Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast

“What used to be called advertising was the most creative job I could find — this idea of going where I could have my hands on some of the levers of creativity was really compelling. So what if it was soap?” Jeff Norton is an award-winning author and television executive producer with a focus on turning books into global media. Jeff is currently showrunner and executive producer of Finding Her Edg...

“Every new technology has a hype cycle, so your use case and business rationale must stay the North Star. No flashy AI solution replaces fixing your foundations, processes, and underlying business challenges first.” Katya Lobynko is IT & Data Director at Danone and a digital transformation leader with 15+ years of experience across FMCG and pharma in EMEA and Asia, with expertise spanning comm...

“Every time decisions were made, I thought what I would've done differently?  I knew the other path was a bit of a risk — what would I do if I was on the other side?” Sweta Mehra is the National Australia Bank’s (NAB) Executive General Manager of Personal Everyday Banking. Before joining NAB in 2025, Sweta spent nearly eight years at ANZ Bank—six years as Chief Marketing Officer across 34 glob...

“What's the end outcome? Focus on the results — not on how I'm doing it. I don't need to talk tough, I don't need to shout. There is an alternate way in solving for things.” Mansi Tripathy is Chairperson of Shell Group of Companies in India and Senior Vice President for Shell Lubricants Asia Pacific. She oversees a $2.5 billion P&L spanning 22 countries, and 9 manufacturing pla...

“Some failures are actually successes, you just don't realize it — that tough moment to refocus and challenge everything you're doing.” Jeff Wuest is the CEO of SynFiny Advisors, a global management consulting firm founded in 2014 by former Procter & Gamble executives, focusing on improving financial and operational performance. Jeff is a business strategist and leader who partners with organi...

“Rare souls like John are among us — saying hello, sending notes, being present in the moments between and cheering us up when we're down — shooting off sparks of consciousness and love, triggering brighter lights in our hearts.” John Pepper is a friend to many—and many of us reflect on the ways he impacted us personally and professionally over the years. One of those people is Bob Gilbreath,...

“The metaphor of ‘kick the ball’ —is to stress the importance of personal involvement and impact. It means that as a leader, you are there involved when it really matters.” Austin Lally is CEO of Verisure, the market leader in professionally monitored security services across Europe and Latin America - where he’s served since 2014. After a 26-year career at Procter & Gamble, Austin made the le...

“A large part of what you bring to work affects everybody else around you, so if you bring joy that becomes infectious, that infection makes the whole place more joyful.” Dipak Golechha is Chief Financial Officer of Palo Alto Networks, the world's leading enterprise cybersecurity company, where Dipak leads global finance and operations. A seasoned finance leader, prior to Palo Alto Networks, G...

“Crisis, like pressure, reveals character. You want your work to matter — and in these moments of crisis, it's very easy to connect that what I'm doing is making a difference. Ankur Agarwal is an Amazon supply chain executive who’s built a nearly 20-year career across operations, supply chain, and procurement — always connecting people, strategy, and real in-market results. Most recently,...

As another eventful year comes to a close, we revisit the many learnings from leaders from our 2025 conversations — we hope you’ll share with a friend and enjoy! Featuring the voices - and learnings - from John Pepper, Srikant Nayak, Bhavesh Shah, Brynne Thompson, Matthew Dicks, Michael Seitz, Gerry Preece, Raul Murguia, Falk Fuhrmann, Eric Tholomé, Rashmi Rammohan, Adam Antoniewicz, Ayu Dewi, Bo...

“Gratitude is contagious. It's something that becomes more powerful as you express it. It reminds me of how fortunate I've been — and through that privilege I feel I owe to do what I can for others.” John Pepper, P&G’s former Chairman and CEO, needs no introduction. John has played many roles in business, community, service, and the lives of countless people. He returns to our podcast...

“Everyone older than me was optimizing careers for comfort — I think we need to be uncomfortable. I think we need to push the boundaries.” Vineet Mehra is CMO of Chime - the fastest-growing and most-loved consumer banking service in the U.S. - where he leverages data-driven and cultural marketing strategies to drive growth and challenge industry norms. Vineet is a global marketing leader, Board Di...

“ Innovation is about putting together creativity and mastery. Mastery is driven by education, knowledge, and insights. Creativity is driven by values and diversity. When we put those together, we create a powerful, innovative company.” Victor Aguilar is P&G’s Chief Research, Development & Innovation Officer. Victor leads P&G’s R&D organization, the company’s global innovation prog...

“We are always waiting for someone to define the direction, versus saying ‘What am I going to do?’ — I've never asked what my work plan is — if there are no user manuals, how would you live your life?  Sandeep Seth is Chief Growth Officer and President of Tapestry International—the parent company of Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman. Before Tapestry, Sandeep spent over two decades at Proc...

“Leadership is much more about empowerment and clearing the decks so people can do what they know how to do — delegate, empower, and trust in order to deliver.” David Taylor is P&G’s former Chairman and CEO. He recently joined the stage at the 2025 P&G Alumni Global Conference in Berlin, alongside Daniel Dippold, Founder and CEO of EWOR - a fast-growing tech startup ecosystem - and fellow...

“It's not about you - it's about them. Avoid excuses and blaming others. Tell them with empathy and directness - what makes you uncomfortable will make this human before you more comfortable at an awful time.” There’s something about the phrase “It’s just business” that’s always felt wrong — especially when it’s used to justify layoffs, burnout, or bad behavior. But what if there’s more to...

“ Build your own identity and understand what drives you — I just wanna be as authentically me as possible and let others know that this world is better when you can embrace what is unique to you, and not try to dim it.” Priti Ohri is an award-winning adtech executive and entrepreneur. She’s Co-founder & CEO of Advertible, and one of the founders of DesiUs - a group for South Asians in adtech....

“When you unlock an insight with curiosity, the power to drive limitless growth is huge. We as leaders can make a big difference with the questions we ask.”  Shailesh Jejurikar is P&G’s Chief Operating Officer, where he has profit/loss responsibility for P&G’s Enterprise Markets - Latin America, India, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe - and leads Information Technolog...

“Chai is amazing — it should be right alongside a good cup of coffee, espresso, or cappuccino. This business helped me reconcile my American upbringing and my Indian heritage — that push and pull, that beautiful combination of everything.” Ayan Sanyal is co-founder of Kolkata Chai Company, a vibrant café and online brand redefining what masala chai means to America. Founded in 2018 by two brothers...

“Every behavior we have is motivated by either fear or love — and productive fear we have to lean into to give energy and to exhibit love , and productive and healthy behaviors.” Teresa Tanner is the Founder and CEO of Reserve Squad, an innovative talent platform that helps companies re-engage former employees — especially women — through flexible, project-based work. A nationally recognized leade...

“People are so hungry to really be understood and the challenge that's primary now, is a growing inability to understand each other.” What if doing less could actually lead to more impact? Greg McKeown, is a New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s most influential voices on productivity, purpose, and leadership. Greg shares the story his book "Essentialism – The Disciplin...

“ We might need only 10% of the population to have a tipping point into a brighter future — to change lives for the better at scale by recognizing your potential to calm others. We're in this thing together. Life right now seems chaotic, but there's a method to the madness — welcome to the challenge of our generations. It sucks, it’s not fair, it’s been going on too long, and it feels like we’re s...

“Understand the cultural sensitivities to really engage people — It is so critical to create an inclusive atmosphere for better decision making and influencing.” Koji Kobayashi is Coca Cola’s Head of Human Insights for Japan and Korea. Koji San is a global marketing and insights leader who's worked across the U.S., Japan, and Southeast Asia, on categories ranging from affordable every day cons...