Latest news with #MelaniePerkins
AU Financial Review
7 hours ago
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Canva should IPO right now, while investors are nuts
In October, Australian-born tech unicorn Canva will hold its next big product rollout. Insiders are excited; unsurprisingly, the focus is on artificial intelligence features, and they believe the product release will put to bed any suggestions Canva could be an AI victim, and make it a clear AI winner. It all sounds terrific. But perhaps that product rollout should be pushed back a few months so Canva founders Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams can focus on the truly big prize that's within their grasp – a stonking Wall Street IPO.
India Today
24-07-2025
- Business
- India Today
What Gen Z expects from CEOs and why most are failing
As the world plunges deeper into a digital-first, purpose-driven economy, the disconnect between corporate leadership and the expectations of Gen Z is no longer a subtle generational gap rather it's a full-blown crisis. According to Deloitte's 2024 Global Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 75% of Gen Z employees say they would leave a company that doesn't align with their personal values. Yet, less than 30% of Fortune 500 CEOs even mention social justice, sustainability, or mental health in their public no longer just talking about a different "work style." Gen Z, the first truly digital-native generation, demands a completely new leadership operating system. Most CEOs are still operating in Windows Gen Z Actually Wants (And It's Not Ping Pong Tables)Let's cut through the noise. Gen Z doesn't want performative culture. We want authenticity, accountability, and action. Based on conversations within founder groups, employee town halls, and platforms like Blind, here's what defines effective leadership in the eyes of Gen Z:1. Radical TransparencyInternal pay bands. Company runway. Investor sentiment. All open.67% of Gen Z employees say they distrust companies that do not share their financial status or salary structure (PwC Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, 2023). 2. Values Over OpticsDEI and climate statements are meaningless without budget and board like Patagonia's Ryan Gellert or Canva's Melanie Perkins resonate because they act, not announce.3. Well-being as Infrastructure, Not Perks58% of Gen Z employees report burnout symptoms weekly (McKinsey, 2024).Offering Calm app subscriptions doesn't solve a toxic work culture. Having psychological safety, manager training, and 4-day work weeks might.4. Digital-Native CommunicationQuarterly memos are dead. Leadership now requires Slack threads, podcast updates, AMAs on Z doesn't follow authority, it follows credibility. And credibility is built in CEO Archetype Is ObsoleteHistorically, the CEO was a commander. Then a consensus-builder. Now, Gen Z wants a creator-operator:Creator: Someone who thinks and builds in public, shares rough drafts, interacts with users on X or Threads, and isn't afraid to say "I don't know."Operator: Someone who gets their hands dirty with product, community, and feedback loops. No more ivory Tobi Ltke (Shopify), who codes. Or Alex Bouaziz (Deel), who tweets roadmap updates before press releases. That's real-time, high-trust Z Isn't Soft. It's suggesting Gen Z is disloyal or disengaged miss the mark. What this generation exhibits is selective loyalty. They will commit fully but only to leadership that has earned their during a period of institutional collapse, from climate chaos to economic volatility, Gen Z possesses a sharp radar for performative leadership. They don't expect perfection. They expect CEOs Can Catch Up (and Stay Relevant)Audit Cultural RelevanceWhen was the last time the CEO spoke with a 24-year-old analyst? Can leadership list the top three Glassdoor complaints?Treat Culture Like ProductadvertisementCulture is no longer HR's job alone. It needs a cross-functional owner, a feedback loop, and a Gen Z Advisory CouncilEstablish a shadow board of employees under 30 to pressure-test ideas, flag blind spots, and keep leadership Isn't OptionalBy 2025, Gen Z will represent 27% of the global workforce (World Economic Forum). Leaders who fail to understand this demographic will struggle not just with retention, but with clock is ticking. Evolve or risk leading a company no one wants to work inputs from By Aayush Puri ,Head of ANAROCK Channel Partners and ANACITY- Ends
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Canva's cofounder says creatives are making a mistake by not embracing AI in their work
Canva's cofounder said creatives should embrace AI, and it'd be foolish not to do so. Cliff Obrecht said designers are reacting to AI as they did to Canva in its early days. But Canva helped free designers' time for more "high-value work," he said. Cliff Obrecht, who cofounded the design software company with his wife Melanie Perkins, said designers are reacting to AI like they did to Canva in its early days. "So at Canva, when we launched, a lot of designers said, 'Canva, we hate you. You are ruining our industry. You are like letting everyone design,'" Obrecht said on a Tuesday podcast episode of Masters of Scale. "And so over time, it didn't take long, within four years, designers didn't feel threatened by Canva," he said, adding that Canva's tools helped designers free up time for "high-value work." He said he sees "AI as just another step in that evolution," and that it's time for creatives to embrace the new technology. "Not embracing AI as a creative is, you can see where it's going. It seems folly," he said to the podcast's host, Bob Safian. Canva first launched AI-powered tools in 2023, with its "Magic" branded tools, which assisted in copywriting and designing. In April, it launched its Visual Suite 2.0, which integrated tools for design, writing, coding, and data visualization. This comes as creatives from various industries have raised concerns over the last few years about AI killing their jobs. In 2023, Adobe employees slammed the company after it launched Firefly, an extensive suite of generative AI tools. Adobe employees, whose customer base consists of creatives, said the tool would kill the jobs of some of its customers. There were also concerns that Adobe could use creators' content to train its AI models, something the company denied in a blog post in 2024. The AI debate has reached Hollywood. In 2023, more than 11,000 Hollywood film and TV screenwriters went on strike to criticize the use of AI in the film industry and demand more regulation in the field. However, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the cofounder of DreamWorks, said in an AI conference in December that top Hollywood showrunners and creators are embracing AI and seeing it as a useful resource to their creative processes. In June, former Disney exec Kevin Mayer said in an Opening Bid podcast that AI could make video and storyline creation more efficient for creatives.
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Canva's cofounder says creatives are making a mistake by not embracing AI in their work
Canva 's cofounder and chief operating officer says it's foolish for creatives not to embrace AI. Cliff Obrecht, who cofounded the design software company with his wife Melanie Perkins, said designers are reacting to AI like they did to Canva in its early days. "So at Canva, when we launched, a lot of designers said, 'Canva, we hate you. You are ruining our industry. You are like letting everyone design,'" Obrecht said on a Tuesday podcast episode of Masters of Scale. "And so over time, it didn't take long, within four years, designers didn't feel threatened by Canva," he said, adding that Canva's tools helped designers free up time for "high-value work." He said he sees "AI as just another step in that evolution," and that it's time for creatives to embrace the new technology. "Not embracing AI as a creative is, you can see where it's going. It seems folly," he said to the podcast's host, Bob Safian. Canva first launched AI-powered tools in 2023, with its "Magic" branded tools, which assisted in copywriting and designing. In April, it launched its Visual Suite 2.0, which integrated tools for design, writing, coding, and data visualization. This comes as creatives from various industries have raised concerns over the last few years about AI killing their jobs. In 2023, Adobe employees slammed the company after it launched Firefly, an extensive suite of generative AI tools. Adobe employees, whose customer base consists of creatives, said the tool would kill the jobs of some of its customers. There were also concerns that Adobe could use creators' content to train its AI models, something the company denied in a blog post in 2024. The AI debate has reached Hollywood. In 2023, more than 11,000 Hollywood film and TV screenwriters went on strike to criticize the use of AI in the film industry and demand more regulation in the field. However, Jeffrey Katzenberg, the cofounder of DreamWorks, said in an AI conference in December that top Hollywood showrunners and creators are embracing AI and seeing it as a useful resource to their creative processes. In June, former Disney exec Kevin Mayer said in an Opening Bid podcast that AI could make video and storyline creation more efficient for creatives.
AU Financial Review
17-06-2025
- Business
- AU Financial Review
Canva's IPO has been discussed for 10 years. What if it never happens?
Give Canva points for consistency – another acquisition, another set of impressive growth numbers, more gentle pushback on the idea that an initial public offering is around the corner. Canva's founders, Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams, have been deflecting speculation about a company float for a decade now. Adams was at it again after announcing the tech giant would buy AI marketing tool Magic Brief for an undisclosed amount, telling The Australian Financial Review that while Canva has long been IPO ready, it's no closer to pressing the button on what would be a seismic event for Australia's venture capital sector.
