar at 18.6%. The sport secured several notable partnership extensions in 2024, including DHL’s £30 million-per-year agreement and Crypto.com’s £15 million annual extension through 2030. These deals reflect the perceived value that global brands attach to Formula One’s platform.

Strategic calendar management

Formula One’s approach to race contracts demonstrates its strategic balancing of traditional venues with emerging markets. Several key promotion deals were renewed in 2024, including the Belgian Grand Prix shifting to a rotational basis—a model that allows the sport to maintain European heritage while expanding into new territories.

The Chinese Grand Prix extension through 2030 secures Formula One’s position in a crucial market, while the Italian and Monaco Grands Prix will remain fixtures until at least 2031. These long-term agreements provide both financial stability and reassurance to traditional fans concerned about the sport abandoning its European roots.

The strategic expansion of the race calendar to a record 24 events contributed significantly to the attendance figure of 6.5 million fans in 2024, representing a 9% year-over-year increase. This careful balance between tradition and growth markets

showcases the commercial acumen that has characterised Formula One’s management under Liberty Media.

Digital transformation driving fan engagement

The sport’s digital strategy continues to evolve, with F1 TV subscribers growing by 15% in 2024. The United States represents the largest market for this direct-to-consumer offering, highlighting the success of Formula One’s push into the American market in recent years.

Stefano Domenicali, president and chief executive of Formula One, revealed plans to introduce a premium tier for F1 TV in 2025 “to target avid fans,” suggesting confidence in enthusiasts’ willingness to pay premium prices for enhanced content. This tiered approach aligns with broader trends in streaming services and demonstrates Formula One’s ability to monetise its most dedicated followers.

The digital transformation extends to social media, where follower counts have surged from 70.5 million to 97 million. This growth reflects both widening demographic appeal and improved content strategies across platforms, creating additional value for commercial partners seeking engaged audiences.

Corporate developments and future outlook

Liberty Media’s acquisition of MotoGP, although still pending regulatory approval with a deadline extended to 30th June, signals the company’s ambition to dominate global motorsport properties. Chang indicated the company is “working constructively with regulators towards approval,” positioning Liberty to control two of the world’s premier motorcycle and automobile racing series.

Formula One’s future competitive landscape may also evolve with Domenicali noting that an update on Cadillac’s potential entry “should not be too long” and that he was “looking forward to seeing them on track together with the other teams.” The addition of another manufacturer would further validate Formula One’s business model and potentially increase its appeal in the crucial North American market.

Brand partnerships beyond traditional sponsorship

The sport’s commercial partnerships have evolved significantly

beyond traditional sponsorship models. Technical partners now leverage Formula One as a proving ground for innovation, with companies viewing their involvement as research and development opportunities rather than mere marketing exercises.

The recently announced ten-year partnership with luxury conglomerate LVMH exemplifies this trend, with the agreement encompassing multiple brands across the group. Though not commencing until 2025, such partnerships demonstrate Formula One’s appeal to premium brands seeking association with technological advancement and precision.

Challenges amid growth

Despite the positive financial trajectory, Formula One faces challenges in maintaining growth. The fourth quarter revenue dip to £877.5 million from £922.5 million in Q4 2023 highlights the importance of execution in key markets, particularly newer events like Las Vegas where expectations were extraordinarily high.

The sport must also balance commercial growth with sporting integrity as it navigates increasing calendar demands on teams and drivers. Maintaining competitive balance while generating record revenues presents an ongoing challenge that will test management’s ability to satisfy both shareholders and purists.

As Formula One enters 2025 with strong financial momentum, the sport appears positioned for continued growth. Chang summarised the outlook: “My time as a board member has enabled an efficient transition as we move quickly to accomplish our strategic priorities for 2025. This includes capitalising on Formula One’s success with the key building blocks to drive continued growth.”

With media rights, race promotion, and sponsorship revenues growing alongside attendance and viewership, Formula One has successfully transformed from a racing championship into a global entertainment property commanding premium prices across all revenue streams. The business model that once seemed precarious has proven remarkably resilient and adaptive, positioning Formula One for sustainable growth in the years ahead.

After Hours: The Executive F1 Party Guide

As the sun sets on the Monaco Grand Prix, the thrill of the race gives way to the allure of the night. This guide is your passport to the most exclusive nightlife destinations where the world of Formula 1 meets luxury and celebration. Discover where to continue the excitement of the day into the enchanting nights of Monaco Grand Prix 2025

Jimmy’z

Synonymous with Monaco’s quintessential nightlife experience, Jimmy’z Monte-Carlo promises an unparalleled celebration during the Grand Prix weekend. Esteemed for hosting some of the most celebrated DJs, including Martin Solveig, Bob Sinclar, and Mark Ronson, this club offers an intimate setting where guests may find themselves mingling with the stars of the circuit.

La Rascasse

Positioned at a pivotal turn of the race track, La Rascasse provides an exhilarating perspective of the day’s races, transitioning into one of Monaco’s most animated venues by night. With live music, DJ sets, and a vibrant atmosphere enhanced by dancers and confetti, it epitomises the essence of Grand Prix festivities.

Blue Gin Bar

Nestled within the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, the Blue Gin Bar affords a backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea, complemented by the vibrant beats of resident DJ Nicolas Saad. The bar’s signature cocktails and chef Marcel Ravin’s exquisite sharing platters add to the allure of the evenings during the Grand Prix.

COYA

Offering a refined ambiance, COYA Monte-Carlo merges delectable fusion cuisine with dynamic music and live DJ performances, creating an ambiance that is both exclusive and electrifying. Its Pisco Bar & Lounge is renowned for signature cocktails, making it a must-visit for those seeking a sophisticated celebration.

Buddha-Bar

Situated close to the iconic Casino de Monte-Carlo, BuddhaBar Monte-Carlo is a sanctuary where Eastern tradition meets Western flair. The venue’s electro-lounge atmosphere, combined with a menu that celebrates innovative East-West fusion cuisine, offers a unique setting under the gaze of an imposing Buddha statue.

The Executive Explorer: California Love

Join The Executive Explorer as we showcase California's finest accommodations, restaurants and cultural attractions, each delivering exceptional quality without sacrificing authentic character. From historic Santa Monica landmarks to Palm Springs' modernist havens, these carefully selected destinations represent the Golden State's most refined offerings for the discerning visitor

Where To Stay

California offers an exceptional array of luxury accommodations that blend distinctive architecture, premium amenities and unparalleled locations. From historic Art Deco gems along Santa Monica’s coastline to sophisticated desert retreats in Palm Springs, these carefully selected properties deliver experiences that satisfy the most discerning travellers seeking both comfort and character.

Sonder The Beacon

Santa Monica

Best For: Retro Glam

Sonder The Beacon stands as a remarkable fusion of historic elegance and contemporary luxury on Santa Monica’s coveted Ocean Avenue. The 1928 Streamline Moderne building, following a £30 million renovation, preserves its authentic Art Deco heritage across 70 rooms and 30 suites while incorporating modern amenities including soaking bathtubs and advanced technology. Originally opened as Hotel Shangri-La in 1940, the property’s storied past includes service as a military rehabilitation centre during World War II before evolving into the sophisticated coastal retreat it represents today.

Positioned directly opposite Santa Monica Beach, the hotel offers unparalleled access to Southern California’s premier attractions, from the iconic pier with its solarpowered Ferris wheel to cultural landmarks like the Getty Center. Guests enjoy exceptional dining at The Dining Room and breathtaking sunset views from The Coco Club rooftop bar, while environmentally conscious features including a solar-powered swimming pool demonstrate the property’s commitment to sustainability without compromising luxury. Sonder’s innovative approach to hospitality blends digital convenience with personalised service, creating an experience that honours the building’s illustrious history while embracing modern expectations.

Kimpton Rowan

Palm Springs

Best For: Authentic Luxury

Standing seven storeys above downtown Palm Springs, The Kimpton Rowan delivers an exceptional urban retreat amidst the desert landscape. As the Coachella Valley’s tallest building, this 153-room property boasts the region’s only rooftop pool, where guests enjoy craft cocktails while taking in panoramic mountain views. The hotel seamlessly blends metropolitan sophistication with midcentury design sensibilities, evident in its soaring lobby with floor-to-ceiling windows and thoughtfully appointed accommodations featuring tiled headboards and private balconies.

Beyond its architectural merits, The Kimpton Rowan offers a compelling array of amenities tailored to discerning travellers. The signature restaurant 4 Saints presents California-inspired cuisine with Southern influences, while six exclusive pickleball courts provide a distinctive wellness option. Positioned at the heart of Palm Springs’ revitalised downtown, the property places guests steps from cultural attractions, boutique shopping, and outdoor adventures—all while maintaining the polished service expected of a luxury establishment. For executives seeking a desert escape that balances productivity with relaxation, The Kimpton Rowan stands as Palm Springs’ premier urban sanctuary.

Kimpton La Peer

West Hollywood

Best For: Exquisite Luxury

Tucked away on a leafy street in West Hollywood’s Design District, Kimpton La Peer Hotel stands as an architectural statement where Icelandic design meets California cool. The 105-room property showcases acclaimed designer Gulla Jónsdóttir’s masterful use of concrete, leather and oak to create spaces that feel simultaneously sophisticated and welcoming, complemented by a tranquil pool courtyard flanked by olive trees and a vertical garden.

Beyond its striking aesthetics, La Peer distinguishes itself through thoughtful amenities including Eastern Mediterranean cuisine at Ladyhawk, a 24-hour fitness centre, and a standout rooftop pickleball court that transforms into “Disco Court” on weekends. The property’s harmonious integration with the surrounding creative neighbourhood offers guests an authentic West Hollywood experience, providing a refreshing alternative to the conventional luxury hotel formula without compromising on comfort or service.

The Royal Sun

Palm Springs

Best For: Retro Vibes

The Royal Sun Palm Springs reimagines desert modernism with authentic mid-century charm and contemporary sophistication. Located where Palm Canyon Drive meets the San Jacinto Mountains, this 66-room boutique hotel features striking architectural elements, including a sharply angled entrance canopy and bold tangerine accents. The property’s centrepiece is an oasis-like pool area framed by cacti and fringed umbrellas, complemented by thoughtfully designed guest rooms that draw inspiration from the desert landscape.

Culinary offerings at the Royal Sun enhance the guest experience through two distinct venues. High Moon restaurant serves modern California cuisine in an intimate space adorned with floral accents and jewel tones, while the converted pool house bar offers casual elegance with craft cocktails and shareable small plates. With its strategic location steps from the Moorten Botanical Garden and within walking distance of San Jacinto Mountains, the Royal Sun delivers a perfect balance of authentic Palm Springs character, refined comfort, and accessible luxury without pretension.

Calamigos Guest Ranch

Malibu

Best For: Secluded luxury

Set within the Santa Monica Mountains just 45 minutes from Los Angeles, Calamigos Guest Ranch and Beach Club offers an exceptional dualdestination experience combining rural tranquillity with exclusive coastal access. This 250-acre family-owned property features 52 secluded accommodations ranging from Estate Rooms to Premium Private Cottages, each thoughtfully designed to blend with the natural surroundings while providing luxury amenities like outdoor rainfall showers, custom Walker beds, and private patios.

What truly distinguishes Calamigos is its comprehensive approach to hospitality—from seasonally-driven cuisine sourced from the property’s organic garden to the private five-acre Beach Club offering exclusive Malibu beach access. The attentive yet unobtrusive service philosophy creates memorable experiences through thoughtful touches, while multiple swimming pools, a fullservice spa, and activities from hiking to helicopter tours ensure guests can be as active or relaxed as they desire. This sophisticated rural retreat manages to deliver authentic tranquillity paired with genuine luxury—a remarkable achievement that explains its enduring appeal after more than eight decades.

Where To Dine

The Golden State’s culinary landscape rivals its scenic beauty, with restaurants that showcase both technical excellence and regional personality. These standout dining establishments combine innovative cuisine, thoughtful design and exceptional service, creating memorable gastronomic experiences that complement California’s world-class accommodation options.

Mon Ami

Santa Monica

Best For: Sophisticated Mediterranean Cuisine

Tucked away in a verdant courtyard just steps from Santa Monica Pier, Mon Ami delivers a genuine Mediterranean escape without the passport. Led by Nas Negahban of Pacific Coast Hospitality, this sophisticated yet unpretentious establishment combines the culinary traditions of Spain, Greece, Italy, France and Morocco with locally sourced California ingredients. The John Sofio-designed space balances indoor comfort with outdoor freshness, creating an atmosphere that feels both exclusive and welcoming.

The culinary offerings excel across categories, from a silky hummus elevated with both garbanzo and cannellini beans to a sublime Lobster alla Catalana Pasta featuring perfectly al dente tagliolini. The 16oz Steak Au Poivre stands as a testament to the kitchen’s technical prowess beyond Mediterranean specialties. When paired with innovative cocktails like the mozzarella-washed vodka with clarified tomato-basil cordial and cultural immersions through live music and flamenco performances, Mon Ami establishes itself as more than a meal—it’s a destination that merits prominent placement on any sophisticated traveller’s Santa Monica itinerary.

Ladyhawk

West Hollywood

Best For: The Place To Be Seen

Ladyhawk, nestled in West Hollywood’s Kimpton La Peer Hotel, has emerged as Los Angeles’ most sophisticated Lebanese dining destination. Led by 26-year-old culinary prodigy Charbel Hayek, winner of “Top Chef Middle East,” the restaurant delivers theatrical mezze presentations on turntable-style platters alongside housebaked pita and perfectly executed dips. Beyond the visual spectacle, Hayek’s technical precision—honed while working under Josiah Citrin at Mélisse—shines through in every dish from the balanced hummus to the deconstructed chicken shawarma.

The beverage program complements the refined cuisine with creative cocktails that showcase Middle Eastern flavours, including the bourbon-based “‘Bout Figgin’ Thyme” infused with figs and Tahitian vanilla, and the smoky-sweet “Argonaut’s Enemies” blending mezcal and tequila. Since opening in November, Ladyhawk has attracted growing crowds, confirming Los Angeles’ appetite for this elevated approach to Lebanese cuisine that maintains cultural integrity while offering universal appeal—a testament to the restaurant owners’ vision and Hayek’s remarkable talent for balancing tradition with innovation.

4 Saints

Palm Springs

Best For: Unparalleled Views

Palm Springs' culinary crown jewel, 4 Saints, sits majestically atop the Kimpton Rowan Hotel, offering diners an unrivalled gastronomic experience complemented by spectacular 270-degree panoramic views. The seventh-floor restaurant blends global influences with modern American cuisine, showcasing the finest California ingredients through an innovative menu of shareable plates. From the meticulously prepared Short Rib Ravioli to the perfectly executed Chilean Sea Bass, each dish demonstrates the kitchen's commitment to culinary excellence with international flair.

Beyond the exceptional food, 4 Saints creates a complete sensory experience with its sophisticated yet welcoming atmosphere, creative mixology programme featuring regional elements, and thoughtfully curated wine selection. The Michelin-recognised venue operates year-round, adapting its seasonal offerings to the desert climate while maintaining consistent quality. Whether visiting for an intimate dinner, celebratory gathering in the private dining space, or simply cocktails at the bar that opens daily at 4p.m., 4 Saints represents Palm Springs dining at its absolute finest – a perfect marriage of breathtaking vistas and world-class gastronomy.

The Ranch Club Restaurant

Nestled within the Santa Monica mountains at Calamigos Guest Ranch, The Ranch Club Restaurant offers a culinary experience that seamlessly blends sophistication with approachability. Under the leadership of Executive Culinary Director Rosie Gyulasaryan, the restaurant celebrates Californian dining through a meticulously crafted menu that prioritizes locally sourced ingredients and seasonal offerings. The restaurant’s commitment to farm-to-table excellence is epitomized by its on-site organic garden, which directly supplies fresh produce to the kitchen.

Beyond its exceptional cuisine, The Ranch Club Restaurant distinguishes itself through an intimate dining experience that goes far beyond typical resort restaurants. Exclusive to Calamigos Guest Ranch members and guests, the venue offers unique dining settings – from fireside private dining under starlit skies to a sophisticated interior with floor-to-ceiling mountain views. The menu showcases remarkable versatility, from breakfast offerings like house-cured salmon and fresh pastries to dinner highlights including mesquite-grilled octopus and perfectly prepared Creekstone Filet Mignon, all served with a level of personalized service that transforms each meal into a memorable culinary journey.

Malibu

Best For: Authentic Ranch Dining

Where To Visit

Beyond its celebrated beaches and iconic landmarks, California rewards sophisticated exploration with extraordinary cultural, automotive and cinematic experiences. This curated selection highlights destinations that offer privileged access, exclusive opportunities and refined perspectives on the state's rich heritage and creative energy.

Petersen Automotive Museum

Los Angeles

The Petersen Automotive Museum showcases automotive excellence across three floors following a $125 million renovation: the ground level celebrates automotive artistry; the second explores engineering innovation; the third chronicles automotive history. For the ultimate experience, the museum's vault collection offers exclusive access to over 250 additional vehicles not on public display, with expert guides providing context about these rare automobiles in an intimate setting.

Universal

Studios Hollywood

Los Angeles County

Universal Studios Hollywood offers the pinnacle of entertainment through its VIP Experience: dedicated expert guides, priority attraction access, gourmet dining in a private lounge, and expanded backlot access. Most valuable is the opportunity to walk through working soundstages and active sets when production schedules permit, providing an authentic glimpse into filmmaking rarely available to standard visitors.

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

Burbank

Warner Bros. Studio Tour offers four distinct experiences, with the Deluxe Tour representing the premium option: a six-hour exploration featuring fine dining lunch and exclusive access to Property and Costume Departments. All tours include visits to active soundstages, backlot sets, and interactive exhibits, culminating with "Action and Magic Made Here" featuring authentic Harry Potter and DC Universe props and sets, delivered with small group sizes ensuring personalised attention.

Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica

The historic Santa Monica Pier delivers refined experiences beyond its nostalgic attractions, including panoramic coastal vistas, sophisticated dining options with ocean views, curated cultural events, and exclusive event spaces. The National Register-listed Looff Hippodrome houses a meticulously restored 1922 carousel with 44 hand-carved horses, representing exceptional craftsmanship rarely seen in contemporary amusement attractions.

Blue Crush Artist Workshops

Los Angeles

Blue Crush Artist creates premium experiences marrying fine dining with 3D Texture Art creation in elite venues throughout Los Angeles. The signature Sunset Seaglass Workshop at Mon Ami in Santa Monica allows participants to transform glassware into stunning oceanscape designs while enjoying curated refreshments, with each piece receiving special sealant treatment making it both functional and decorative—perfect for sophisticated social connection.

Griffith Observatory

Hollywood

Griffith Observatory combines pristine Art Deco architecture with world-class astronomical facilities and unrivalled Los Angeles vistas. Premium experiences include reserved seating at expert-narrated planetarium shows, private celestial viewings through the Zeiss telescope, and refined dining at Wolfgang Puck's Café at the End of the Universe, where the terrace offers spectacular sunset panoramas as the city transforms into a tapestry of lights.

The Hollywood Sign

Hollywood

Exclusive helicopter tours provide the definitive Hollywood Sign experience, using state-of-the-art aircraft with noise-reduction technology and panoramic windows. Premium packages begin with champagne service at private terminals and feature multiple approach angles impossible from any ground location, often timed for sunset when the sign is silhouetted against the Pacific sky, with many concluding at renowned restaurants offering panoramic city views.

Grecale

Maserati Trofeo

Italian Thunder in SUV Form

From the moment we collected the keys at LAX, the Maserati Grecale Trofeo promised something extraordinary. This wasn't merely another premium SUV, but rather a supercar in family-friendly clothing. With its pearlescent Bianco Astro finish shimmering under the California sun and the MC20-derived V6 engine growling beneath its bonnet, our journey from Los Angeles to Palm Springs and Beverly Hills would reveal whether this Italian thoroughbred could truly deliver on its tantalising dual promise: blistering performance wrapped in practical luxury

MSetting The Scene

Maserati's all-new Grecale Trofeo stands as a thunderous statement of Italian automotive passion wrapped in a deceptively practical package. With 523bhp nestled beneath its bonnet and the heart of a supercar beating within, this machine transforms the school run into a Grand Prix qualifying lap.

Arriving at LAX after a long-haul flight, we were greeted by our chariot for the week—a gleaming Grecale Trofeo in Bianco Astro, its pearlescent finish shifting between pristine white and icy blue under the California sun. This striking SUV would be our companion for an ambitious journey from the urban sprawl of Los Angeles to the sun-baked desert of Palm Springs and the opulent streets of Beverly Hills.

The Grecale delivers a compelling contradiction—a family-friendly SUV that can dispatch 0-62mph in a breathtaking 3.8 seconds while cosseting its occupants in sumptuous Italian leather. As we navigated through the notorious LA traffic away from the airport, the vehicle immediately demonstrated its dual personality: a sophisticated cruiser for boulevard posing that transforms into a wild-eyed maniac when unleashed on open roads.

The heart of a supercar

The Grecale Trofeo’s main attraction sits under its bonnet: the twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 Nettuno engine borrowed from the MC20 supercar. Producing a thumping 523bhp and 620Nm of torque, this mechanical masterpiece employs clever twinchamber combustion technology that creates bigger bangs from a relatively modest capacity.

Escaping the congestion of Downtown LA, we found ourselves on the highway heading east toward Palm Springs. Floor the throttle on these arrow-straight desert roads, and the Grecale transforms from elegant Italian transport into something altogether more feral. The rear-biased all-wheel drive system momentarily allows the back end to step out before the electronics gather everything together, hurling you forward with supercar-like urgency.

What truly separates this engine from German rivals is its character. Rather than clinical precision, the Nettuno delivers Italian drama—starting with a rich burble at idle before building to a spine-tingling rasp at the 7,000rpm redline. Each upshift through the slick eight-speed automatic gearbox is accompanied by an authentic crack from the quad exhausts. Bystanders on Rodeo Drive turned to look, not because they saw the car, but because they heard it first.

Handling that defies physics

Our California odyssey took an exhilarating turn as we threaded the Grecale Trofeo through Mulholland Drive’s challenging corners. Here, the chassis somehow manages to disguise its

considerable two-tonne heft. Based on a stretched version of the Giorgio platform that underpins the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, the Grecale feels remarkably agile for its size.

The quick steering rack delivers surprising feedback for an SUV, allowing us to place this substantial vehicle with sports car precision. Selecting CORSA mode—exclusive to the Trofeo— sharpened everything further. The electronic safety nets loosened their grip, the suspension firmed up, and the gearbox held onto ratios longer, transforming an already engaging drive into something genuinely thrilling.

Even with its considerable performance credentials, the air suspension—standard on the Trofeo—offers adjustable ride height. This proved invaluable when we ventured onto unpaved desert tracks outside Palm Springs, raising the car by 30mm to tackle the rough terrain with confidence. The chassis may not match the Porsche Macan’s ultimate composure on twisting roads, but it makes up for it with character and driver engagement that’s becoming increasingly rare in modern performance SUVs.

Italian craftsmanship meets modern tech

We were immediately struck by an interior that blends traditional Italian craftsmanship with thoroughly modern technology. Four screens dominate the cabin—a digital instrument cluster, a 12.3inch central infotainment display, an 8.8-inch comfort panel for climate controls, and a digital interpretation of Maserati’s iconic dash-mounted clock.

The Trofeo’s cabin exudes sporting intent with exposed 3D carbon fibre trim, perforated leather and chevron motifs that hint at the car’s dynamic potential. Those vast column-mounted shift paddles—finished in a satisfying brushed metal—felt genuinely special when firing through the ratios on canyon roads outside Los Angeles.

Every touch point speaks of quality, from the laser-cut metal grilles protecting the Sonus faber sound system’s speakers to the supple

leather that wraps around the dashboard in Maserati’s signature double saddle stitching. This exceptional 21-speaker audio setup delivers 1,285 watts of audiophile-grade sound, which proved the perfect companion for cruising along the Pacific Coast Highway on our return journey from Palm Springs to Beverly Hills.

Practical indulgence

Despite its sporting credentials, the Grecale hasn’t forgotten its practical duties. The lengthened wheelbase compared to its Alfa Romeo cousin became apparent as we loaded our luggage at the airport—generous rear seat space, with head and legroom to spare for adult passengers. Without the mild-hybrid system found in lesser models, the Trofeo also offers a cavernous 570-litre boot—which easily swallowed our suitcases and the spoils from an impromptu shopping spree on Rodeo Drive.

The cabin proved a sanctuary during LA’s notorious traffic jams, with multiple driving modes allowing us to soften the suspension and relax the throttle response. In COMFORT mode, the Grecale settles into a refined cruise, isolating occupants from road noise and rough surfaces far better than its sporting pretensions might suggest.

The price of passion

At just under £100,000, the Grecale Trofeo commands a substantial premium over rivals like the BMW X3 M Competition, Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Porsche Macan GTS. Yet driving through Beverly Hills—where five-figure price premiums are discussed over breakfast—the Maserati’s exclusivity made perfect sense.

This vehicle goes beyond another German premium SUV; it’s a statement of individuality. The Trident badge carries a weight of history and emotion that transcends mere transportation. Yes, it’s expensive, but the combination of supercar-derived engine, genuine character and Italian craftsmanship delivers something increasingly rare in today’s homogenised automotive landscape: a car that makes you feel special every time you drive it.

Verdict

The Maserati Grecale Trofeo sits in a curious sweet spot—a genuinely practical family SUV that somehow maintains the soul and character we expect from the storied Italian brand.

Any minor foibles fade into insignificance when you’re hammering along the Pacific Coast Highway, sunlight dancing across that mesmerising Bianco Astro paintwork, with the Nettuno V6 singing along. In a world increasingly dominated by clinical automotive perfection, the Grecale Trofeo offers something more valuable— character, passion and the sense that you’re driving something genuinely special.

For those who find German performance SUVs too predictable and Japanese alternatives too anonymous, Maserati has created something genuinely compelling—a practical family chariot that never lets you forget it’s also a thoroughbred Italian performance car. The Grecale Trofeo certainly made our Californian adventure unforgettable—from the bustling streets of Downtown LA to the serene desert landscapes of Palm Springs and the glamour of Beverly Hills. It’s not just a great Maserati; it’s a great luxury performance car, full stop.

The Latest Pagani Utopia Roadster Evolution

PPagani Automobili has elegantly resolved the age-old debate between hardtop devotees and open-air enthusiasts. Unlike traditional roadster variants, the Utopia wasn't an afterthought to the coupé unveiled two years ago. Both versions were conceived simultaneously under Project C10, sharing the same carbon-titanium DNA from inception.

What makes this approach revolutionary is the achievement of an open-top hypercar that sacrifices nothing in terms of weight, performance or dynamics compared to its closed sibling.

Three Distinct Configurations

The Utopia Roadster offers three personalities in one package. The signature butterfly doors remain, preserving Pagani's theatrical entrance experience. Owners can remove the hard-top for display on a bespoke stand, transforming it into a sculptural piece worthy of exhibition.

For spontaneous open-air motoring, a soft-top stows neatly behind the seats. This adaptability means the car responds not just to weather conditions but to the driver's mood – fully enclosed, partially open with the roof window, or completely exposed to the elements.

Engineering Excellence

Horacio Pagani's expertise with advanced composites reaches new heights in the Utopia Roadster. Within its bodywork lie more than forty distinct composite formulations, including proprietary Carbo-Titanium HP62-G2 and Carbo-Triax HP62.

This technological sophistication explains how this open-top hypercar maintains the coupé's astonishingly light 1,280 kg dry weight. Pagani's engineers completely redesigned the monocoque to optimize rigidity without adding structural bracing, keeping the chassis taut even without its roof.

Powertrain Perfection

The Pagani V12, built exclusively by Mercedes-AMG, delivers 864 horsepower and 1,100 Nm of torque. Each engine is assembled by a single craftsman, creating a powerplant that's docile at low revs yet explosively powerful when provoked.

Partnering with British specialist Xtrac, Pagani developed a compact seven-speed manual gearbox mounted transversely behind the engine. For those preferring faster shifts, an AMT automated version with paddle shifters is available.

Driver-Focused Experience

The cockpit deliberately shuns screen-dominated interfaces in favour of analogue instrumentation. Large mechanical dials for speed and engine revolutions offer a direct connection to the car's mechanical heart, while a modest display handles functions that genuinely require digital presentation.

On the road, the Roadster exhibits extraordinary agility and exceptional cornering capability. Active suspension works with electronic differential and dynamic control systems to create a car that delivers astonishing performance while remaining intuitively drivable – an exhilarating yet obedient ally.

Exclusive Limited Production

Just 130 examples will be produced, each priced from 3.1 million euros before taxes. Every Utopia Roadster can be extensively customized, ensuring each car becomes a unique expression of its owner's personality.

The Roadster will debut during Monterey Car Week, alongside the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. Pagani has tasked the Utopia with reconnecting to automotive tradition, recovering simplicity often sacrificed for raw performance.

Drawing inspiration from diverse sources – Vespa scooters, 1950s Bianchi bicycles, and Riva speedboats – the Pagani Utopia Roadster represents the perfect synthesis of classicism and modernity. It answers that eternal enthusiast's question with characteristic Italian flair: why choose between open and closed when you can have both – without compromise?

Raw Power Defies Modern Trends

NILU27

Celebrated designer Sasha Selipanov's hypercar brand Nilu27 unveils its breathtaking debut model, challenging automotive conventions with an audacious return to raw, mechanical performance. The NILU V12 hypercar deliberately shuns electrification and digitalization, instead delivering 1000 horsepower from a naturally aspirated engine. This limited-production masterpiece celebrates the visceral driving experience with exquisite craftsmanship and mechanical beauty

SSome say the automotive landscape has become a little predictable. Every manufacturer scrambles toward electrification with identical claims of sustainability, while screens multiply across dashboards with reckless abandon. Against this dreary backdrop comes something genuinely refreshing – the NILU hypercar, a creation that boldly defies current industry trends.

Nilu27, founded by renowned sports car designer Sasha Selipanov, has finally revealed its first vehicle after months of tantalizing social media teasers. The self-titled NILU hypercar stands as a rebellious statement against the digitalised, electrified direction of modern supercars. Rather than following the herd, this machine celebrates raw mechanical engineering and the visceral joy of unfiltered driving.

Design philosophy

The NILU’s aesthetic philosophy draws from an eclectic range of influences – ’60s Formula 1 and Le Mans racers, classic Italian design houses, Bauhaus “form follows function” principles, American muscle cars, mathematics, and even avant-garde metal music. The result is what Selipanov describes as an “inevitable” design – simultaneously fresh yet somehow familiar.

This hypercar features tight cross sections and sinuous curves that create a functional, lean and aerodynamic exterior. The clean sculptural surfaces contrast dramatically with the exposed, mechanical intricacy of the engine bay. True to Bauhaus thinking, the design ruthlessly eliminates superfluous styling features to celebrate pure functional beauty.

Mechanical marvel

What sits at the heart of this beast makes most modern supercars seem rather timid. Nilu27 partnered with Hartley Engines in New Zealand to develop one of the most powerful naturally aspirated engines on the planet. The fully exposed 6.5-litre, 80-degree V12 produces over 1000 horsepower without any electrical assistance whatsoever.

The V12 features large bore and short stroke architecture that allows it to rev ferociously while providing tactile feedback through perfectly calibrated vibrations. Twelve individual throttle bodies ensure instant response when the driver demands it. Perhaps most striking is the engine’s unique “Hot V” configuration, where conventional exhaust and intake positions are swapped to improve packaging, heat extraction, and aesthetics.

This arrangement enabled the creation of the stunning “snakepit” 12-into-1 exhaust headers that serve as a distinctive visual highlight. The entire exhaust system has been 3D-printed in Inconel, allowing for intricate geometries that would be impossible to produce through conventional methods.

Analogue driving experience

The NILU doesn’t simply look the business – it delivers a

Motoring

thoroughly analogue driving experience increasingly rare in modern performance cars. The seven-speed CIMA manual transmission features an open-gate design, celebrating the mechanical precision of changing gears while adding a safety element with its reverse gear lock-out.

The steering wheel eschews the buttons, switches and toggles that plague modern performance cars. Its compact, perfectly round shape provides detailed steering feel and input precision. There are no driving modes to select, no settings to fiddle with – NILU controls are primary and intuitive, focusing entirely on the driving experience.

Chassis engineering

Beneath the sleek body lies a bespoke carbon fibre monocoque with lightweight aluminium-alloy tubular subframes. Selipanov deliberately chose tubular architecture over more fashionable composite subframes to improve access to drivetrain components while facilitating heat extraction and celebrating mechanical beauty.

The suspension system employs double wishbone, pushrod design with extremely long wishbones visible from the rear. This geometry contributes to exceptionally precise and compliant handling characteristics. Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires provide massive grip, mounted on custom 10×20" and 13×21" centerlock wheels designed in-house and produced by AppTech in Italy.

For stopping power, carbon-ceramic braking equipment from

Brembo includes GT | BM callipers with custom white finish and their highest performance CCM-R Plus rotors for outstanding fade resistance.

Production and future

The NILU hypercar represents Selipanov’s purest vision, one he’s been refining since 2006. Initial production will be extremely limited to just 15 units. Simultaneously, Nilu27 is developing a street-homologated version limited to 54 units, four of which will be unique, one-off designs.

“While the world moves toward electrification, and for very good reason, we firmly believe the timelessness of these cars will not only keep them relevant but they will continue to find a place in the collections of passionate car lovers,” explained Inna Selipanov, Co-Founder and COO.

The NILU hypercar will make its public debut on August 15 at Pebble Beach in Monterey, California, before appearing on the Concept Lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 18. For those unable to experience it in metal, virtual drivers can test the car in CSR Racing 2 from November.

What Nilu27 has created feels like a statement against the sanitisation of performance driving – a last hurrah for mechanical purity before automotive regulations potentially make such creations impossible. For lucky owners, the reward will be a driving experience utterly undiluted by computers and screens. And bloody good fun, too.

The Standout Timepieces from Watches and Wonders 2025

Each spring, Watches and Wonders descends upon Geneva like a horological hurricane, bringing with it a tsunami of new timepieces that would make any watch enthusiast weak at the knees. The 2025 edition proved no different – a dizzying array of complications, materials and designs that showcased the very best the watch world has to offer. From record-breaking ultra-thin masterpieces to robust dive watches, this year's exhibition delivered something for every taste

Parmigiani Fleurier

Toric Perpetual Calendar

Parmigiani Fleurier’s Toric Perpetual Calendar stood out immediately with its cotton candy blue dial that practically leaps off the wrist. Despite housing one of watchmaking’s most complex mechanisms, the perpetual calendar subdials maintain a wonderfully minimalist aesthetic, allowing that glorious blue hue to take centre stage.

The brand’s representatives spoke about “private luxury” – these aren’t watches for showing off to others; they’re personal mechanical treasures designed for the wearer’s enjoyment alone. Most observers mightn’t recognise the PF signature, but that hardly matters when you’re sporting a watch this visually striking yet mechanically sophisticated.

A. Lange & Söhne

Odysseus Honeygold

A. Lange & Söhne’s Odysseus in Honeygold caused the biggest stir among serious collectors at the fair – the piece that had everyone frantically refreshing Instagram feeds. This modern sports watch carries many of Lange’s signature design elements, like the oversized date display inspired by Dresden’s Semper Opera House clock.

The combination of their proprietary Honeygold material with that rich brown dial creates a surprisingly versatile aesthetic. Though typically reserved for their dressier offerings, this precious metal treatment looks absolutely stunning on their sportiest model. Those sharply angular pushers add a distinctive touch that separates it from the increasingly crowded field of luxury sports watches with integrated bracelets.

Tudor

Pelagos Ultra

Tudor’s Pelagos collection has taken the plunge into deeper waters with the aptly named Pelagos Ultra. The titanium-cased beast now measures 43mm across and boasts an impressive 1000-metre water resistance rating.

The beefed-up diver comes equipped with a METAS Master Chronometer movement, elevating it to proper tool watch territory. Eagle-eyed fans will notice the completely redesigned bracelet with its clever quick-adjustment system and luminous indicators on the clasp – perfect for adjusting underwater without having to squint through your diving mask.

Ulysse Nardin

Ulysse Nardin delivered a genuine surprise with their aptly named Diver AIR. Pick it up, and you’ll do a double-take – what looks like a substantial diving watch weighs barely more than a golf ball. The brand achieves this remarkable feat through a clever combination of ultralight titanium and carbon fibre construction, with virtually everything non-essential stripped away.

The result is so dramatically lightweight that you can actually see through portions of the watch to your wrist beneath. As one brand representative quipped during the presentation, “It’s made of 80% Swiss air.” Despite this ethereal presence, the Diver AIR still offers 200 metres of water resistance and can withstand impacts of 5,000g – proof that sometimes, less really is more.

Vacheron

Constantin

Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication

Cartier

Tank à Guichet

Enthisasts will likely be scrambling to secure one of Cartier’s revived Tank à Guichets. The coveted jumpinghour timepiece returns after a twenty-year absence, causing quite the commotion among watch connoisseurs with its minimalist apertures.

Of the four new variants, the playfully named ‘Oblique’ version deserves particular attention. At 37.6mm by 24.8mm and just 6mm thick, these precious metal creations (available in rose gold, yellow gold, and platinum) maintain substantial wrist presence while remaining elegantly slim. The Tank à Guichet demonstrates that sometimes, less truly is more – especially when crafted by the masters at Cartier.

Bvlgari

Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon

When it comes to ultra-thin watchmaking, Bvlgari continues its relentless pursuit of horological records with the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon. At a scarcely believable 1.85mm thin, this skeletonised tourbillon watch represents the absolute pinnacle of miniaturisation.

Despite its wafer-thin profile, the manually-wound mechanical movement still offers an impressive 50-hour power reserve and beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour. It’s not merely a technical tour de force but a genuine achievement in watchmaking –one that begs the question of how much thinner mechanical watches can possibly get before physics itself says “enough.”

Vacheron Constantin reclaimed its title for the most complicated wristwatch ever with the aptly named Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication-La Première. Packed with 41 different complications, this horological behemoth required eight years of dedicated work from a single master watchmaker.

What’s particularly impressive about this piece isn’t just the sheer number of complications but how they’re presented. Rather than appearing cluttered or overwhelming, the watch maintains a surprisingly modern and sporty aesthetic with lime green accents providing visual punch. Splitsecond chronograph functions combined with astronomical displays allow the wearer to calculate when specific stars or constellations will appear in the night sky – a genuinely useful feature for amateur astronomers.

Diver AIR

Audemars Piguet Reinvents the Perpetual Calendar

The Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacturer celebrates its 150th anniversary with a groundbreaking innovation that transforms the user experience of one of horology's most revered complications. The new Calibre 7138 represents a watershed moment for perpetual calendars, allowing complete crownbased adjustments without additional tools, while delivering uncompromising performance across three distinctive 41mm models

SSwiss watchmaking has thrived for centuries on a peculiar dichotomy: creating ever more complex mechanical solutions, then convincing wealthy patrons they desperately need them. Audemars Piguet, celebrating 150 years of existence, has taken a refreshingly different approach with their latest horological tour de force – they’ve actually made something complicated easier to use.

The new Calibre 7138 perpetual calendar movement represents a quantum leap forward in user experience. For the first time ever, a perpetual calendar can be completely adjusted via the crown alone – no fiddly pushers, no special tools, and no risk of damaging your six-figure investment while trying to correct the date after leaving it in a drawer for a month.

Crown jewels: engineering ingenuity

The traditional perpetual calendar wristwatch typically features multiple correctors embedded in the case sides – small, recessed buttons requiring a special tool to adjust various calendar functions. Leave your watch unwound for a week and you’ll face a tedious reset process, carefully prodding and pushing with a stylus while consulting the manual to avoid costly damage.

Audemars Piguet’s engineers have banished this inconvenience with their “all-in-one” crown system. The innovation introduces four distinct crown positions that ingeniously control every function. Position one winds the watch clockwise. Pull the crown to position two, and you can set the date clockwise while adjusting the month and leap year counter-clockwise. Position three allows bidirectional time setting. The masterstroke comes with position “2-prime,” accessed by pushing the crown back one step, which enables day and week adjustments clockwise and moon phase corrections counter-clockwise.

This seemingly simple interface conceals a complex internal mechanism featuring an innovative lever and wandering wheel system that meshes with the calendar wheels depending on crown position. The engineering breakthrough earned two patents: one for the crown correction system with its unique “2-prime” position, and another for the month and date crown adjustment mechanism.

Harmonious display: form follows function

Behind every great movement lies a great dial, and the Calibre 7138 doesn’t disappoint. The displays have been completely reorganized, prioritizing both legibility and aesthetic harmony with scientific precision.

The dial now features a European date arrangement – day at 9 o’clock, date at 12, and month at 3 o’clock. Week numbers printed on the inner bezel now logically begin with week 1 at 12 o’clock rather than week 52. Similarly, “Monday” and “1” align at 12 o’clock in their respective subdials, marking the logical start of both week and month.

Technical ingenuity continues with a patented progressive date display at 12 o’clock. The watchmakers developed a date wheel with 31 custom-made teeth, varying in size to accommodate the

different widths of the numerals – ensuring perfect spacing and enhanced readability regardless of whether you’re looking at the 1st or the 31st.

Perfect symmetry between the 3 o’clock subdial (month and leap year) and 9 o’clock subdial (day) has been achieved by adding a 24-hour indicator within the day display. A red zone between 21:00 and 03:00 warns users against adjustment during the movement’s critical automatic date change period – though attempting adjustments during this time won’t damage the movement, contrary to many perpetual calendars.

The moon phase at 6 o’clock, based on an actual NASA photograph, completes the layout with the full moon precisely aligned with the 12 o’clock axis, reinforcing the dial’s perfect visual balance.

Three distinctive personalities

The mechanical marvel that is Calibre 7138 debuts across three distinctive 41mm models, each benefiting from improved water resistance thanks to the absence of case-side correctors.

The Code 11.59 interpretation showcases the collection’s signature architectural approach in 18-carat white gold. Its blue PVD dial features a mesmerizing pattern of concentric circles punctuated by hundreds of tiny perforations, creating a play of light and shadow that adds remarkable depth. Developed with Swiss guilloché artisan Yann Von Kaenel, who hand-engraved the original stamps, this pattern debuted in 2023 and perfectly complements the complicated movement within. White gold luminescent hands and hour markers provide ideal contrast, while a blue rubber-coated strap with calfskin lining and textile pattern adds contemporary flair.

The first Royal Oak variant delivers quintessential AP sporting elegance, pairing stainless steel case and bracelet with a blue PVD Grande Tapisserie dial. The iconic textured surface extends across the subdials and inner bezel, with 18-carat white gold hands and hour markers filled with luminescent material ensuring perfect legibility. White calendar indications complete the twotone aesthetic.

Perhaps most intriguing is the second Royal Oak, crafted in 18-carat sand gold – a precious alloy introduced to the collection in 2024 that combines gold with copper and palladium. This chameleon-like material shifts between white and pink gold depending on ambient light conditions, creating a uniquely warm appearance. The monochromatic Grande Tapisserie dial, subdials and inner bezel match this sand gold hue precisely through galvanic treatment, with white gold hands and hour markers providing subtle contrast against black calendar indications.

O Omega’s Global Timepiece Takes a Deeper Dive

OMEGA has expanded its horological repertoire by relocating the sophisticated Worldtimer complication from the Aqua Terra 150M range to the robust Seamaster Planet Ocean collection. These new 45.50mm ceramic timepieces combine global time tracking capabilities with impressive 600-metre water resistance, creating the ultimate traveller’s watch that doesn't flinch at a deep-sea plunge

OMEGA has taken its popular Worldtimer complication and given it a more adventurous home within the Seamaster Planet Ocean collection. This horological

factor” – a topographic map of the Earth’s continents, viewed from directly above the North Pole, created on a grade 5 titanium surface through laser-ablation and varnish application.

Surrounding this sits a 24-hour indication, neatly dividing night and day beneath hesalite glass, allowing the wearer to determine at a glance whether calling that business partner in Singapore might wake them from a sound sleep.

sleight of hand transforms what was previously an elegant travel complication in the Aqua Terra 151M range into something altogether more robust and technically capable.

The new models maintain the mechanical complexity and meticulous aesthetics that OMEGA enthusiasts have admired since 2017, but now present them in a bold ceramic housing that can withstand the pressures of the deep. The result is a timepiece that serves the global traveller whether they’re in the boardroom or 600 metres below the ocean’s surface.

The 45.50mm cases of these new Worldtimer models follow the established aesthetic of the Planet Ocean Deep Black, utilizing brushed black ceramic [ZrO2] for both case and bezel. The diving scale that encircles the watch face demonstrates OMEGA’s technical prowess, created through a process of laser-ablation and then polished in positive relief.

Most diving watches stop at displaying the time and perhaps a date function. OMEGA has thrown that rulebook into the Mariana Trench by successfully incorporating one of watchmaking’s most revered complications into a genuine professional diving instrument while maintaining practical functionality.

The centrepiece of these timepieces delivers the true “wow

The outer section of each dial employs a DLC black finish, enhanced with a laser-ablated and polished honeycomb pattern. The global cities that encircle the dial enable the wearer to track time across multiple zones simultaneously – an invaluable tool for the international executive juggling conference calls across continents. OMEGA has even included a subtle nod to its heritage by positioning Bienne, its Swiss hometown, at GMT+1.

OMEGA offers two variations: one with turquoise varnish accents, white Super-LumiNova, and a black rubber strap with turquoise stitching; the other with grey varnish accents, new grey Super-LumiNova, and the same strap but with a grey underside. Both successfully walk the tightrope between statement piece and practical tool.

Powering these horological marvels is OMEGA’s automatic Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8938, visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. This movement represents the pinnacle of the brand’s technical achievements, combining the Co-Axial escapement with Master Chronometer certification after rigorous testing by both COSC and METAS, ensuring exceptional accuracy and resistance to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss.

The impressive water resistance rating of 60 bar (600m/2000ft) significantly outperforms most worldtimer watches on the market, which typically offer modest water resistance at best.