Leadership Next

If you shop on the internet, you’ve probably seen Klarna—and its buy-now, pay-later installment offers—when shopping at major retailers like Bloomingdale's, Foot Locker, or Sephora. The company’s plans allow shoppers to break up purchases into four equal payments, with no interest. Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski says installment plans fill a gap in the market, allowing customers some payment flexibility without the interest and fees found with typical credit cards.But Klarna does much more than just installments. On this week’s episode of Leadership Next, Michal and Diane Brady talk to Siemiatkowski about Klarna’s early adoption of AI, why the company also offers credit cards, and its growth plans.Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa started Warby Parker as a business school project in 2010. The premise was simple: shake up the old-line optical business by selling frames online, and at a lower price than traditional retail. Today, Warby Parker is one of the biggest players in optical, a robust online business leveraging e-commerce but with a growing retail footprint of some 250 stores as well.On this episode of Leadership Next, Michal talks to Neil and Dave about Warby Parker's founding story, changing consumer behavior, and how to remain innovative as a company matures beyond startup mode.Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte. 

GE Appliances started making products for cooking and heating way back in 1907. Today, it’s one of the largest manufacturers of appliances in the U.S. On this episode of Leadership Next, Alan and Michal talk to GE Appliances president and CEO Kevin Nolan about the company’s culture of entrepreneurship, keeping up with changes in consumer behavior, and why “nugget ice” has become a game changer.Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Its origin story dates back to the birth of the United States. Today, some 240 years later, Bank of New York—the bank founded by Alexander Hamilton—is a global giant that powers large swaths of the worldwide financial system.On this week's episode of Leadership Next, Alan talks to BNY CEO Robin Vince about cybersecurity, how to build an enduring company culture, and how a 240-year-old firm innovates for the future.A note for listeners: This interview was recorded before BNY Mellon rebranded as BNY. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

In 1922, 25 military veterans came together to start USAA. At the time, military families were having difficulty getting car insurance. Fast-forward to today, and USAA provides insurance and financial services to millions of veterans and their families. This clear mission, says CEO Wayne Peacock, has actually helped the 102-year-old company remain innovative.On this episode of Leadership Next, Peacock talks to Alan and Michal about inflation’s impact on the insurance and housing sectors, hiring military veterans, and how early investments in technology gave USAA an advantage during the pandemic.Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

When David Risher became CEO of Lyft in 2023, he realized the ridesharing company had a speed problem. At the time, it took Lyft cars on average four extra minutes to arrive compared to wait times for cars from Uber, its main competitor. A year later, thanks to onboarding many more drivers onto the Lyft platform, the difference is down to 10 seconds. On this episode of Leadership Next, Risher chats with Alan and Michal about innovation in ridesharing and Lyft's customer-centric focus, including new features designed to make women drivers and passengers feel safer when they use the platform. For Risher, transparency isn't just a buzzword: His work email is readily publicized and drivers often reach out directly with feedback. He also makes a habit of driving Lyft cars every six weeks, an opportunity to hear from customers directly as well. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Volvo Cars has an ambitious goal of going all electric by 2030. But, according to CEO Jim Rowan, the EV push won't be linear. Major population centers are way ahead of rural communities, both in the U.S. and globally when it comes to things like charging infrastructure, critical for the move away from gas-powered cars.Rowan became CEO of Volvo Cars in 2022 after a long career in tech, including stints as the CEO of Dyson and COO of Blackberry. He says Volvo's market position as a premium brand gives it a distinct advantage in a crowded field. On this episode of Leadership Next, Alan and Michal talk to Rowan about innovation in automotive, China's EV-manufacturing infrastructure, and Volvo's 70-year history bringing Scandinavian design sensibility to the U.S. car market.Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

None of Jackie Reses’s fintech contemporaries were surprised that she bought a bank. A former Square executive, Reses bought Lead Bank to address compliance and technology challenges facing fintechs.She discusses with Michal how she’s turning a 95-year-old family-owned banking institution into an innovative provider of banking infrastructure for fintechs; the importance of consistent culture across NYC and Kansas City headquarters; the spirit of entrepreneurialism in her family; her experience at Square; and what she learned from Jack Dorsey.Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Medical-device maker Masimo has been embroiled in a legal battle with Apple over alleged patent infringement and trade-secret theft—resulting in a temporary import ban on some Apple Watch models late last year. But before the medtech company was going up against tech giants in court, Masimo was a quintessential startup story running out of CEO Joe Kiani’s garage.  Kiani himself is every bit the prototypical American dream success story. He emigrated with his family from Shiraz, Iran, to Huntsville, Ala., attended college at 15, and started his career as an electrical engineer. He speaks with Michal Lev-Ram about both his and his company’s origin stories; how he’s managed to navigate Masimo’s legal disputes; how he’s stayed ahead of the AI curve; and more.Note: Apple continues to deny Masimo’s IP claims. Additionally, Apple defended its standards for suppliers, telling Fortune it conducted thousands of assessments and audits last year to ensure healthy labor practices. Apple disputes Kiani's characterization of its App Store commissions.

The media industry has seen a lot of turbulence in the last several decades, but Jim VandeHei managed to cut through the noise and found not just one but two successful news organizations—Axios, where he still serves as CEO, and Politico. As a student, VandeHei says, he struggled academically, but found his calling as a political journalist before ultimately stepping up to be a media entrepreneur.He speaks with Alan and Michal about his unconventional path to success; lessons he’s learned as an industry-disrupting leader; his thoughts on the media landscape at large; how AI will radically shape newsrooms; his turn as a lifestyle and wellness guru; and more.Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.