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
May 25, 2022 • 30min
Trust Your Gut: AXA’s Thomas Buberl Talks Transformation and Reinvention
Thomas Buberl faced what a lot of leaders fear: becoming CEO of a company that’s already successful with a culture that’s already flourishing. So what did he do? He reinvented and transformed the company to make it all even better. In our conversation with Thomas, CEO of global insurance giant AXA, we learn some of the secrets of his successes and how he makes gutsy decisions. One of Thomas’ big pivots? A bold realignment towards sustainability and rallying other big corporations to take action on the climate crisis. Reinvention and constantly learning are consistent themes in this podcast – it’s how Thomas stays fresh, agile, and one of those leaders we can all learn from.
To hear more from leaders on transformation, you might also enjoy these other Redefiner episodes:
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
Leadership Reimagined: Transformation Tips from Jim Hagemann Snabe
BIO:Thomas Buberl has been Chief Executive Officer and Director of AXA since September 1st, 2016. He started as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group for the banking & insurance sector both in Germany and internationally. From 2005 to 2008, he worked for the Winterthur Group (acquired by AXA in 2006) as member of the Management Board of Winterthur in Switzerland, first as Chief Operating Officer and then as Chief Marketing and Distribution Officer. He then joined Zurich Insurance Group as Chief Executive Officer for Switzerland.
At the beginning of 2012, Thomas Buberl joined AXA as Chief Executive Officer of AXA Germany and member of the AXA Executive Committee. In March 2015, he also joined the AXA Management Committee and was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Global Business Line for the Health Business, and, in January 2016, of the Global Business Line for Life & Savings. From March to September 2016, he was deputy CEO (“Directeur général adjoint”) of AXA.
Thomas Buberl holds a Master of Economics degree from WHU Koblenz (Germany), a MBA from Lancaster University (UK) and a PhD in Economics from the University of St.Gallen (Switzerland). He has been distinguished as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.Thomas Buberl sits on the Board of Directors of IBM, the Supervisory Board of the Bertelsmann Verwaltungs Gesellschaft (BVG), and the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum. A German, Swiss and French citizen, Thomas Buberl was born in 1973.
May 11, 2022 • 36min
Carlyle Group CEO: You may not like change, but you're going to like obsolescence even less
Adopt Kewsong Lee’s motto – think bigger, move faster, perform better – and you’ll be primed for success in whatever leadership position you’re in. But how this CEO of private equity firm Carlyle Group puts that motto into motion is what’s made Kew one of the world’s savviest business leaders. In this episode, we’ll talk with him about embracing change, essential traits of successful leaders, and why having an authentic ESG mindset is not just good for the world but also good for business.
Kew’s 30-plus-year career is rife with successes, but his mistakes and failures taught him the most. We’ll talk about it all, as well as the transformation of the private equity industry—and how to be on the forefront of that change. If you like this episode, you might also enjoy these other Redefiner conversations: From Corruption to Transformation: The Rebirth of a Global Conglomerate with Joe Kaeser
How to Lead Like a Legend with Samuel Tsien
Leadership Reimagined: Transformation Tips from Jim Hagemann Snabe
BIO:Kewsong Lee - Chief Executive Officer of Carlyle Kewsong Lee is the Chief Executive Officer of Carlyle and was elected to the Board of Directors effective January 1, 2018. Mr. Lee joined Carlyle in 2013 as Deputy Chief Investment Officer for Corporate Private Equity and in 2016 he assumed the additional role of leading the Global Credit segment.
Prior to joining Carlyle, Mr. Lee was a partner and a member of the Executive Management Group at Warburg Pincus, where he spent 21 years. He is currently the President of Lincoln Center Theater, Chairman of the US Chamber of Commerce China Center Advisory Board, and Vice Chair for the Partnership for New York City. He also is a member of the Business Roundtable, serves on the board of the US China Business Council and FCLT Global, and is a Trustee of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Mr. Lee earned his AB in applied mathematics in economics at Harvard College and his MBA from Harvard Business School.
Apr 27, 2022 • 39min
Power, Politics and Purpose: Leadership Lessons with Former PM of Australia Julia Gillard
There are a lot of parallels between running a country and running a company. Julia Gillard, 27th Prime Minister of Australia, joins us to discuss topics critical to leaders at any level.Such as, how to manage crises and war-game potential ones to be prepared to act quickly when it matters. The power of defeat and how it can help us clarify what we really want. And the urgent need to get more women in leadership positions in both politics and business, which is the topic of Julia’s recent book Women and Leadership: Real Lives, Real Lessons, co-authored with Director of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. We’ll also talk about the commonalities and differences of serving on boards of for-profits versus non-profits, and what we can do to fast-track positive change in the arenas of infectious diseases, mental health, and climate change. Throughout it all, Julia shares tips we can all use on a leadership reality: dealing with adversity—and learning how to thrive through it. To hear more about closing the gender gap and dealing with adversity, check out these Redefiner episodes:
From Harvard to Hollywood: A Conversation with Debra Martin Chase
Break the Bias: Closing the Gender Wealth Gap with Sallie Krawcheck
Apr 13, 2022 • 33min
From Gillette to Jamba Juice: How to Lead Iconic Brands with Empathy, Purpose & Integrity
Love Jamba Juice? You can thank our guest James D. White who, as the brand’s former chair, president and CEO, helped transform a small smoothie shop into a global lifestyle brand in just three years. With an impressive resume working at some of the world’s most well-known brands—Gillette, Safeway, Coca-Cola, Nestle, and 17 boards including The Honest Company—we talk about how to lead iconic, global brands with a values-based, people-first strategy.
James’ recent book,Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Culture in a Race-Conscious World, which he co-authored with his daughter Krista, focuses on anti-racist leadership and DE&I from both a C-suite and Board perspective as well as a millennial one. It’s an episode about equity, empathy, lifelong learning, and taking action for social change, with valuable takeaways for leaders at all levels.
To hear more about purpose-driven leadership and diversity, equity and inclusion, check out these Redefiners episodes:
From Harvard to Hollywood: A Conversation with Debra Martin Chase
From Corruption to Transformation: The Rebirth of a Global Conglomerate with Joe Kaeser
Leadership Lessons from the Field with Troy Vincent
BIO: James D. White is the former chair, CEO, and president of Jamba Juice; a Board Director, and author of Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Culture in a Race-Conscious World.
James has more than 30-years-experience revitalizing some of the world’s leading brands. In talks, he shares personal insights on how to build strong bridges between the boardroom and the shop floor and why investing in your workforce is key. A passionate champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion, he takes audiences on his journey as a Black executive who “never had one promotion based on potential”— beginning with learning the ins and outs of effective leadership at Coca-Cola before moving into executive roles at Safeway, Gillette, and Nestle-Purina Petcare, and then taking on his most ambitious challenge: refreshing Jamba Juice from smoothie shop into global lifestyle brand in just three years.
James draws from his time spearheading successful turnarounds and growth at top companies to provide real-life examples of how effective leaders overcome challenges, engage their employees, and instill a sense of purpose and belonging in their people to create winning cultures.
Mar 30, 2022 • 36min
Leadership for Good: FinTech Transformation in Asia
Entrepreneur and mentor Aldi Haryopratomo opts for the road less travelled—figuratively but, early in his career, also literally on a motorbike. It’s Aldi’s ability to see opportunity from unique perspectives that allowed him to, among other successes, effect financial inclusion across Southeast Asia.
Aldi joins us to talk about how tuning into the cultural cues of your audience and adapting accordingly is essential. We’ll also discuss the power of mentorship—both the invaluable learnings and the tough love—and how relationships and reputation are just as important as a good resume.
Aldi is the former CEO of GoPay, former CEO and Co-founder of Mapan, and is currently on the Board of Commissioners for eFishery and the Board of Advisors for Halodoc in Indonesia. Nowadays, he’s on sabbatical and engaged in his biggest role yet: fun dad.
If you like this episode, you might also enjoy our conversation with Taha Bawa, Co-Founder and CEO of Goodwall – “Ready or Not, Gen Z is Coming.”
Mar 16, 2022 • 31min
From Harvard to Hollywood: A Conversation with Debra Martin Chase (Re-release)
Debra Martin Chase knows how to make big things happen. A Harvard Law School graduate and lawyer turned famed Hollywood producer, she is a dynamic 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 major studio, Debra shares in this episode anecdotes and insights on how she became the name behind some of TV and film’s most popular titles, and how she then uses her influence as a board member and mentor to help women and people of color thrive in the industry and beyond. It’s an episode full of lessons on how to evolve with confidence, move forward with purpose and never give up.Show notes:Listen to our most recent episodes highlighting other Redefiners:Break the Bias: Closing the Gender Wealth Gap with Sallie KrawcheckLesley Stahl: 30 Minutes with a 60 Minutes TV Legend
Mar 2, 2022 • 39min
Break the Bias: Closing the Gender Wealth Gap with Sallie Krawcheck
Sallie Krawcheck has boldly redefined companies, entire categories and, several times, her career. Former CEO or CFO of a long list of investment banking heavyweights, Sallie is now the CEO and co-founder of Ellevest, a digital investment platform uniquely created by women for women. In this episode, we’ll talk about Sallie’s determination and work to help close both the gender pay gap and, perhaps more importantly, the gender wealth gap by encouraging women to invest. Because, as Sallie tells us, when women become investors and cultivate their own wealth, they ultimately have greater freedom and flexibility in their careers and lives.We’ll also talk with Sallie about the positive power of career setbacks and how she used her Redefiner moments of two widely publicized corporate dismissals to springboard into wildly successful rebounds. We’ll discuss how Sallie’s early career as a research analyst helped her hone her contrarian conviction, a trait she’s leaned into ever since with remarkable success.
Feb 9, 2022 • 30min
Countdown to the Super Bowl: Leadership Lessons from the Field with Troy Vincent (Re-release)
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.
Jan 26, 2022 • 39min
Lesley Stahl: 30 Minutes with a 60 Minutes TV Legend
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.
Dec 22, 2021 • 2min
A Season of Gratitude: A Look Back at Redefiners 2021
As 2021 comes to an end and we begin to look forward to 2022, we want to take a step back for a moment of gratitude and reflection. Join Nanaz Mohtashami for a quick retrospective on 2021, along with her key takeaways from a few of the incredible guests who joined us on Redefiners.
She’ll also share some of the guests we have lined up for 2022 who are redefining what it means to be a leader. Redefiners will return with more incredible guests and conversations in January. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode!
