THROUGHOUT its 94-year history, Fortune has guided the leaders of today and tomorrow through an unpredictable world. And I am honored to lead the brand’s next chapter, as the first-ever executive editor for Fortune in Europe. Having covered the fast-paced intersection of global technology and business for the past 20 years, I’ve found one constant— Europe does business differently.
There’s no way to sugarcoat it; after all, data doesn’t lie. When it comes to economic growth over the past decade, Europe has consistently lagged behind the United States and emerging markets.
But putting the matter of growth aside, there are two trends that stand out for me. First, love it or loathe it, where Europe leads in regulation, the world follows. However unpopular they may be, measures like the catchily named General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the European AI Act, which finally took shape in mid-March, influence the global CEO conversation far beyond Europe’s borders.
The second is reinvention. As a spectator to global trends, I love nothing more than watching Europe’s oldest brands adapt and reimagine themselves for the 21st century.
Take Polestar, the EV spinout of Swedish carmaker Volvo, which delivers one of the most convincing rivals to Tesla, and (most important as a reluctant Tesla owner myself ) a way to “go green” without lining Elon Musk’s pockets. Then there’s Ray-Ban’s Smart Glasses partnership with Meta, which blends cutting-edge technology and Italian style—creating a fashion piece you’d be proud to wear, unlike Google’s clunky and short-lived Google Glass or Apple’s awkward-looking, eye-wateringly expensive Vision Pro headset.
Adaptation and reimagination are principal themes in this issue—though some of thes
