The CEO Dialogue

Dilhan Pillay, CEO of Singapore’s global investment giant Temasek, discusses with Jean-François Manzoni the importance of a carbon tax and how his company is working to ensure ‘every generation prospers’ without sacrificing profits.

Mostafa Terrab, CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Moroccan fertilizer group OCP, explains to IMD President Jean-François Manzoni how sincerity of intent helped him gain the trust of his people.-------Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here.Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

Antoine de Saint-Affrique is a man who doesn’t let himself, his employees, or his investors get too comfortable. Since becoming the CEO of French food and nutrition giant Danone in September 2021, the 58-year-old executive has delivered some uncomfortable truths. Saint-Afrique has clearly called out the company’s underperformance compared to peers while remaining confident that Danone is operating in the right categories and has what it takes to win. In conversation with IMD President Jean-Francois Manzoni, he talks about his quest for constant learning and renewal, and his drive to create room for budding talents to emerge and thrive within the organization. -------Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here.Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

Rakuten CEO Mickey Mikitani tells IMD President Jean-François Manzoni how – by challenging conventional wisdom and encouraging all staff to tidy their own offices – he has grown his company from an e-commerce startup into an ecosystem spanning internet services, fintech, and mobile.

Marcus Wallenberg, chairman of the influential Wallenberg family holding company, shares his insights on a vast network of businesses generating $260bn annually. He emphasizes the importance of contributing to Sweden's welfare through landsgagneliga, blending wealth management with societal betterment. Wallenberg explores the challenges of transitioning to sustainability and digitization while maintaining agile governance. He also discusses the delicate balance between board oversight and operational engagement, stressing the need for innovation and competent leadership in navigating today's complex business landscape.

In Nairobi’s industrial area, motorcycles piled high with bright yellow plastic tubs zip through the early morning traffic to deliver food staples like flour, cooking oil, and pulses to women who have set up makeshift stalls to cook meals for low-income workers. The street food vendors place their orders the day before via an app and pay for their purchases with mobile payment system M-Pesa. This tech-enabled business-to-business food distribution service was the brainchild of Khadija Mohamed-Churchill, who founded Kwanza Tukule (which means “first, let’s eat” in Swahili) to address the lack of affordable and nutritious food for people living in Kenya’s growing informal settlements. Mohamed-Churchill says building a social enterprise requires both a big heart and a clear strategic focus. In an in-depth discussion with Jean-Francois Manzoni, she reveals what motivates her and offers advice for other impact entrepreneurs on how to build a committed team and attract investors.-------Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here.Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

For Schneider Electric, making a difference centers on bringing technology and expertise to best manage energy – specifically sustainably produced electricity. After 16 years in charge of the French multinational – seven as CEO and a further nine as Chairman – Jean-Pascal Tricoire has clear views on what keeps him motivated. “You have to be very stubborn strategically and very agile tactically,” says Tricoire, in the latest edition of IMD’s CEO Dialogue “If you have your goal post in place, always pulling you some years ahead, then what’s important is to have your mindset on the next two steps – because that’s what keeps you really excited and busy.”Belief in himself also helps. “I’ve been with my company a long time, and I think I know its business really well. I also believe, whatever people say, that competency is still really important – because with that knowledge you can really innovate. You understand those micro points and micro settings where you can find the spot that makes a difference.”In conversation with IMD President Jean-François Manzoni, Tricoire explains how he has had a lifelong interest in taking a different path, and how decentralization drives his corporate thinking.-------Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here.Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

The role of any CEO comes with a unique level of pressure that must be actively managed. David Loew, the Chief Executive of Ipsen, knows this well.Since joining the French pharma firm in 2020, he has led it through a complex transition; and says he holds a strong belief in “single accountability”. In this episode of the CEO Dialogue, Loew tells IMD President Jean-Francois-Manzoni about how his values are forged from the fire of personal experience, and how he finds a sense of purpose in providing solutions that keep people healthy or enable them to regain their health. 

Jan Jenisch, CEO of Holcim, discusses with IMD President Jean-François Manzoni the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with all stakeholders…In the five years since taking the helm at Holcim, Jenisch has overseen a complex acquisition, creating a company with 70,000 employees and net sales of nearly CHF 30 billion.Jenisch explores the responsibility and opportunity the 110-year-old Swiss-based global leader in innovative building solutions faces in its charge towards sustainable transformation in the building industry; as well as the macro and industry environments of different markets and how these play out in Holcim’s operations.-Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here.Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

As the chief executive of Wärtsilä, one of the world’s leading power technology and services providers for the maritime and energy industries, Håkan Agnevall has called on governments and companies to speed up decarbonization in these two sectors that account for roughly a third of the world’s carbon emissions.Agnevall himself joined Wärtsilä as CEO in February 2021 from Volvo Buses, a subsidiary of the Swedish commercial vehicle maker where he was president for eight years. He took the helm at Wärtsilä at a unique time for the group, with a tough market situation heavily impacted by the pandemic.In conversation with IMD President Jean-Francois Manzoni, Agnevall reflects on the multitude of demands placed on leaders of public companies and delves into the transformation facing maritime and energy industries today.—————————Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here.Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.