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Progress towards female equality in senior leadership is accelerated when men act as allies. Informed by Grant Thornton’s research into the global mid-market, this article reveals what being a male ally looks like, and outlines the practical steps businesses can take to drive action and remove the organisational and cultural barriers to male allyship.

Mid-market businesses around the world want to accelerate their ESG and sustainability journey.

The mid-market’s real prioritisation of sustainability not only reflects the growing expectation of stakeholders but the forward-thinking nature of this entrepreneurial segment.

Over the course of the past decade, the importance of sustainability has increased significantly all over the world – not only in terms of how individuals live their lives, but also how governments frame policy as well as how businesses develop operating models and plan for the future.

COVID-19 continues to challenge the business landscape like no other event before it and many in the mid-market are now fully-focused on building greater resilience into their operations. However, true resilience goes beyond short-term survival – it means achieving a velocity that returns your business to a growth trajectory.

Technology played a critical role in mitigating the impact of the virus. Whether helping employees to perform their jobs or providing a platform for fulfiling products and services, technology enabled new ways of doing business.

The mid-market already had a reputation for agility but the COVID crisis has forced leaders to take an even closer look at how their operations can be more responsive. As they prepare for the future, businesses are taking stock of their existing operations and questioning whether they are fit for purpose.

In the immediate aftermath of COVID-19, businesses looked to improve their cash flow management and focus on day-to-day survival, leaning heavily on government support packages. But longer-term, businesses will need greater liquidity as they move to financial self-sufficiency after governments scale back support.

The global pandemic has provided an enormous shock to businesses and, for many in the mid-market, fundamentally tested their ability to deal with crisis and disruption. Indeed, according to Grant Thornton's IBR data, 42.2% of global respondents think they will need to improve crisis management processes after the COVID crisis.

The most radical and immediate impact of COVID-19 has been on people. New ways of working have put increased pressure on managers and their teams. Lockdowns and remote working have blurred the lines between business and professional lives and brought to the fore the physical and mental wellbeing of workforces.

The global pandemic combined with self-isolation and economic uncertainty is changing the way people consume products and services – possibly forever.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents extreme challenges to businesses and the competitive landscape will be a hot bed of innovation, quick pivots, divestments and acquisitions as businesses devise new models to recover growth.

COVID-19 has challenged the business landscape like no other event before it and many in the mid-market are now fully-focused on building greater resilience into their operations.

Regulatory changes can be challenging at the best of times but with many businesses focused on day-to-day survival, recent rule changes have proved particularly problematic.

Efficiency and cost savings are big business in hospitality and tourism. It's hard to think of another sector which was such an early adopter of environmentally-friendly business practices.

It will not surprise an international audience that the build-up to the World Cup has been overwhelmingly negative in Brazil. Scenes of local protesting about the huge sums of money lavished on stadia in Manaus and Brasilia, which are likely to poorly used after the main event, have been broadcast around the world.