Meet The Leader
In these one-on-one conversations, host Linda Lacina interviews the world's top leaders, change-makers and experts on the solutions they're building to tackle the world's biggest challenges, the habits they can’t work without, and their lessons learned, all from the World Economic Forum. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How pro basketball and theoretical physics shaped one health tech CEO
06/30/2025
How pro basketball and theoretical physics shaped one health tech CEO
Non-communicable diseases like stroke and heart disease have swapped spots with infectious diseases as top global killers. Improving health access -- whether in the developed or emerging world -- can save the lives of billions. CEO Bernd Montag explains how Siemens Healthineers is partnering with providers around the world to deliver technologies and help reduce the complexities that can stand in the way of efficient treatment. He’ll also share his own unique background -- as a professional basketball player and later theoretical physicist -- and how it shaped how he makes decisions and leads. This interview was recorded January 2025 at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. About this episode: Video podcast: Transcript: Related podcasts: Bridging the gap in women's health technology, policy and more: Kearney: Tackling these surprising blindspots can bridge gender gaps in health, opportunity and more:
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A Gen Z founder on breaking down big stigmas and surviving hustle-culture burnout
06/19/2025
A Gen Z founder on breaking down big stigmas and surviving hustle-culture burnout
Nadya Okamoto launched her nonprofit Period as a teenager at the height of startup mania, hustle culture and girlboss memes. It grew to become one of the largest youth nonprofits in the world, but the fast growth led to burnout and a harsh cost to her well-being. She talks about how she learned to value rest, set boundaries and get 10 hours of sleep a day – and the moment she decided to pass the leadership torch for the organization’s next phase. Her non-profit Period, one that got started distributing menstrual pads to the homeless in San Francisco, and her current startup August, a menstruation care brand, both deal with tackling access to women's health products, health equity and ending period poverty. She discusses the unique challenges leaders face in this space and the boundary pushing ways she leverages social media and grassroots organizing to bridge gaps in awareness and funding and drive positive conversations and change. She also shares her lessons from her work in non-profits, policy work and startups on how any leader can be more accountable to what their organization needs right now. About this episode: August: Period: Related report: Prescription for Change: Policy Recommendations for Women’s Health Research: Blueprint to Close the Women's Health Gap: How to Improve Lives and Economies for All: Related podcasts: 7 women leaders on the books that shaped their lives: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/7-women-leaders-books-recommendations/ Bridging the gap in women's health research, policy and innovation: Kearney https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/paula-bellostas-muguerza-kearney-womens-health/ How bridging design gaps in science and tech can tackle gender bias:
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7 women leaders on the books that shaped them
06/12/2025
7 women leaders on the books that shaped them
In this special collection episode, top women leaders in business, non-profits and more share the books that inspired them, informed them and changed their minds. These books will make you take a second read of a classic - whether it's a favorite business book or an Agatha Christie mystery. And these insightful picks will have you thinking differently about a range of big problems, from geography's role in a fractured society to how transit design can widen gender gaps. These books will help you get sharper at your role -- and even find new ways to make room for joy. Global Gender Gap Report 2025: Leaders featured in this episode: Liz Centoni, Chief Customer Experience Officer, Cisco Alicia Chong Rodriguez, founder, Bloomer Tech Nadya Okamoto Founder, August Kara Alaimo, professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University Makiko Ono, CEO, Suntory Beverage and Food Angela Oduor Lungati, Executive Director, Ushahidi Yie-Hsin Hung, CEO, State Street Global Advisors Books mentioned in this episode: , by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi , Jim Collins by Marina Gerner by Adrienne Marie Brown , Kate Manne , Mikki Kendall , Caroline Criado-Perez Agatha Christie Mysteries , Tim Marshall Check out all our podcasts on : - - : - : - : Join the :
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Bridging the gap in women's health research, policy and innovation: Kearney
05/22/2025
Bridging the gap in women's health research, policy and innovation: Kearney
Women's health is under-researched and under-funded, leading women to live longer in poor health than men. However, tackling this gap can boost lifespans and GDP, a fact Paula Bellostas Muguerza understands well. This global head of healthcare and life sciences at consulting firm Kearney, discusses the role that policy and collaboration can play in creating incentives for real change, and driving awareness and education. She'll talk about [w]Health, a special platform she helped found that has grown into a community of 350 organizations sharing best practices to bridge gaps and what leaders can do to make change happen for their own organizations. About this episode: Kearney: [w]Health: Prescription for Change: Policy Recommendations for Women’s Health Research: Related podcasts: How bridging design gaps in science and tech can tackle gender bias: Tackling these surprising blindspots can bridge gender gaps in health, opportunity and more:
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We’re ‘losing the war’ on modern slavery: What business leaders can do - HPE’s John Schultz
05/19/2025
We’re ‘losing the war’ on modern slavery: What business leaders can do - HPE’s John Schultz
Slavery is not a problem cast to the annals of history. Modern slavery and forced labour are hidden in plain sight, found everywhere from nail salons to pristine factories, estimated to impact millions worldwide. Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s John Schultz explains more about this worsening problem and how it impacts economies and communities. He also explains how data and artificial intelligence are being leveraged in new ways to draw insights from sources such as from shipping reports, photos, supply chain data and victim impact statements to tackle this issue in a way that’s never been possible before. He shares the collaborations in place that are broadening data pools and the simple question business leaders must ask to dig deeper into their own firms to make real change possible. This interview was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland, January 2025. About this episode: HPE: About the World Economic Forum’s Global Data Partnership Against Forced Labour: Photographer Lisa Kristine: About this podcast:Transcript: Related Podcasts:What most people get wrong about progress: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker: Understanding the housing affordability crisis - and what’s needed to fix it: Habitat for Humanity CEO:
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Protect employability, not just jobs: Adecco exec on effective coaching and upskilling
05/05/2025
Protect employability, not just jobs: Adecco exec on effective coaching and upskilling
Staffing giant president Christophe Catoir of Adecco got an early start at the firm as an intern. He’s had a front-row seat to how work has evolved since. He shares the insights from the firm’s annual skilling report, giving compelling statistics on the percent of workers globally trained in AI so far and what’s needed to keep workers both engaged and employed as upskilling cycles accelerate. He also shares his thoughts on how leaders in remote and hybrid workplaces will need to re-evaluate how they coach and train teams, how apprenticeship thinking can help, and how his own career journey has changed him as a leader. This interview was recorded in January 2025 at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. About this podcast: Adecco: https://www.adecco-jobs.com/ Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/christophe-catoir-Adecco-upskilling-ai-jobs Related Podcasts: Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist:
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‘I’ll show you a real leader’ - Platon, the photographer of power, on finding humanity in all of us
04/22/2025
‘I’ll show you a real leader’ - Platon, the photographer of power, on finding humanity in all of us
Platon has made over 20 Time magazine covers with his portraits of people such as Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, George Clooney, Silvio Berlusconi, Mohammed Ali, Adele and Sinead O'Connor. But he has also photographed people who are the opposite of famous and powerful - and recently published a book called The Defenders: Heroes of the Global Fight for Human Rights - which contains work done over 15 years around the world telling the stories of refugees and other oppressed people. He tells us what makes a true leader, and how the meaning of a photograph can change over time, and depending on who is looking at it. Video version of this interview: Links: Platon is a World Economic Forum Cultural Leader Transcript: Related Podcasts: Meet The Leader - Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Ballerina Misty Copeland: Unlocking potential and a leader’s most ‘vital’ role: Check out all our podcasts on : - - : - : - : Join the :
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The 'triple strength' leaders must develop to drive a sustainable future: OMV CEO
04/16/2025
The 'triple strength' leaders must develop to drive a sustainable future: OMV CEO
How can we live more sustainably? OMV's Alfred Stern takes us through the big innovations the Austrian energy and chemicals company has in progress, including a geothermal heating project that will help to decarbonise Vienna by 2040. But he also shares the bigger tactical pieces that must be in place for real change, from updating mundane practices like permitting to continually educating staff (from execs to those in the field) on topics like measuring methane and ways to curb emissions. This former research scientist who got his start in academia also shares what his background taught him about the difference between inventing and innovating, how he weighs evidence and honest feedback, and the mindset that leaders will need need to build nimble teams empowered to drive change for the future. About this episode: OMV: About OMV's climate neutral heating districts: Transcript: Related podcasts: How one founder's design background is helping to rethink EV charging in cities: An energy company is building the world's largest airplane. Here's why:
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The ‘inevitable’ caregiving cost nightmare: One young founder's story and solution
04/14/2025
The ‘inevitable’ caregiving cost nightmare: One young founder's story and solution
Lily Vittayarukskul was a college student at just 14 and on track for a career in aerospace engineering. However, an aunt’s cancer battle later upended those plans, wreaking havoc on her family and their finances. The experience inspired her to launch the AI-powered startup Waterlily, helping people better predict expenses for getting older, including eldercare or assisted living, costs most don’t realize aren’t fully covered by either health insurance or Medicare. In this talk, Lily wades through the mounting data showing how super-ageing societies will struggle to afford long-term care needs. She also shares the tough lessons her personal story taught her and what others can do to prepare for an aging economy. This interview was recorded January 2025 at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland About this episode: Waterlily: Related World Economic Forum Initiatives: Waterlily is an Uplink Innovator About Uplink: About the Uplink / Manulife - Prosperity in Longevity Challenge World Economic Forum Longevity Economy Initiative: Related Podcasts: Meet The Leader - Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait Meet The Leader - How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist:
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What you might get wrong about progress - lessons for leaders: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker
04/07/2025
What you might get wrong about progress - lessons for leaders: Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker
Renowned Harvard cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker studies the big questions facing human nature: Why do we fight? What helps us get along? How do we understand the world around us? His research has uncovered an insight we might not expect – that humanity is doing better than we might think. Despite host of major challenges that still exist, from geopolitical unrest to climate change, data shows that humans today live longer, face fewer wars, and live more comfortable lives than in preceding generations. He explains why a better understanding of progress and its uneven nature can help us better appreciate the unique moment of time in which we live, avoid decision-making blindspots and strengthen leaders’ confidence to solve the big complex problems we still face. This interview was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland in January 2025. About this episode: Steven Pinker: Future of Jobs report: Video podcast version of this interview: Transcript: Related Podcasts: Adam Grant: Future leaders won't succeed without this key trait How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist
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Ballet changed Misty Copeland’s life. How it could shape a new generation of leaders
04/01/2025
Ballet changed Misty Copeland’s life. How it could shape a new generation of leaders
How can we recognize potential and unlock it? Misty Copeland was the first Black woman to be promoted to principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. But as a child she almost quit after her first class – until an early teacher convinced her to return. Misty talks to Meet The Leader about the ways dance changed how she navigated life and how it taught her key skills such as resilience, empathy and curiosity. She shares how she uses her perspective and experience to found the Misty Copeland Foundation and develop a free afterschool program that reinvents how dance is taught to bridge diversity gaps while also teaching key leadership skills. She shares why these skills and approaches are vital to driving future change and what any leader can learn about elevating others. This interview was recorded in January 2025 at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. To learn more: Misty Copeland Foundation: Arts & Culture at the World Economic Forum: Special Open Forum Screening: Flower: Dancing Through Adversity: How can art drive equality for women? Two cultural trailblazers weigh in: About this episode: Transcript: Related Podcasts: Radio Davos: Dance or die: the ballet dancer who faced down Al Qaeda to become the voice of stateless refugees:
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Understanding spatial computing -- and how leaders can prep for the next tech shift
03/26/2025
Understanding spatial computing -- and how leaders can prep for the next tech shift
Spatial computing will extend computing beyond screens. In the process it could change how we communicate and interact with technology as a whole -- transforming how we work, how we learn, how we preserve memories, and even what can be owned (with issues like virtual air rights highlighting new business opportunities and regulatory challenges). Future Dynamics founder and spatial computing expert Cathy Hackl will share what to expect and what's needed to scale this field further (or what could hold it back). She'll also explain how companies and leaders should be preparing and reveal the advice she gives CEOs to help them get ready for this tech shift and the workforce that will come with it, Gen Alpha. About this episode: Transcript: Related podcast: Radio Davos: Spatial computing: why the future of the internet is 3D
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How ‘positive masculinity’ can bridge gender gaps - and improve men's and women’s lives at work and home
03/06/2025
How ‘positive masculinity’ can bridge gender gaps - and improve men's and women’s lives at work and home
Masculinity is having a moment. Leveraging it - in the right way - can help men and women succeed while bridging the gender gap both at work and at home. Gary Barker is the founder of Equimundo, a non-profit dedicated to research and solutions that help bring men into connected, equitable, caring versions of manhood. He shares the insights gleaned since this organization’s founding more than a decade ago – a group that has collected the largest dataset on men, masculinity and gender equality and that publishes the only global report on men’s involvement in parenting and care work. He breaks down the blindspots that can hold organizations back and the best practices that can drive the much needed norm changes. To learn more: Equimundo: World Economic Forum Gender Gap Report, 2024: Related podcasts: IKEA HR chief shares decades of career lessons learned and what’s needed to bridge the gender equity gap: How bridging design gaps in science and tech can tackle gender bias:
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Adam Grant: The key trait future leaders need to succeed - and rethinking the classic workday
02/28/2025
Adam Grant: The key trait future leaders need to succeed - and rethinking the classic workday
Big shifts must happen to ready teams for a work future that requires agile thinking and new forms of collaboration. Organizational psychologist, best-selling author and Wharton professor Adam Grant shares research-backed strategies that help develop leaders and work relationships across an organization as well as help teams practice critical soft skills like analysis and creativity that are often overlooked and undervalued. He explains why future workers will need to become “job crafters,” and the one trait leaders won’t be able to work without. He’ll also share what a college job as a magician taught him about engaging skeptics (and prompting critical thinking) and why he swears by keeping a “To-Don’t” list. This interview was recorded in January 2025 at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland About this episode: -Adam grant: YouTube: Podcast: -Future of Jobs Report: Related Podcasts: -How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist: -Upskilling, tapping human talents, and what's really needed for the future of work: Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar:
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IMF's Gita Gopinath: What's ahead for economic growth in 2025 - and what leaders must do now
01/22/2025
IMF's Gita Gopinath: What's ahead for economic growth in 2025 - and what leaders must do now
How will inflation, conflict and technological change shape economies in the year ahead? The International Monetary Fund’s First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath sat down with Meet The Leader at the World Economic Forum‘s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland to share what's next for global growth. She identified the statistics that she found most compelling and the risks and opportunities leaders must prioritize in 2025. She also described the pivot countries will need to make in fiscal policy to tackle historic levels of global public debt (levels that could hit the $100 trillion mark) and how "optimism bias" could stand in the way. This special episode of interview of Meet The Leader was recorded at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. About the research cited: IMF World Economic Outlook: Find a transcript here:
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Tackling these surprising blindspots can bridge gender gaps in health, opportunity and more
01/21/2025
Tackling these surprising blindspots can bridge gender gaps in health, opportunity and more
To truly close the gender gap, we’ll need to address the menstrual health gap. A lack of access to hygiene care, solutions, education and more holds back those who menstruate at school and work, leading to real knock-on effects to the economy. Sahil Tesfu, the Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer for health and hygiene company Essity Group, breaks down how age-old taboos related to women’s health have led to big barriers for social progress and the simple changes that leaders in business can make to boost workplace health, psychological safety and productivity. She also shares lessons learned from her long consulting career including how a different approach to check-ins can be more effective than the standard status update in driving team progress, clarity and empowerment. For more on this episode: Related episodes: How bridging design gaps in science and tech can tackle gender bias:
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Ray Dalio: The climate crisis is ‘expensive,’ ‘existential’ - How bridging climate finance gaps can help
01/16/2025
Ray Dalio: The climate crisis is ‘expensive,’ ‘existential’ - How bridging climate finance gaps can help
Climate change is one of 5 forces reshaping the world order, according to Ray Dalio, the founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates and a student of history who has tracked centuries of patterns in economics and geopolitics for his series of best-selling books. He explains how climate change will power a global transformation of economies and societies that’s both “existential” and potentially “catastrophic.” He’ll share how bridging climate finance gaps can mitigate the worst impacts of a warming planet and how smart use of climate philanthropy can de-risk the investments needed for critical innovations and progress. This interview was recorded August 2024 in the World Economic Forum Headquarters in Geneva About this episode: GAEA (Giving to Amplify Earth Action):
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2025 is a ‘pivotal year’ for job transformation - How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist
01/14/2025
2025 is a ‘pivotal year’ for job transformation - How leaders can prepare teams for the future of work: ADP’s Chief Economist
Changes in demographics, technologies and geopolitics will create a net 78 million new jobs by 2030. But current workforces are not yet skilled for these jobs and 40% of the skills needed on the job are set to change. ADP’s Chief Economist Nela Richardson breaks down research from the latest World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report and key findings from ADP data - including the dramatic boost to wages upskilling could bring to some workers. She’ll explain why experts might soon be focused on task creation, not job creation, what soft skills will be valued more than ever and how leaders can help prepare their teams for a new future. She’ll also share lessons learned from her own professional journey including how competing on her high school debate team has shaped how she communicates and connects with people to this day – and the two words she uses more than any other as a leader. About this episode: ADP: ADP Research Institute: Article, ADP CEO Maria Black, Solving for human connection in the Intelligent Age: Future of Jobs Report: Related Podcasts: Upskilling, tapping human talents, and what's really needed for the future of work: Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar:
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Understanding the housing affordability crisis - and what’s needed to fix it: Habitat for Humanity CEO
01/10/2025
Understanding the housing affordability crisis - and what’s needed to fix it: Habitat for Humanity CEO
Around the world, affordable housing is becoming less and less easy to attain. Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford lays out in plain language the state of global housing, the barriers to affordability and the practical steps that can tackle this crisis, including the solutions this global housing organization is helping get into place. He also shares lessons from his unique career journey - one that included talking himself into a job at an investment bank after college and later coaching the South Korean Olympic rowing team - and what he learned from the leaders who shaped him, including the late US president Jimmy Carter and grandmother Millicent Fenwick, the fashion editor and former US representative.
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Upskilling, tapping human talents, and what's really needed for the future of work: Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar
01/08/2025
Upskilling, tapping human talents, and what's really needed for the future of work: Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar
Workplaces are poised for a step change in how they leverage (and partner with) technology and how they tap human talents. Cognizant CEO Ravi Kumar shares insights from special research the company commissioned on how enterprise organizations can better harness tech disruptions. He discusses this research that mapped thousands of occupations and tasks and how they’ll shape our need for upskilling. He also shares lessons learned from his own background, including his training as a nuclear scientist, and how that helps him embed curiosity and experimentation into teams and why a collaborative approach that empowers people with a variety of backgrounds will be key to driving innovation in the years ahead. About this episode: Cognizant: Future of Jobs Report: Reskilling Revolution:
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‘Do it nearly right, but do it now’ - How effective leaders navigate change and disrupt sectors: Disruption Report
12/12/2024
‘Do it nearly right, but do it now’ - How effective leaders navigate change and disrupt sectors: Disruption Report
Consultancy AlixPartners works with top companies around the world, giving it a front row seat at how industries are changing. Its annual Disruption Index takes an even closer look at these changes surveying leaders to understand the biggest opportunities and challenges they see, all while identifying the tipping points ahead in everything from global labor markets to technologies. CEO Simon Freakley breaks down surprising insights from the Index’s fifth edition, including the ways leaders have become more adept at handling change since COVID and the skills CEOs say they need to strengthen now. He uses his own experience to put key takeaways into sharp focus, sharing the traits effective technology leaders must develop and the tactical questions they must ask themselves to navigate disruption and eventually drive the transformation of their sectors. For more information: AlixPartners: 2024 Disruption Index: Related podcasts: What’s next for data driven medicine - and what AI-powered innovation needs now: Insitro CEO Daphne Koller: Build a culture of innovation: HPE's CTO shares what must be in place: 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions:
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13 leaders share the books that changed how they live, think and lead: 2024 Books Roundup
12/10/2024
13 leaders share the books that changed how they live, think and lead: 2024 Books Roundup
Looking for a new read? Something that will make you sharper in 2025 or something for that hard-to-buy-for person on your list? Or maybe you just want closer access to the ideas shaping today's brightest changemakers. No matter the reason, look no further than our annual books roundup, an episode collecting books that have transformed how some of the top global leaders manage teams, get inspired and motivated, shift mindsets and more. This year's recommendations include fresh takes on classic business books, histories, time-honored works of literature, and new favorites that can change how you build and lead. Leaders and their book selections: Leader: Alexi Robichaux, CEO, BetterUp Book Selection: Boyd Varty's Liontracker’s Guide to Life: Leader: : Book Selection: Eliyahu Moshe Goldratt's The Goal: Leader: Sahil Tesfu, Chief Strategy Officer, Essity Book Selection: Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a ****: Leader: Christopher Oakes, CEO, Reefgen Book Selection: Cal Newport's A World Without Email: Leader: Book Selection: Brian Merchant's Blood in the Machine: Leader: Serge Raemaekers, CEO, ABOLOBI Book Selection: Jim Collins' The Flywheel Effect: Leader: , CEO, Zum Book Selection: Clayton Christensen's The Innovator’s Dillemma: Leader: Jordan Justus, Automotus Book Selection: Matt Ridley's How Innovation Works: Leader: Catalina Cock Duque, founder, Fundacion mi Sangre Book Selection: Otto Scharmer's Leading from the Emerging Future: Leader: Christophe Catoir, President, Adecco Book Selection: W. Henry Gilbert's Homo erectus: Leader: Kara Alaimo, Professor and author, Fairleigh Dickinson University Book Selection: Kate Manne's Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny: Book Selection: Mikki Kendall's Hood Feminism: Book Selection: 's Invisible Women: https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Women-Data-World-Designed/dp/1419729071 Leader: Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Book Selection: J. R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings Series: Leader: Florian Hoffman, Founder, The Do Book Selection: Voltaire's Candide:
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What a single mom who took on the prison system can teach about making change happen
12/06/2024
What a single mom who took on the prison system can teach about making change happen
Jessica Jackson understands the damage wreaked by excessive incarceration and supervision. As a young mother with a two-month old on her hip, she watched her husband be sentenced to six years in prison, being pulled into a system impacting millions in the US alone - one that erodes families and communities and restricts opportunities for stable lives after release. This life-changing experience drove this housewife just only a GED to go to college, then law school, and then become a human rights attorney driving a movement for reform. She talks about her work running The Reform Alliance as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Advocacy Officer, a non-profit that has passed 18 bipartisan bills in 11 states that have created pathways for more than 850,000 people to exit the system. She also shares why tackling stigma and isolation is so key to future progress on this issue and the personal traits that she’s depended on the most to overcome hurdles and challenges. About this episode: The Reform Alliance: Young Global Leaders: Future of Leadership Series: Jessica is a Young Global Leader, a group of more than 1,400 innovators, entrepreneurs, technology pioneers, educators, activists, artists, journalists, and more, working to make change happen. This is the first in an ongoing series spotlighting leaders from this community.
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13 top leaders from IKEA, Microsoft and more share the advice they're grateful for
11/20/2024
13 top leaders from IKEA, Microsoft and more share the advice they're grateful for
What's a piece of advice that changed you for the better? In this special episode of Meet The Leader, top leaders from Microsoft, to IKEA to the International Monetary Fund and more share the feedback that was so meaningful and compelling they'd applied it throughout their careers. Learn the tough moments and powerful feedback that led to turning points and transformations, nudging leaders to reflect, change course, listen in new ways and change how they react to scale their impact. Transcript: Featured in this episode: Olajumoke Adekeye, Founder, Young Business Agency Tejpaul Bhatia, CRO, Axiom Space Ulrika Biesert, CHRO, Ingka Group / IKEA Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund Daphne Koller, CEO, insitro Annette Mosman, CEO, APG Nigina Muntean, Chief of Innovation, UNFPA Sander van 't Noordende, CEO, Randstad Christopher Oakes, CEO, Reefgen Madison O'Brien, Customer Success and Community Lead, Teamgage Alexi Robichaux, CEO, Better Up Fidelma Russo, CTO, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft
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Meet the startup building the first commercial space station - and shaping how we'll live and work in space
11/12/2024
Meet the startup building the first commercial space station - and shaping how we'll live and work in space
Humans have learned to survive in space. But as Tejpaul Bhatia reminded Meet the Leader, it’s time to learn how to live, work and thrive. One step towards that goal is Axiom Station, the first commercial space station. With the International Space Station due to be decommissioned, he explains how Axiom Station will build on decades of lessons learned for a future-ready station factoring in principles of ergonomic and industrial design, a station planned to adapt to new technologies and needs. And while it employs its share of former astronauts and rocket scientists, this unique company also designs space suits - like the one for the upcoming Artemis moon mission set for 2026. This means it also counts sewers and costumers from places like Cirque du Soleil on its team – people who understand performance fabrics and who have the skill sets to hand sew parts of uniforms that can’t be tackled with a machine. He’ll share how this incredibly diverse group works together and how learning how to tap such a range of capabilities is a window into the unique pioneering collaborations that will drive the space economy. To learn more: Axiom Space: Report: Space: The $1.8 Trillion Opportunity for Global Economic Growth: Related podcasts: This former astronaut shares what’s key to building strong, effective teams: From space to the ocean's depths - how a space CEO and explorer approaches risk:
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IKEA HR chief shares decades of career lessons learned and what’s needed to bridge gender equity gap
11/06/2024
IKEA HR chief shares decades of career lessons learned and what’s needed to bridge gender equity gap
Last year, Ingka Group, the parent company for big retailer IKEA, reached near gender balance in leadership. This transformation did not come overnight and HR chief Ulrika Biesèrt discusses the mindset shifts and tangible changes in everything from hiring to development that helped make this possible for the 80-year-old company. Biesèrt also shares her own leadership journey, one that includes 27 years at IKEA and roles in every part of the company, including logistics, product development and retail. She explains how that breadth and depth shapes how she leads -- while also sharing the advice her mother gave her at the beginning of her career that has helped her get her voice heard. Interview recorded Spring 2024. Transcript: To learn more: Global Gender Gap: Related podcasts: 9 leaders from Microsoft, IKEA and more share advice for new grads: Ingka Group's Jesper Brodin: The talent crisis you’re not talking enough about:
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Transportation’s 'moment of reinvention' - what could drive equity, sustainability and more
10/23/2024
Transportation’s 'moment of reinvention' - what could drive equity, sustainability and more
Unsafe, costly transit contributes to everything from wealth and equity gaps to pollution. But as cities grapple with growing populations, shifting needs, technological advancement and the energy transition, we’re approaching a moment of reinvention that could lead to positive change if planned correctly. Benjamin de la Peña, the CEO of the Shared-Use Mobility Center breaks down the incentives and strategies that could drive more climate-ready, equitable, safe and affordable transportation. He also discusses the importance of systems thinking and planning that factors in the generations to come -- thinking that can help any leader make big change happen.
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What’s next for data-driven medicine - and what AI-powered innovation needs now: insitro CEO Daphne Koller
10/17/2024
What’s next for data-driven medicine - and what AI-powered innovation needs now: insitro CEO Daphne Koller
Daphne Koller is an AI pioneer, MacArthur fellow, member of the National Academy of sciences and the founder and CEO of drug discovery and development company insitro. She’ll talk about how attitudes surrounding AI have evolved in her multi-decade career and what's ahead - including how technology is reshaping drug discovery, paving the way for more targeted treatments for the patients who can benefit most. But maximizing AI-powered innovation will depend on better investments in data aggregation, quality and collection and navigating hype cycles that can distract from real impact. This academic-turned-entrepreneur will also share how founding insitro (and a previous company, Coursera) helped her expand her leadership and management skills, all while driving home the importance of shaping a company culture. At insitro, this focus building a culture that works for unique needs led to a special ‘helix’ inspired-structure that helps discovery biologists, automation engineers and others in the company's cross-functional teams keep communication flowing, problem solve, and prevent the siloes that can hold true innovation back. Transcript: Insitro: Top Ten Technologies of 2024:
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How bridging design gaps in science and tech can tackle gender bias
09/26/2024
How bridging design gaps in science and tech can tackle gender bias
Gaps in the design of everything from AI to pharmaceuticals lead to everything from safety risk to poor health outcomes. Nigina Muntean, the chief of innovation at the United Nations Population Fund, is looking to fix this, making research and design more inclusive for everyone. Her agency launched the Equity 2030 Alliance last year bringing together leaders in tech and pharma and other sectors to share best practices. Its experts in academia, government and business come together to help advocate for new standards in equitable investment, and to champion more gender-inclusive approaches to tech and design. The group is coming upon its first year anniversary which it celebrated during this year's UN General Assembly Week in New York City. Nigina is also a former physician and a public health expert who understands how investments in research and design impact the lives of everyday people, especially those with the least resources. She shares her first-hand perspectives on what’s needed tackle bias in design and what any leader should keep in mind. More about this episode: 2030 Equity Alliance: 2024 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap: 2024 Sustainable Development Impact Meetings: Related podcasts: Cyber has a skills gap. How approaches to tech, hiring – and retaining women - can help: Build a culture of innovation: HPE's CTO shares what must be in place:
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How one founder's design background is helping to rethink EV charging in cities
09/26/2024
How one founder's design background is helping to rethink EV charging in cities
After the pandemic, Tiya Gordon realized the next global crisis would be climate based. To that end, she’s co-founded It’s Electric, a curbside solution that takes power from buildings, sidestepping the currently time-consuming permitting and installation process that slows the growth of charging stations in cities around the world. She shares how her design background has helped her be clear-eyed on objectives, identify fresh approaches and break down stubborn barriers, all to speed the change needed for the energy transition. To learn more: Guest: Report: Related podcasts: An energy company is building the world's largest airplane. Here's why: 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions:
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