Verdict lists the top five terms tweeted by CEOs in November 2020, based on data from GlobalData’s Influencer Platform. The top tweeted terms are the trending industry discussions happening on Twitter by key individuals (influencers) as tracked by the platform.

1. Covid-19 – 202 mentions

Precautions to be taken despite negative Covid-19 result, ways to ensure smooth distribution of Covid-19 vaccine and how workers can overcome burnout during pandemic were some popular topics discussed in November. According to an article shared by Jonathan Rothberg, founder at Butterfly Network, a digital health company, people testing negative for coronavirus can still be potential carriers of the infection as symptoms can manifest around four days after contracting the virus.

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If a person is getting tested during these first four days, the probability of false-negative result is 100%, while the false-negative rate fell to 38% once the symptoms start appearing in the body. Symptoms take up to 14 days to appear in some cases, which is the reason behind fixing the quarantine period to two weeks, the article highlighted.

Further, Jimmy Etheredge, CEO of Accenture North America, shared an article about the procedures to be adopted to ensure hassle-free distribution of Covid-19 vaccine in the US. The article noted that a comprehensive supply chain model will help in handling logistic and visibility needs of each state, while phased rollout of vaccine will make sure all citizens receive the dose. A top-notch immunisation, distribution and tracking system is a viable alternative for supply chain model, the article noted.

Covid-19 also trended in discussions shared by Julia Hartz, CEO and co-founder of Eventbrite, an event management firm, about solutions for workers facing burnout during the ongoing pandemic. Managers are coming up with creative ways to motivate their staff and ensure that their mental and physical health is not affected during the pandemic. Many businesses implemented strategies such as surprise day offs, reducing weekly workhours to 30 and motivating employees through chats and video calls, the article highlighted.

2. Innovation – 77 mentions

Belgian firm’s ‘work from anywhere’ strategy, Pfizer’s innovative drug to tackle deadly disease and India set to lead the world in post-Covid era were some widely discussed topics last month. Dr. Ilham Kadri, CEO of Solvay, a Belgium-based chemical company, shared an article about the company introducing ‘work from anywhere’ option for its employees located across the world.

Around 40% of the company’s global staff is already working remotely as a health precaution to curb the spread of coronavirus. Mobile working drives the company’s strategy to adopt new tools and equipment, while facilitating co-workers to connect anytime, irrespective of their location, the article highlighted.

Albert Bourla, chairman and CEO of Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company, shared an article about the company’s Phase 2b clinical study on vupanorsen, an investigative antisense therapy for treating cardiovascular disease. The study could break new ground in research on cardiovascular disease, which is the primary cause for the highest number of deaths worldwide. Pfizer closed a global exclusive licensing agreement with the developers of the drug, Akcea and Ionis, in November 2019, the article noted.

Other discussions surrounding innovation included India’s potential to lead the world in terms of innovation and technology in the post-pandemic world, according to an article shared by CP Gurnani, managing director and CEO of Tech Mahindra, a multinational tech firm. The country is adapting to the crisis triggered by the pandemic by leveraging science and technology including payments technology, remote working and healthcare, the article highlighted.

3. Vaccines – 73 mentions

Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine being highly effective, how fake news could thwart vaccine plans and cyberattacks casting a shadow on coronavirus vaccine research were some popular topics discussed in November 2020. According to an article shared by Johannes Reck, CEO and co-founder of GetYourGuide, a travel guide portal, the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and German biotechnology firm BioNTech exceeded expectations. The news is a positive development since researchers were sceptical about the vaccine’s effectiveness exceeding more than 60% or 70, the article highlighted.

Further, Joanna Shields, CEO of Benevolent, a drug development company, shared an article about how fake news on social media and other websites is making people cynical about the usefulness of Covid-19 vaccine. The vaccine needs to be administered to roughly 50%-80% of the global population for achieving herd immunity. Research states that approximately 54% of people across the world were willing to get vaccinated against Covid-19. The figure, however, declined to 46.7% due to the spread of misinformation in the digital world, the article noted.

Another discussion related to vaccines was shared by Keith Moore, CEO of CoverHound, an insurance technology company, about hackers from Russia and North Korea targeting online accounts of companies performing research on Covid-19 vaccines. Approximately seven top pharma firms and vaccine research organisation based out of the US, France, India, Canada and South Korea have faced cyberattacks, the article highlighted.

4. Government – 67 mentions

Venezuelan government collaborating with financial companies to help citizens, Denmark government’s decision to cull mink and UK government’s climate change strategy were some widely discussed topics in the previous month. Jeremy Allaire, CEO of Circle, a fintech company, shared an article about his company collaborating with the elected government of Venezuela and Airtm, a financial services firm, to aid the Venezuelan people.

The trio joined forces to distribute aid by harnessing USDC (US Dollar Coin), a digital stablecoin pegged to US dollar to sidestep censorship imposed by the incumbent president Nicolas Maduro’s regime over the domestic financial system. The companies aim to disburse

funds amounting to millions of dollars to help frontline Venezuelan medical workers, the article highlighted.

Jonathan Rothberg, further, shared an article about Denmark’s plan to kill millions of minks to curb the spread of coronavirus among their population. The government took this step as the virus strain that infected minks contains a mutation, that could potentially affect human immune system. The government planned to cull a total mink population of 17 million, the article noted.

Government was also discussed in an article shared by Jean-Marc Ollagnier, CEO of Accenture Europe, about UK government’s decision to impose a ban on cars and vans powered by diesel and petrol starting from 2030. The ban is being implemented as part of the country’s ‘green plan’ to contribute to the global climate change initiative and create roughly 250,000 new jobs in the country. The government is planning to spend $16bn to meet the green goals, including $1.75bn on setting up charge points for electric vehicles across the country, the article highlighted.

5. Sustainability – 58 mentions

Sustainability being the new business reality and Bureau Veritas’ sustainability strategies were some popular topics discussed in the month of November. According to an article shared by Marcelo Claure, CEO of SoftBank Group, a Japanese conglomerate holding company, the Covid-19 pandemic is forcing businesses to rethink their sustainability strategies.

Companies are compelled to acclimatise to a range of new environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards or risk becoming redundant. The concept of sustainability is here to stay, and companies and governments will have to design blueprints to meet global climate goals and align their strategies with the Paris Agreement, the article noted.

Another discussion surrounding sustainability was shared by Didier Michaud Daniel, CEO of Bureau Veritas, a global testing and certification company, about the firm’s plan to partner with other organisations to assist them in implementing sustainability strategies. Bureau Veritas operates in various fields and provides sustainability solutions, apart from engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) or ESG activities. It enables clients to reduce their carbon footprint, leveraging resources sustainably and implementing energy transition strategies, the article highlighted.