The latest Executive Club of the French-Finnish Chamber of Commerce brought together senior executives, industry experts, and public sector representatives to address a critical question: How can Europe regain sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive global landscape?

The discussion featured valuable contributions from Philippe Delorme (President & CEO of Kone), Tapio Melgin (Partner at McKinsey & Company), and Petri Peltonen (Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland); offering a unique cross-perspective dialogue between business, strategy, and public policy. 

A clear diagnosis

A strong consensus emerged throughout the discussion: Europe does not lack innovation - it faces an execution gap.

Key structural challenges highlighted include slow decision-making and time-to-market, complexity over prioritization, a gap between technological innovation and business value creation, and a weaker long-term strategic alignment compared to global competitors such as the US and China. 

Four key levers identified

• Aspiration & Leadership culture: there is a need to strengthen ambition, risk appetite, and performance-driven leadership culture across organizations.
• Market-driven innovation: the shift must be toward a more customer-centric, business driven approach, with stronger focus on monetization and scalability.
• Speed & scale: Accelerating decision-making processes, simplifying structures, and enabling companies to scale faster are key priorities.
• Public-private collaboration: Discussions emphasized the need to clarify roles, improve coordination, and channel investments into strategic sectors such as technology and defense.

From insights to action

Beyond the analysis, panellists shared practical insights from real-world experience, highlighting: 

• The importance of clear strategic direction and prioritization
• The need for operating model transformation
• The role of performance-driven leadership and accountability
• The critical importance of acting fast, even under uncertainty

A recurring theme was that European organizations often underestimate the speed of global change, limiting their ability to respond effectively.

The time to act is now

The session closed with a simple but powerful question: what is the one decision leaders should take today to unlock growth? 

The message is clear: the time for diagnosis is over - execution must now take priority.