STEVE GREIG PRESENTS AT KRESTON GLOBAL WORLDWIDE CONFERENCE
Our Chief Executive Officer, Steve Greig, recently joined a panel of three business leaders at the Kreston Global Worldwide Conference, where he shared his experiences of expanding his UK business, O.C.O Technology, internationally into new markets and the importance of addressing ESG changes and regulations to provide a global service.
During the conference, results were shared from Kreston Global’s latest business leaders survey, the Interpreneur Report 2026, which provided an accurate reflection of business confidence when looking to expand internationally, highlighting that over a third of businesses already struggle to navigate regulatory, ESG and legal compliance when going global.
Traditionally, international growth has focused on entering new markets, managing trade and building supply chains, but success now depends on navigating overlapping ESG changes, managing country reporting rules and adapting to constantly evolving regulations.
Steve commented, “O.C.O is a relatively small and unique business which has only recently begun its journey into international expansion and during the conference, Andrew Griggs* commented on “not missing an opportunity” which strongly aligns with our strategy and business thinking.”
Although business leaders expressed a strong sense of optimism around international expansion, driven by stronger than expected growth in international trade, there is no single global standard. Every region expects a different approach. Reporting is becoming data heavy, structured, verified, and scrutinised, and the scope expands beyond your business to include your supply chain and stakeholders.
“Whatever the business, expanding overseas is not for the faint-hearted and often fraught with challenges. That said, it is hugely rewarding,” continued Steve
The biggest risk remains organisations seeing ESG as a reporting task but to be successful, it must be embedded into your international expansion strategy and used to shape market decisions.
Investing in local expertise will help businesses understand each market and breakdown barriers. It also helps align ESG capabilities earlier so they can be tailored to each market.
“In today’s world of pace, regulation, geopolitical tensions and technology (AI) growth, we very often miss the cultural impacts and influences these have on individuals and their societies. Therefore, it is important to remember that just because we may speak the same language, it doesn’t necessarily mean we share the same cultural values.”summarised Steve.
Whilst the ambition among business leaders to go global remains strong, they recognise the challenges that exist at a local level. They should not be discouraged and should remain focused on seizing the opportunity to expand internationally into new markets.
Read about our current international projects in Spain and in Japan .
*Andrew Griggs is Head of Global and Chairman of The Kreston Global Board