Nicoletta Sabov: “Speed of Execution Is a Leadership Issue”

Strategies are in place, target visions have been defined, and transformation programmes have been launched. Yet many companies still struggle to turn these efforts into a competitive advantage. In this Executive Interview with Johannes Messer, Nicoletta Sabov, Vice President at AlixPartners, explains why competitiveness today depends less on the quality of a strategy than on the speed of its execution – and what role leadership and artificial intelligence play in the process.

Written by Editors EUROGUSS 365

Transformation features in almost every corporate strategy. Yet many industrial companies find it difficult to convert insights into tangible competitive advantages. Why is that? Ahead of the EUROGUSS Executive Circle 2026, Nicoletta Sabov, Vice President at AlixPartners, speaks with Johannes Messer of Johannes Messer Consulting about speed of execution, decision-making culture and the question of how Europe can strengthen its industrial competitiveness. The conversation is part of the Executive Interview series – formerly known as the Coffee Talks – in which Messer conducts in-depth discussions with leading figures from the die casting industry.

Sabov will also lead an Executive Dialogue on this topic at the EUROGUSS Executive Circle in Paris. Executive Dialogues are a key element of the event, bringing together senior leaders from the die casting industry in small groups to discuss future-oriented topics. The focus is on personal exchange and bringing together different perspectives in a workshop-style setting.

Johannes Messer: Mrs Sabov, why do so many industrial companies struggle to translate transformation into genuine competitiveness?

Nicoletta Sabov: Because in most companies, transformation is treated as a strategy issue rather than an execution issue. There are concepts, roadmaps and target visions. What is missing is the translation into decisions that are actually made on Monday morning. I see this in almost every engagement: the strategy is in place. But when I ask plant managers, sales directors and engineering leaders what that strategy means for their next decision, I get four different answers. Or silence.

Competitiveness does not come from better strategies. It comes from translating those strategies into the language of the people who have to execute them, making decisions quickly and following through consistently. That is often the bottleneck today, and it is exactly what we will be discussing in Paris.

Johannes Messer: What do you mean when you say that many industrial companies fail not because of their strategy, but because they execute too slowly?

Nicoletta Sabov: Most of the companies I work with have the right diagnosis. They know where the market is heading, they understand their weaknesses and they have defined target visions. But there are often years between insight and impact. During that time, the market continues to evolve, competitors move ahead, and a strategy that was originally the right one may no longer fit.

That is why speed of execution is not an operational issue. It is a leadership issue. Leaders who delay decisions because they believe another analysis is needed, who multiply initiatives instead of prioritising them, or who delegate responsibility without authority are slowing down their own organisations. This has nothing to do with the quality of the strategy. It has everything to do with the organisation’s decision-making culture.

Johannes Messer: Will AI strengthen Europe’s industrial competitiveness – or widen the speed gap even further?

Nicoletta Sabov: Both, and that is the real tension. AI will strengthen the competitiveness of those who see it as a fundamental change rather than a trend. And it will widen the gap to those who are waiting to see whether the hype fades away.

What I see in my engagements is that companies using AI strategically gain speed in engineering, improve process quality and achieve greater cost transparency. But this only works if AI is not treated as an IT project, but as a change in the way people work. That is demanding. It requires investment at a time when many companies feel pressure to cut costs, and it requires leaders who understand the difference between a pilot project and a serious transformation initiative.

Europe has a genuine opportunity here. How quickly we seize it is up to us.

Registration Open for the EUROGUSS Executive Circle, 1–2 July 2026 in Paris

The next EUROGUSS Executive Circle will take place on 1 and 2 July 2026 at the Château de Guermantes near Paris. The event is exclusively aimed at C-level decision-makers from across the European die casting value chain. Further information about the programme and participation is available on the Executive Circle website: https://www.euroguss.de/en/events-programme/executive-circle

Author

Editors EUROGUSS 365

euroguss365@nuernbergmesse.de