Long Life Learning

For the final episode of Season 2, Kavitha is joined via Zoom by two extraordinary guests from the 7th YGELP cohort. Woon Shiu Lee, Managing Director and Group Head of the Wealth Planning Family Office and Insurance Solutions at DBS Private Bank, calls in from Singapore, along with Mondo Mazwai, Chairperson of the Competition Tribunal of South Africa. Together, Mondo and Woon Shiu walk Kavitha through their decision to engage in YGELP as a catalyst to further their commitment to social purpose as leaders in their respective fields. Mondo explains how growing up in apartheid-era South Africa drew her to law as an instrument for societal change. Her 25 years in legal leadership continue to shape her notions of democracy, justice, and how to build a resilient team prepared for an ever-changing future. Woon Shiu, meanwhile, was inspired by early professional experiences across Singapore, the UK, and the US to merge cross-cultural strategies which have allowed him to flourish in the world of banking and wealth management. Both guests emphasize the centrality of impact and social good in their work, with Woon Shiu citing his company’s mission to be “the best bank for a better world,” as a core pillar of what drives his mindset today.   What Mondo and Woon Shiu share in common is a fervent commitment to lifelong learning, even while thriving at the highest levels of leadership. They share with Kavitha stories not only of rich engagement with YGELP readings and instructional sessions, but also of a carefully cultivated network of peers and professors which continues to grow. The interview ends with each guest sharing their views on the role of spirituality in purposeful leadership, in a fitting close to a meaningful journey showcasing the unique and varied voices of the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program.     Transcript  S2E8—Woon Shiu Lee & Mondo Mazwai Transcript    Links and Resources  Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education:  Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage  What is the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program? (YGELP)  Applying to YGELP  Resources and Individuals Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  The Carrot and the Stick by William Putsis  The Book of Joy, The 14th Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Douglas Abrams  “Research: Why Breathing is So Effective at Reducing Stress,” by Emma Seppälä, Christina Bradley and Michael R. Goldstein  Dr. Matthew Croasmun, Yale Divinity School   Nicholas Pinchuk, CEO of Snap-On Incorporated  Stephanie Dunson, Yale SOM   Where to Find Mondo:   Competition Tribunal of South Africa  Africa Leadership Initiative  Aspen Institute     Where to Find Woon Shiu:   LinkedIn  DBS Bank   Nanyang Business School    About Today’s Guests   Mondo Mazwai is the Chairperson of the Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) of South Africa – an antitrust adjudicative body – where she adjudicates competition (antitrust) matters, involving mergers and acquisitions and prohibited practice (complaints concerning cartel conduct or abuse of dominance). The cases are referred to the Tribunal by the Competition Commission of South Africa (the investigative body), or by private third parties, for public hearing and decision by the Tribunal.   Mondo has over 25 years as an admitted attorney and has worked in the private sector (including as the National Head of the Competition Practice at a prominent law firm), and in the public sector at the Competition Commission of South Africa in various capacities (including Chief Legal Counsel and Acting Deputy Commissioner). Her experience spans all aspects of competition law. She has led a team of economists and lawyers, including in the precedent setting price gouging case at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.   After 16 years as a legal practitioner, Mondo took a one-year sabbatical (in 2011/2012) to travel. She returned to public service in 2013 as a part-time member of the Tribunal. She was appointed Chairperson of the Tribunal in 2019, a position she still holds. In addition to the adjudicative role, Mondo is responsible for the governance of the Tribunal, ensuring that it operates efficiently, is financially sound and effectively delivers on its legislative mandate.   Mondo is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative, part of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. She is a Fellow of the Yale Global Leadership programme (the 7th Cohort).   She holds a B Juris degree from the University of the Western Cape and an LLB degree from the University of Kwazulu-Natal (Howard College). She was admitted as an attorney in 1997.   ---  Lee Woon Shiu is Managing Director and Group Head of Wealth Planning Family Office and Insurance Solutions in DBS Bank. He started his banking career with Merrill Lynch in 2000 after working as an attorney in Freshfields Drew & Napier and Coudert Brothers.  Woon Shiu has had a successful leadership track record in delivering transformational succession planning, philanthropy and insurance solutions to high net worth families globally for over two decades, winning accolades for Best Bank of Wealth Transfer/Succession Planning, Best Bank for Family Offices and Best Bank for Next Generation along the way. He has over 25 years of experience in advising numerous ultra-high networth families in Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa in the strategic structuring of their estate and succession concerns, and also regularly engages multi-generations of such families on the establishment and implementation their family office, business governance and philanthropy strategies.  He is concurrently serving as Board Member of DBS Trustee Limited, DBS Foundation, the Singapore Chinese Orchestra and the Esplanade Co Ltd, and also as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore where he regularly lectures on wealth structuring and estate succession for private bankers, lawyers and trust practitioners. He has also lectured at universities in China such as Xiamen University and Tsinghua University, at the Hong Kong University, at the National Taiwan Chengchi University and at the ETH Zurich University in Switzerland, and his views as a leader are regularly featured in international media and at global conferences where he is a frequent speaker. In recognition of his continuous contribution to the Wealth Management Institute (WMI) established under the auspices of Temasek and GIC, Woon Shiu has received the WMI Ambassador Award, Distinguished Panel and Advisory Group Award and the Most Innovative Teaching Award and the Teacher of the Year Award.  Woon Shiu is an alumnus of Yale University and the National University of Singapore where he was a Law Society of Singapore Book Prize Winner. He is an Advocate & Solicitor of Singapore, a Solicitor of England & Wales and an accredited Trust & Estate Practitioner.  

This week, Kavitha brings in Yale Ventures Managing Director Josh Geballe shortly after another successful annual gathering of Yale Innovation Summit leaders and entrepreneurs. Josh describes a career which has successfully navigated leadership in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. As former COO to Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut, CEO to Core Informatics while overseeing a successful acquisition by Thermo Fisher Scientific, and sitting board member on nonprofits grounded in tech and climate solutions, Josh brings a wealth of change management skills and experience in championing innovative solutions to some of today’s biggest challenges.  Join us to hear Josh and Kavitha discuss how he leveraged his early career in management consulting into his first finance leadership role managing multinational partnerships for IBM, and how his initiative and drive while working in the Governor’s office helped dramatically improve Connecticut residents’ experience at the DMV! As a longtime YGELP panelist and instructor, Josh emphasizes the imperative for aspiring leaders to act on networking opportunities, citing the fact that invitations to pursue some of his most transformative roles—including the position in the governor’s office and his current role at Yale—followed the nurturing and flourishing of relationships. Finally, Josh shares some of the developments on his radar that are shaping the future of tech and biotech, which span exciting innovations in quantum computing, medical therapy treatments, and AI-facilitated drug discovery.   Transcript  S2E7—Josh Geballe Transcript     Links and Resources  Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education:  Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage  What is the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program? (YGELP)  Applying to YGELP    Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  Yale Today newsletter  Yale Ventures newsletter  The Write to Roam, Ethan Malik’s newsletter on AI  Invest Like the Best podcast with Patrick O’Shaughnessy  Acquired podcast with Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal  The Free Press podcast with Bari Weiss    Where to Find Josh:   Josh’s Yale Ventures Profile  Josh Geballe on LinkedIn  Highlights and Winners from the 2025 Yale Innovation Summit    About Today’s Guest  Josh Geballe is Senior Associate Provost for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Yale University and Managing Director of Yale Ventures.  He is responsible for a wide range of services and programs for students, faculty, and the broader New Haven community to launch new startups based on Yale research, provide training in entrepreneurship and innovation, expand external research partnerships, and foster the growth of the local innovation and entrepreneurship community. Prior to launching Yale Ventures in 2022 Josh served as Chief Operating Officer for the State of Connecticut under Governor Ned Lamont.  With responsibility for all executive branch agencies covering 30,000 employees, he led successful initiatives to modernize government operations and led the state's nationally recognized response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Prior to his three years in public service Josh spent his career in the technology industry, most recently as CEO of Core Informatics, a venture-backed scientific software company that was acquired by Thermo Fisher Scientific where he went on to serve as Vice President and General Manager of Digital Science.  Previously he spent 11 years at IBM in a variety of international executive roles.  Josh serves on the boards of directors of several non-profit organizations, including ClimateHaven where he is the founding board chair, Connecticut Innovations, AdvanceCT, BioCT and the Mory’s Association.  Josh holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management and a BA from Yale University.    

This week, Kavitha is joined by Dr. Saad Omer, a globally recognized leading voice in cutting-edge research on immunization and vaccination. Today he is the Founding Dean of the School of Public Health at UT–Southwestern, and formerly served as inaugural director of the Yale Institute for Global Health. In this prior role, he oversaw not only the university’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, but also managed some of the innovative research which enabled experts to better predict impending outbreaks. His life’s work has involved collaboration in studies everywhere from the US, Guatemala, Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and South Africa, to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Australia.  Kavitha and Saad explore the ways in which business and medical experience can prepare leaders to flourish at top levels of higher education. Saad discusses the strategies he employs to communicate with transparency and compassion to his team and the public at large, as well as the ways in which he continues to anticipate and prepare his response to future adversity. Together, he and Kavitha unpack how management consulting prepares leaders for change management in times of crisis, how humility plays a central role in Saad’s approach to his work, and why he enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to learn from leaders outside of the medical field in his time as a YGELP participant. Saad points to encouraging signs for the future of vaccine research, and shares a fascinating ambition for a second act career move which reveals a hidden passion for art.  Transcript  S2E6—Saad Omer Transcript    Links and Resources    Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education:  Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage  What is the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program? (YGELP)  Applying to YGELP    Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman  Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein  Collected Works by Ernest Hemingway    Where to Find Saad:   Saad Omer on LinkedIn  Omer Research Group  Gavi Board Member Profile  O’Donnell School of Public Health Welcome    About Today’s Guest  Saad B. Omer, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.B.S.  Founding Dean and Professor, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health  Dr. Saad B. Omer is a globally recognized epidemiologist, public health leader, and vaccine policy expert. As the founding Dean of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dr. Omer has dedicated his career to advancing high-impact science that informs vaccine policy and clinical recommendations worldwide.  Dr. Omer’s research has shaped public health strategies on vaccine hesitancy, maternal immunization, and infectious disease epidemiology. His work has influenced national and international vaccination policies, including those of the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). His studies on vaccine acceptance, immunization coverage, and infectious disease prevention have been cited in major global policy recommendations.  His research portfolio includes clinical trials on maternal and infant immunization for diseases such as pertussis, polio, measles, and pneumococcal infections, as well as studies on respiratory viruses like influenza, RSV, and COVID-19. His landmark studies on maternal influenza immunization demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing severe illness in pregnant women and newborns, directly influencing vaccine recommendations in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and beyond.  Dr. Omer has authored numerous publications in leading journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, The Lancet, Science, and Nature. His expertise has been featured in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and BBC. He has advised global health organizations and served on advisory boards, including the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Vaccines and the National Vaccine Advisory Committee.  A dedicated mentor and educator, Dr. Omer has trained and advised the next generation of public health leaders. He earned his Ph.D. in Global Disease Epidemiology and Control and his M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University, following his medical degree from The Aga Khan University. 

For the first time on Long Life Learning, Kavitha is joined by two guests. Jeff Addison and Erin Gianopoulos are distinguished, now-retired U.S. military service members whose friendship began as peers in last year’s YGELP cohort. Erin and Jeff join Kavitha in the studio during their Yale SOM reunion weekend to discuss how military leadership prepared them for executive roles in law and entrepreneurship. They explain what it looks like to continually learn and evolve at high levels of leadership, and how the military saying, “If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready” continues to apply to their personal and professional lives.  Erin describes how her path from ROTC, to leading Marines in Japan, to earning a law school degree, has led to a burgeoning career in public service. Jeff Addison shares how his years as a Flight Commander in the Air Force equipped him with the management skills needed to found a data solutions company whose inspiration emerged out of personal tragedy. He also explains how being a lifelong learner helped him pivot and flourish as CEO of Techknowvate throughout the pandemic and the emergence of AI. Both guests express the desire to continually grow and serve their countries both in and out of uniform.   Finally, Erin and Jeff speak to the ways in which participating in YGELP—from receiving honest peer-to-peer feedback, to establishing networking connections, to benefiting from the excellence of instruction and building self-confidence—have helped them to embrace the next step in their executive leadership and impact journeys.    Transcript  S2E5—Erin & Jeff Transcript    Links and Resources    Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education:  Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage  What is the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program? (YGELP)  Applying to YGELP    Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, Eric Jorgenson & Jack Butcher  The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life, Alice Schroeder  Influence is Your Superpower, Zoe Chance    Where to Find Erin and Jeff:   Erin Gianopoulos on LinkedIn  Jeff Addison on LinkedIn  Techknowvate Homepage    About Today’s Guests       Erin Gianopoulos is an attorney specializing in government law practicing in the city of Detroit. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and Wayne State University Law School. Erin previously served in the Office of Legal Counsel for the Governor of Michigan and is currently a judicial clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Prior to law school, Erin held positions around the world as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, finally retiring from service in 2018. Erin is a driven leader committed to public service. She is an active member of Wayne Law's Board of Visitors. She completed Yale's Global Executive Leadership Program in 2024.     Jeff Addison is a United States Air Force Academy graduate with an advanced degree from Miami University and the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program, who brings extensive military and business experience. His military career included over 135 combat missions and various command positions in high-pressure, data-critical environments. Following his service, he led an engineering division for a technology and defense company before launching his entrepreneurial journey—successfully starting and exiting multiple businesses in technology and commercial development. His leadership at Techknowvate helped save Ohio nearly $100 million by redefining the state's PPE supply chain software during COVID-19. JeD and his wife reside in Dayton with their three daughters and are actively involved in their community. He serves on several boards, including the Dayton Engineers Club, co-founded by the Wright Brothers, and the JobsOhio Independent Review Board, which oversees development projects supporting $31.5 billion in capital investments. 

When CEO of Nuveen Green Capital and repeat YGELP instructor Jessica Bailey first got into business, it was because of a fascination with the energy sector's ability to drive foreign trade and policy. She quickly identified a market gap in scaling private capital for smart financial energy solutions, and partnered with Ali Cooley to carve a unique entrepreneurial role which allowed her to bridge philanthropic and public sector leadership informed by her years at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Connecticut Green Bank. Today, the team Jessica has built at Nuveen has expanded its scope across the U.S. and into international regions in an effort to provide sustainable commercial real estate finance solutions which support building decarbonization.  This week, Jessica joins Kavitha in the studio to discuss how centering impact as a core KPI allows businesses to gain momentum while their competitors face headwinds, how her team’s initial emphasis on passion and generalist knowledge allowed them to rapidly flourish in an ever-changing energy market, and why leading with gratitude as a CEO has made the role a long-term and satisfying endeavor. Jessica cautions CEOs not to fall into the trap of prioritizing an air of invincibility which disallows space for vulnerability and the willingness to receive reflection from colleagues. She instead describes the most capable leaders as those who embrace learning specialized business “languages,” who dive into new questions and lifelong learning with enthusiasm, and who follow the “green lights” life places on their path.    Transcript  S2E4—Jessica Bailey Transcript    Links and Resources  Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education:  Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage  What is the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program? (YGELP)  Applying to YGELP    Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  The Diary of a CEO Podcast, Steven Bartlett  The Wisdom of the Bullfrog, Admiral William H. McRaven  Greenlights, Matthew McConaughey     Where to Find Jessica:   Jessica Bailey on LinkedIn  Nuveen Green Capital on LinkedIn  Nuveen Green Capital Homepage    About Today’s Guest       Jessica Bailey is President and CEO of Nuveen Green Capital (NGC), a leading provider of sustainable commercial real estate finance.  As a pioneer of the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) industry, Jessica co-founded Greenworks Lending in 2015 and led it to a successful acquisition by Nuveen in 2021 where the firm was rebranded to Nuveen Green Capital. Under her leadership, the firm became one of the largest C-PACE capital providers in the country. Utilizing a state-enabled policy that Jessica helped to develop, C-PACE has become a mainstream financing tool for clean energy upgrades in commercial real estate and sustainable new construction. As President and CEO of NGC, Jessica has grown the company into a national lending platform operating in over 40 states, with over $3 billion in assets under management, and a team of nearly 100 professionals. Through its nationwide distribution and originations platform, NGC has experienced double-digit annual growth since founding. Prior to starting Greenworks Lending, Jessica was with the Connecticut Green Bank from 2012 to 2014, where she played a key role in designing and leading the award-winning C-PACE program for the state – the first successful C-PACE program in the country. Earlier in her career she spent eight years at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a foundation based in New York where she worked to advance clean energy initiatives.  Jessica’s leadership and entrepreneurship have been widely recognized. In 2025, Jessica was named a GlobeSt. “Rainmaker in CRE Debt & Equity Finance.” In 2024, Jessica was recognized as a “Notable Leader in Sustainability” by Crain’s New York, and was also included on Worth Magazine’s Worthy 100 List, and Commercial Observer’s Power 50 Finance List. She was honored as a GlobeSt. “Woman of Influence” in 2023, and she and NGC co-founder, Ali Cooley, were jointly recognized as “CRE’s Best Bosses” by GlobeSt. in 2023, as well as “50 Most Important Figures of Commercial Real Estate Finance” by Commercial Observer in 2022. Jessica was named an Ernst and Young (EY) Entrepreneurial Winning Woman in 2019, and Connecticut Magazine included her on their “40 under 40” list in 2019. She was also named a “Champion of Change” by the White House in 2014.  Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree from Yale University. 

This week, Kavitha sits down with Senior Vice Chairman and former CEO of AlixPartners Fred Crawford to discuss his early rise to a C-suite position, and what advice he has for other aspiring executives on the same path. Fred speaks to the importance of not letting the job “run you,” managing time to prioritize the most important “pizza pie” slices of your life, and knowing when to engage in smart, graceful, and smooth succession planning.   Fred explains to Kavitha why, despite thriving as CEO, he chose to transition to opportunities that have allowed him to embrace his passion for philanthropy, non-profit work, board service, and startup mentorship. He also shares the fascinating story of his succession at AlixPartners, which involved developing an innovative co-CEO system so successful that it endures to this day. Fred urges today's leaders to embrace the kind of vulnerability that allows them to seek advice about decision-making, and speaks to the state of a global marketplace evolving so rapidly that the landscape of change management instruction is unrecognizable from a few years ago.  Finally, Fred shares why his teaching for YGELP continues to inspire him by providing opportunities for international executives to grow their “global quality networks” face-to-face in an increasingly virtual world, and how his work today energizes him to instill values of leadership and giving back around his own dinner table.    Transcript  S2E3—Fred Crawford Transcript    Links and Resources   Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education:  Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage  What is the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program? (YGELP)  Applying to YGELP   Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  True North by Bill George  Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman  The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch   Where to Find Fred:   Fred Crawford on LinkedIn  AlixPartners Page    About Today’s Guest  Fred was the CEO of AlixPartners from 2008 – 2015, and Senior Vice Chair until his retirement from the Firm in 2021. He remains an advisor to the Firm and a member of the Board of Directors. Fred serves on the Board of 5 other Companies and is Chairman of two. He is also a senior advisor to two Private Equity Firms.  Fred is an internationally recognized strategist and operations restructuring specialist who has been involved in many of AlixPartners' most-high-profile situations. He is the architect, board sponsor, and senior mentor of AlixPartners’ global leadership program. Prior to joining the firm, he held senior positions at other major consulting firms and worked in operations and brand management in industry. Fred has an MBA from the Kelley School at Indiana University. He is coauthor of "The Myth of Excellence," a BusinessWeek and New York Times best seller that details his research on consumer motivation and corporate strategic response. Frequently involved with the media, he is a sought-after presenter. 

Asha Rangappa, a former FBI Special Agent and current Assistant Dean at Yale, delves into what it means to lead with moral courage in today's world. She emphasizes the need for resilience and fear as dual forces in effecting change. Asha discusses the critical role of academia and the media in upholding democracy and advocates for empowering dissenting voices. She underscores the importance of ethical leadership and self-reflection, providing valuable insights on fostering values-driven leadership amid the challenges of authoritarianism.

To kick off Season 2, Kavitha sits down with Yale SOM Professor and Senior Associate Dean Jeffrey Sonnenfeld to discuss the evergreen question, “How do leaders learn?” Drawing on Jeff’s decades of research expertise, high-profile media engagement, and longtime partnership with Executive Education, they attempt to answer this question for senior level leaders and C-Suite executives in particular.   Together, Kavitha and Jeff delve into the rich history of how institutions have striven to craft timely and innovative education for aspiring business leaders, culminating in Yale SOM Executive Education's flagship initiative, the Yale Global Executive Leaders Program (YGELP). Jeff, who has served as Faculty Director for all eight YGELP cohorts, makes the case for combating CEO loneliness by cultivating strong relationships across markets and borders. He advocates the importance of maximizing impact by leveraging Yale SOM’s unique embrace of interdisciplinary learning, from accounting and economics to anthropology and the study of happiness.  Join us for a vibrant conversation as Jeff and Kavitha tackle questions like: How can leaders evade the pitfalls of strategic stagnancy in the forms of “success syndrome” and groupthink by elevating dissenting voices where their objections hold true with investigated fact? How can an intensive, multi-module program like YGELP empower leaders to engage in experimental innovation, gain real-time feedback from peers, and facilitate a sense of mutual exchange and clarity when innovating with AI, Cloud technology, and other cutting-edge research and strategies?  Transcript  S2E1—Jeff Sonnenfeld Transcript   Links and Resources  Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education:  Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage  What is the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program? (YGELP)  Applying to YGELP  Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode:  The Evolving Self by Robert Keegan  “The Strength of Weak Ties” by Mark Granovetter  The Hero’s Farewell by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld  On Tyranny by Timothy Snyders  Works by Marci Shore and Jason Stanley  Health & Veritas podcast by Howard Forman and Harlan Krumholz  Who Believed in You? by David McCormick and Dina Powell McCormick    Where to Find Jeff:   Prof. Sonnenfeld Yale SOM Faculty Page  Recent publications for Chief Executive Magazine  Recent publications for Fortune  Recent publications for TIME    About Today’s Guest  Jeffrey Sonnenfeld is the Senior Associate Dean for Leadership Studies and Lester Crown Professor in Management Practice at the Yale School of Management, as well as founder and president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, a nonprofit educational and research institute focused on CEO leadership and corporate governance. He previously served as full tenured professor at Emory's Goizueta Business School for a decade and a professor at the Harvard Business School for a decade.  Professor Sonnenfeld has informally advised 5 US presidents - 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans - and thousands of CEOs. He helped advise the development of the Abraham Accords; helped catalyze the exit of over 1,000 companies from Russia; and helped catalyze collective action from CEOs on safeguarding democracy and voting rights.   Professor Sonnenfeld's related research has been published in 100 scholarly articles which appeared in the leading academic journals in management such as Administrative Sciences Quarterly, the Academy of Management Journal, the Academy of Management Review, the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Social Forces, Human Relations, and Human Resource Management. He has also authored eight books, including The Hero's Farewell, an award-winning study of CEO succession, and another best seller, Firing Back, a study on leadership resilience in the face of adversity.  Professor Sonnenfeld’s work is regularly cited by the general media in such outlets as: BusinessWeek, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, the Economist, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, FOX, NBC, ABC as well as PBS, and he is a staff contributor for CNBC and a staff columnist for FORTUNE, TIME, Chief Executive, and Corporate Board Member.  Sonnenfeld was recognized by Poets & Quants Magazine as the 2022 Professor of the Year in recognition of his high-profile efforts to catalyze the historic exits from Russia of over 1,000+ global businesses after the invasion of Ukraine, and was named to Worth Magazine’s “Worthy 100 Leaders”, an annual global listing of the most influential leaders across society. Sonnenfeld received the 2023 Greatest Impact on Corporate Boards award by Corporate Board Member magazine, and received the Academy of Management's 2023 Distinguished Scholar Practitioner Award.   Sonnenfeld has advised the White House, U.S. State Department, U.S. Treasury Department, and Council of Economic Advisers on Russian economic sanctions and business retreats and has testified to the U.S. Congress; in addition, he has been profiled by various media outlets including TIME, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Washington Post, and Business Insider. BusinessWeek listed Sonnenfeld as one of the world’s 10 most influential business school professors and Directorship magazine has listed him among the 100 most influential figures in corporate governance.  He is the first academician to have rung the opening bells of both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Exchange having done so ten times. Professor Sonnenfeld earned the 2018 Ellis Island award from the US Ellis Island Foundation. He was Harvard’s first John Whitehead Faculty Fellow and won outstanding educator awards at Yale, Emory and the American Society for Training and Development.  He is now a member of the board of Lennar, the leading American homebuilder, as well as IEX, Atlas Merchant Capital, and the Ellis Island Honor Society. Professor Sonnenfeld was appointed by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to serve as co-chair of Advance CT, where he helped lead the state’s economic development, including attracting and retaining leading global businesses and developing the state’s workforce. Sonnenfeld also serves on the Board of Directors of Connecticut Innovations, which is focused on building the innovation and business ecosystem within the state of Connecticut. 

Long Life Learning is back! Join us every Monday this May and June to hear Kavitha Bindra, Executive Director of the Yale School of Management Executive Education, speak with accomplished executives and thought leaders to discuss living with inspiration and vitality. Season 2 centers around leveraging dynamic leadership for global impact, inspired by the voices that come out of the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program (YGELP).

The final episode of season 1 features Jo Ann Jenkins, visionary CEO of AARP for the past 10 years. Jo Ann has revolutionized the mission of this “nonprofit, nonpartisan, social change organization” to help Americans embrace life after 50 as a vibrant time of transformation and connection. Jo Ann joins Kavitha to talk career pivots, lifelong mentorship, and legacy-making whose benefits extend to people of all ages. She invites us to consider the needs of an ever-evolving present day: one in which the fastest-growing age group in the U.S. is Americans 85 and up, and in which today’s 10-year-olds have a 50% chance of living to see their 100th birthday.  Kavitha and Jo Ann unpack how public discourse around aging and longevity has shifted toward inspiration and engagement. Though Jo Ann warns that we are still far from success, some of the issues at the forefront of AARP’s mission under her tenure have seen significant wins: combating hunger, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and protecting Social Security among them. This final episode of the season is a celebration of third act joy and purpose generated into impactful action!  Transcript Episode 6—Jo Ann Jenkins Transcript  Links and Resources Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education: Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage What is the Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI)? ELI Application Form—Due Nov. 8, 2024   Resources Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age by Jo Ann Jenkins and Boe Workman Drive to End Hunger: AARP’s collaboration with NASCAR’s Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports The Links, Inc. The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond by Deborah Whitman  Pivot or Die: How Leaders Thrive When Everything Changes by Gary Shapiro AARP Purpose Prize  About Today’s Guest Jo Ann Jenkins, Former CEO of AARP As CEO of AARP, Jo Ann Jenkins leads the world’s largest non-profit, nonpartisan membership organization, harnessing the power and passion of almost 2,300 staff members, 60,000 volunteers and numerous strategic partners. Since 2014, Jo Ann has transformed AARP into a leader in social change empowering all people to choose how they live as they age. Under her leadership, AARP has been recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies, has been named to the Washington Post’s Top Workplaces and Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators.  Jo Ann began her career at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, moving on to progressively more responsible leadership positions in the Department of Transportation and Department of Agriculture before serving as Chief Operating Officer of the Library of Congress. She has served and continues to hold board and advisory positions at a number of corporate and civic organizations. Her national best-selling book, Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age, has become a signature rallying cry for revolutionizing society’s views on aging by driving a new social consciousness and sparking innovative solutions for all generations. It has also been released in Chinese and Korean.  She holds a BS degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, is a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Program, and recipient of Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from both Spring Hill College and Washington College. She is a Baldrige Fellow and received the Baldrige Leadership Award. In 2019 and 2021 Fortune named her “One of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders.”