Speaking at an online forum hosted by Zenith Bizness Excellence titled “Reengineering Your Corporate Strategy” today, he said businesses could benefit from the outreach and readership of media companies.

“Business leaders should forge a close relationship with media organisations who can help carry their voice to policymakers, to shape policies that can help their businesses.

“They have to work together to pin down certain policies and tell legislators that changes or improvements are needed,” he said.

He said as established media organisations had the “eyes and ears” of the public and the government, their influence could be used to push for either change or stability in times of uncertainty.

This was especially important during the Covid-19 pandemic, with the economic repercussions still felt by many businesses, he said.

While he noted that political instability and constant policy changes would affect business strategies and budgeting, Azeem said opportunities would still arise in times of crisis.

“In times of crisis, businesses have to work with fewer resources to optimise their output and efficiency,” he said, adding that the tough job market during economic downturns had a silver lining in that more valuable talent was available.

He also urged companies to invest in young talent for new ideas and to drive business growth in the long-term.

In a separate panel discussion, Google Asia Pacific lead human resources business partner Anu Anand stressed the importance of cross-department collaborations within companies to make the most of their resources during the pandemic.

Setting clear roles and responsibilities as well as maintaining constant communication was key, she said.

The two-day forum also saw industry leaders from Frost & Sullivan, Axiata and Shell sharing their insights on the best practices for business strategy planning, talent recruitment and organisational culture.

It also featured speakers from Accenture, Huawei, Telenor and UOB.