The CEO Dialogue

In a rapidly decarbonizing world, the energy sector is facing immense challenges. The 'net-zero' promises of today lead to demands for greener more efficient grids tomorrow, and some are struggling to keep up with the times. Others, like Antje Kanngiesser, are flourishing.  As a young lawyer in Germany, she specialized in renewables long before they hit global headlines. Now, following a successfu...

As the Chairman of Straumann Group, IMD EMBA graduate Gilbert Acherman knows the essential value of strong corporate leadership. Having joined the global dentistry powerhouse in 1998, he served first as CFO and then as CEO before joining the board in 2009 and becoming chairman a year later. Now with more than a decade under his belt in this position, Achermann is one of a select few people to main...

Whether you live in London, Stockholm, or Seattle, there’s a good chance that Stefan Larsson has had something to do with your wardrobe. As the recently appointed CEO of PVH Corp. he oversees an impressive catalog of brands, including Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. And now he has his sights set on revolutionizing sustainability in the fashion world In an interview with IMD President Jean-Françoi...

Business is full of animal metaphors: bull markets, cash cows, and fat cats abound. But for IMD alumni Severin Dressen, the natural world is a far more literal part of his day-to-day work. As the CEO of Zurich Zoo, he's taking a proactive role in tackling the worldwide loss of biodiversity. Since the Zoo reopened, visitors have flocked in, and Severin says that it's his responsibility to educate o...

As one of the most influential and enduring figures in international shipping, Søren Skou has weathered his fair share of crises. But is almost 40 years at Maersk, perhaps no period has been more challenging than the coronavirus pandemic. As the CEO of A.P. Moller-Maersk, and a graduate of the IMD business school, Søren has gained unique insights into global trade. This week, he tells IMD Presiden...

Pascal Soriot has been described as the hottest CEO in Pharma. After almost a decade at the helm of AstraZeneca, the company has seen a remarkable turnaround - battling falling sales to become one of the most valuable companies on the FTSE 100. For many, the drugmaker is synonymous with its coronavirus vaccine, but the source of Astrazeneca’s success traces back long before the pandemic. This week...

Mark Schneider is arguably the most powerful man in the food and beverage industry. As CEO of Nestlé, he oversees the biggest company in the sector - with 270,000 employees, a $350bn market cap, and a gigantic portfolio of brands that includes everything from Perrier to Purina. It would be simple to keep things moving in the same direction. But, as the softly-spoken German-American reveals to IMD...

When Jørgen Vig Knudstorp became CEO of the LEGO Group in 2004, the company was on the verge of ruin. Sales were falling, debts were piling up, and innovation had slowed to a crawl. What happened over the following decade has been called the greatest turnaround in corporate history.  Among key takeaways in this episode, discover how Vig Knudstorp split the company’s recovery into three manageable...

Alexis Nasard likes to express himself openly and with a minimum of jargon. It’s a skill that he developed early in his career, as he rose through the ranks at Procter & Gamble - and which later enabled him to thrive as Global Chief Marketing Officer of Heineken and then CEO of Bata Shoes.  Nasard’s gift for communication is one of the reasons he’s known in the industry as a “brand master”. An...

From a distance, Ilham Kadri might seem like an intimidating figure. She’s the CEO of Solvay, a multibillion-dollar chemicals company. She was recently named by Fortune Magazine as one of the most powerful women in business. And she has a track record for making tough decisions at the top. But, as she reveals to Jean-François Manzoni in this candid conversation, her leadership style is actually in...

Jordy Kool’s CV is a page-turner. From a stint in an elite military unit, to an award-winning tenure as CEO of the Infotheek Group, and then a mid-career reinvention as a mentor and investor -- it runs long on adventure and short on predictability. But, as he tells Jean-François Manzoni in this wide-ranging conversation, his success has been built on a few simple principles. Among key takeaways in...