The World Class Leaders Show: The CEO leadership podcast for leaders who solve big problems and build better futures. 186 - How Microsoft Fixed Vision & Aligned Strategy with People to Restructure a $5.5B Unit - Libby Wright
Want to establish authority and lead with confidence from Day One as a CEO?
Grab your FREE copy of “10 Foolproof Ways New CEOs Establish Authority From Day One” and start leading with confidence today!
👉 Download Now - https://bit.ly/10-foolproof-ceo-strategies
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In this episode of The World Class Leaders Show, host Andrea Petrone sits down with Libby Saylor Wright, Chief Operating Officer, US Retail and Consumer Goods at Microsoft. Before joining Microsoft, she served as Member of Chief, COO at the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) and spent 13 years at The Coca-Cola Company in a variety of leadership roles.
She's a passionate advocate for people-centered leadership and equity in the workplace, with experience advising boards and organizations on inclusion and organizational development. This conversation covers the real challenges of leading in complex, fast-moving organizations and how Libby has leaned on people, strategy, and shared vision to drive meaningful change.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:- How to design a change strategy that your whole organization can believe in.
- Why culture and people matter just as much as performance metrics.
- How to handle change fatigue and keep teams aligned around a common vision.
- What inclusive leadership really looks like and why it takes courage.
- How defining your “why” can anchor both personal and professional decisions.
[00:00] - Teaser & Introduction of Libby Saylor Wright
[03:03] - Rethinking leadership today
[05:52] - Career reflections: from Coca-Cola to Microsoft
[09:25] - Putting people and culture at the center
[12:32] - Building a new vision for change
[16:11] - Making change stick across the organization
[22:33] - Challenges in execution and prioritization
[30:11] - Driving DEI through action, not just talk
[31:12] - Where companies are falling short on inclusion
[40:05] - Advice for leaders driving transformation
[43:31] - Where to find Libby
- Microsoft: https://www.linkedin.com/company/microsoft/
- Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF): https://www.linkedin.com/company/womensfoodserviceforum/
- The Coca-Cola Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company/
Follow our Host Andrea Petrone on:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone
- Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreapetrone_x/
Follow The World Class Leaders Show and Stay updated:
- Subscribe to The World Class Leader Show: https://shorturl.at/E9WE7
- Newsletter: https://shorturl.at/dMRp6
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-world-class-leaders-show/
- Website: https://www.andreapetrone.com/podcast/
- Spotify: https://shorturl.at/DSHUl
- Apple: https://shorturl.at/JZAmQ
⭐ Don’t miss this powerful and personal conversation about leading with clarity, building culture from the inside out, and using your voice to drive real change.
#Leadership #OrganizationalTransformation #CultureMatters #PeopleFirst #WorldClassLeadersShow #DiversityAndInclusion #ChangeLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #Microsoft #VisionForChange