

Meet The Leader
World Economic Forum / Linda Lacina
In these one-on-one conversations, host Linda Lacina interviews the world's top leaders, change-makers and experts on the solutions they're building to tackle the world's biggest challenges, the habits they can’t work without, and their lessons learned, all from the World Economic Forum
Episodes
Mentioned books

6 snips
May 3, 2023 • 21min
'Skills are changeable - passions are not': Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl
Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic, is a tech-savvy leader passionate about revolutionizing air travel. He discusses the challenges and innovations behind sustainable supersonic flight, emphasizing CO2-based synthetic fuels. Scholl reflects on key life decisions, highlighting the importance of adaptability in learning and pursuing one’s passions. He also stresses the need for a long-term vision in business, sharing personal anecdotes from his journey that underscore resilience and commitment to sustainability.

May 2, 2023 • 22min
Mercer's Martine Ferland: Tackle these blind spots for healthier, more resilient teams
The CEO of Mercer, one of the world's largest human resource consultancies, shares the blind spots holding companies back from building healthier and more resilient teams. She shares how targeted uses of data can boost uptake of health and wellness benefits, the role of reskilling in future workforces and the importance of rethinking retention strategies in the long term. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 26, 2023 • 16min
How a love for physics made AstraZeneca's Leif Johansson a better leader
With a career that spans nearly 5 decades in science and technology -- one that includes time at AstraZeneca during its history-making effort to deliver billions of vaccines to countries around the world -- Leif Johansson shares his unique lessons learned. Before he stepped down from his role as non-executive chairman 27 April, he shared with Meet The Leader how his interest in physics has made him a better leader, the key moments that shaped him and even changed his mind, and the advice he's been most grateful for. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 12, 2023 • 18min
Meta's Nicola Mendelsohn: To make an impact, break this habit first
A blood cancer diagnosis turned this Meta exec's day-to-day upside down in 2016. But it also reinforced a key personal philosophy: control what you can control. It's an approach that she stresses to her teams at Meta, reminding her staff to stop worrying about what they can't change and to focus instead on areas where they can make the biggest, most unique impact. And it's an approach that has empowered her to make big change happen for others, inspiring her to build a special charity to seek a cure: the Follicular Lymphoma Foundation. In this episode, recorded at the 2023 Annual Meeting in Davos, Mendelsohn shares what she's learned about focus and resilience and how she's put those qualities to work to drive a host of innovative solutions, from leveraging virtual reality for remote meetings during COVID to building resources to support a new generation of women entrepreneurs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 29, 2023 • 26min
Magic Leap's Peggy Johnson: The jobs augmented reality will change forever
Augmented reality (AR) is transforming retail, surgery and even how we read a book. Peggy Johnson, CEO of Magic Leap -- a company pioneering in this technology -- shares how AR might evolve – and what could hold that progress back. She also shares key milestones from her decades in tech -- including the surprising lesson mobile ringtones taught her about making way for big breakthroughs and how as an introvert early in her career she found ways to get her ideas heard. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 20, 2023 • 24min
Xylem’s Patrick Decker: Purpose, focus - and effective communication
What is your purpose? What societal impact are you driving? Patrick Decker, CEO of Xylem, shares how this water technology company is helping to tackle these questions while tackling big issues impacting society and the planet (such as water scarcity, water infrastructure and emissions), leveraging everything from technology (AI and digital twins) to innovative demand deposit accounts. On this episode, released ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference, Decker shares the virtuous circle purpose creates - how it draws motivated people to join teams, attracts partners and commercial teams, drives fresh thinking and keeps a cross-section of groups aligned on big goals. Decker shared the practical ways leaders can keep teams in touch with a shared purpose -- from aligned communication (that sidesteps confusion) to a simple question asked at the top of meetings to keep conversations focused. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 15, 2023 • 27min
Mentors and building momentum for social change: Raise our Voice Australia Founder
Too many groups, including women and gender diverse people, do not see themselves as policymakers or politicians. Raise Our Voice Australia works to change that by providing special training on how the political system works, as well as tactical skills in areas like community building and having conversations with people you disagree with. Founder Ashleigh Streeter-Jones shares the important role a mentor played in crafting a step-by-step process to launch the social enterprise, one that helped break the massive project into 'bite-sized' pieces, a process that can be instrumental for founders of any startup or initiative. In fact, Streeter-Jones has a circle of mentors she turns to for advice and commiseration, and she shares the key role that mentoring plays in sharing knowledge and building anything big. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 13, 2023 • 20min
NYSE Group's Lynn Martin: Navigate uncertainty with this simple habit
The second woman in history to run the New York Stock Exchange shares her 'non-linear' path to the role of President and the integral role her background in programming, technology and statistics plays in running a modern stock exchange. In a conversation recorded at the 2023 Annual Meeting in Davos, she talks about her first year on the job, the simple habit that helped her navigate 2022's rollercoaster year for stocks, the books inspiring her now, and what's needed to get more women into finance and tech. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 8, 2023 • 24min
ManpowerGroup's Becky Frankiewicz: Burnout, equity and women at work
COVID-19 set women at work back ‘a generation.’ Learn why — and what can be done to bridge gender gaps, burnout and tackle labor scarcity from ManpowerGroup's Becky Frankiewicz. In this episode, recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Frankiewicz delves into the value of thinking 'skills-first,' how leaders can ensure flexible work works for everyone, what it means to be 'visible' in the workplace and the soft skill some tech fields need most. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 1, 2023 • 21min
PepsiCo's Ramon Laguarta: Practices that transform business
A more sustainable future means transforming how business is done. In a special conversation recorded at the 2023 Annual Meeting in Davos, PepsiCo's CEO Ramon Laguarta shared how the food and beverage giant is rethinking things like packaging and consumption models - and how de-risking investments, scaling new habits and the right mix of internal collaboration and competition can spur innovation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.