What's a piece of advice that changed you for the better? In this special episode of Meet The Leader, top leaders from Microsoft, to IKEA to the International Monetary Fund and more share the feedback that was so meaningful and compelling they'd applied it throughout their careers. Learn the tough moments and powerful feedback that led to turning points and transformations, nudging leaders to reflect, change course, listen in new ways and change how they react to scale their impact.   Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/leaders-advice-grateful-for-microsoft-ikea-hpe Featured in this episode: Olajumoke Adekeye, Founder, Young Business Agency Tejpaul Bhatia, CRO, Axiom Space Ulrika Biesert, CHRO, Ingka Group / IKEA Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund Daphne Koller, CEO, insitro Annette Mosman, CEO, APG Nigina Muntean, Chief of Innovation, UNFPA Sander van 't Noordende, CEO, Randstad Christopher Oakes, CEO, Reefgen Madison O'Brien, Customer Success and Community Lead, Teamgage Alexi Robichaux, CEO, Better Up  Fidelma Russo, CTO, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Brad Smith, Vice Chair and President, Microsoft

Humans have learned to survive in space. But as Tejpaul Bhatia reminded Meet the Leader, it’s time to learn how to live, work and thrive. One step towards that goal is Axiom Station, the first commercial space station. With the International Space Station due to be decommissioned, he explains how Axiom Station will build on decades of lessons learned for a future-ready station factoring in principles of ergonomic and industrial design, a station planned to adapt to new technologies and needs. And while it employs its share of former astronauts and rocket scientists, this unique company also designs space suits - like the one for the upcoming Artemis moon mission set for 2026. This means it also counts sewers and costumers from places like Cirque du Soleil on its team – people who understand performance fabrics and who have the skill sets to hand sew parts of uniforms that can’t be tackled with a machine. He’ll share how this incredibly diverse group works together and how learning how to tap such a range of capabilities is a window into the unique pioneering collaborations that will drive the space economy. To learn more:  Axiom Space: https://www.axiomspace.com/ Report:  Space: The $1.8 Trillion Opportunity for Global Economic Growth: https://www.weforum.org/publications/space-the-1-8-trillion-opportunity-for-global-economic-growth/ Related podcasts:  This former astronaut shares what’s key to building strong, effective teams: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/soichi-noguchi-astronaut-build-effective-teams/ From space to the ocean's depths - how a space CEO and explorer approaches risk: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/dylan-taylor-voyager-space-risk-leadership/

Last year, Ingka Group, the parent company for big retailer IKEA, reached near gender balance in leadership. This transformation did not come overnight and HR chief Ulrika Biesèrt discusses the mindset shifts and tangible changes in everything from hiring to development that helped make this possible for the 80-year-old company. Biesèrt also shares her own leadership journey, one that includes 27 years at IKEA and roles in every part of the company, including logistics, product development and retail. She explains how that breadth and depth shapes how she leads -- while also sharing the advice her mother gave her at the beginning of her career that has helped her get her voice heard.  Interview recorded Spring 2024.  Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mserdr8z To learn more:  Global Gender Gap: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/ Related podcasts: 9 leaders from Microsoft, IKEA and more share advice for new grads: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/9-leaders-share-advice-for-new-grads-2024/ Ingka Group's Jesper Brodin: The talent crisis you’re not talking enough about: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ingka-holding-jesper-brodin-refugees-hiring/  

Unsafe, costly transit contributes to everything from wealth and equity gaps to pollution. But as cities grapple with growing populations, shifting needs, technological advancement and the energy transition, we’re approaching a moment of reinvention that could lead to positive change if planned correctly. Benjamin de la Peña, the CEO of the Shared-Use Mobility Center breaks down the incentives and strategies that could drive more climate-ready, equitable, safe and affordable transportation. He also discusses the importance of systems thinking and planning that factors in the generations to come -- thinking that can help any leader make big change happen. 

Daphne Koller is an AI pioneer, MacArthur fellow, member of the National Academy of sciences and the founder and CEO of drug discovery and development company insitro. She’ll talk about how attitudes surrounding AI have evolved in her multi-decade career and what's ahead - including how technology is reshaping drug discovery, paving the way for more targeted treatments for the patients who can benefit most. But maximizing AI-powered innovation will depend on better investments in data aggregation, quality and collection and navigating hype cycles that can distract from real impact.  This academic-turned-entrepreneur will also share how founding insitro (and a previous company, Coursera) helped her expand her leadership and management skills, all while driving home the importance of shaping a company culture. At insitro, this focus building a culture that works for unique needs led to a special ‘helix’ inspired-structure that helps discovery biologists, automation engineers and others in the company's cross-functional teams keep communication flowing, problem solve, and prevent the siloes that can hold true innovation back.  Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/daphne-koller-insitro-AI-soft-skills Insitro: https://www.insitro.com/ Top Ten Technologies of 2024: https://www.weforum.org/publications/top-10-emerging-technologies-2024/

Gaps in the design of everything from AI to pharmaceuticals lead to everything from safety risk to poor health outcomes. Nigina Muntean, the chief of innovation at the United Nations Population Fund, is looking to fix this, making research and design more inclusive for everyone. Her agency launched the Equity 2030 Alliance last year bringing together leaders in tech and pharma and other sectors to share best practices. Its experts in academia, government and business come together to help advocate for new standards in equitable investment, and to champion more gender-inclusive approaches to tech and design. The group is coming upon its first year anniversary which it celebrated during this year's UN General Assembly Week in New York City. Nigina is also a former physician and a public health expert who understands how investments in research and design impact the lives of everyday people, especially those with the least resources. She shares her first-hand perspectives on what’s needed tackle bias in design and what any leader should keep in mind. More about this episode:  2030 Equity Alliance: https://www.unfpa.org/equity-2030-alliance 2024 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/ 2024 Sustainable Development Impact Meetings: https://www.weforum.org/events/sustainable-development-impact-meetings-2024/ Related podcasts: Cyber has a skills gap. How approaches to tech, hiring – and retaining women - can help: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/petra-jenner-splunk-cyber-skills-gap/ Build a culture of innovation: HPE's CTO shares what must be in place: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/fidelma-russo-innovation-cto/      

After the pandemic, Tiya Gordon realized the next global crisis would be climate based. To that end, she’s co-founded It’s Electric, a curbside solution that takes power from buildings, sidestepping the currently time-consuming permitting and installation process that slows the growth of charging stations in cities around the world. She shares how her design background has helped her be clear-eyed on objectives, identify fresh approaches and break down stubborn barriers, all to speed the change needed for the energy transition.  To learn more: Guest: https://www.itselectric.us/Report: Scaling Investment in EV Charging: A Policy Roadmap for Cities Related podcasts: An energy company is building the world's largest airplane. Here's why: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/mark-lundstrom-radia-climate-change/ 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/top-innovator-strategies-tactics/

Jeremy Allaire is the co-founder and CEO of Circle, a global financial technology firm that operates one of the largest dollar digital currency payment systems in the world -- USDC. Stablecoin is already seeing billions of digital dollars in economic activity and he talks about what we can expect next, including emerging applications for humanitarian aid. He’ll talk about Circle’s special partnership with the refugee agency UNHCR, and how new approaches for social impact could be more and more important as political strife and climate change drive up the numbers of unbanked around the world.  Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/jeremy-allaire-circle-stablecoin-unhcr More about this episode: Circle: https://www.circle.com/en/usdc

Ty Wiggins coaches leaders during the hardest moment in their careers – the shift from mere mortal to CEO. He drives the CEO and executive transition practice at consultancy Russell Reynolds and has had a backstage pass to what works (and what doesn’t) in the top role. He’s put what he’s leaned into a new book, The New CEO, and in this wide-ranging interview, he shares tactical advice that can help any leader adjust, from what to do in the first 100 days, how to get more honest feedback from your team, common pitfalls to avoid, the traits effective leaders must develop and how leaders can adjust to a new reality where your words have outsized impact and few people tell you “no.” Related links:  The New CEO: https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/microsite/the-new-ceo

Fidelma Russo is the Chief Technology Officer of Hewlett Packard Enterprise running of team of 5,500 innovators driving everything from hybrid cloud technologies to solutions for the future. She brings 30 years of experience as a technologist to the role and shares the tactical strategies that leaders can deploy to support innovation, from tangible ways to invest in experimentation to methods that promote next-level research while breaking down siloes and driving cross-team collaboration.   Related episodes:  This simple question helped Amazon teams get future ready: AWS AI and data chief: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ai-jobs-aws-amazon-swami-sivasubramanian/ This simple framework can drive disruptive innovation: Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/qualcomm-cristiano-amon-innovation/ 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/top-innovator-strategies-tactics/

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is powered by 17 million volunteers in 191 counties.. At its helm is Jagan Chapagain, a man who started himself at the organization as a teenaged volunteer in Nepal, wanting to do good. He returned after college and has been with the organization ever since, eventually serving in a number of leadership roles until he was appointed to his current position of chief executive officer and secretary general in February 2020. In this wide-ranging conversation, he sets the stage for humanitarian challenges the world faces, as well as how the IFRC is developing solutions to prevent the next crisis from occurring. He'll also share a first-of-its-kind for the humanitarian sector -- an  insurance solution that can transform disaster preparedness and resilience. But he'll also share what any organization can learn from the IFRC on engaging and motivating teams -- and the simple lessons any leader can keep in mind. Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/jagan-chapagain-red-cross-red-crescent-disaster-insurance To learn more about IFRC: https://www.ifrc.org/ To learn more about IFRC-DERF insurance: https://www.ifrc.org/happening-now/emergency-appeals/disaster-response-emergency-fund-dref/dref-insurance Other related podcasts: Helping the unprecedented number of forcibly displaced: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/kelly-clements-unhcr-refugee/ What COVID taught one epidemiologist about speaking to build trust, without jargon: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/speak-effectively-takeaways-from-scientist-turned-comms-founder/

As the Chief People Officer for global chipmaker Intel, Christy Pambianchi does more than drive hiring, organizational design or people development. As innovations cycles turn at faster and faster clips, she keeps an eye on how technology will reshape work for her teams and how they can stay one step ahead. She shared the importance of building in-company "skills economies", where individuals are empowered to tap into resources to drive innovation, learn new functions, or ready themselves for leadership positions. She shares programs that help expose workers to new tech, like AI, and how a future-ready approach to skilling can help bridge future labor shortages while helping to tackle big challenges.  To learn more: This episode's transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/christy-pambianchi-intel-ai-jobs-reskilling Intel's Responsible AI Principles: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/artificial-intelligence/responsible-ai-principles.html World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report: Report link: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/ Intel: Intel.com Related podcasts: 9 leaders from Microsoft, IKEA and more share advice for new grads: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/9-leaders-share-advice-for-new-grads-2024/ Davos 2024: A conversation with Pat Gelsinger: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/davos-2024-intel-pat-gelsinger-semiconductor/ 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/top-innovator-strategies-tactics/

OakNorth Bank is a digital commercial bank founded by serial entrepreneurs who know firsthand the role advice and expertise plays in growing vibrant businesses. To that end, OakNorth has developed a special 'mentorpreneurship' program with the London School of Economics, all to help build socially-conscious businesses through mentoring. Meet the Leader talked to co-founder Rishi Khosla about what traits great mentors share and how anyone can make the most of the expertise around them. He also shared why it can be powerful to consider mentorship as a way to build your own personal board of directors, people who can give you the range of measured, honest insights that aren't often easy for top leaders to find any other way. To learn more: This episode's Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/traits-great-mentors-share-oaknorth-rishi-khosla/ "Mentorpreneurship" at the London School of Economics: https://oaknorth.co.uk/mentorpreneurship-programme/ OakNorth: https://oaknorth.co.uk/ Related podcasts: 9 leaders from Microsoft, IKEA and more share advice for new grads: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/9-leaders-share-advice-for-new-grads-2024/ Workers have changed - How leaders must adapt: Randstad's Sander Van't Noordende: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/how-leaders-must-adapt-randstad-sander-vant-noordende/ Launch your brainchild: Raise Our Voice Australia's Ashleigh Streeter-Jones: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/raise-our-voice-australias-ashleigh-streeter-jones-launching-your-brainchild/

Florian Hoffman is a social entrepreneur and the founder of The Do, a platform for tomorrow’s entrepreneurs that runs a special 'anti-business' business school focused on helping leaders implement tangible, real-world solutions. He shares why leaders need to make a shift in how they motivate and inspire, moving from driving a 'command and control' mindset' to driving a movement that connects with hearts and minds. He explains why this approach helps leaders tackle apathy and resistance to change, and how it will be all the more important given increasingly fast cycles of innovation. To learn more: The Do: https://thedo.world/  Young Global Leaders: https://www.younggloballeaders.org/community/?page=12®ion=a0Tb00000000DCLEA2&x=8&y=7 About this episode:  Transcript Related podcasts:  Workers have changed - How leaders must adapt: Randstad's Sander Van't Noordende: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/how-leaders-must-adapt-randstad-sander-vant-noordende/  Rally others to your cause: former trial lawyer, Baptist minister (and United Way CEO) explains how: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/angela-williams-united-way-advocate/  Turning points and lessons learned: Meet The Leader's top leadership moments so far: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/best-leadership-moments-so-far/

Mark Lundstrom is the CEO and founder of energy company Radia. He'll explain why he's building the world's largest plane --and how a unique approach to making offshore wind turbines onshore can speed progress on tackling emissions. He'll also share why this company is focused on using just existing technologies. He'll explain why this approach can actually lead to a host of new solutions for innovators and tackle big challenges more quickly -- and can be especially powerful as leaders consider how to efficiently tackle sustainability issues.  To learn more:  World Economic Forum Energy Transitions Index: https://initiatives.weforum.org/energy-and-industry-transition-intelligence/energy-transition-index Radia: https://radia.com/ Related podcasts Skills are changeable - passions are not: Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts: YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

Soichi Noguchi is a former astronaut with the Japanese space agency JAXA who has flown to space not once but 3 times. He’ll talk about the unique training these astronauts undergo - and the special lessons these trainings can teach any team about tapping each individual's expertise and what's needed to be a great leader and a great follower. He has since worked in a number of capacities, including as a professor at the University of Tokyo and an executive fellow at the Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies. He’ll share what he’s focused on now - and how space can help us better live on Earth.  

With hacking, it’s always a matter of when, not if and many leaders believe cyber skills gaps could leave their organization vulnerable. In fact, nearly 80% of respondents surveyed in our 2024 Cybersecurity Outlook report said their organizations do not have the in-house skills to meet their cybersecurity objectives this year. Given tech’s fast pace of growth and change, making opportunities available more widely will be critical bridging that skills gap in the sector while also driving opportunity and economies more widely. Petra Jenner, senior vice president and general manager at cyber and analytics company Splunk shares how leaders can expand talent pools to new groups (including women and those with non-traditional backgrounds) and how to retain people skilled in such a stressful field. This episode leverages the following research: Global Gender Gap 2024: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/ Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2024: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-cybersecurity-outlook-2024/ Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023:  https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-cybersecurity-outlook-2023/  

Today's grads will live longer, face faster cycles of technological change and drive careers like we've never seen. This special compilation episode taps top leaders from companies like Intel, Microsoft, Ingka Group and more on the unique ways they can make the most of the first days of their careers. From remembering to "take your space" to finding time to "browse", they share the advice that has shaped them and that they wish they knew sooner.  In this episode: Olajumoke Adekeye, Founder, Young Business Agency; Ulrika Biesèrt, CHRO, INGKA Group; Sander van't Noordende, CEO, Randstad; Rishi Khosla, Co-founder and CEO of OakNorth; Annette Mosman, APG; Madison O'Brien, Teamgage; Christy Pambianchi, Chief People Officer, Intel; Brad Smith, President, Microsoft. 

As Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Brad Smith leads a team of professionals across business, legal and corporate affairs, tackling issues that stand at the crossroads of technology and society. In this wide-ranging discussion recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, he shares how these issues have shaped his thoughts on innovation and how they have informed his book and podcast Tools & Weapons. The 30-year Microsoft veteran also shares the career lessons that have changed him, how he leverages AI in his everyday work, why he thinks leaders must learn to be better storytellers and the tech blindspots they'd do well to avoid.

Living longer than ever will mean we’ll need to prepare for our later years in ways we've never done before. While financial education and making savings last is always paramount, the World Economic Forum's recent Longevity Economy Principles report drives home the need to make sure we also prepare to live those extended years with purpose, changing the way we approach everything from careers to community. Annette Mosman, the CEO of APG (one of the world’s largest pension investors) shares how she approaches the long-term as well as the trends she sees on the horizon -- and how they could change how workers and leaders take on everything from training to career development and advancement.  Longevity Economy Principles Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/longevity-economy-principles-the-foundation-for-a-financially-resilient-future/

Norsk Hydro was founded nearly 120 years ago to tackle global famine. Today, it has evolved to take on a bigger challenge: climate change. The company focuses on low- and no-carbon aluminium, a material that will be key in electric vehicles, construction and comprises 2% of emissions. CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim shares the unique technologies and partnerships that are helping to drive a green energy transition. She also takes us through her unique path to the top job, one that has spanned a range of roles, from plant manager to auditor to HR leader. She shares how seemingly unrelated roles can help you better understand yourself and how you can contribute as a leader -- better motivating people and tapping the full capabilities of your team.  This episode was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, 2024. 

SUGI is a unique global organization that brings pocket forests -- ultra-dense, biodiverse forests leveraging the proven Japanese Miyawaki Method -- to cities all over the world. The group has built 200 pocket forests in 42 cities so far, with each providing a key form of "urban acupuncture" that can protect biodiversity, restore ecosystems, and even better reconnect people to nature. Founder and CEO Elise Van Middelem shares more about SUGi and how it got started - and the unique ways these projects are reviving places from England to Cameroon.  This interview was recorded at the Urban Transformation Summit in Detroit, Michigan in October 2023.  Photo by Joya Berrow

What workers want - and what keeps them motivated - has changed drastically in recent years. And with big technological and demographic shifts driving labor shortages, knowing how to both retrain and retain your workforce will be more important than ever. Randstad CEO Sander Van't Noordende will share insights from the talent firm's annual Workmonitor survey, giving a one-of-a-kind snapshot on how workers are thinking about everything from ambition, to purpose, to flexibility and pay. He'll also share what new habits leaders will need to adopt (including the value of microfeedback) and how leaders should be approaching everything from how they connect with workers to how they future proof their talent pipelines.  Recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, 2024.  Transcript here: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/how-leaders-must-adapt-randstad-sander-vant-noordende

As a busy mom working in tech, Ritu Narayan understood the chaos school logistics can bring to kids and parents. Her personal experience inspired her to found Zum, a startup providing an end-to-end solution for districts with optimized bus routes, one including bus fleets to match different-sized schools, and an approach that makes school transit transparent and efficient for the first time in a century. The startup was launched originally as an on-demand service and she shares the key questions that helped her pivot the company for scale -- questions that can help any founder make a big shift happen. She also discusses the unexpected impact wrangling family logistics can have on parents' work lives (even nudging some moms out of the workforce altogether) and how tackling that can boost opportunity for parents and kids alike. This episode was recorded at the World Economic Forum's Urban Transformation Summit in Detroit in October 2023. 

Kat Bruce is an eco-entrepreneur who founded NatureMetrics, one of the world's leading nature technology companies measuring the very tiny traces of DNA that organisms leave in the air, water and soil. She’s also a former jungle explorer who has undertaken expeditions in the Amazon, working in research stations, riding down tributaries on balsa rafts she’s made herself. She shares how such experiences have helped her to be a better leader: to be reflective to find new solutions, to understand different people’s unique roles in a team, and to make tough choices quickly. She also shares the potential environmental DNA provides, and why more leaders than ever are understanding the need to leverage data in new ways to tackle their environmental impacts.  This episode was recorded at the Sustainable Development Impact Meeting in the World Economic Forum's New York City office during UN Week September 2023. 

Forget snacks and gym memberships: Today's worker wants to know you value their family.    When Reshma Saujani founded Moms First -- a movement to drive paid leave for families --she already had a successful non-profit under her belt in Girls Who Code. But she quickly learned that advocating for moms and parents uncovers a host of structural barriers that hold back both women and families. In a special conversation recorded at the 2024 Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, she shared how leaders will need to focus on their teams' families to stay competitive and to bridge a host of gaps - including gender pay gaps and labor shortages coming down the line. She also shared how a special AI-powered tool her organization built -- PaidLeave.AI -- is helping thousands better understand leave benefits in New York State and showing how new technologies can expand opportunity in surprising ways. 

Where do you see yourself and your team a year from now? How can you maximize tech - and mitigate its risks? How can you stay focused despite increasing geopolitical tensions? What impacts will small decisions now have in 5 to 10 years? In this special compilation episode of Meet The Leader recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, heads of top companies, civil society organizations and non-profits shared what leaders should prioritize this year. They share questions to ask yourself, how to set your objectives, ways to better serve your team, the risks to keep on your radar and ways to build your vision for the long term. In this episode:  Sander van 't Noordende, CEO, Randstad Fidelma Russo, CTO, HPE Milton Cheng, Global Chair, Baker McKenzie Daphne Koller, CEO, Insitro Hilde Merete Aasheim, CEO, Norsk Hydro Petra Jenner, senior vice president and general manager, Splunk  Christy Hoffman, General Secretary, UNI Global  Reshma Saujani, founder, MomsFirst Olajumoke Adekeye, Founders, Young Business Agency Catalina Cock Duque, Co-Founder and President, Fundacion Mi Sangre Rudayna Abdo, founder, Thaki Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

What’s next for the year ahead? Is a much-promised “soft landing” for certain economies possible? And what new impacts can we expect from inflation? Meet The Leader caught up with International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva at the Annual Meeting in Davos to get her take on what's ahead, including how upcoming elections and other global challenges could make some moves especially tricky in 2024. She discusses the findings of a new IMF report exploring how AI will impact jobs in different economies around the world in the decades to come -- and how leaders can get prepared now. She also shares the mindsets and approaches that can help leaders stay nimble in what could be an unpredictable year -- along with what gives this "die hard" optimist hope. 

New approaches to partnering and collaboration will be key to tackling climate action. This will require new mindsets, new systems and connecting with people and groups you might have otherwise overlooked. To better understand how collaboration is evolving, this week’s episode talks to Chief Procurement Offers, leaders who do more than acquire goods and services, but who increasingly work across the business and hold a holistic perspective, exposed to everything from the bottom line to changing trade rules, innovations and shifting geopolitical contexts. They share methods they use to collaborate in new ways -- practices any leader can put to work to push climate action forward. In this episode:  Rachael De Renzy Channer, Global Head of Sustainability, Egon Zehnder  Andrea Fuder,  Chief Procurement Officer, Volvo Group  Björn Stenecker, Chief Procurement Officer, Vattenfall  Dan Bartel, Chief Procurement Officer, Schneider Electric

Canadian-Pakistani filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy interviews fashion designer Diane von Fürstenberg about the designer's life and one-of-a-kind perspective. The spirited, wide-ranging conversation goes beyond the creation of the famous wrap dress and how Furstenburg built one of the world's most recognizable brands, to explore how these two strong female creatives open doors for others and navigate challenges in their industries.  Recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 18, 2024.  Watch the full session here: https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/wrapped-in-leadership    

Intel Chief Executive Officer Pat Gelsinger talks with World Economic Forum Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab in this wide ranging conversation on technology, leading edge semiconductor production and the trends shaping the year ahead. Recorded January 17, 2024. Watch the session here: https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/a-conversation-with-pat-gelsinger-and-klaus-schwab ---- Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wef Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552 World Economic Forum Book Club Podcast - subscribe: https://pod.link/1599305768 Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella speaks to World Economic Forum Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab in a special wide ranging conversation covering how AI will transform science, new game-changing technologies that will drive progress, and more. This conversation was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Recorded January 16, 2024.  Watch the session here: https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2024/sessions/a-conversation-with-satya-nadella-and-klaus-schwab

How do the world's top leaders maximize their time to connect and build solutions to the world's biggest problems? This special highlight episode shares insights recorded at past Annual Meetings in Davos, Switzerland with a range of voices including CEOs, entrepreneurs, civil society leaders and an astronaut. They share the personal approaches they employ to listen effectively, build trust, strengthen collaborations, seek out new perspectives and ensure their leadership meets the moment.  In this episode: Roy Jakobs, CEO, Royal Philips Priya Lakhani, CEO and Founder, Century Tech Alex Liu, Chairman, Kearney Matthias Maurer, astronaut, European Space Agency David Rubenstein, founder, Carlyle Group Achim Steiner, administrator, UNDP Ashleigh Streeter-Jones, founder, Raise Our Voice Australia

Swami Sivasubramanian’s first experience using a computer was in high school in India, where there was just one computer for the entire school. While each student could use the computer for just a few minutes a day, those few minutes sparked his lifelong passion for technology, one that led to his current role as VP of Data and AI at Amazon Web Services. It also drove home to him that any exposure to new technologies can be transformative. He talks to Meet the Leader about why it's critical to prioritize access to AI training for a range of ages and backgrounds, especially those in non-technical fields like HR or Marketing where new possibilities will be on the horizon. He also shares a slate of free AWS programming for cutting edge AI tools as well as guidance for leaders setting training priorities for the year ahead. He’ll also explain how he's changed as a leader and technologist since starting at Amazon as a mere intern and the key questions that can help teams get future ready, including one that helped teams at AWS maximize technologies like machine learning. 

Want a book for that hard-to-shop-for person? Or a book to make you that much sharper in the year ahead? In this special collection episode, CEOs, startup founders and more share the books that have changed their minds, how they lead and even changed their careers. Their book picks include business classics, as well as surprising selections from histories, how-to books and the Bible. These recommendations helped this year's class of leaders better manage teams, their time and their energy, all while making critical shifts in their lives and mindsets.  Interviewees include: Alyssa Auberger, CSO, Baker McKenzie Deborah Braide, E-Guide Didier Elzinga, Chief Executive Officer, Culture Amp Martine Ferland, Chief Executive Officer, Mercer Tiya Gordon, founder, It's Electric Fahd Jamaleddine, co-founder, Nafda Lebonan Cassandra Mao, Chief Strategy Officer, Halo Car Benjie de la Pena, Chief Executive OfficerShared Mobility Center Blake Scholl, Chief Executive Officer, Boom Supersonic Mitzi Short, CEO of New Season Coaching and Consulting Aaron Tartakovsky, Chief Executive Officer, Epic Cleantec Dylan Taylor, chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Voyager Space Angela Williams, Chief Executive Officer, United Way Worldwide Interviews in this episode were recorded at: Annual Meeting, Davos Switzerland; Sustainable Development Impact Summit, New York; Urban Transformation Summit, Detroit.      

2023 saw an unprecedented number of forcibly displaced people worldwide - 110 million and counting - all thanks to climate calamities, conflict and more. Kelly Clements, the deputy high commissioner of the UN’s refugee agency shares the unique ways businesses around the world have stepped in to help tackle this problem, putting training in place to help refugees become economic drivers or even designing education solutions that help children in remote areas stay in school. She also shares what gives her hope, what keeps her up at night and the traits she depends on most to drive this work – insights that can help leaders of any stripe tackling complex challenges.

Demanding transparency and accountability aren't just the right things to do - they're key to tackling big global goals and rooting out things like corruption, self-dealing and undue influence. Ahead of International Anti-Corruption Day, we speak to Delia Ferreira Rubio, a lawyer, anti-corruption expert and the former long-time chair of global society organization Transparency International. She helps leaders look at the big picture to make things happen, sharing what’s needed to build cultures of integrity - and the risks that can emerge if key steps aren’t taken. Recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos in 2023

As the climate summit COP28 kicks off this week, and Egypt hands the summit baton to Dubai, Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation discusses what any negotiation needs to be effective. In her role, Rania Al-Mashat helps drive economic diplomacy and she shares the phrases that can help build common ground, the personal traits that can forge perseverance  and the mindsets that are key to make trust and action possible. This conversation, recorded during UN Week in New York this September, also explores some of the key priorities leaders will explore for climate action this year and what should be kept in mind to drive progress. 

Executive coaches Mitzi Short and Lori Marcus share a tactical approach to careers and promotions to help women get their work noticed while eliminating gender bias in the workplace. These coaches, two of the 6 members of Band of Sisters (a group of former executives turned authors and speakers), discuss the the block and tackle of promotions: what experiences you must have on your CV for C-Suite roles; what development  conversations you should be having with your boss (or your direct reports); and if you’re a male leader, how you can be a better sponsor across your organization to help position women and people of color for leadership positions and opportunity.   Band of Sisters: https://thebandofsisters.com/ Excerpts from Band of Sisters' recent book “You Should Smile More” This stubborn barrier is widening the gap for women in leadership: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/11/stubborn-barrier-widening-gender-gap-women-leadership/ How 'sponsors' can achieve gender parity in leadership: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/11/sponsors-can-achieve-gender-parity-leadership The 4 insidious phrases prevent the gender gap in leadership from closing: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/11/4-phrases-gender-gap-leadership

Matthias Maurer, an astronaut for the European Space Agency, returned home from his first space mission in May 2022 after 177 days living and working on the International Space Station (ISS). There he helped to conduct more than 35 experiments benefiting biology and robotics and more - an experience that drove home for him the need to protect space and maximize its potential. He spoke with Meet The Leader at the Annual Meeting in Davos about his experience, sharing what’s needed for collaboration to balance a growing space economy and the need for stronger space governance. He also shared what his degrees in engineering and economics have tight him about problem solving - and what his astronaut’s training can teach any of us about collaboration - and tackling climate action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can leaders best navigate layoffs -- and rebuild for the future? Melbourne-based software firm Culture Amp recently conducted research on this question -- and then unexpectedly faced cuts of its own. CEO Didier Elzinga shares insights from the research and his applied experience, including common myths, surprising findings, and strategies his firm used to recalibrate and reprioritize. He also shared the tough realities leaders must keep in mind during times of change as well as his thoughts on how leaders can better protect healthy cultures at any time. He also shares his lessons learned from his previous career in visual effects - and how story telling insights from those days help him manage change as a leader today.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melting arctic ice will have knock-on effects around the globe, impacting farms, homes, livelihoods and more. But making people care about melting ice or the Arctic - things most people will never see firsthand - can be almost impossible. Unless you get creative, that is. Arctic Basecamp (a group of arctic experts and scientists), has found a range of creative ways build awareness, including: a special basecamp during Davos (where visitors can learn the latest research by day and some spend the night like polar researchers in below zero temperatures), attention-getting apps, and ice cream booths that drive home the fact our favorite foods are vulnerable to climate change. There's even a new metaverse experience developed with Accenture on Polar Tipping Points (as part of the World Economic Forum's larger Global Collaboration Village). Meet the Leader talked with founder Gail Whiteman and board member and actor Rainn Wilson about how they strategically "speak science to power," to grab the attention of changemakers from grassroots activists to heads of state. They also discuss how they target and connect with a 'moveable middle" a segment of the population open to change and willing to consider new ideas and approaches. Related article:https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/10/climate-change-messaging-rainn-wilson-arctic-basecamp/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The first black female CEO of one of the largest privately-funded global non-profits discusses the experiences that helped her learn how to be a better advocate for others. These experiences range from a father who served in the NAACP tackling civil rights in 1960s South Carolina, to her own life journey serving as a trial lawyer, a Baptist minister and in the military during Operation Desert Storm. Angela Williams will explain what she’s learned about partnering and rallying others for a cause - and what every leader must know about engaging others and getting your point across. Related article: Great leaders ask these 4 questions: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/10/leadership-advocacy-mobilization-relies-on-understanding/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The digital transformation is shifting more than technology - it’s changing the skills workers will need, the mindsets required to tackle big challenges, and the nature of business itself. Roland Busch, Siemens CEO, shares how tech is reshaping Siemens and how reskilling will evolve, and how managers especially will need to empower teams for the changes ahead. He shares why more decisions should happen near the bottoms of organizations (to compete in a fast-changing world), the corners leaders will be tempted to cut for short-term gains in tough quarters (but shouldn't) and the ingredient that's critical for building agile and accountable teams. He also shares the skills he depends on most after 30 years at the company, including how his PhD in physics shaped his approach to problem-solving, and a key turning point that changed how he delegates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trust time. Pick your moments. Find joy in doing. Know the future is not ordained. These are just some of the hard-won lessons learned that have guided the top minds in government, civil society, business on Meet the Leader. This 101st episode collects the program’s highlights, from Jane Goodall's run-in with a grumpy cabbie, to a moment that changed how Al Gore communicates, to a habit that Verizon’s CEO can’t work without. Dig in and take a tour though the one-of-a-kind insights, aha moments and turning points that shaped the world’s biggest changemakers. In this episode:  Jane Goodall, Founder, Jane Goodall Institute; Al Gore, Founder, Climate Reality Project; former US Vice President; Hans Vestberg, CEO, Verizon; Bas Van Abel, Founder, Fairphone; Punit Renjen, Global CEO Emeritus, Deloitte; Caroline Casey, Founder, The Valuable 500; Harmony Jade Wayner, International Arctic Research Center; Andrea Fuder, Chief Procurement Officer, Volvo Group; Yuxiang Zhou, Founder, Black Lake Technologies; John Amaechi, Founder, APS Intelligence. Related article: 5 leaders and the turning points that changed their leadership approach Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Helen Mountford is the president and CEO of ClimateWorks Foundation, a philanthropy platform that has granted more than a billion dollars to worthy projects and grantees in more than 50 countries since 2008. She’s a key partner in a World Economic Forum initiative that launched this year called GAEA - Giving to Amplify Earth Action - and she'll tell us why philanthropy can be a critical way to fund and experiment with new ideas that can be scaled further by the private sector and how it creates an ecosystem to make big change possible. About GAEA: https://initiatives.weforum.org/giving-to-amplify-earth-action/home About ClimateWorks Foundation: https://climateworks.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More companies have set sustainability goals than ever. But many will struggle to meet those goals. Baker McKenzie's Alyssa Auberger shares insights from a special survey that reveals business leader worries and the blindspots that some might overlook. As the global law firm's first-ever Chief Sustainability Officer, she also shares her unique journey to the role -- from pianist to lawyer to her current position -- and how the discipline and creativity required in music shapes how she works even today. To read the survey, click here: The Race to Net-Zero: Is the global business community on course to beat the clock?: https://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/newsroom/2022/11/new-report-finds-barriers-to-net-zero-transition To learn more about Baker McKenzie's approach to navigating risks, check out its podcast Solutions for a Connected World sharing advice on driving growth that is both sustainable – and inclusive: https://www.bakermckenzie.com/en/expertise/solutions-connected-world Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dylan E. Taylor is the chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Voyager Space, a space infrastructure company and one of the firms helping with efforts to replace the aging International Space Station. He and his team are working hard to ensure there’s no ‘space station gap’, all while getting the infrastructure in place so as many people as possible could one day live and work in space.  In this episode, he talks about why expanding access to space motivates him, how his own visit to space changed him, and his experience travelling to one of the deepest parts of the ocean. In this conversation, recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, he also shares his approach to risk taking and how he prepares for big challenges - and how that strategy helps him make decisions quickly and navigate the unexpected.  Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/yvr4zxbt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.