Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast

"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

“You have to just say what's most important to you, and then...try to live that truth if you can.” Meg Whitman is the CEO of Quibi, a new video platform of “quick bites” of mobile content. Meg started her career at P&G in marketing and moved on to Executive level positions at Hasbro, Disney, and Bain before becoming the CEO of eBay (1998-2008), and then HP (2011-2015). Meg talks about making choices, the importance of cultivating relationships, and her experiences as a rising female leader - in business and politics - and how she’s seen the work environment change in her forty-year career. Learn More About Our Alumni Network: https://www.pgalums.com/

“What's really important is what you do and how you make people feel.” John Pepper was the CEO & Chairman of P&G from (1995-2002), Chairman of the Board of the Walt Disney Company (2007-2012), and CEO/Chairman of the National Underground Railroad Museum Freedom Center (1995-2002). Whether working across the table from Steve Jobs (Apple) and Bob Iger (Disney) or mentoring countless leaders in and out of P&G - John Pepper is one of the greats. You’ll learn about John’s fascinating personal and professional journey, the lessons he learned along the way, and his perspective on the world today. Access The Extended John Pepper Interview Here: www.pgalums.com/podcast  Learn More About Our Alumni Network: https://www.pgalums.com/

Did you know that many top leaders in business and beyond got their start at P&G? Did you also know that “Learnings” is not a word? This is “Learnings from Leaders” - the official P&G Alumni Podcast. Through conversations with leaders from some of the biggest brands - P&G, Nike, Google, Levi’s, Quibi, Dun & Bradstreet, Boeing, Salesforce, and many more - co-hosts Raman Sehgal (Recovering Marketer) and Andrew Tarvin (Humor Engineer) go deeper with the leaders you know, but want to know more about. In this “origin” episode, you’ll hear more about Drew & Raman’s personal P&G Alumni journey, and what (more) to expect from this new weekly podcast by the P&G Alumni Network. Learn more: www.pgalumns.com