A family-owned trading and manufacturing business based in St. Louis, Metal Exchange Corporation has gained a competitive advantage by modernizing its operations, embracing sustainability, and empowering employees with digital tools – all while meeting the changing expectations of both consumers and partners.

During this week's episode of Microsoft Envision presented with Accenture and Avanade, I had the pleasure of talking with Tom Marklin, Vice President of Information Technology at Metal Exchange Corporation, who shared how technology is helping his company become more agile and adaptive in a fast-changing world.

Agility was a key theme throughout Episode 3 of this digital series. Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Industry, Apps, and Data Marketing Alysa Taylor spoke with Microsoft Vice President Andy Pratt and Jill Standish, Senior Managing Director and Global Lead for Retail at Accenture, about five important, emerging business trends and how organizations can respond.

Colette Stallbaumer, General Manager of Microsoft 365 and Future of Work, spoke with Microsoft Envision host Mariana Atencio about Microsoft's latest Work Trend Index report on frontline workers and the opportunity for leaders to strengthen connections within their company and deliver better customer experiences.

Connection was the focus of a segment by Jason Warnke, Global Digital Experiences Lead at Accenture, as he demonstrated how Accenture has used extended reality to onboard thousands of new hires and help them engage and collaborate with fellow employees.

In addition, Accenture Global Sustainability and Board Effectiveness Lead Debra Everitt McCormack sat down with Adrian Monck, Managing Director and a Member of the Managing Board at the World Economic Forum, to discuss the "Sustainability DNA" required to build truly sustainable organizations and deliver lasting value and equitable impact for stakeholders.

The last segment of the day featured Reid Hoffman – cofounder of LinkedIn, investor at Greylock, and host of the podcast Masters of Scale – who spoke with Microsoft Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood about the power of the entrepreneurial spirit and what it takes to be an effective leader.

If you missed the broadcast, be sure to register at envision.microsoft.com to watch the program on demand and take part in Episode 4 on Tuesday, April 12, as we explore how leaders and organizations can accelerate innovation. I hope you'll join us!