Leadership Next

Robots have been moving into factories and other manufacturing facilities for some time. But Daniel Dines is out to automate tasks traditionally done by knowledge workers. Dines's company, UiPath, is working hard to bring robotic process automation, or RPA, into offices across the world. He argues that automating routine tasks ultimately enhances jobs - and investors seem to agree. The company went public earlier this year in one of the largest U.S. software IPOs in history, and continues to grow.On this episode of Leadership Next, Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt dig into Dines's argument that this automation is a positive development for all concerned.

It's been almost exactly two years since the Business Roundtable - a DC-based advocacy group comprised of the country's biggest companies - updated its mission statement to include stakeholders like employees and communities alongside shareholders. The move signaled a change in approach that Leadership Next's Alan Murray calls "transformational." As co-host Ellen McGirt points out however, skeptics continue to say this is all just talk, not substantive change.So today, Alan and Ellen check in with the head of the Business Roundtable - Josh Bolten - to hear the arguments he offers critics. They also discuss implementing standards to better measure the impact of the stakeholder approach, how the pandemic has impacted adherence to the stakeholder model, and Bono (yes, that Bono).

Why should business care if the government agrees to repair roads and bridges? The answer to that question is more complex than you may think. But this week's Leadership Next guest lays it out beautifully. Andrew Liveris, former CEO of Dow, is co-chair of a boldface group of CEOs called Build Together. Their goal: to encourage bipartisan support of the $1T infrastructure bill. That bill passed the Senate - garnering support of all Democratic Senators and 19 Republicans - last week. Now, it's heading for the House.Liveris explains why Build Together was formed and how it functioned. Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt also ask about what's next for the group and how the CEOs feel about the $3.5T soft infrastructure budget blueprint.

Flex is "one of the biggest companies you may have never heard of," Alan Murray says on this week's Leadership Next. The third-largest manufacturer in the world, Flex makes products and components for other companies you DO know - like Cisco, Dyson and Bose. Revathi Advaithi became Flex CEO in February of 2019 - just in time to negotiate sensitive trade issues with China, quickly followed by the COVID-19 pandemic.In this episode of Leadership Next, Advaithi talks about running factories and managing customers during the pandemic's early days, what the pandemic revealed about supply chains, and how she expects manufacturing to change over ensuing years. She also shares her career journey, and her thoughts on how more women can reach leadership positions within Global 500 companies.

When the COVID pandemic hit, Best Buy turned all of its stores into curbside service only - in the span of just 48 hours. And while stores have since reopened, many changes made as a result of the global crisis are here to stay. CEO Corie Barry tells Leadership Next how Best Buy has rethought using its stores, connecting with customers and best utilizing employee skills. And what about business itself? Will the outsize demand we saw for tech products eventually wane? Barry's answer may surprise you. Also in this episode: Best Buy's efforts to retain women employees, its focus on cybersecurity, and why being CEO "is not a job you do by yourself."

Leadership Next's Alan Murray calls the board shakeup at Exxon one of the biggest business stories of the year. And today the man behind that shakeup - Chris James of Engine No. 1 - joins Alan and Ellen McGirt to explain what inspired his activist campaign, and why he believes it succeeded. Fortune's Katherine Dunn - who has been reporting on the story - has valuable insight to offer too, laying out how the proxy fight unfolded and why the moment was ripe for disruption.Also key of course is what happens next. Will the three new board members be able to drive change at Exxon, pushing it to invest in the technology needed to transition away from a carbon-centered energy future? And does Engine No. 1 have its sights set on another company?

Grab is widely considered Southeast Asia's most valuable startup. Founded in 2012, the company started as a riding hailing service and has grown to include food delivery, financial services and more. From the beginning, co-founders Anthony Tan and Hooi Ling Tan have focused on building a successful business that also creates a lasting social impact.On this episode of Leadership Next, CEO Anthony Tan tells Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt how the company came to be, how it has grown, and how competition has made Grab better. Throughout it all, he illustrates how an unwavering attention to stakeholders has benefited millions across Southeast Asia, and strengthened Grab's bottom line.

While Leadership Next enjoys an extended Fourth of July holiday, check out this episode of Fortune's Brainstorm podcast - a weekly podcast which examines how tech is reshaping our world. Like what you hear? Subscribe here!In this episode, which originally aired in May, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe look at Silicon Valley's efforts to perfect a delicious meat alternative. There are more plant-based meats on the market than ever before. But startups are increasingly using other methods to develop alternative proteins too - and investors are flocking to support their efforts.Today's Brainstorm podcast is all about these alternative meats: the case for developing them, how Silicon Valley is embracing the challenge, who is most interested in backing these companies and - perhaps most importantly - how do they taste?Fortune senior writer Beth Kowitt wrote her first big feature on the industry in 2017 and has been following it closely ever since. She gives Brian O'Keefe and Michal Lev-Ram an industry overview.Kowitt also interviews Lisa Dyson, the founder and CEO of Air Protein. A young company that - yes - aims to make alternative protein from the elements found in air.Finally, hear from Sharyn Murray of The Good Food Institute. She has a slew of data about who is investing in this industry and where the money's going - plus an interesting argument that the government should be playing a larger role in encouraging the adoption of meatless meat.

Duke Energy, number 126 on the Fortune 500, delivers electricity to nearly 8 million customers in the Southeast and Midwest. A fair amount of that electricity remains generated by coal-fired plants. Since Lynn Good became CEO in 2013 she's retired 52 of these plants, but there's still work to be done. And with an increased focus on climate change coming from government, investors, employees and customers - the push to reach net zero is stronger than ever. Good tells Leadership Next's Alan Murray how the company is approaching this challenge. They also discuss cybersecurity threats, activist investors, and how the job of CEO has changed over time.

Vivek Sankaran was ten months into his tenure as CEO of Albertsons Companies when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. His roughly 300,000 employees immediately became front-line workers, and the company had to scramble to figure out how to keep everyone safe. But ultimately, Sankaran said, the pandemic made Albertsons a better company by accelerating innovation around digital orders and much more.Another big change for Sankaran over the past year is how he thinks about social issues and community impact."I shouldn't be episodic about this," he explained. "I need to make this commitment, I need to problem solve it like I'm problem-solving other aspects of the business."