Charting New Waters: A Conversation with Record-Breaking Yachtswoman Dee Caffari MBE

Today’s guest grew up in a landlocked region of the UK, with more than a hundred miles separating her from the open ocean. Not your typical start for someone who went on to become a trailblazing, record-breaking yachtswoman. 

On today’s Redefiners episode, Clarke Murphy sits down with long-time sailing buddy Dee Caffari MBE—the only woman to have sailed solo while circumnavigating the world, in both directions. Throughout her career, Dee has continued to surprise and inspire others with her courage, grit, and determination to enter uncharted waters. 

Dee shares her deep experience in leading teams through adversity—how you get them to pull together and perform, even in stormy times, and how she overcame loneliness when sailing solo for the first time. She also talks about the importance of demonstrating self-awareness as a leader, as well as how she responded when told that she was ‘too emotional’ to lead a team. Dee also imparts a key piece of advice—you learn the best lessons from your mistakes, so don’t be afraid to be bold and take a risk.

We’ll also hear from Marie-Osmonde Le Roy de Lanauze-Molines, a Managing Director in our Paris office, who will highlight the gender imbalance in global CEO appointments and discuss how organizations can chart a path to achieving gender parity.

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: 

• Doubling Down on Double Standards: British Journalist Mary Ann Sieghart on Closing The Authority Gap | Redefiners - Podcast Series | Russell Reynolds Associates
• From Server to COO: Kat Cole’s Journey to the Top | Redefiners - Podcast Series | Russell Reynolds Associates
• Leadership Lounge - Ep.3 | How to recover from failure | Russell Reynolds Associates