What’s Next in Management for the AI Era (Inside the Haier ZeroDX Awards 2026)

Written By mirko kleiner

By Mirko Kleiner | Blog Series | August 2026

The future of businesses won’t be shaped by AI alone. At the LAP Alliance, we connect Commerce with Leadership, New Operating Models, Business Ecosystems, and emerging Technologies to explore what it really takes to thrive in the AI Era.

One standout example is Haier — a global pioneer that transformed from a traditional manufacturer into an entrepreneurial ecosystem, inspiring progressive organizations worldwide while achieving remarkable, sustained 20% growth.

I’m honored to be part of a select group of international experts collaborating with the Haier Model Institute, alongside thought leaders including Gary Hamel (Humanocrazy), Bill Fischer, and Umberto Lago (Reinventing Giants).

This year, the LAP Alliance will once again join the Haier ZeroDX Forum & Awards — where pioneers from around the world come together to share how they are reinventing management.

In this new blog series, we’ll bring those insights to you: real cases, bold experiments, and practical lessons from the Haier Zero Distance Excellence Awards 2026 — exploring how AI, entrepreneurship, and business ecosystems are redefining the future of management.

And there’s something bigger coming.

20 Sept 2026

Stay tuned. We can’t wait to share what’s NEXT.

Post 1 - A Preview of the Haier ZeroDX Awards

In 2024, 70 global enterprises undergoing Zero Distance transformation actively participated in the ZeroDX Awards, generating significant international resonance. Last year already over 100 western companies alongside Chinese and asian pioneers joined the Awards. More and more organizations worldwide are adopting, practicing, and evolving new management concepts to get the maximum out of AI, deal with the new business challenges and the growing uncertaintyies (VUCA).

I’m proud to support the Awards with Case Nominations and giving a talk together with Bill Fischer and Umberto Lago.

Image source: HMI

In less than a month, the Haier Zero Distance Excellence Awards 2026 will once again take place in Qingdao, China. In this blog series, I’d like to give you a sneak peek of what to expect, some behind-the-scenes insights, and introduce you to our four outstanding nominees—each of whom has already implemented a New Management Model for the AI Era!

Image source: Mirko Kleiner - Paolo & Mirko with Zhang Ruimin Chairman Emeritus and Founder of Haier Group

This initiative offers participating enterprises from this year’s evaluation cycle exclusive opportunities for site visits and exchanges with leaders from Zero Distance benchmark companies, alongside collaborative development of the ZeroDX Announcement with the Zero Distance Community. The outcomes are scheduled for release at The 9th RenDanHeYi Model Leading Forum and the 3rd ZeroDX Awards in Qingdao, China on Sep 21th, 2026.

If I would point out something it’s the ZeroDX community and individual exchanges with the most progressive leaders on the planet such as Chairman Emeritus and Founder of Haier Group Zhang Ruimin.

Stay tuned for an inside look at their remarkable journeys and how they are transforming their industries with innovative, user-centric ecosystems.

Our Nominees

Like in the past 2 years we’ve nominated outstanding success stories from around the world:

P3 Group

  • Germany🇩🇪 / global 🌏

  • Consultancy

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P3 Group – The Unusual Technology Consultancy Company That Reinvents Itself Every Year
P3 Group – The Unusual Technology Consultancy Company That Reinvents Itself Every Year

P3 Group is an international technology and engineering company founded in 1996 as a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Society in Aachen, Germany. Today, P3 employs approximately 2,000 people across multiple countries and has continuously reinvented itself over nearly three decades - From an engineering consultancy into a technology company and increasingly an AI-driven innovation company.

What makes P3 unique is that its entrepreneurial culture was not created through a transformation program. It emerged naturally from the founders' beliefs and has remained remarkably consistent while the company scaled internationally.

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Embraer

  • Brazil 🇧🇷 / global 🌏

  • Airplane Manufacturing / Defense

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How Embraer Reinvented Aftermarket Contracting Around the Customer
How Embraer Reinvented Aftermarket Contracting Around the Customer

In aviation, complexity is unavoidable. Bureaucracy does not have to be.

Embraer, one of the world’s leading aerospace companies, provides its airline customers with a broad portfolio of aftermarket services throughout the lifecycle of an aircraft. These range from spare parts and digital services to technical support, training, engineering services and even the temporary provision of pilots and mechanics.

Yet accessing these services could involve something familiar to many large organizations: another contract, another legal review and another negotiation.

The spark for changing this came directly from a customer.

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Gel Studios

  • UK 🇬🇧

  • Creative

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GEL Studios: An emergent Journey towards the RDHY model
GEL Studios: An emergent Journey towards the RDHY model

GEL Studios is a purpose-led creative agency based in Swindon, Wiltshire, UK. They operate at the intersection of human-centred design, digital delivery and positive change. GEL Studios was founded by Graeme Leighfield in 2013 with a staff of 2 and has grown into one of the largest creative agencies in South West England.

The purpose-led approach was key to the founder, Graeme, from the point of starting the company. Growing the agency through a principled approach was a fundamental decision Graeme made when establishing the company. Initially, the focus was on customer satisfaction.

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Mercedes

  • Germany🇩🇪 / global 🌏

  • Automotive

foryouandyourcustomers

  • Switzerland🇨🇭 / global 🌏

  • Consultancy / Software

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From Company to Ecosystem: Expanding Entrepreneurship Beyond Organizational Boundaries
From Company to Ecosystem: Expanding Entrepreneurship Beyond Organizational Boundaries

foryouandyourcustomers is a leading European consultancy specializing in digital and organizational change, emphasizing a value-driven, decentralized approach. Founded by Jonathan Moeller, Stephan Mueller and Robert Josef Stadler in 2010, foryouandyourcustomers operates on the belief that organisations should serve the personal development of their employees, fostering a space for individuals and collective to grow, innovate and thrive. With 15 locations across six countries, foryouandyourcustomers employs 200 professionals who work autonomously within independent "cells" while aligning with the company's core values. 

Over time, however, a new challenge emerged. While the cell structure proved highly successful for scaling the consulting business, more and more new opportunities arose that no longer fitted naturally within the existing organizational boundaries. Some ideas evolved into new products, others into entirely new businesses, while still others required different brands, capabilities or market positioning.

Read more →

Next Post - Insights from the ZeroDX Awards 2026

Stay tuned for the upcoming posts in this series!

All Posts of this Series

Post 1 - The ZeroDX Forum & Awards 2026

Post 2 - P3 Group Case Study

Post 3 - Embraer Case Study

Post 4 - Gel Studios Case Study

Post 5 - Mercedes Case Study

Post 6 - foryouandyourcustomers Case Study

Post 7 - The Haier ZeroDX Awards 2026 (Staytuned - later in Sep/Oct)

mirko kleiner
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From Company to Ecosystem: Expanding Entrepreneurship Beyond Organizational Boundaries