In our ongoing CEO forums, we foster intimate conversations with small groups of global leaders—from more than 1,250 companies to date—on how to leverage scale while staying agile. You can catch up on some of these conversations and learn how CEOs from multiple industries are meeting the moment.

What a difference a quarter makes: Just three months after our inaugural survey on AI readiness, we find companies rapidly shifting their focus, from concerns about security and quality to an emphasis on results and value. Five use cases have bubbled to the top, including sales and marketing, software coding, and customer service.

One way to tell where AI will take us: Follow the money. Funding is among the key metrics we used to identify 15 “must-know” leaders and 9 “emerging disruptors.” These 24 companies are developing AI solutions that could transform sales and marketing, enterprise operations, customer experience, and business as we know it. 

The drivers of total shareholder return tell a tale of confidence versus doubt. Tech is handily outperforming other sectors, propelled in part by great expectations. Meanwhile, falling multiples are detracting from value in several industries. Where will it all lead?

Companies that do more M&A get better results because they see integration as a skill, not a process.  While every deal is unique, it is nonetheless possible—scratch that, essential—to master a repeatable model. We break that model down for you here.