Ep. 78 Walt Freese, Former Ben & Jerry’s CEO on Leadership and Company Culture

How do you bring new leadership into your organization? How do you develop and maintain the culture within your organization?

Walt Freese, the former CEO of world-renowned ice cream and dominant incumbent, Ben & Jerry’s, gave his perspective on bringing new talent into an organization. He described the belief carried by many organizations which focus too much on specific qualifications and past experiences of candidates, instead of focusing on where those candidates might be in the next decade. Experience is important, but effective leadership skillsets require experience in leadership positions. Treat it like hiring athletes, looking for potential, long-term growth, and the combined natural talent and training.

Speaking of leadership, in addition to executive-level leadership across numerous global businesses, Walt is a mentor for veterans separating from the military. As a top-tier leader, Walt works directly with elite military special operations personnel as part of The Honor Foundation (THF). Through his mentorship, special operations veterans are able to step out of uniform, and into influential positions in the business world that stand to benefit from their experience and unique mindsets.

Walt Freese takes teamwork and culture very seriously. The magic of teamwork is built on open dialogue. High-performing teams demonstrate a willingness to communicate and discuss the difficult, or more challenging aspects of a situation. The culture of a company needs to be based in real metrics, and with virtues that align with the mission. When you have created this virtuous circle, you have created a lasting culture within your organization.