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 Leadership Advisor Hoda Tahoun and former CEO Clarke Murphy 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. Our Hosts:Clarke Murphy Clarke Murphy is the former Chief Executive Officer of Russell Reynolds Associates and serves on the Board of Directors. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was the Global Leader of the firm's CEO/Board Services Practice.While at Russell Reynolds Associates, Clarke has conducted a number of significant projects in the industry, including Fortune 100 board searches and CEO successions. In addition, he has led notable searches in the private equity industry including searches for the Carlyle Group and Warburg Pincus.Hoda TahounAs a leadership advisor and leader of the global Leisure & Hospitality Practice at RRA, Hoda Tahoun identifies, assesses, and develops dynamic C-suite leaders for global hospitality, travel, and leisure companies. Based in Miami, Hoda helps clients solve their most pressing leadership issues at the CEO, C-suite, and other executive-levels. She also advises clients on customer-centric, go-to-market leadership roles such as chief marketing officers and chief experience officers. Hoda is committed to reshaping the hospitality and leisure landscape to ensure it is an industry that leads with purpose, value, and wellbeing and continues to attract and retain talent across all facets of diversity.Hoda spent more than seven years working for a boutique executive search firm, rising to the title of principal where she worked closely with hotel management companies, cruise lines and private equity firms. Previously, Hoda was an assistant vice president at SHUAA Capital in Dubai where she led the firm’s investment banking efforts. She has also worked at American Express, Bank of America and Citi.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 22, 2023 • 35min
How the Barely Possible Can Overcome the Barely Solvable with First Mode’s Chris Voorhees
Chris Voorhees built his career on solving massive challenges on Earth and in space. He’s Co-founder and Chief Product and Technology Officer of First Mode, a creative engineering company developing carbon reduction and clean energy solutions for heavy industry. Before that, he was an award-winning NASA engineer with integral roles on three Mars rover projects – Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity. We talk with Chris about his fearless approach to problems, how he builds teams and culture, and how creativity and curiosity have enabled him to find solutions to the nearly unsolvable, from outer space to sustainability. It’s 30 minutes that will shift your thinking in how you approach problem solving and how you define “impossible.”
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiner episodes:
Daring to Build a More Sustainable World with Kate Brandt and Sophia Mendelsohn
Feeding the World and Protecting the Planet with Yara International CEO Svein Tore Holsether
Trust Your Gut: AXA’s Thomas Buberl Talks Transformation and Reinvention
Feb 8, 2023 • 37min
Thriving Through Adversity: How WTO’s Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Solving Global Problems (Re-release)
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala thrives on challenge. As the first woman and first African to serve as Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi is responsible for negotiating seemingly impossible deals on global finance, trade, sustainability, and social welfare. We talk with her about her sense of purpose, values, and her firm belief in the power of trade to lift developing countries out of poverty and help them to achieve economic growth and sustainable development. We’ll also discuss another key leadership attribute: courage – in Dr. Ngozi’s case, growing up in war-torn Nigeria, taking on some of the world’s most consequential roles in the public sector, and persevering in her cause even when her mother’s kidnappers demanded Dr. Ngozi resign. This is a conversation about resolve, duty, and embracing risk you won’t want to miss.
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these other Redefiners episodes:
Daring to Build a More Sustainable World with Kate Brandt and Sophia Mendelsohn
Power, Politics and Purpose: Leadership Lessons with Former PM of Australia Julia Gillard
Risk-taking and Dealmaking with Global MedTech Leader, Kevin Lobo
Jan 25, 2023 • 39min
Unreasonable Hospitality: Will Guidara’s Recipe for Greatness
When you run one of the top 50 restaurants in the world, your business is operating at near perfection. But in order to become the best, Will Guidara knew he’d have to redefine hospitality. Will is the former owner of Make it Nice, the hospitality group with restaurants covering the spectrum from fine dining to fast casual, including the acclaimed Eleven Madison Park, NoMad in New York, London, Los Angeles and Las Vegas, and Davies and Brook at Claridge's hotel in London. Knowing his true passion lies in making people happy, Will opted to be unreasonable in his approach to service and hospitality, leading to Eleven Park Madison being named the best restaurant in the world in 2017 and the writing of his first book, Unreasonable Hospitality (Penguin Random House). In this episode of Redefiners, Will discusses not only how to go above and beyond for customers, but how to inspire and support a team to do the same. Will’s unique perspective on hospitality can be applied across industries. From the benefits of starting at the bottom, to setting expectations for feedback, to building a culture of excellence, listen in as one of the restaurant industry’s great leaders shares his ascent to the top. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:
From Gillette to Jamba Juice: How to Lead Iconic Brands with Empathy, Purpose & Integrity
From Harvard to Hollywood: A Conversation with Debra Martin Chase
The Power of Art and the Art of Power with Henry Timms
Jan 11, 2023 • 33min
Feeding the World and Protecting the Planet with Yara International CEO Svein Tore Holsether
Like many of us, Svein Tore Holsether is a leader under pressure. Svein is CEO of Yara International, the world’s leading crop nutrition company with operations in more than 60 countries. Yara’s mission is to responsibly feed the world and protect the planet at the same time – no simple task given the current food and energy crises impacting Europe and other parts of the world. In this episode, Svein shares how and why he radically reoriented Yara’s mission to make purpose and sustainability paramount in their ambition to grow a nature-positive food future. He talks about why trust is so critical when it comes to sustainability, climate change, and achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. And he also talks about the revenue opportunities that comes with sustainability and how it can be the driver of a business’s success. It’s a conversation about turning pressure into purpose and influence into action. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiner episodes:
Leadership Reimagined: Transformation Tips from Jim Hagemann Snabe
Daring to Build a More Sustainable World with Kate Brandt and Sophia Mendelsohn
Trust Your Gut: AXA’s Thomas Buberl Talks Transformation and Reinvention
Thriving Through Adversity: How WTO’s Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Solving Global Problems
Dec 21, 2022 • 35min
2022 in Review: Trends and Takeaways with Clarke & Nanaz
As 2022 comes to a close, we’re taking a look back on our conversations with some of the world’s most accomplished leaders – in business and beyond. Clarke Murphy and Nanaz Mohtashami revisit some of this season’s top insights on issues like sustainability, talent and the Great Resignation, leadership, DE&I, purpose, and technology and transformation. And to help you plan your next career move, you’ll get this season’s best career advice from leaders we all look up to. If the upside of a challenging year is the learnings that come with it, then 2022 was rife with lessons. Redefiners will return with more conversations in January 2023, so be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss an episode! In the meantime, check out all of our Redefiners episodes athttps://www.russellreynolds.com/redefiners. Happy holidays!
Dec 7, 2022 • 41min
Private Investment Guru David Rubenstein Goes Public on How to Be a Successful Leader & Investor
According to our guest, The Carlyle Group co-founder and co-chairman, four-time author, and passionate philanthropist David Rubenstein, there are 13 common traits among the most iconic leaders. In this episode, David delves into these leadership traits, as well as his winding path from blue collar kid to lawyer to political insider to investment icon and bar-setting patriotic philanthropist. He shares his insights about all things investing – risk, reward, crypto, managing through a recession – and how investing your time can be just as valuable as investing your money. He talks about his love of history and what can it teach us on navigating today’s challenges. Whether you’re on a board now or headed that way, you’ll want to hear David’s simple rule of thumb on what it takes to be a successful board member. David Rubenstein has a lot to say – all of it indispensable.If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiner episodes: · Break the Bias: Closing the Gender Wealth Gap with Sallie Krawcheck · Risk-taking and Dealmaking with Global MedTech Leader, Kevin Lobo · Power, Politics and Purpose: Leadership Lessons with Former PM of Australia Julia Gillard
Nov 16, 2022 • 37min
Lesley Stahl: 30 Minutes with a 60 Minutes TV Legend (Re-release)
We’re stepping out of the boardroom and into the newsroom with our guest, broadcast journalist legend Lesley Stahl. Now in her 30th year on 60 Minutes, Lesley is renowned for her courage, intelligence, and interviewing prowess. She’ll share her two Redefiner moments—covering Watergate and surviving Covid—that significantly shaped her career, her life, and her priorities. In this episode, we’ll also talk with Lesley on broadcast news topics that have surprising parallels to business topics: how to prepare for and deal with tough conversations, and how Diversity, Equity & Inclusion efforts make both news and business organizations infinitely better. We’ll also talk about how technology is changing the way we get our news—not necessarily for the better—and how trust and truth in news are more essential and harder to come by than ever. If you want to hear more conversations about DEI and purpose, you might enjoy these other Redefiners episodes:· From Harvard to Hollywood: A Conversation with Debra Martin Chase · Power, Politics and Purpose: Leadership Lessons with Former PM of Australia Julia Gillard · From Gillette to Jamba Juice: How to Lead Iconic Brands with Empathy, Purpose & Integrity with James D. White
Oct 26, 2022 • 37min
Thriving Through Adversity: How WTO’s Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Solving Global Problems
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala thrives on challenge. As the first woman and first African to serve as Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr. Ngozi is responsible for negotiating seemingly impossible deals on global finance, trade, sustainability, and social welfare. We talk with her about her sense of purpose, values, and her firm belief in the power of trade to lift developing countries out of poverty and help them to achieve economic growth and sustainable development. We’ll also discuss another key leadership attribute: courage – in Dr. Ngozi’s case, growing up in war-torn Nigeria, taking on some of the world’s most consequential roles in the public sector, and persevering in her cause even when her mother’s kidnappers demanded Dr. Ngozi resign. This is a conversation about resolve, duty, and embracing risk you won’t want to miss. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these other Redefiner episodes: · Bridging Cultures & Building Brands: Marketing CEO Emily Chang Masters Both · Power, Politics and Purpose: Leadership Lessons with Former PM of Australia Julia Gillard · Leadership for Good: FinTech Transformation in Asia
9 snips
Oct 12, 2022 • 35min
From Burnout to Performance: Creating a Culture of Resiliency (Re-Release)
Annastiina Hintsa, CEO of Hintsa Performance, has transitioned from strategy consulting to advocating for holistic health and sustainable high performance, aiding everyone from Formula One drivers to CEOs. In this captivating discussion, she shares her personal journey of overcoming burnout and the crucial link between well-being and performance. The conversation highlights the importance of empathy in the workplace, resilience strategies during crises, and the need to optimize rather than maximize performance to foster a supportive organizational culture.
Sep 28, 2022 • 37min
Leadership Reimagined: Transformation Tips from Jim Hagemann Snabe (Re-release)
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.
This episode also includes a special offer for listeners to submit questions to Russell Reynolds Associates consultants on leadership, career development, joining a board, or other topics.
If you have a question, send it toredefiners@russellreynolds.com. Don’t miss your opportunity to get your questions answered by an expert.
If you liked this episode, check out these other Redefiners episodes: · Trust Your Gut: AXA’s Thomas Buberl Talks Transformation and Reinvention · From Corruption to Transformation: The Rebirth of a Global Conglomerate with Joe Kaeser· From Gillette to Jamba Juice: How to Lead Iconic Brands with Empathy, Purpose & Integrity
