The Provocateurs

Thinkers50 & Deloitte

Provocateurs offer fresh insights, novel perspectives and unique ways forward in the face of uncertainty. A collaboration between Thinkers50 and Deloitte, the monthly Provocateurs podcast gives you direct access to the thoughts, experiences, stories and insights of remarkable leaders from around the world. The aim is simple: to provoke you to think and act differently through candid and thought provoking conversations with fantastic leaders.

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20 episodes
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Avg 41 min
English

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S1 · E45
July 16 · 50 min
Spencer Glendon: What’s Not in the Model
What happens when the biggest risk to business isn’t in the model? Most financial models have a silent assumption buried at their core: that the climate will stay stable. Spencer Glendon spent nearly two decades in investment research identifying what others missed. His search for hidden assumptions led him to discover that climate stability underpins virtually every business model, yet most leaders still treat climate as a specialist issue rather than a core strategic concern. In conversation with Des Dearlove and Steve Goldbach, Spencer explores: why climate belongs in the boardroom, not in a box why markets have been so slow to price climate risk how to turn abstract climate science into practical decisions As the founder of Probable Futures, Spencer translates complex climate models into accessible tools, helping leaders understand probable future, rather than distant challenges or apocalyptic scenarios. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E44
June 18 · 36 min
Samuel Monnie: The Case for Values-Driven Growth
What if the biggest problem with marketing today is the way we’ve been taught to think about it? Samuel Monnie, once a “reformed marketer” but now “marketing reformer,” argues that traditional marketing frameworks like the 4Ps (product, price, place, promotion) no longer reflect the world we live in. Instead, we should look towards a more human model: purpose, people, progress, and prosperity. Purpose: driving more inclusive, equitable outcomes – and positive impact People: leading with compassion, creativity, and connection Progress: creating better solutions that raise the bar for everyone Prosperity: building systems where business, society, and nature can thrive In this episode he explains why aligning business with values is not just ethical but a commercial imperative. He brings the data to dispel the myth that profit and purpose are in conflict. And explores how organizations can “learn, unlearn, and relearn,” embracing curiosity, listening more deeply to customers and employees, and focusing on progress over perfection. Samuel is co-founder and co-CEO of New York-based Purpose Hive. He has led brand and business growth at companies including Braun, Campbell's, Grainger, Safeway, Proctor & Gamble, and Sustainable Brands. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E43
April 16 · 38 min
André Hoffmann: Profit Alone is No Measure of Success
What if the real purpose of business is not simply to make money, but to serve humanity? André Hoffmann is vice chairman of Roche Holding, co-founder of Intent, board member of the World Economic Forum, and co-author of The New Nature of Business: The Path to Prosperity and Sustainability. In this rich conversation with Thinkers50 CEO Mikko Leskelä and Kulleni Gebreyes, vice chair and US life sciences and healthcare industry leader at Deloitte, André challenges the traditional view that financial capital alone defines success. Instead, leaders must recognise: Three other forms of capital: natural, social, and human Why being an environmentalist and a capitalist is not a contradiction Nature is our life support system; if we destroy it, we destroy ourselves It's not how you spend the money that matters, it's how you make it Business should and can be a force for good in solving humanity’s biggest problems Discover how leaders can align profit and purpose, prosperity and sustainability, and ultimately become good ancestors. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E42
March 18 · 43 min
Cécile Béliot: Business Without Sustainability Has No Future
Cécile Béliot is the first female CEO of Bel Group, known for iconic cheese brands The Laughing Cow, Babybel, and Boursin, as well as GoGo squeeZ fruit pouches. As only the second executive from outside the founding family to lead the 150-year-old company, she shares how she’s honoring legacy while driving transformation in today’s challenging environment – proving that companies can deliver both profitability and sustainability. Cécile defines sustainability through two interconnected pillars: social impact for providers (fair wages, financing the transition to regenerative farming) and facilitating healthy eating habits for consumers. To embed this vision at the company’s core, Bel transformed the Chief Financial Officer role into Chief Global Impact Officer – a bold move that changed how the entire organization thinks about performance and accountability. Cécile’s provocation to business leaders everywhere is simple but powerful. Put an "AND" in everything you do. Not short-term or long-term. Not purpose or profit. Companies that embrace the “AND” – managing the tensions rather than choosing sides – unlock innovation, collaboration, and the ecosystem transformation needed to thrive today and tomorrow. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E41
February 5 · 29 min
Episode 41: Frances Frei
Frances Frei: Why Speed Doesn't Have to Break Things Frances Frei is a professor of technology and operations management at Harvard Business School and, together with her partner Anne Morriss, is the bestselling author of Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business; Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You; and Move Fast & Fix Things: The Trusted Leader’s Guide to Solving Hard Problems. Frances and Anne are #7 in the Thinkers50 Ranking. In this episode, Frances reveals the three pillars that define the architecture of trust, three key mistakes repeatedly made by organizations, and why "move fast and break things" is actually slower than moving fast and fixing things. Discover: Why every trust breakdown can be traced to one of three dimensions: authenticity, logic, or empathy Why you should look beyond the “usual suspects” when solving big problems and invite more “unusual suspects" to the table Why AI struggles with trust – and the crucial difference between engagement and empathy This conversation took place in London’s historic Guildhall during the Thinkers50 London Summit & Awards Gala in November 2025, with Frances joining Provocateurs hosts Steve Goldbach, leader of Deloitte’s Sustainability Business in the US, and Stuart Crainer, co-founder of Thinkers50. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E40
January 15 · 34 min
Episode 40: Dan Pink
Dan Pink: Why Leaders Keep Getting Motivation Wrong (and How to Fix It) Daniel Pink is one of the world's foremost authorities on work motivation and human behavior. His seven best-selling books include Drive, To Sell Is Human, When, The Power of Regret, and A Whole New Mind. Recorded in London’s historic Guildhall during the Thinkers50 London Summit & Awards Gala in November 2025, this conversation features Dan in dialogue with Provocateurs hosts Des Dearlove, Thinkers50 co-founder, and Geoff Tuff, Deloitte’s Global and US Sustainability Leader for Energy, Resources, and Industrials. In this episode we discover: Why traditional “carrot and stick” motivators don’t work at work – and the three reasons organizations still cling to them The three key forces that genuinely drive human performance: autonomy, mastery, and purpose The three blind spots preventing leaders from unleashing these forces in their organizations Dan also challenges the tendency towards dehumanization in leadership and reveals how the emotion of regret, when properly harnessed, can transform leaders into better negotiators, problem solvers, and strategists. He leaves us with one provocative question every executive should ask before making major decisions: What will the you of ten years from now think about what you're about to do? This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E39
Dec 29, 2025 · 43 min
Episode 39: Reflections 2025
Steve Goldbach, Geoff Tuff, and Kulleni Gebreyes of Deloitte join Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove of Thinkers50 to reflect on their highlights and insights from the 2025 Provocateurs series. Featuring in-depth conversations with leaders and innovators, the 2025 Provocateurs explored pressing topics from sustainability and space exploration to digital health, public policy, and food systems innovation. Throughout the series, compelling stories emerged that illustrate the power of systems thinking, reframing narratives, and leadership under pressure. We heard about seaweed and rum in Barbados: a circular economy success story combining waste products to create fuel. We learned how modulating electrical motors reframes sustainability as efficiency, delivering rapid returns on investment. And we listened as astronaut Eileen Collins described the extreme pressure of an aborted rocket launch, exemplifying agility and preparation as the essence of leadership. The 2025 Provocateurs guests included: Weslynne Ashton, sustainable systems scientist at the Illinois Institute of Technology Katie McGinty, VP and Chief Sustainability Officer at Johnson Controls Rajendra Pratap Gupta, founder of the Global Digital Health Summit Karthik Ramanna, from Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government Eileen Collins, the first female space shuttle commander Selassie Atadika, award-winning chef, chocolatier, and innovator Anke Hampel, Chief Sustainability Officer at ABB * recorded live at Climate Week New York * Natalie Nixon, author of The Creativity Leap and Move. Think. Rest. What were your key take-aways from our 2025 Provocateurs? This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E38
Dec 4, 2025 · 36 min
Episode 38: Natalie Nixon
In this Provocateurs podcast special recorded at the 2025 Thinkers50 London Summit & Awards Gala, creativity strategist Natalie Nixon discusses how organizations can harness creativity as a strategic business competency. Challenging the misconception that creativity belongs only to artists, Natalie uses her “wonder-rigor” framework to demonstrate that the best engineers, scientists, CFOs, and leaders toggle between imaginative exploration (wonder) and disciplined execution (rigor). This chaordic balance between chaos and order is essential, she says, for driving sustainable innovation. Turning to AI and the future of work, Natalie contends that technology offers an opportunity for more distributed, improvisational ways of working – which appeal in particular to Gen Z – and AI can actually humanize organizations by creating liminal space for deeper collaboration and wonder. Natalie is the author of The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation and Intuition at Work (Berrett-Koehler, 2020), and Move. Think. Rest. Redefining Productivity & Our Relationship with Time (Balance, 2025). This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E37
Oct 31, 2025 · 55 min
Episode 37: Anke Hampel
Anke Hampel: Recorded Live at Climate Week New York Anke Hampel is chief sustainability officer at ABB, a global technology leader in electrification and automation based in Zurich, and a member of the board of directors of ABB Germany. With a background in finance, procurement, supply chain, and innovation management in the consumer goods and packaging industry, Anke is driven by a mission to unite profit with purpose. Sustainability, she contends, is a business imperative, not a fluffy add-on. Moreover, sustainability is not the preserve of seasoned experts; everyone can and should play a role. In this special episode of the Provocateurs podcast recorded live at Climate Week New York, Anke presents the business case for sustainability and shares her learnings: Integrate sustainability into strategy: align your entire portfolio to your purpose by embedding sustainability targets directly into financial planning. Measure what matters: apply KPI’s to every phase of the product lifecycle to track circularity. Collaborate actively: as resources decline, close partnerships across your ecosystem are vital – or you risk losing your place in the supply chain. Manage climate risk: what cannot be insured cannot be financed – and data shows that climate-related risks are increasingly uninsurable. Hear more from Anke on why now is the critical time to make a strategic decision: Flee, Freeze, or Fast Forward. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E36
Oct 16, 2025 · 33 min
Episode 36: Selassie Atadika
Award-winning chef, chocolatier, and founder of Midunu, Selassie Atadika is a Time 2025 Earth Award honoree and Yale’s inaugural Global Table Fellow. In this compelling episode of Provocateurs, Selassie demonstrates how intentional food choices can reshape entire systems. Food is more than just sustenance, she contends, it’s a powerful tool for transformation, touching every aspect of our lives from economics to environmental policy, health, and culture. Drawing from her experiences across 44 African countries, Selassie’s philosophy of "new African cuisine" – where culture, community, and cuisine intersect with environment, sustainability, and economy – offers profound lessons for addressing global food system challenges, while celebrating local traditions and creating economic opportunities for smallholder farmers. Discover more about the innovative business model of Midunu – a nomadic dining concept that combines research, education, and culinary experiences – and how Selassie is “leading through deliciousness” to create new possibilities for sustainable agriculture, preserve cultural heritage, and protect the environment around us. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E35
Aug 27, 2025 · 43 min
Episode 35: Eileen Collins
Eileen Collins: The First Female Space Commander Trailblazer Eileen Collins is a retired NASA astronaut and former Air Force Colonel. In 1995, she became the first woman to pilot a space shuttle and in 1999, she became the first woman to command a space shuttle mission. Eileen's final mission in 2005 was commanding the critical return to flight mission, the first since the space shuttle Columbia disaster. Her memoir Through The Glass Ceiling to the Stars, was published in 2021. Provocateurs hosts Des Dearlove and Steve Goldbach talk to Eileen about her remarkable journey from a young girl in small town Elmira, New York, who dreamed of flying, to breaking the glass ceiling at NASA. Addressing the challenges of spaceflight, she reveals the importance of relentless preparation, the power of mentorship, and her evolution from an autocratic to collaborative leader. She also shares her three fundamental elements of leadership: Know your job Get the right people in place Integrity: honesty and trust In a candid conversation, Eileen also reveals surprising moments of vulnerability, including a panic attack at a press event that contrasted sharply with her calm under life-threatening space emergencies. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E34
Jul 30, 2025 · 39 min
Episode 34: Karthik Ramanna
Leading in the Age of Outrage Karthik Ramanna is a professor of business and public policy at the University of Oxford's Blavatnik School of Government and author of The Age of Outrage: How to Lead in a Polarized World – recently named one of Thinkers50's Best Management Books of 2025. In this episode of The Provocateurs, Karthik identifies three distinctive forces shaping our current moment: profound uncertainty about the future driven by AI, climate change, and demographic shifts; deep distrust in institutions of governance that people feel have delivered a "raw deal"; and a shift away from global humanism toward economic and cultural nationalism. Discover the tools and techniques leaders can adopt not only to manage outrage but to manage in the age of outrage, including: How to build an active listening network A 5-step framework for maintaining calm Lessons from “temperate leadership” Ideas, says Karthik, are everywhere, but implementation is everything. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E33
Jun 18, 2025 · 40 min
Episode 33: Rajendra Pratap Gupta
Rajendra Pratap Gupta is a policymaker and author, a former advisor to the Health Minister of India, and a leading provocateur in digital health initiatives across the world. He is the founder of the Global Digital Health Summit, which aims to create the future of healthcare; global think-tank The Health Parliament, which collaborates with the world's leading organizations to make health and well-being accessible to all; and the International Patients Union, which is dedicated to empowering patients in policymaking. Rajendra also works to advance education in digital health at the Academy of Digital Health Sciences, which is now the largest provider of digital health courses globally. In this episode, Rajendra draws on his extensive experience in private and public sectors to map out the future of healthcare. Discover: How prioritising healthcare can win elections The critical role of preemptive care over preventive care How genetics and individual data is shifting healthcare “from bedside to website” With the democratization of technology, Rajendra contends, patients will turn from being passive recipients of care to active participants. Technology will be more than a platform for the solution – it will be the solution itself. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E32
Apr 30, 2025 · 39 min
Episode 32: Katie McGinty
The economic case for climate-smart transformation Katie McGinty is the vice president and chief sustainability and external relations officer at Johnson Controls. In this episode she shares insights from her remarkable career spanning both public service – including as the first woman to chair the White House Council on Environmental Quality under President Clinton – and private sector leadership. Challenging the persistent myth that environmental initiatives harm the bottom line, Katie explains how sustainability and economic success are not opposing forces but complementary strategies, demonstrating through real-world examples how Johnson Controls achieves significant carbon reductions while generating substantial cost savings for clients. Key themes include: The importance of systems thinking in environmental solutions. How buildings can be transformed from climate problems to climate solutions. The power of technological innovation through efficiency, electrification, and digitalization. Drawing from her unique background in chemistry, policy, and business leadership, Katie illustrates how bringing diverse perspectives together catalyzes creativity and transforms environmental challenges into competitive advantages and economic opportunities. Sustainability, she contends, is becoming “strategy essential” for businesses. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E31
Mar 24, 2025 · 38 min
Episode 31: Weslynne Ashton
A sustainable systems scientist, Weslynne Ashton is professor of environmental management and sustainability at the Illinois Institute of Technology, where she also co-directs ID’s Food Systems Action Lab. Here she discusses her work in industrial ecology and the circular economy, drawing from her experiences growing up in Trinidad. Weslynne argues that businesses need to adopt a more holistic view of value creation and regeneration, moving beyond purely financial metrics. Weslynne Ashton’s research, teaching, and practice are oriented around transitioning socio-ecological systems to create more sustainable and regenerative business practices and emphasizes the importance of expanding beyond traditional views of capital to include eight different types: natural, human, financial, manufactured, social, political, cultural, and digital. But how do we get these multiple capitals onto the balance sheet of business? Find out more in this conversation with hosts Geoff Tuff and Des Dearlove. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E30
Feb 27, 2025 · 36 min
Episode 30: Reflections
The 2024 Provocateurs series featured nine inspiring thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and business authors who challenged us to re-think conventional approaches to leadership and management. Neri Karra Sillaman shared her remarkable story from refugee to building a multi-million-dollar sustainable fashion brand; Marcus Collins explored the hidden power of cultural influence in consumer behaviour; Lisa McKnight revealed how she transformed Barbie into a cultural phenomenon and billion-dollar success; and Andrew Winston redefined the role of business to create a thriving “net positive world”. One of the key highlights of the 2024 series was recording live at New York Climate Week with Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, who delivered an emotional and unequivocal call to action to address the “moral vacuum” in global leadership. We must cultivate leaders, he says, who are equipped to embrace restorative, reparative, and regenerative practices and lead with purpose. We also learnt leadership lessons from Amy Chang on becoming an AI entrepreneur; Jeff Wetzler on leveraging the wisdom of the people around you; Dane Jensen on harnessing the positive power of pressure; and Atif Rafiq on driving innovation and digital transformation in traditional, legacy companies. In this episode, Steve Goldbach, Geoff Tuff, and Kulleni Gebreyes of Deloitte, join Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove of Thinkers50, to reflect on their key takeaways and thought-provoking insights from Provocateurs 2024. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E29
Oct 31, 2024 · 39 min
Episode 29: Lisa McKnight
Transforming Barbie Executive vice president and chief brand officer of Mattel, Lisa McKnight is credited with leading the transformation of the Barbie brand. Under her leadership, Barbie became the number one global toy property in 2020 and 2021, and she redefined Barbie’s global social mission with the launch of the Dream Gap Project in 2018, a multi-year initiative which has positively impacted over 25 million girls. In this conversation with Steve Goldbach, leader of Deloitte’s sustainability practice in the US, and Des Dearlove, co-founder of Thinkers50, Lisa explains what drew her to the world of toys, why the Barbie brand had fallen out of touch with its market, and how she and her team tackled the challenge of making Barbie relevant again. Find out more about the importance of brands being consumer-centric and staying connected to culture, how Mattel overcame corporate reservations in the making of the Barbie movie, and why you need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable when making decisions. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E28
Oct 15, 2024 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode 28: Paul Polman
Recorded Live at Climate Week, New York Paul Polman is a business leader, campaigner, and co-author (with Andrew Winston) of Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive By Giving More Than They Take, a Financial Times Business Book of the Year. Together with Andrew, Paul is ranked #3 on the Thinkers50 Ranking. As CEO of Unilever (2009-2019), Paul demonstrated that business can profit through purpose, delivering shareholder returns of 290% while the company consistently ranked 1st in the world for sustainability. Today he works across a range of organisations to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which he helped develop. In New York for the 2024 Climate Week, Paul sat down with Thinkers50 co-founder, Des Dearlove, and Steve Goldbach, head of Deloitte’s Sustainability Practice in the US, to discuss how business can be a force for good, what it means to be ‘net positive,’ and how to develop the next generation of leaders. He identified a fundamental moral vacuum in our current approach to global challenges and emphasised that addressing this void requires more than systemic reforms – it demands a profound transformation in how we think and lead. A new leadership mindset is called for, he argues; one that focuses on restorative, reparative, and regenerative practices and places cooperation above competition. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E27
Aug 23, 2024 · 49 min
Episode 27: Andrew Winston
The Courage to be Net Positive Andrew Winston is one of the most widely read writers and thinkers on sustainable business. His books on sustainability strategy include Green to Gold, The Big Pivot, and most recently, Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take, which he co-authored with Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever. Andrew and Paul are ranked #3 in the Thinkers50 Ranking of top management thinkers and Net Positive featured on the Thinkers50 Best New Management Booklist in 2022. In this Provocateurs podcast, Andrew joins Thinkers50 co-founder, Des Dearlove, and Kulleni Gebreyes, Deloitte US Consulting Life Sciences and Healthcare Industry Leader and US Chief Equity Officer. They address how leaders can stand up for their social and environmental values and overcome resistance from within and without their organisation. How can a business become ‘net positive’ – one that thrives and profits by solving the world’s problems, not creating them? How do you align purpose and profit? Why are companies often expected to prove immediate ROI for sustainability initiatives and not others? Find out more about the prevalence of ‘green hushing,’ the positive impact of collective courage, and how younger millennials are driving change in corporate behaviour. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.
S1 · E26
Jul 17, 2024 · 40 min
Episode 26: Atif Rafiq
Atif Rafiq: Digital Disruptor Provocateur of the C-Suite, Atif Rafiq has been disrupting companies for more than 25 years in Silicon Valley, the Fortune 500, and through a variety of his own startups. Having begun his career in digital native companies including AOL, Yahoo, and Amazon, Atif was named the first chief digital officer in the history of the Fortune 500 when he took on that role for McDonald's in 2013. He has overseen thousands of employees as a global P&L transformation and innovation leader in multiple companies and industries. Today, over a half million people follow Atif’s ideas about management and leadership on LinkedIn, where he is a Top Voice, and his newsletter, Re:Wire, has attracted over 100,000 subscribers. Atif’s 2023 book, Decision Sprint: The New Way to Innovate into the Unknown and Move from Strategy to Action, is a Wall Street Journal bestseller. In this podcast, Atif talks with Geoff Tuff of Deloitte and Des Dearlove of Thinkers50 about the accidental metamorphoses along his career path and his latest venture and software tool, Ritual. He also discusses how to bring digital transformation to a traditional bricks-and-mortar business, and his methodical approach to innovation, which involves giving teams space for exploration, multiple input meetings before output, and the leader as calibrator rather than controller. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.

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