

Redefiners
Russell Reynolds Associates
Call them changemakers. Call them rule breakers. We call them Redefiners. And in this provocative podcast, we explore how daring leaders from across industries and around the globe are redefining their organizations—and themselves—to create extraordinary impact in today’s rapidly changing world. In each episode, Russell Reynolds Associates former CEO Clarke Murphy, Leadership Advisor Marla Oates, and Chief Science Officer Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, host engaging, purposeful conversations with leaders in and out of the business world who share their insights and perspectives on how they lead, boldly. You’ll come away with fresh ideas and tangible takeaways on how you can redefine your own leadership trajectory—no matter where you are on your journey.
Leadership Lounge
A sister mini-series to the Redefiners podcast, Leadership Lounge gives listeners unfettered access to our global team of leadership experts, who share real-world answers to your most-pressing leadership questions—from how you can give and receive feedback to the benefits of having a mentor. Hosted by RRA leadership advisor Emma Combe, each 15-20-minute episode lifts the curtain on how great leaders think, act, and lead, helping you build your own leadership muscles, whether you’re just starting out or already at the top.
Our Hosts: Clarke Murphy, Marla Oates, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, and Emma Combe :
Clarke Murphy leverages 30 years of experience in the executive recruiting industry to advise on critical leadership mandates across sectors—including Fortune 100 board searches and CEO successions. Based in New York, he has provided leadership advisory services to corporations such as Duke Energy, Deutsche Bank and Siemens, as well as private equity firms including the Carlyle Group.
Since joining the firm in 1988, Clarke has held several senior level roles at the firm, working both in Europe and the US. Clarke was the CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates from 2011-2021, where he led the firm through unprecedented growth. Previously, he led the CEO & Board Advisory Practice, served as Head of the Americas region, and was a member of the firm’s board of directors and Executive Committee.
Marla Oates is a leadership advisor at RRA who is passionate about connecting organizations with influential leaders and trailblazers who can inspire and drive change in a rapidly evolving world. With a focus on identifying and recruiting exceptional talent for Chief Financial Officer, Chief People Officer, and board searches, Marla has successfully partnered with hundreds of Fortune 500 organizations and private equity firms throughout the technology, industrial, and consumer sectors to identify and recruit top talent.Based in Austin, she has the privilege of fostering community and curating meaningful connections for C-suite executives and board members.
Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Science Officer at RRA and is an international authority in people analytics, talent management, leadership development, and the human-AI interface. His commercial work has focused on the creation of science-based tools that improve organizations' ability to predict performance, and people's ability to understand themselves. He was recently the Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, and is a co-founder of DeeperSignals and MyTrudy, as well as Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University. He has previously held academic positions at New York University and the London School of Economics, and lectured at Harvard Business School, Stanford Business School, London Business School, Johns Hopkins, IMD, and INSEAD, as well as being the CEO at Hogan Assessment Systems.
As the host of Leadership Lounge, Redefiners’ sister podcast, Emma Combe leads the UK Board Practice for Russell Reynolds Associates. She excels at identifying board chairs, CEOs, and executive and non-executive directors for listed, private equity, and family-owned enterprises. She also has extensive experience advising clients on board composition and development, as well as CEO succession planning. Based in London, she brings deep expertise in the industrial, infrastructure, and services sectors, both in the UK and internationally.
Since 2023, Emma has hosted Leadership Lounge, a podcast mini-series where she asks Russell Reynolds Associates’ leadership advisors to answer some of the most pressing questions facing leaders today.
Emma joined Russell Reynolds Associates when The Zygos Partnership became part of the firm in 2017. Previously, Emma worked for a specialist headhunting firm advising private equity funds on the leadership of their portfolio companies. She began her career as an associate for a boutique executive search firm based in New York.
Leadership Lounge
A sister mini-series to the Redefiners podcast, Leadership Lounge gives listeners unfettered access to our global team of leadership experts, who share real-world answers to your most-pressing leadership questions—from how you can give and receive feedback to the benefits of having a mentor. Hosted by RRA leadership advisor Emma Combe, each 15-20-minute episode lifts the curtain on how great leaders think, act, and lead, helping you build your own leadership muscles, whether you’re just starting out or already at the top.
Our Hosts: Clarke Murphy, Marla Oates, Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, and Emma Combe :
Clarke Murphy leverages 30 years of experience in the executive recruiting industry to advise on critical leadership mandates across sectors—including Fortune 100 board searches and CEO successions. Based in New York, he has provided leadership advisory services to corporations such as Duke Energy, Deutsche Bank and Siemens, as well as private equity firms including the Carlyle Group.
Since joining the firm in 1988, Clarke has held several senior level roles at the firm, working both in Europe and the US. Clarke was the CEO of Russell Reynolds Associates from 2011-2021, where he led the firm through unprecedented growth. Previously, he led the CEO & Board Advisory Practice, served as Head of the Americas region, and was a member of the firm’s board of directors and Executive Committee.
Marla Oates is a leadership advisor at RRA who is passionate about connecting organizations with influential leaders and trailblazers who can inspire and drive change in a rapidly evolving world. With a focus on identifying and recruiting exceptional talent for Chief Financial Officer, Chief People Officer, and board searches, Marla has successfully partnered with hundreds of Fortune 500 organizations and private equity firms throughout the technology, industrial, and consumer sectors to identify and recruit top talent.Based in Austin, she has the privilege of fostering community and curating meaningful connections for C-suite executives and board members.
Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is the Chief Science Officer at RRA and is an international authority in people analytics, talent management, leadership development, and the human-AI interface. His commercial work has focused on the creation of science-based tools that improve organizations' ability to predict performance, and people's ability to understand themselves. He was recently the Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, and is a co-founder of DeeperSignals and MyTrudy, as well as Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Columbia University. He has previously held academic positions at New York University and the London School of Economics, and lectured at Harvard Business School, Stanford Business School, London Business School, Johns Hopkins, IMD, and INSEAD, as well as being the CEO at Hogan Assessment Systems.
As the host of Leadership Lounge, Redefiners’ sister podcast, Emma Combe leads the UK Board Practice for Russell Reynolds Associates. She excels at identifying board chairs, CEOs, and executive and non-executive directors for listed, private equity, and family-owned enterprises. She also has extensive experience advising clients on board composition and development, as well as CEO succession planning. Based in London, she brings deep expertise in the industrial, infrastructure, and services sectors, both in the UK and internationally.
Since 2023, Emma has hosted Leadership Lounge, a podcast mini-series where she asks Russell Reynolds Associates’ leadership advisors to answer some of the most pressing questions facing leaders today.
Emma joined Russell Reynolds Associates when The Zygos Partnership became part of the firm in 2017. Previously, Emma worked for a specialist headhunting firm advising private equity funds on the leadership of their portfolio companies. She began her career as an associate for a boutique executive search firm based in New York.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 15, 2021 • 34min
From Corruption to Transformation: The Rebirth of a Global Conglomerate
What do you do when you’re the CEO of one of the world’s most iconic companies? If you’re Joe Kaeser, you do things differently. In this episode, we’ll talk with the former CEO of Siemens AG and current chairman of the supervisory board of Siemens Energy about how he transformed the company—and how he thinks today’s business leaders must be more purpose-driven in their approach to societal and climate change.
But let’s back up. Three months into Joe’s role as CEO at Siemens AG, Joe found out the company was embroiled in a massive corruption scandal. The fallout informed how he handled crisis, change, and the future, and it’s part of what led him to make a colossal and, at the time, unpopular decision: to break Siemens AG up into three separate businesses. It was one of the most complicated, most massive business transformations of all time—and it paid off. This is an episode about the courage to change, the power of intuition, and leaders’ responsibility on matters that extend way past business.

Dec 8, 2021 • 32min
Ready or Not, Gen Z is Coming
Our guest Taha Bawa admits he grew up with more opportunities than most. He traveled, volunteered, went to renowned schools, had parents who believed in him. But it was a visit to a refugee camp at age 10 that opened his eyes. While Taha was giving out sweets to kids his age, he realized luck was the only thing that separated him from them. The opportunity haves versus have nots. Today, as co-founder and CEO of Goodwall, Taha’s mission is to help create opportunities for Gen Z youth from around the world. The social network platform helps those aged 14-24 from over 150 countries maximize their educational and professional potential while making a positive societal impact. In this episode, we’ll talk with the Forbes 30 Under 30 CEO about how companies can attract and retain Gen Z employees and, in turn, how those employees can earn a seat at the leadership table. We’ll discuss corporate authenticity and how diversity of thought that includes the Gen Z POV is good economics. And we’ll talk about the importance of re-learning, having an entrepreneurial mindset and being comfortable with failure—regardless of age. It’s a conversation that’s as much for C Suite leaders as Gen Z leaders-to-be.

Dec 1, 2021 • 26min
How to Lead Like a Legend
Leading is one thing. Leaving a leadership legacy that has a resounding impact on an entire industry is quite another. Sam Tsien, former CEO of OCBC Bank in Singapore, accomplished the latter. In this episode, we’ll talk with Sam about how he did it, from leading the best-managed bank during the COVID-19 pandemic, to executing a seamless CEO succession plan, to adeptly navigating the Chinese banking market – and ultimately how he created a lasting legacy. Sam spent 44 years in Asia’s banking sector. Prior to OCBC Bank, he was CEO of China Construction Bank Asia and president and CEO of Bank of America, Asia. Sam’s redefining moment? Early on in his career, he was transferred from Hong Kong to San Francisco where banks had already begun to embrace technology, far more than in Asia. It was in California that he learned to have an open attitude and to adapt to the practices of where he was rather than where he came from. Sam’s a man who knows his market—wherever on the planet that is—and that perspective is part of what enabled him to create a lasting impact on both Asia’s financial services sector and the world’s business leadership community.

Nov 17, 2021 • 38min
Leadership Reimagined: Transformation Tips from Jim Hagemann Snabe
Whether he’s leading from the C Suite, chairing a Board, or authoring books on leadership, our guest Jim Hagemann Snabe is revered across industries as a master of transformation. In this insights-filled episode, Jim shares his refreshing and trailblazing leadership model that has enabled him to deftly lead transformation and change at SAP and at 100+ year old companies, Siemens and Maersk.
We’ll discuss Jim’s views on reinventing from a position of strength, culture change and navigating an unpredictable future. We’ll also hear about his redefining moment in India that most deeply informed his perspective on leadership: to use leadership to help progress some of the world’s problems all while running a smart business. It’s been his mantra ever since.
At a time when sustainable leadership is more critical than ever, Jim explains how it’s as good for the balance sheet as it is the environment, employees and the world. This episode will leave you inspired, energized, and emboldened to dream big and unlock potential for both your organization and you.

Nov 3, 2021 • 35min
Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur
Mario Schlosser, CEO, and co-founder of Oscar Health helped redefine the health insurance category by using data to give members better customer experiences and thus improved patient outcomes. He dared to use emerging technologies in a heretofore technologically timid industry – an approach that was disruptive, transforming, and highly successful.
Like many of our guests, Mario’s path to Oscar Health wasn’t a direct one. A lot of success in a lot of disparate industries. But what didn’t make it on Mario’s resume—yet had a valuable impact on his leadership and entrepreneurial approach—are the startups Mario founded that failed. Because it’s how he’s learned to avoid mistakes – by actually giving himself permission to make them. See what works, see what doesn’t; and learn from it all.
In this episode, Mario elaborates on this and other insights relating to his success as a leader, including the importance of people matters, the reality of luck, and why paying attention to little nudges along the way can take you in new, totally amazing directions.

Oct 20, 2021 • 32min
Leadership Lessons from the Frontlines of the Pandemic
How does someone who started out in finance end up center stage in the fight against COVID-19? Because our guest Aurélia Nguyen had the guts and self-awareness to step out of traditional trajectories into a career that, at the time, didn’t even have a name yet.
As she progressed through the finance and policy departments at Glaxo Smith Kline, Aurélia realized she had more resonant work to do. So she retrained and redefined herself for her role today: Managing Director of the Office of the COVAX Facility, where she helps secure and distribute COVID-19 vaccines to 92+ lower-resource countries – a job description that’s about as high-stakes and high-speed as it gets.
We talk with Aurélia about how she’s learned to successfully lead in an environment where there are many players, objectives, realities, and pivots (sound familiar?). We talk about collaboration, working toward collective milestones rather than collective visions, gathering talented teams who work with a singular focus, and how extending partnership arcs far outside the health category is helping her team reach their global health mission. It’s a powerful story of redefining and the incredible impact it can have on the world.
Relevant Report:
What if they mean it? | Russell Reynolds Associates

Oct 6, 2021 • 29min
Leadership, Tech Equity and the Future of Work
There’s one thing for certain: Tamara McCleary sees things differently – and that’s precisely what makes her perspective so captivating. In this episode of Redefiners, we talk with Tamara about how her circuitous career path—from helicopter trauma nurse to cancer researcher to CEO of Thulium—has informed how she leads. Primarily, by being a close listener and a continuous learner – two essential traits of successful leaders, she says.
Tamara shares her perspectives on the future of technology and offers a pretty urgent insight to our listeners: that we as leaders must make technology accessible and equitable for all, that technology should be used to better serve humanity, and leaders are in the unique position to make that happen.

Sep 22, 2021 • 30min
Leadership Lessons from the Field
The business world is rife with sports analogies. After all, there are remarkable similarities between what happens in athletics and in the boardroom. Troy Vincent is the embodiment of this parallel. As a 15-year veteran of the National Football League, he took the leadership skills he learned as a player—communication, presence, resiliency, game planning—and applies them in his current position, Executive Vice President of Football Operations of the NFL. Different sides of the sidelines, same desired outcome: success.
In this episode, Troy talks about how he became a respected, impactful, integrity-driven leader—critical insights for anyone in a leadership role—and why sustainable leadership and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) efforts are necessary in order to make organizations stronger. It’s a game plan you’ll definitely want to study.
Show notes:
Elevation: How Organizations Can Accelerate the Rise of Black Leaders | Thought Leadership | Russell Reynolds Associates

Sep 22, 2021 • 34min
From Burnout to Performance: Creating a Culture of Resiliency
If you want to inspire a culture of resiliency and healthy stamina in your own organization, this is the episode for you.
You wouldn’t think falling down a flight of stairs would be a Redefiner moment that wouldchange a career trajectory, but it was for our guest Annastiina Hintsa. Because the event forced her to realize that she was officially in a state of burnout and it opened her eyes to the link between wellbeing and sustainable performance.
Now, as CEO of Hintsa Performance, Annastiina helps the likes of Formula 1 drivers andFortune 500 C-Suiters find that holistic sweet spot in order to operate at peak levels and avoid burnout. In this episode of Redefiners, we talk with her about optimizing performance rather than maximizing it, and how to make behavioral changes that lead to sustained performance.
Enjoy this must-listen episode.
Show notes:
Employee Well-Being: It is Now or Never | Thought Leadership | Russell Reynolds Associates

Sep 22, 2021 • 31min
From Harvard to Hollywood: A Conversation with Debra Martin Chase
You want to make big things happen.
Debra Martin Chase knows how to make big things happen.
A Harvard Law School graduate and lawyer turned famed Hollywood producer, she is adynamic example of how to adeptly craft a career and lead for change.
As one of the industry’s first African-American female producers to have a deal with a majorstudio, Debra shares in this episode anecdotes and insights on how she became the namebehind some of TV and film’s most popular titles, and how she then uses her influence as aboard member and mentor to help women and people of color thrive in the industry and beyond.
We all want to evolve with confidence, move forward with purpose and never give up. Thisepisode is full of these lessons and more.
Show notes:
Is There a Fast Track to DE&I Maturity? | Thought Leadership | Russell Reynolds Associates


