TRUST, THE NEW CURRENCY OF SUCCESS
The global economy is now interconnected and integrated. Information travels at increasing speeds, with reputations that can be dismantled in minutes. Trust has emerged as the most valuable currency in corporate success, as a result.
Trust is an intangible asset, built through years of consistent performance and assurance. It now faces new threats that come from cyber vulnerabilities, amplification of social media perceptions, and an increasingly sceptical consumer.
When it comes to risk and compliance leaders, the challenge combines complex, sophisticated strategies that go beyond the traditional, familiar safeguards that protected corporate reputation in past years.
These new strategies will not only protect, but also actively strengthen both stakeholder and customer trust. For example, the PowerSchool data breach in December 2024, affecting 62 million individuals, illustrates how cyber threats can rapidly erode trust across multiple stakeholders.
Evolution of the trust equation
The contemporary business landscape has altered the trust equation. Historical trust-building relied on gradual, sustained reputation development through consistent service delivery, ethical conduct and a certain type of predictability. Today, the environment demands real-time trust management. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals a 30-point trust gap between those with high and low grievance levels, underscoring trust’s critical role in business performance. Stakeholder trust, which encompasses the confidence of investors, employees, regulators and communities, operates in concert with customer trust, which represents the more direct relationship between organisations and clients.
Jul-Sep 2025 Issue
General Bank of Canada