Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast

"Getting unstuck is about resetting your success parameters to be owned by you." Alexandra Warbasse leads executive development at Lyft, the popular ride-sharing app. As one of Lyft’s first 100 employees starting in 2013 - she helped launch the company in several major cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, Detroit and Houston, -  setting up ALL operations across hiring, training, and local demand-gen and partnership efforts. Prior to joining Lyft, Alex was a Consumer Insights Manager for P&G’s Prestige portfolio of brands in NY - like Dolce & Gabbana, Lacoste, and Hugo Boss. Alex shares her passion for helping people get “unstuck” and live fuller, more meaningful lives. In her professional and professional practice, she speaks to the importance of mindfulness - and meditation - to cultivate more conscious leadership.

Bob McDonald served as the 8th United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, under President Barack Obama. He is ALSO the retired chairman, president, and CEO of Procter & Gamble. He’s now Chairman of the Board for RallyPoint - the premiere community US military service members, veterans, their family and supporters. Graduating among the top of his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Bob served in the US Army as a paratrooper and trained as a Ranger. Upon leaving the military, he had a 33-year distinguished career at P&G - with leadership roles on Tide, Canada, and then across Asia - ultimately becoming CEO.  Bob shares stories and lessons throughout his storied career - ranging the battlefield, the board room, state dinners, and the President’s cabinet. Tune in for a great conversation about his principles for team-building and decision-making.

In today’s show of the P&G Alumni podcast, we interview Jorge Montaya, former President of The Procter & Gamble Company’s Global Snacks & Beverage Division, and Procter & Gamble Latin America.  We kickstart this show with Jorge sharing some heart-warming childhood memories. Jorge was born and brought in Peru by a strong and principled mother, a school teacher by profession. His mother, Jorge shares, instilled in him the value of servant leadership and passion for work. Following in his elder brother’s footsteps, Jorge moved to the US to study mechanical engineering at Berkeley. It was here that Jorge first realized that America was indeed the land of limitless opportunities.  Next, Jorge narrates an interesting anecdote about how he got his MBA. The Organization of American States awarded a scholarship to Jorge for his MBA. Their only condition was that they would like him to go back to Peru and work there for a while. Jorge shares how he kept his end of the promise by indeed working in Peru as a P&G employee.  In the next segment of the show, listeners will be treated to some excellent anecdotes from Jorge’s 30-year long career. Particularly, Jorge shares the many difficulties that he faced while setting up P&G business in Latin America, and how he managed to overcome them.  What does it take to build a dream team… And how do you protect the integrity of the team?  Currently, Jorge works as a board director, Kroger and Gap Inc.  We wrap up this show with a fun and engaging rapid fire round. What You Will Learn In This Show: Why old-fashioned hard work is the surest way to rise through the corporate ranks Biggest challenges of setting up a business in a foreign country, and how to overcome them Growing your business without compromising on your ethics and integrity  And much, much more!

"You win more frequently when others on your team are winning." Sara Mathew is former CEO of Dun & Bradstreet, and on the Boards of Campbell’s, Freddie Mac, Avon, and Shire. Growing up in India - Sara moved to the US, started at P&G as a clerk, and rose to a senior exec. Sara became Dun & Bradstreet’s CFO in 2001, SVP of International in 2005, COO in 2007, and ultimately CEO from 2010-2013. Sara transformed D&B to an innovative digital enterprise, introducing Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) and accelerating Big Data Analytics. The Financial Times named her one of the Top 50 Women in World Business. Sara discusses that while life creates events you cannot control, what matters most is how you choose to respond. Sara also candidly shares her personal leadership journey - from manager to leader. By shifting from winning at all costs, to understanding that great leaders deliver BOTH great results and happy people - Sara developed an unbeatable team.

"Success doesn't teach you much, but a good failure will set you straight." Cheryl Bachelder is the former CEO of Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen and serves on the boards of Chick-fil-A, US Foods, and Pier 1. During a decade leading Popeye’s, Cheryl revitalized Popeyes into one of America’s top fast-food brands - with more than 10 straight years of growth. She previously held executive-level positions at Domino's and KFC. Cheryl started her career in a number of brand management positions at Nabisco, Gillette, and of course P&G. Cheryl shares her thoughts on servant leadership - which she literally wrote a book on: “Dare to Serve: How To Drive Superior Results While Serving Others.” Through deeply personal stories of work and family - Cheryl shares stories not just about winning - but the importance of learning from failures. Learn more: https://www.pgalums.com/

“It’s better to make the harder right, VS the easier wrong.” Chip Bergh is President & CEO of Levi Strauss & Company. Chip got his start in the United States Army as a paratrooper - rising to the rank of Captain. He then spent 28-years at P&G leading many of the company’s most iconic brands - from growing Folgers and launching Swiffer. By the early 2000s, Chip led much of P&G’s Asia business, and after P&G’s 2005 Gillette acquisition, Chip ran all of P&G’s male grooming brands - including the famed relaunch of Old Spice. Since becoming Levi’s CEO in 2011, Chip has led the turnaround of one of America’s oldest - and most iconic - brands.  Chip shares stories of not just his own style of values-driven leadership, but also how he’s continued - through humility and humor - Levi’s tradition of social activism.

“Bigger is not always better, but you can thrive with a small group of people around you in big places.” Andy Shih is Nike’s VP of Direct Stores and Digital Commerce for the Asia Pacific and Latin America. Andy previously spent 5 years in Shanghai where he led Nike’s eCommerce efforts across greater China. Before joining Nike, Andy was one of P&G’s earliest digital marketers - working across brands like Pantene, Clairol, Olay, Cover Girl, Secret, Head & Shoulders, and more - ultimately leading programs in digital marketing, business analytics, and commercial innovation. Andy also happens to be a graduate of The Ohio State University.  In this candid conversation - you’ll hear from Andy how he grew in big places - universities, companies, and even countries like China - making them smaller with what matters most: great people. Learn more: https://www.pgalums.com/

“As leaders, it’s more about the outcome and the conversations, versus the hours that you’re working.” Janet Roller is the VP of Brand & Audience of Shutterfly. For 2 decades, Janet has lived many professional lives across Marriott, Target, and of course, P&G. She began her P&G career in babycare new product development, then joined Target for 12 years - spanning design and sales. Most recently, Janet Roller was the VP of CX Innovation with Marriott International, focused on the next wave of human-centered travel experiences. Janet also serves as a coach at Stanford’s d.school, leading executives through the design-thinking process. While Janet’s worked across some of the world’s biggest brands - her success has come from breaking down the boxes of preconceived notions and bringing a “design thinking” approach to ALL of the interactions at home and work.

“How do you change a culture? One conference room at a time.” Jim McNerney was CEO of both Boeing and 3M, before which he spent 19 years rising across divisions of General Electric (GE). Jim also worked early on at McKinsey and started (of course) at P&G. Jim has served on the Boards of P&G, Boeing, IBM, and was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees and the President’s Export Council. Through lessons in humility and humor, you’ll learn how Jim’s been an agent of cultural change and business results. Learn more: https://www.pgalums.com/

“To be the first person in a role can actually be a career accelerant.” Julie Eddleman is Global Client Partner at Google, accelerating partnerships with companies like GM, Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and P&G. Julie spent 19 years at P&G working on partnerships with the NFL, Olympics, and many of the company’s biggest investments. Julie’s been recognized as an AdAge Media Maven, an LGBT Influential Leader by The Advocate magazine, and Woman of the Year by PowerPlay New York City for her role in mentoring young women and girls. Julie talks about being out at work - and how she’s made choices and relationships during her 25 year business career.  Resources: Julie’s LinkedIn the P&G Alumni Network: pgalums.com