Fortune is expanding in Europe. Here’s what’s next for the CEOs of today and tomorrow

Having covered the fast-paced intersection of global technology and business for the past 20 years, I’ve found one constant—Europe does business differently. 

There’s no way to sugarcoat it; after all, data doesn’t lie. When it comes to economic growth over the past decade, Europe has consistently lagged behind the United States and emerging markets.

But, putting growth to one side, there are two trends that stand out to me—first, love it or loathe it, where Europe leads in regulation, the world follows. However unpopular they may be, moves like the catchily-named General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the European AI Act, which finally took shape last week, influence the global CEO conversation far beyond Europe’s borders.

The second is reinvention. As a spectator to global trends, I love nothing more than watching Europe’s oldest brands adapt and reimagine themselves for the 21st century. 

Take Polestar, the EV spinout of Swedish carmaker Volvo, which delivers one of the most convincing rivals to Tesla, and (most importantly as a reluctant Tesla owner myself) a way to ‘go green’ without lining Elon Musk’s pocket. 

Then there’s Ray-Ban’s Smart Glasses partnership with Meta, which blends cutting-edge technology with Italian style—creating a fashion piece you’d be proud to wear, unlike Google’s clunky and short-lived Google Glass or Apple’s awkward-looking and eye-wateringly expensive Vision Pro headset.

JOSHUA LOVELL/GINGERSHOTLDN

Unusually for a journalist, I’m also a former entrepreneur, an experience that has greatly influenced my view as an editor. In 2015, I started my own digital trends magazine, which years later Forbes acquired, transforming my life and propelling me into the fast lane of global business. 

From that personal experience, I know the grit, determination, and emotional toll it can take to lead a company—and that is why I have such profound respect for you, the Fortune reader, who takes on these challenges to build a better future for us all. 

Fortune really does favor the brave—I’m honored to serve you and welcome your feedback.

More news below.

Alex Wood Morton

TOP NEWS

A better gig

The EU has agreed to landmark rules to improve employment conditions for gig workers at ride-sharing and delivery groups such as Uber Eats, Bolt, and Deliveroo. Regulation put forward by Brussels will allow countries to determine a worker's employment status and eligibility for benefits like sick pay, presenting workers with more rights and protections. Bloomberg

Lego thinks long-term

Lego is in talks with manufacturers of raw materials for renewable plastic to increase production capacity. The Danish company is vowing to use sustainable material in its building blocks by 2032 and aims to become net carbon neutral by 2050, but it faces a shortfall of materials. CEO Niels B. Christiansen pledges that the high costs of renewable plastic will not be passed on to consumers. Bloomberg

Faster startup growth

For its new book Scaling Through Chaos, European venture firm Index Ventures analyzed a dataset of over 200,000 founders and employees from successful tech companies like Airbnb.It found that growing a business from zero to 500 employees used to take around eight years but now takes five due to decades of accumulated wisdom, diverse experts, and new technology. Fortune

Brainstorm AI takes London

Fortune is hosting its inaugural London-based Brainstorm AI conference on April 15-16. The event will gather top AI minds alongside Global 500 executives, policymakers, and academics to dissect the latest developments in AI and how they are shaping the business world. Apply to attend here.

AROUND THE WATERCOOLER

Germany ‘on course, for the first time’ to slash emissions 65% by 2030, vice chancellor says by The Associated Press

Deliveroo is spending an estimated $230,000 to give a handful of riders 15 hours of childcare—after years of lobbying to avoid paying sick leave, PTO, and pensions by Ryan Hogg

Germany faces a recession, and an economic recovery ‘isn’t yet in sight’ according to Economy Ministry by Bloomberg

EasyJet is confident it’ll grow ‘more than any other European airline this summer,’ CEO Johan Lundgren said by Bloomberg

Meet the wealthy boomer Americans fleeing to Portugal, Spain, and Italy out of fear of a Donald Trump presidency: ‘This country of mine has become intolerant’ by Ryan Hogg 

This edition of CEO Weekly Europe was curated by Aslesha Mehta.