The explorer Mark Pollock may never find a cure for paraplegia. But his pursuit of that goal has won the confidence of a growing number of scientists and investors, not only because of the scientific progress made, but also because of the courage, determination and resilience he has shown as a blind paraplegic (Page 66).
Karl Rove (Page 14) managed dozens of political campaigns, many of them failures, before shepherding George W. Bush into the White House in 2000. When Paddy McGuinness (Page 19), Brunswick Senior Advisor and former UK Deputy National Security Advisor, told colleagues about his cancer diagnosis, he didn’t know whether he or those relationships would survive. As it turned out, the support of colleagues helped him endure.
Cases of individual resilience can be inspiring. Andrew Roberts, author of a new Winston Churchill biography, reminds us the legendary British Prime Minister survived two plane crashes, three car wrecks, a stabbing, five wars as a soldier and, during World War II, four bouts of pneumonia (Page 42). At a time when pursuing jobs at multiple companies throughout a career is seen as the smart route to the top, J.P. Morgan’s Daniel Pinto recalls (Page 38) how he climbed the ranks for 37 years, starting as a part-time college student in his native Argentina, to stand now one notch below CEO Jamie Dimon. During the 10 days that Mohammed Dewji, owner of MeTL Group, was held last year by kidnappers, his countrymen rallied in the streets for his release, an experience that deepened his commitment to combatting inequality (Page 73).
There may be no more fundamental building block for individual or community resilience than access to clean water—which remains out of reach for 844 million people worldwide. We hear from the actor Matt Damon and Gary White (Page 20), co-founders of Water.org, about their solution, itself a story of resilience.
This Review also features a section by Brunswick’s experts in cybersecurity (Page 30), including a story on how Under Armour’s speedy and transparent response to a cyber breach actually enhanced its reputation and stock price. • We also introduce a new recurring section on trade (Page 49) and share interviews with Finland’s Minister of Trade, Anne-Mari Virolainen, and UK Ambassador to Brazil, Vijay Rangarajan, as well as an essay on Brexit by Brunswick’s Sir Jonathan Faull, former Director-General Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union in the European Commission.
Resilience may not ensure success, but as an ingredient it is essential. In these pages we hope you will find smart strategies and powerful arguments for cultivating it.
Neal Wolin is the Chief Executive Officer of the Brunswick Group.
Illustration: Edmon de Haro