IMD Podcasts

•

Kanal • 4 serier

Erhverv

Erhverv

Hver anden måned
Karrierer

Karrierer

Hver anden uge
Administration

Administration

Hver anden måned
Iværksætteri

Iværksætteri

22.04.2021

12. maj

Niels Christiansen, how did LEGO regain momentum?

What does it take to lead one of the world’s most loved brands — and still admit it had become too slow, too complex, and too hard to move? In this CEO Dialogue, LEGO CEO Niels Christiansen discusses with IMD’s Jean-François Manzoni how he simplified the organization, empowered local teams and expanded beyond children to adult fans. He explains why LEGO opened stores when others were closing them, why “the basis is physical” even in a digital world, and why sustainability remains a long-term investment even when “consumers are (…) not willing to pay for it.” When Christiansen took over as CEO in 2017, he stepped into a company that had “stalled”. Today, LEGO Group has grown into the world’s largest toy company, with revenues exceeding €11bn ($12.8bn) and around 34,000 employees worldwide. It is one of the most remarkable brand stories in modern business. Listen in to understand how LEGO rebuilt momentum — not through grand slogans, but through disciplined execution. Our Guest: Niels B ChristiansenPresident & Chief Executive Officer, the LEGO Group; CEO, LEGO Holding. Niels Christiansen joined the LEGO Group as CEO in 2017 after leading Danfoss. Under his leadership, LEGO has expanded its retail footprint, invested in sustainable materials, strengthened digital play experiences, and continued to rank among the world’s most loved brands.

12. maj

•

44 min.
18. jun.

Ralph Hamers, are ‘tech companies with a banking license’ the future of finance?

Former ING and UBS CEO Ralph Hamers joins IMD’s Murat Tarakci to unpack how he led “banking’s biggest digital transformation” – and why AI may redefine financial advice. Drawing on his experience at two of the biggest banks in the world, Hamers argues that CEOs “cannot delegate what your strategy is, what your brand stands for, how your people behave,” and must personally connect the dots between purpose, strategy, culture and execution”. He lays out his three-way innovation engine, his vision of banks as “tech companies with a banking license,” and a bold claim that “advice to clients can be better generated through AI than through an advisor.” He explains why “restructuring is generally a reaction to a burning platform” and how he reframed ING’s future by asking, “what is left from our DNA?” and turning that into a purpose-led transformation story. To dive deeper, check out: Ralph Hamers’s new book, Do Your Thing: Lessons from banking's biggest digital transformationI by IMD’s new report, The future of bankingOur Guest:Ralph Hamers is a Dutch banker and business leader best known as the former CEO of ING Group and UBS Group. He spent 29 years at ING, became CEO in 2013, and led the bank through a major digital transformation focused on mobile banking, agile working, customer experience, and platform thinking; ING said he helped turn the group into “a leading digital bank.” In 2020, he left ING to become Group CEO of UBS, a role he held until 2023, when Sergio Ermotti returned to lead the Credit Suisse integration. In 2026, Banking Circle Group announced Hamers as its chairman, citing his experience scaling global financial institutions and advising fintech companies including Arta and Grab. His book Do Your Thing: Lessons from Banking’s Biggest Digital Transformation draws on the ING transformation to offer a leadership framework for connecting purpose, strategy, culture, and execution. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralphhamers/

18. jun.

•

38 min.
13.10.2025

Benefits by design: Novonesis CEO’s strategy for sustainable growth

In conversation with IMD's Jean-François Manzoni, Novonesis CEO Ester Baiget discusses how the Danish biosolutions powerhouse uses advanced tech and its ‘library of strengths’ to transform food production and laundry processes. Novonesis is rapidly becoming the world leader in the field of biosolutions. By leveraging the power of microbiology with science, it is increasingly transforming the way the world produces, consumes, and lives. Born from the 2024 merger of enzyme and cultures specialists, Novonesis has integrated complex technologies and navigated regulatory roadblocks. But blending two corporate cultures requires more than science alone. For CEO Ester Baiget, the key is leadership rooted in humility, transparency, and a relentless focus on sustainable growth.

13.10.2025

•

49 min.
14.07.2025

First-time CEO pitfalls, and how to avoid them

What got you here won’t get you there. But that’s not all, says Kevin O’Brien, CEO of Gammon Construction in conversation with Professor Ric Roi. You’re also going to need to really unpack the detail of your new brief, marshal the data to spot the opportunities, figure out how to unlock future potential, and bring everyone with you on the journey.

14.07.2025

•

33 min.
21. apr.

How do you reinvent what family legacy means, Chef Pam?

What does it take to inherit a family legacy without becoming trapped by it? In this episode of I by IMD, Marleen Dieleman speaks with Chef Pam, the visionary behind Potong, a 120-year-old family pharmacy in Bangkok’s Chinatown which she transformed into a world-renowned restaurant and cultural landmark, earning her the title of the World’s Best Female Chef. Her story is not just about creating the best Thai food, or serving cocktails in her family’s former dispensary, or receiving the desired Michelin Star. It is about migration, risk, reinvention, and what it means to build something deeply personal inside a multigenerational legacy. She is strikingly clear about the choices that shaped the journey, recalling that during the pandemic-era rebuild, “I sold all my gold” to invest in the project, working all the way to today, where “it’s not about money anymore,” to continue the family business. Chef Pam’s business partner is her husband, and together with their daughter, who has to cope with her parents working long hours in the kitchen, they are already planning their next steps and expanding their footprint in the neighborhood. Her advice to next-generation leaders is blunt: “I don't think there's a shortcut.” This episode conversation offers unique insights and a powerful lesson: legacy does not have to be a constraint. It can be the building material of innovation. Our guest: Pichaya “Pam” Soontornyanakij (Chef Pam) is a Thai chef and entrepreneur who reimagined her family’s 120-year-old Chinese medicine building into Potong, a Michelin-starred restaurant known for progressive Thai-Chinese cuisine. She was awarded “World’s Best Female Chef” in 2025, the first Thai and first Asian woman to receive that title.

21. apr.

•

22 min.
26.09.2024

Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm: ‘You have to bring hearts and minds with you’

Rio Tinto CEO, Jakob Stausholm emphasizes relationship-building and empathy to restore Rio Tinto's social license and guide its decarbonization efforts. **** Read our magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

26.09.2024

•

47 min.
31.03.2021

Entrepreneurs like to gamble

We like to think of successful entrepreneurs as brazen risk-takers, betting everything on a new invention or idea. But take a closer look at their decision-making - and a very different picture emerges. -------------- Links: Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Learn more about our MBA programme here. Leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts here. -------------- Credits: Written and presented by Michael Wade. Guests: Cyril Bouquet, Ulf Sandberg. Produced by Pete Naughton.

31.03.2021

•

23 min.
12. mar.

Ann Perrins, what can executives learn from a Formula One team?

Ann Perrins on rebuilding Atlassian Williams F1 through talent, culture, psychological safety – and the long road back to winning. What does it really take to rebuild a Formula One team from the inside out? In this episode of I by IMD podcast, Susan Goldsworthy hosts Ann Perrins, Chief HR Officer at Atlassian Williams Racing, to discuss the human side of elite performance: how to attract world-class talent, build a culture people want to stay in, and transform an iconic team without losing its identity. Perrins makes it clear that this doesn’t mean a soft agenda: the team “can't return to winning unless we get that right.” She also reframes a term many leaders misuse: “psychological safety is not about everything feeling nice and comfortable.” And she is blunt about the reality behind the glamour: “we’re very explicit and we don’t sugarcoat it.” Our guest: Ann Perrins is the Chief Human Resource Officer at Atlassian Williams Racing. Before joining Williams in 2023, she built her career across banking, consulting, and global engineering and operations environments, including 17 years at BP and senior roles at GKN Automotive. At Williams, she is helping lead the people, culture, and talent transformation needed to support the team’s return to winning.

12. mar.

•

36 min.
08.04.2021

AI is coming for your job (part 1)

From the Terminator movies to the musings of Elon Musk, the world is full of worrying predictions about what will happen to us when machines become super-intelligent. But the reality of what’s coming down the pipeline may be at once less scary - and more complicated than that. In this two-part special on AI and employment, we separate the signal from the noise; starting with the case for an optimistic view of the future. -------------------- Links: Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Learn more about our applied AI courses here. Leave us a rating on Apple Podcasts here. -------------- Credits: Written and presented by Michael Wade. Guest: Amit Joshi. Produced by Pete Naughton.

08.04.2021

•

17 min.
10.08.2023

How to build a better workplace, with Alyson Meister

Full-time employees will spend an estimated 90,000 hours working, or around one-third of their adult life. It is no surprise, then, that workplace stress shapes our mental well-being, but just how much of a toll is it taking? The answer, it seems, is a lot. The latest Gallup polls show that nearly half of employees feel high levels of stress at work. In fact, workplace stress is at an all-time high. The personal cost of all this is huge, says Alyson Meister, but it's also just bad business. Meister warns that keeping employees on the edge of burnout stifles innovation and reduces efficiency. Creative thinking is impossible when you're just in survival mode. In her third appearance on ManagementCast, Meister discusses how to promote a culture of well-being and why companies need to promote change and engagement with staff to get the most out of their workforce. ********* Alyson Meister is IMD’s Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior. She helps organizations to develop inclusive and resilient leaders, teams, and workplaces. Her research specialties include topics surrounding identity and diversity as well as workplace stress, mental health, and well-being. She was named on the Thinkers50 Radar list in 2021 and subsequently nominated for a Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement Award. Find out more about IMD at imd.org

10.08.2023

•

19 min.

Founded by business executives for business executives, IMD is an independent academic institution with Swiss roots and global reach. We strive to be the trusted learning partner of choice for ambitious individuals and organizations worldwide.

Websted

IMD Podcasts

Mest populære serier

Niels Christiansen, how did LEGO regain momentum?

Ralph Hamers, are ‘tech companies with a banking license’ the future of finance?

Benefits by design: Novonesis CEO’s strategy for sustainable growth

First-time CEO pitfalls, and how to avoid them

How do you reinvent what family legacy means, Chef Pam?

Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm: ‘You have to bring hearts and minds with you’

Entrepreneurs like to gamble

Ann Perrins, what can executives learn from a Formula One team?

AI is coming for your job (part 1)

How to build a better workplace, with Alyson Meister

Om

IMD Podcasts

Mest populære serier

Mest populære episoder

Om