Out of Office

This summer, IKEA employees from around the world formed a virtual band and performed together to beat the pandemic blues. On lead guitar was the CEO of Ingka Group, Jesper Brodin. Because that’s how the man at the helm of IKEA leads - with humanity and humility. Brodin speaks about his professional journey, leadership values and how his father, an artist, shaped his views on equality. Learn more...

When Steve Palmer started off in the hospitality business, he routinely drank and took drugs on the job, during 18-hour, high pressure kitchen shifts. When he turned sober, he didn't know one person in the industry who didn't drink. He went straight back to work after rehab, using iron discipline not to touch a drop. Almost two decades later, the culture in the hospitality industry is changing. Th...

The co-founder of guided meditation app Headspace, Andy Puddicombe talks about the years he spent training to be a monk, how he ended up in Silicon Valley, and why he’s on a mission to take meditation to the masses. He also reveals whether he, the embodiment of calmness, ever gets angry. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

Fresh out of college, a job in retail was supposed to be a temporary gig until Celeste Burgoyne got a real job. Twenty years later, she’s the President of one of the most popular retailers, Lululemon. While talking about her career, Celeste tells us how she’s navigating the pandemic, the importance of representation, game night with her two young boys, and why she’ll rarely miss her daily walk. Le...

Passionate about using business as a force for good, Jane Mosbacher Morris left a career in counter terrorism to launch To The Market, a company that connects businesses to goods made in an ethical way. When the pandemic hit, the company pivoted - and its network of global makers switched from making bags and accessories to producing gowns, gloves and masks. Mosbacher, who has been called a hero o...

The President of FILA, North America accepted this role when her predecessor died suddenly in 2019. She had no time to grieve. Jennifer Estabrook soldiered on as she always has since her mother abandoned the family when she was a little girl. Estabrook opens up about her unusual childhood, the subject of both a book and a movie. She talks about how her circumstances have equipped her to become a b...

A self-made entrepreneur, John Roa was riding high. In his early 30s, his days were packed with power meetings, parties, photo shoots and trips on private jets. It was the quintessential life of a young tech superhero. Until, it wasn't. Roa opens up about his battle with depression, a near death experience and talks about why we urgently need to address mental health amongst entrepreneurs. Learn m...

Twenty years after a Hollywood film made her a household name, Erin Brockovich is continuing to fight for water safety. Her new book, Superman's Not Coming, argues the onus is on us, the people, to agitate for change. No magician will solve the water crisis. Erin talks about her activism, the movie, living with dyslexia, the importance of stick-to-itiveness and remembers a song her dad used to sin...

Gigi Chao made international headlines when her father offered a one-billion-Hong Kong dollar marriage bounty to any man who would marry her. Her response? She penned a public letter in the newspaper titled: “Dear Daddy, You Must Accept That I Am a Lesbian.” The executive vice chairman of Cheuk Nang (Holdings) Ltd. shares her coming out story, her LGBTQ activism, and life lessons from flying a hel...

He likes working with cars and with people. But a headmaster’s son who used to restore bikes for friends in Liverpool, never imagined he would end up becoming one of the most influential people in the global car industry. The CEO of McLaren Automotive, Mike Flewitt speaks about navigating the company through the pandemic, starting his career on the factory floor, and why he’s an eternal optimist....

Uber’s Chief D&I officer shares the dramatic story of her family’s escape from North to South Korea and how that’s shaped her attitude towards equality and acceptance. Plus, she opens up about leaning in, stirring the pot, balancing a career with motherhood, and being her father’s daughter. (Rebroadcast) Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.co...

With no formal training and an all-women crew of South Asian immigrants in her kitchen, Asma Khan is redefining the culinary scene in the United Kingdom by serving up nostalgia-soaked dishes from her childhood in India. The chef behind “Darjeeling Express” talks about sexism in the industry, being a second daughter, and tells us why she left a light on when she closed her first restaurant. Learn m...

The Digital Minister of Taiwan talks about the role technology and trust played in Taiwan’s handling of the pandemic. The world’s first openly transgender Minister, Audrey Tang opens up about her personal journey, problem solving in her sleep and why she insists on using a flip phone. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy i...

Leading lawyer, wife of a former British Prime Minister and committed campaigner for women's rights, Cherie Blair says she won’t wait for her granddaughters to become grandmothers to see equal opportunities. The first person in her family to attend university, she talks about being passed over for a job because it was earmarked for a boy (later, he became her husband), why Downing Street can be lo...

A young boy from Hong Kong who was denied a visa to attend high school in the US went on to have a wildly successful career as a technology executive and venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. Dubbed “the greatest CEO of our time,” Alfred Chuang talks about the American Dream, how crisis leads to innovation and what makes a great CEO. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnet...

Julie Deane wanted to send her children to a better school. To fund their education, she launched a business from her kitchen table with 600 pounds and help from Mum. Today, The Cambridge Satchel Company is a multi-million pound business and its bags are spotted on arms of A-list celebrities. Julie spoke to Bloomberg’s Ed Stapley about her entrepreneurial journey, the difference between style and...

Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia has always challenged established norms. But by being different, she's often mistaken for being difficult. In this wide ranging conversation, one of the most successful women in Britain’s financial services industry talks candidly about her career and opens up about her struggle depression, dealing with racism and explains why not fitting in, whether in school or during one’...

The killers of Berta Caceres had every reason to believe they’d get away with murder. More than 100 other environmental activists in Honduras had been killed in the previous five years, yet almost no one had been punished for the crimes. Bloomberg’s Blood River follows a four-year quest to find her killers – a twisting trail that leads into the country’s circles of power. Blood River premieres on...

The thirteen-year-old boy who started his first business selling iPhone cases from China, is now the thirty-year-old CEO of Codecademy - one of the world's most successful online learning platforms. Zach Sims shares his mixed feelings with success during the Covid-19 pandemic, how he worked too hard during his twenties, and why everyone needs to be part of the coding revolution. Learn more about y...

Sixty years ago, a young woman ventured into the Tanzanian forest and made a groundbreaking discovery: that wild chimps can use tools. It challenged conventional belief that this was uniquely human behavior and thrust Jane Goodall into the spotlight. At 86, Goodall reflects on her lengthy and legendary career as a primatologist and tells us that everything she’s learned about leadership, she’s lea...

Adam Neumann had a vision: to make his startup WeWork a wildly successful company that would change the world. He convinced thousands of other people -- customers, employees, investors -- that he could make that dream a reality. And for a while, he did. He was one of the most successful startup founders in the world. But then, in the span of just a few months, everything changed. Foundering is a n...

A smart young executive was once told he has no leadership skills. Today, he is a wildly successful business executive known for his grit, humility and serving others first. "We eat last," he says. Strauss Zelnick talks about his journey from making balloon animals at birthday parties to his current role as Chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive and founder and Managing Partner of ZMC Media. Dub...

A prominent technology leader is a student of history. The son of artists. And an optimist. Mark Foster, the Senior Vice President of IBM Services talks about getting through the pandemic and shares highlights from his prolific career. It’s never linear, he says, it’s about taking the opportunity in front of you. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystud...

The CEO of Yum China on steering the restaurant chain through the pandemic. She kept stores open so customers could get a meal and employees could keep their jobs. Having worked in factories and as a waitress herself, Joey Wat shares her guiding philosophy: do the right thing, even when it’s not the easiest thing. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystu...

The Chairwoman of Booking.com talks about her journey from her first job, picking apples in the Dutch countryside, to her current role at one of the largest ecommerce companies in the world. She shares the value of taking risks, even as she wonders, what can go wrong? Plenty has, as they often do in any career. And that’s ok. Because mistakes are an opportunity to learn. Learn more about your ad-c...