Call them changemakers. Call them rule breakers. We call them Redefiners. And in this provocative podcast, we explore how daring leaders from across industries ...
Paws, Purpose & Profit: A Conversation with Pets at Home CEO Lyssa McGowan
The global pet industry is expected to grow from $320 billion today to nearly $500 billion by 2030, as more pet parents treat their pets like their own children, often sparing no expense on their pets’ nutrition, health, and wellness. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, today’s episode features a conversation with Simon, Hoda and Lyssa McGowan, CEO of Pets at Home, the UK’s leading pet care business. Lyssa will “shed” some light on how she’s “grooming” Pets at Home for growth by creating an omnichannel pet care platform in the UK. She talks about how she balances keeping what works in a purpose-driven organization while adding new capacity in data and technology. She’ll also share her insights on how and when she uses customer feedback to develop new products and services. We'll also hear from Hetty Pye, leadership advisor and co-founder of RRA Artemis, a movement designed to accelerate the development of women from the world’s most influential organizations into the CEO seat. Hetty will discuss our latest research on the media’s representation of women CEOs. Four things you’ll learn from this episode: What are the key barriers getting in the way of more women becoming CEOs and how to get past them How to lead through rapid scaling and a subsequent slowdown How a unified customer platform, data, and AI create consistent customer experience at scale What role customer feedback plays in shaping product and service innovations If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Exploring the Art of Possible with Google and Alphabet President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat Leadership Lounge: How to develop your personal leadership brand Talking Tough Decisions with TCW President and CEO Katie Koch Leadership Lounge: Why are there so few women in the CEO seat? Leadership Lounge: How to nail your first year as CEO Outwork the Competition: Jordan Brand’s Winning Strategy with President Sarah Mensah
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Digging Deep: Leadership, Growth & Risk with BHP CEO Mike Henry
The world needs more metals, minerals, and natural resources to fuel the global economy, power the energy transition, and feed a growing population. As the CEO of the world’s largest mining company, BHP’s Mike Henry is redefining his business in a competitive industry which is projected to grow to $2.8 trillion by 2028. In today’s episode, Clarke digs into Mike’s leadership lessons and insights, including his career journey, his CEO transition in the midst of two major crises, and the advantages of being a global citizen living and working in multiple countries. Mike shares how he balances growth alongside risk, safety, and respecting communities in the company’s mining efforts. He also talks about the BHP Operating System, which serves as the foundation for how BHP’s 90,000 employees continuously improve and make decisions in the face of uncertainty on a day-to-day basis. Four things you’ll learn from this episode: How BHP is decarbonizing and becoming more sustainable while meeting growing global demand How an Operating System can help ground company culture and drive continuous improvement across the organization How to balance growth with risk, safety, and working with local governments and communities How technology and an internal venture capital arm can power a culture innovation If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Talking Transformational Leadership with RRA’s CEO Constantine Alexandrakis AI or Die: A Conversation with Coveo Chairman and CEO Louis Têtu Leadership Lounge: How to develop your personal leadership brand Waste In, Shareholder Value Out: A Conversation with WM President and CEO Jim Fish Putting Sustainability Talk into Action with former Enel CEO Francesco Starace Leadership Lounge: What do top-performing teams have in common? How the Barely Possible Can Overcome the Barely Solvable with First Mode’s Chris Voorhees
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How can family enterprise leaders stay ahead in a fast-changing world?
We explore how family enterprise leaders can strike the right balance between preserving their organization's legacy and adapting to an evolving business landscape. How can family enterprise leaders stay ahead in a fast-changing world? Family enterprises are the backbone of economies worldwide, but their leaders face an increasingly critical challenge: how to preserve their organizations' legacies in a fast-changing world. What makes some family enterprises thrive across generations while others struggle to adapt? How can leaders maintain what made their organization successful while meeting the demands of a new business landscape? And what skills will the next generation of family enterprise leaders need to navigate an increasingly complex future? In this episode of Leadership Lounge, we talk to some of our trusted advisors—Justus O'Brien, Anupama Puranik, Diego Esteban, and Peter Gramkov—who share their perspectives on: How successful family enterprises maintain their core values while adapting to market changes Why engaging the next generation is critical for innovation and growth How to navigate tension during periods of transformation What skills future family enterprise leaders will need to thrive "One key skill that leaders need is emotional intelligence. You need to understand what is going on in the family. You need to understand the values. But it's super important not only to understand potentially one generation, but several generations.” Peter Gramkov, Leadership Advisor, Russell Reynolds Associates. Four things you'll learn from this episode Values and traditions are the heart of every family enterprise. Next-generation leaders must understand the importance of carrying them forward. Keeping pace with transformation can be the difference between whether a family enterprise can endure across generations—or not. The most successful family enterprises approach succession proactively rather than in reaction to a leadership departure or crisis. Exceptional family enterprise leaders combine strong business acumen with emotional intelligence, active listening, and the confidence to challenge constructively. In this 17-minute episode, we will cover: (00:01:31) How successful family enterprises balance preservation and progress (00:06:06) The role of independent board directors in driving change (00:09:23) How to create personalized development paths for future leaders (00:12:20) Why active listening skills are critical for transformation (00:13:47) What the future holds for family enterprises globally A closer look at the research from this episode: Family Enterprise Advisory Global Leadership Monitor H1 2024 Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.
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AI or Die: A Conversation with Coveo Chairman and CEO Louis Têtu
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a key topic in C-suite and board room discussions these days; one with the potential to redefine or at least impact every aspect of business and society. Leaders around the world and across industries are racing to figure out how to best implement the technology to gain efficiencies, increase productivity, and ultimately grow their business. Today, Hoda and Simon talk with serial entrepreneur and Coveo Chairman and CEO Louis Têtu to help shed some light on how leaders can harness the power of AI in their business. With more than 25 years in the tech industry, Louis shares his perspectives on how leaders can take advantage of AI transformation and what mistakes to look out for. He’ll talk about the importance of AI ethics, and how leaders can navigate the culture change that AI brings to an organization. He’ll also share how AI and GenAI can create better experiences for their customers and employees. And as someone who’s worked with and served on several boards, he’ll talk about what goes into building a successful board and the power of optimism. We'll also hear from Harpreet Khurana, Chief Digital and Data Analytics Officer at RRA. Harpreet will outline the risk when organizations don’t use AI ethically and sets out RRA’s people-first approach to responsible AI. Read more about our RRA’s Responsible AI Principles. Four things you’ll learn from this episode: How leaders can leverage AI in their organizations and how that might impact how they lead their teams What leaders need to keep in mind when it comes to AI ethics and culture change What goes into building a successful board Leadership tips on building a successful company If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Talking Transformational Leadership with RRA’s CEO Constantine Alexandrakis Exploring the Art of Possible with Google and Alphabet President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat Leadership Lounge: Unleashing AI’s potential: Are you ready to lead the charge? Driving Transformation with Volvo Cars President and CEO Jim Rowan Leadership Lounge: How can leaders succeed in a Gen-AI-driven world? A Front Row Seat to the AI Revolution with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith – Part 1 and Part 2
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Talking Transformational Leadership with RRA’s CEO Constantine Alexandrakis
In today’s fast-paced, competitive business landscape, hiring and developing future-ready, transformational C-suite leaders is critical to organizational success. Making the wrong hiring decision can often lead to higher costs, damage to workplace culture, or worse. So what are the key things to keep in mind as you think about the leaders who can help take your organization to the next level? In our first episode of Season 5, Simon sits down with Russell Reynolds Associates’ own CEO, Constantine Alexandrakis, to talk about what to look for in transformational C-suite leaders and how to use leadership assessment tools – like RRA’s Leadership Portrait – to find them. He’ll reveal how to take the next step in building transformational teams and what makes them successful. He’ll also share tips from his own CEO journey and the steps he took to prepare for that transition to nail his first year in the role. We'll also hear from Erin Zolna, a leadership advisor in our New York office, who will outline our latest research on the skills that leaders need in a fast-changing world. Four things you’ll learn from this episode: How to start well when stepping into a new CEO role How to assess transformational leaders and why it’s important before they take on leadership roles What makes transformational teams different and how they operate What C-suite leaders are thinking about AI and the top challenges they’re facing If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Exploring the Art of Possible with Google and Alphabet President and Chief Investment Officer Ruth Porat Leadership Lounge: How to Future-Proof Your Leadership Talking Tough Decisions with TCW President and CEO Katie Koch Leadership Lounge: How to nail your first year as CEO Unpacking Leadership Lessons with Marriott International President and CEO Tony Capuano
Call them changemakers. Call them rule breakers. We call them Redefiners. And in this provocative podcast, we explore how daring leaders from across industries and around the globe are redefining their organizations—and themselves—to create extraordinary impact in today’s rapidly changing world.In each episode, Russell Reynolds Associates Leadership Advisor Hoda Tahoun and former CEO Clarke Murphy host engaging, purposeful conversations with leaders in and out of the business world who share their insights and perspectives on how they lead, boldly. You’ll come away with fresh ideas and tangible takeaways on how you can redefine your own leadership trajectory – no matter where you are on your journey. Our Hosts:Clarke Murphy Clarke Murphy is the former Chief Executive Officer of Russell Reynolds Associates and serves on the Board of Directors. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was the Global Leader of the firm's CEO/Board Services Practice.While at Russell Reynolds Associates, Clarke has conducted a number of significant projects in the industry, including Fortune 100 board searches and CEO successions. In addition, he has led notable searches in the private equity industry including searches for the Carlyle Group and Warburg Pincus.Hoda TahounAs a leadership advisor and leader of the global Leisure & Hospitality Practice at RRA, Hoda Tahoun identifies, assesses, and develops dynamic C-suite leaders for global hospitality, travel, and leisure companies. Based in Miami, Hoda helps clients solve their most pressing leadership issues at the CEO, C-suite, and other executive-levels. She also advises clients on customer-centric, go-to-market leadership roles such as chief marketing officers and chief experience officers. Hoda is committed to reshaping the hospitality and leisure landscape to ensure it is an industry that leads with purpose, value, and wellbeing and continues to attract and retain talent across all facets of diversity.Hoda spent more than seven years working for a boutique executive search firm, rising to the title of principal where she worked closely with hotel management companies, cruise lines and private equity firms. Previously, Hoda was an assistant vice president at SHUAA Capital in Dubai where she led the firm’s investment banking efforts. She has also worked at American Express, Bank of America and Citi.