Redefiners Russell Reynolds Associates

It’s not easy being a CEO. In fact, it’s the most challenging role in business. The scope, gravity, responsibility, accountability, and exposure of the position are unparalleled. 

Despite its complexity, it's also often hailed as the most rewarding and life-affirming move of an executive’s career. It’s a time when you can truly execute your vision and put to use everything you’ve learned up until now.

But, to set yourself up for success, how do you approach your first few days and months in the role? 
What are the common surprises new CEOs experience? Why is it so important to get your CEO transition right, and what are the risks if you don’t? 

In this episode of Leadership Lounge, we put these questions and more to Ty Wiggins, leadership advisor and author of our latest book, The New CEO: How to Start Well and Perform Quickly (Minus the Common Mistakes), and two other RRA leadership advisors, Laura Sanderson and Justus O’ Brien, who partnered with Ty on the book. Here, our guests share lessons that will help any executive get off to a strong start as a new leader.
Tune in to discover why it’s so important to act fast when assessing and building your team, how you can avoid loneliness taking root as a new CEO, and why aiming for perfection isn’t sustainable.

On today’s Redefiners episode, we talk with Natalie Robyn, the first ever CEO of the International Automobile Federation (or the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile or our French listeners). The FIA is the governing body for world motor sport, including Formula One, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and some of the world’s most exciting motorsports races on and off the track. Natalie shares her leadership story, shifting from auto production at Volvo, Nissan, and DaimlerChrysler, to auto racing. She talks about how she and the FIA team manage the challenges and complexity involved in managing 24 races in 21 countries on five continents, working with a variety of stakeholders, local politics and regulations to make it all happen successfully and safely.  
 
Natalie talks about how the FIA parses through the more than three terabytes of data per Formula One car per race weekend to share data between competitions, which helps foster innovation and safety. All that data also helps inform sustainability as well, as Natalie outlines how the FIA plans to achieve their commitment to net zero emissions by 2030.  
 
We’ll also hear from Dee Fitzgerald, a Managing Director in our Sydney office, who highlights how important it is for CEOs to have the right top team around them, and the five actions CEOs can take to maximize C-suite performance. 
 
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: 
The Business of Football with Los Angeles Rams COO Kevin Demoff Outwork the Competition: Jordan Brand’s Winning Strategy with President Sarah Mensah Transforming the Energy Sector with Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli 

Today’s CEOs are not just trusted to deliver on profits and lead their organizations forward. They’re also tasked with driving broader societal change.

For the past few years, Edelman’s Trust Barometer has consistently found that business leaders are the most trusted group in society, ahead of the media and government. But with great power comes great responsibility. 

Society has now come to expect leaders to take a public position on an increasing number of complex issues—from climate catastrophes and geopolitical flare-ups, to changes in legislation and social justice movements like Black Lives Matter.

But, taking a stand can carry huge risks. When is the right time to raise your head above the parapet? How can you best prepare and position your response to ensure your personal and professional reputation remains intact? What would we advise CEOs to say—and not say?

In this episode of Leadership Lounge, we put these questions and more to four of our esteemed leadership advisors: Ty Wiggins, Kimberly Archer, Richard Davis, and Laura Mantoura. Here, our guests shed some light on how leaders can navigate this minefield and find a path forward that’s right for them—and their organization.

Today’s guest grew up in a landlocked region of the UK, with more than a hundred miles separating her from the open ocean. Not your typical start for someone who went on to become a trailblazing, record-breaking yachtswoman. 

On today’s Redefiners episode, Clarke Murphy sits down with long-time sailing buddy Dee Caffari MBE—the only woman to have sailed solo while circumnavigating the world, in both directions. Throughout her career, Dee has continued to surprise and inspire others with her courage, grit, and determination to enter uncharted waters. 

Dee shares her deep experience in leading teams through adversity—how you get them to pull together and perform, even in stormy times, and how she overcame loneliness when sailing solo for the first time. She also talks about the importance of demonstrating self-awareness as a leader, as well as how she responded when told that she was ‘too emotional’ to lead a team. Dee also imparts a key piece of advice—you learn the best lessons from your mistakes, so don’t be afraid to be bold and take a risk.

We’ll also hear from Marie-Osmonde Le Roy de Lanauze-Molines, a Managing Director in our Paris office, who will highlight the gender imbalance in global CEO appointments and discuss how organizations can chart a path to achieving gender parity.
 
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: 

Doubling Down on Double Standards: British Journalist Mary Ann Sieghart on Closing The Authority Gap | Redefiners - Podcast Series | Russell Reynolds AssociatesFrom Server to COO: Kat Cole’s Journey to the Top | Redefiners - Podcast Series | Russell Reynolds AssociatesLeadership Lounge - Ep.3 | How to recover from failure | Russell Reynolds Associates

Today’s healthcare industry has gone from science fiction to science fact in a very short period of time. Gene editing, artificial intelligence (AI), and a host of medical innovations are helping researchers discover new life-changing solutions to target previously incurable diseases like sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy, and more. 
 
On today’s Redefiners episode, Clarke Murphy and Emma Combe talk with Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi, about how he’s transforming the practice of medicine in a highly competitive industry through new technologies and breakthrough science. Beyond drug discovery, Paul discusses how he’s embracing innovation and AI across his organization to drive efficiency and new thinking, as well as finding ways to make healthcare more equitable for those who need it around the world. He talks about how he balances financial risk and return on investment inherent in the pharmaceutical industry. He shares his approach to talent management, dynamic resource allocation, and how the explosion of digital technologies have upended the traditional path to the C-suite. Paul also talks about the impact of business on society, including Sanofi’s sponsorship of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 
 
We’ll also hear from Danny Ryan, an Executive Director in our London office, who will discuss how organizations can not only weather today’s volatile biopharma market but thrive in it. 
 
If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: 
Risk-taking and Dealmaking with Global MedTech Leader, Kevin Lobo A Front Row Seat to the AI Revolution with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith – Part 2 Leadership Lounge | Ep. 6 – How can leaders succeed in a Gen-AI-driven world? How the Barely Possible Can Overcome the Barely Solvable with First Mode’s Chris Voorhees 

Leaders today are grappling with uncertainty on multiple fronts. And the quickening pace of change is leaving many feeling overwhelmed and underprepared.

It’s in high-stakes moments like these that mentoring can help leaders overcome loneliness, gain a new vantage point, or benefit from objective advice from someone who’s been there before. 
In fact, in our recent Global Leadership Monitor, 71% of the CEOs we surveyed felt that mentoring could have been better incorporated during their transition into the role.

But, when it comes to choosing a mentor, what should you prioritize? What does a great mentor-mentee relationship look like? And when in your career can you benefit most from a mentor?

In this episode of Leadership Lounge, we put these questions and more to three of our esteemed leadership advisors: Symon Elliott, Mia Keinanen, and Steve Morse. Here, they share real-life examples of how mentors can propel leaders forward for professional and personal success.

Tune in to discover how having a mentor can increase the longevity of your success as a leader, and why vulnerability and honesty are key traits to harness for a fruitful mentoring relationship.