The World Class Leaders Show: The CEO leadership podcast for leaders who solve big problems and build better futures.

Andrea interviews Ujjwal Kumar, Group President of Teradyne Robotics, in an insightful conversation about turning organisations into powerful learning machines that drive performance. They discuss how past experiences at companies like General Motors and GE shaped Ujjwal's leadership approach centred on resilience, execution, and staying relentlessly focused on solving bigger problems. Ujjwal shar...

There is one sure way to kill strategic thinking and this is through ‘busyness’. Join Andrea in this episode as he tackles and challenges the perception of always being busy and how it can harm your business. The World Class Leaders Show BRAND NEW YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw KEY TAKEAWAYS Many people feel so busy they are already losing sight of what i...

On the occasion of the official launch of our new YouTube Channel for the show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC59dect0RJ5cuxIXsX7hCRw Andrea revisits an episode from summer 2023 and is joined by Alain Bejjani, former CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Group, an international diversified conglomerate with ventures in shopping mall ownership and operation, hotel ownership and operation, retail stores, leisu...

In this episode, Andrea explores what he calls ‘artificial harmony’ and its impact on organisations. He discusses why fake harmony impacts a company and team negatively and talks about how to instead create an environment that thrives on constructive conflict. KEY TAKEAWAYS Artificial harmony is convenient for senior staff and leaders, it creates the illusion that people are happy If there is only...

 In the first episode of 2024, Andrea outlines what he is committed to deliver for the world class leaders show in 2024. He gives three specific things he aims to start in 2024 and asks, what are you going to do this year to be successful? KEY TAKEAWAYS Making commitments is one thing but the most important thing is to honour them. We are all busy but that’s why it’s essential that you plan and ma...

Andrea speaks with Niclas Persson CEO and co-founder of Deedster, a company aiming to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy through engaging technology. Niclas discusses his journey from serving in the Swedish Air Force to working in the financial industry before realising he wanted to make a bigger impact regarding climate change. Niclas talks about the importance of purpose and meaning...

Andrea shares ‘the thing’ that keeps most CEOs he has had on the show up at night! He then discusses the four pieces of advice he would give to help tackle it. Andrea also gives an update on a network he is creating, drop him an email if you are interested in getting involved. KEY TAKEAWAYS As a company develops and grows, entrepreneurial spirit can be lost. Flexibility, agility and speed are all...

Andrea interviews Luca Bovalino, CEO for North America of the parking business unit at technology company FAAC Group. Luca has over 20 years of international management experience working across Europe, Asia and North America. Luca discusses the importance of bringing together diverse cultures after mergers and acquisitions. Luca shares how focusing on common goals and really getting to know your...

Do you believe that the most successful CEOs of the future will look the same as the ones in the present? In this episode, Andrea talks about the differences he believes will be seen in future CEOs and how a lot of this will be related to how they deal with people. He outlines the 6 major traits he believes will make future CEOs based on his experience and knowledge. The 6 Traits of a Future CEO B...

Do you think your employees aren’t going the extra mile for you? In this episode, Andrea explores the data behind employee effort and talks about how you, as a leader can employ, engage and retain employees who are willing to go the extra mile for you. Andrea also talks about the SDT theory and how this can help influence and drive behaviours within your business. KEY TAKEAWAYS Focus on your emplo...

Andrea is joined by Stefano Volpetti, President of Smoke-Free Inhalable Products and Chief Consumer Officer at Philip Morris International. They discuss PMI's bold vision to replace cigarettes with smoke-free alternatives for the 1.1 billion adult smokers globally. Stefano provides insights into PMI's transformation into a consumer-centric company driven by data, science and technology to accelera...

Andrea interviews Lisa Rosenthal, CEO of defense and intelligence consulting firm Mayvin. Starting from just a concept scribbled on a napkin, Lisa grew Mayvin from zero to $90 million in revenue with 500 employees in just over 10 years. She shares her journey of entrepreneurship, overcoming challenges, and leading with integrity. Lisa offers insights on topics like company culture, work-life balan...

There is more pressure than ever being put on CEOs in the world right now, from the financial crisis to the explosion of AI application in the workforce, it’s not easy. In this episode, Andrea talks about changing your mindset to help you deal with these challenges and offers some practical tips on what you can do to manage being a CEO in one of the most difficult periods in history. KEY TAKEAWAYS...

Last year, Andrea interviewed Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO of Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, in one of his best episodes of 2022. They discussed the exciting energy transition happening in the industry and Lorenzo's perspective on navigating this change as a leader. Lorenzo stressed the need to pivot quickly, fail fast, and learn in order to adapt to constant change. He shared...

Andrea shares the three key areas where balance is critical to your performance and skill as a leader. If you want to be as effective as possible and successfully lead then you need to learn how to confidently and competently do these three things. KEY TAKEAWAYS  Strong leaders learn how to confidently walk ‘the fine line’ in decision-making. You need to get the balance right between transparency...

Andrea interviews Ollie Craddock, CEO of employee listening platform Runway, on this episode of World Class Leader Show. Ollie shares his experience leading multiple companies and how he helped grow Mind Tools to 20 million users. He explains how Rungway captures real-time employee feedback to help leaders understand problems and resistance to change. The continuous feedback loop provides psycholo...

Having to fire people is one of the most difficult things a leader has to do but it's inevitable. In this episode, Andrea shares some better techniques to use when you need to terminate someone's employment, whilst having the minimal impact on their well-being and life. KEY TAKEAWAYS Every leader has the responsibility to fire people, even if they care about them. The consequence of firing is the...

 It may come as a surprise to learn that many CEOs suffer from imposter syndrome. In this episode, Andrea talks about this topic and the 4 main factors that contribute to the feelings of imposter syndrome and reveals a game-changing solution if you are feeling this way. KEY TAKEAWAYS CEOs have a large amount of responsibility but often no one to confide in or seek support from. Excessive standards...

Andrea is joined by Alain Bejjani, former CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Group, an international diversified conglomerate with ventures in shopping mall ownership and operation, hotel ownership and operation, retail stores, leisure and entertainment centers, and mixed-use residential communities, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates with operations in the Middle East and Africa. He served as CEO fro...

Andrea has spent much of his life working away from home as a leader, a decision he does not regret and in this episode he reveals how transformative it was for both his career and himself as an individual. Andrea shares his personal experiences of living away from home and talks about the mindset and methods that he discovered through living this more nomadic lifestyle. Living abroad has been a g...

Incredibly, female CEOs are still rare, so listen to this inspiring chat between Andrea and the illustrious CEO Cristina Scocchia. Hear how Cristina went from humble beginnings to leading major international companies through pivotal turnarounds including Proctor & Gamble, L'Oréal, Kiko Milano and now illycaffè. Cristina shares her unique leadership style, thoughts on diversity, and insights i...

It’s the 100th episode of The World Class Leaders show! Join Andrea in this big achievement as he shares the 5 key things he has learned over the past two years of creating the podcast. If you like the show, please subscribe and leave a review, it makes all the difference! KEY TAKEAWAYS Keep your eye on the prize, think about the bigger picture and why you are doing what you’re doing Commitment is...

Adnan Al Noorani is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist and advisor to families in the UAE. He is highly recognised for his humanitarian work and has over 20 years of experience working with families on everything from law to finance. He joins Andrea to talk about his leadership vision for the future, why everything we do is teaching the next generation of leaders and discusses the mindset and l...

Many teams across organisations lack a sense of ownership of results, they may all be doing their own pieces of the puzzle but no one is taking ownership of the entire result. What people say tells you a lot about how they see the current reality and in this episode, Andrea outlines 10 phrases that demonstrate you may have an issue with a lack of ownership in your organisation. KEY TAKEAWAYS It’s...

Andrea is joined by Intertrust CEO Talal Shamoon. Talal talks about adaptability in business, why the absence of strict hierarchy can be an advantage and why your team and the tools you give them are one of the greatest assets for any CEO. Talal is an entrepreneur by nature and talks about how this has aided his success and gives his thoughts on different CEO archetypes including detailed feedback...