Virtually a year

The past year has witnessed tremendous pain and loss. The human toll—measured in millions of illnesses and deaths, but also in mental and emotional trauma and strain—has been immense. Job losses have exceeded any period since the Great Depression, only partially mitigated by state support (much of which may soon disappear). Business has struggled with how to operate safely in this environment, while confronted with accelerating disruptive trends toward new channels and rapidly-shifting and unpredictable consumer demand.

But the past year has also demonstrated our collective resilience and resolve. To say that most of us were unprepared for what was to come is an understatement. The Economist predicted in February of last year that lockdowns outside of China were “unthinkable.” But soon the unthinkable became the imperative, and we all raced to adjust.

As AlixPartners approaches the one-year anniversary of our shift to fully remote work across most of our offices around the world, Chief Executive Officer Simon Freakley offers his reflections on a year of pandemic-driven school closures, stay-at-home orders, and social distancing guidelines. Read his full reflections on LinkedIn.