IMD Podcasts

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Channel • 4 Shows

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Entrepreneurship

Updated 22/04/2021

27 JAN

Holcim’s Ram Muthu: Can circular construction scale?

Construction is one of the biggest carbon emitters – and cement sits at the center of it. In this episode of Inside the Transition, IMD's Julia Binder and Knut Haanaes speak with Holcim’s Head of Operational Excellence Ram Muthu about what decarbonization looks like when you’re responsible for heavy equipment, waste streams, and execution across real plants. Muthu doesn’t romanticize the challenge. He argues the sector can move fast – but only if policy and infrastructure keep up, and if leaders stop treating transformation like a checklist. As he puts it: “Cement and building materials are probably one of the hardest to abate sectors,” “our industry still depends a lot on carbon capture and storage,” and “focus on execution is critical.” Inside the Transition delivers practical, executive-grade conversations on the energy transition. More info: https://www.imd.org/ibyimd/podcasts/inside-the-transition/ Our Guest: Ram Muthu is the Head of Operational Excellence at Holcim and a member of Holcim’s Executive Committee, focused on operational performance and the delivery of transformation at scale across a global building materials leader. LinkedIn: https://ch.linkedin.com/in/ram-muthu-112b46b

27 Jan

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18 min
01/12/2025

Inside the transition: Bottlenecks and strategic choices

In the second episode of IMD’s sustainability series, Julia Binder and Knut Haanaes welcome Kunal Chandra, the Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer at RWE. Chandra, an IMD alumnus, oversees one of Europe's largest clean energy investment programs and offers a unique perspective from his career across Shell, Siemens, and now RWE, on the accelerating energy transition. Chandra’s career began with a desire to travel, and evolved into a deep understanding of energy's fundamental role in human civilization. The discussion centers on the speed of the transition, the bottlenecks it creates, and the strategic choices executives must make in an increasingly electrified and contested energy world.

01/12/2025

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44 min
13 JAN

Inside the transition with Pictet’s Marie-Laure Schaufelberger

In this episode of Inside the Transition, IMD’s Julia Binder and Knut Haanaes welcome Marie-Laure Schaufelberger, Chief Sustainability Officer of Pictet Group, to explore the role of finance in driving the energy transition. Schaufelberger oversees Pictet’s responsible investment strategy, ESG governance, and stewardship, and brings a capital-markets perspective shaped by her work across thematic investing and system-level initiatives such as Building Bridges. The conversation examines where transition capital is flowing, how investors assess corporate credibility, and how expectations are evolving. For executives, the episode offers practical insight into what it now takes to attract and sustain transition finance.

13 Jan

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47 min
17/11/2025

The real story of AI’s rise from winters to workplaces

AI has leapt from obscurity to ubiquity, reshaping work and society. But its flaws run deep, forcing leaders to balance its promise with its dangerous limitations. From the frosty skepticism of AI’s early winters to the blazing hype of today’s workplace revolution, artificial intelligence has undergone a dramatic transformation. In this episode, IMD’s Didier Bonnet and Oxford University’s Michael Wooldridge take us behind the scenes of AI’s evolution, revealing how neural networks rose from the dead, why conversational AI dazzles but deceives, and what leaders must understand about the paradox at its core: a powerful tool that’s useful, but not always correct. As AI reshapes industries, boosts productivity, and quietly erodes certain roles, Wooldridge urges us to rethink how we work, learn, and lead. Whether you’re a CEO, educator, or everyday user, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and offer a grounded view of what AI can and can’t do. Tune in to explore the real story behind the headlines and discover how to navigate the new normal with clarity and caution.

17/11/2025

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41 min
18/08/2025

How to bounce back after summer, with Michael Watkins and Brenda Steinberg

In this I by IMD podcast, host Michael Watkins, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change, sits down with executive coach Brenda Steinberg to discuss a common challenge: the "post-summer blues." They reframe this experience not as a slump but as a transition and discuss the importance of acknowledging and processing the seasonal change. For many, returning to work triggers a “survival mode” attitude. Watkins and Steinberg say it's common to feel a sense of loss or "grief" for the holiday break and to fear returning to the "go-go-go" office dynamic. The show provides practical advice for leaders, including the need to create space for team members to reflect on what they learned about themselves over the summer and what their new priorities are. They also delve into the strategic importance of managing one’s energy, a core tenet of leadership, and how personal reflection can be a catalyst for meaningful professional change.

18/08/2025

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37 min
15/09/2025

Leaner, cleaner, faster, stronger: How ABB is reshaping an engineering icon for the future

In this episode of the CEO Dialogue series, Jean-François Manzoni speaks with Morten Wierod, President and CEO of ABB, about how one of the world’s great engineering companies is transforming itself for the road ahead. With 110,000 employees, 170 factories, and more than $30 billion in annual revenues, ABB has long been central to electrification, automation, and industrial innovation. Now, under Wierod’s leadership, the company is driving a “leaner and cleaner” mission that connects competitiveness with sustainability.

15/09/2025

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42 min
18/12/2024

Didier Cossin: High performance boards

Didier Cossin discusses the latest edition of his book "High Performance Boards," a comprehensive guide to transforming boards and achieving best-practice governance in any organisation. **** Didier Cossin is Chaired Professor of Governance and Finance at IMD, and Founder and Director of the IMD Global Board Center. He works with owners, boards, and senior leaders to help them improve organizational performance through best-in-class governance and decision-making. He also holds the UBS Chair in Banking and Finance. Read our magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

18/12/2024

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31 min
09/09/2025

GenAI and healthcare with Achim Plueckebaum

On the IMD Podcast network, Mike Wade and Amit Joshi speak about the future of health, with Achim Plueckebaum, a contributor to their latest book GAIN. As a senior executive with decades of experience in the life sciences industry, Plueckebaum believes AI will have a transformative impact on medicine, pharmacology, and patient care. He emphasizes the importance of data privacy, ethical considerations, and the need for AI to serve patients effectively. Plueckebaum predicts significant AI-driven drug innovations within the decade, and even the discovery of entirely new treatments. From synthetic biology to personalized medicines, healthcare is set to change in a big way.

09/09/2025

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23 min
23/09/2025

Supply chains: How GenAI has gone from disappointment to game-changer

In this episode of Mike and Amit Talk Tech, on the IMD Podcast network, our hosts discuss the transformative role of generative AI in supply chains. Joining the show is Professor Carlos Cordon, an IMD expert with over 30 years of experience in technology and strategy. Cordon reflects on his journey from the world of IT leadership to academia and explains why the supply chain remains both one of the most complex and most critical engines of modern business. The discussion examines why early experiments with generative AI in supply chain operations led to disappointment and how the rapid evolution of tools like Microsoft Copilot and DeepSeek has since transformed the landscape. From Excel spreadsheets to enterprise systems, Cordon explains how AI is now beginning to enhance accuracy, unlock deeper analysis, and make supply chain management more adaptive in a volatile geopolitical environment.

23/09/2025

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25 min
04/08/2025

The 100 year life, with Andrew Sharman and Lynda Gratton

What it means to be “working-age” is changing, and so too are the ways in which people look at their careers. The traditional “three-stage” life is giving way to a “multi-stage” life, and businesses that fail to adapt to this new reality are in danger of being left behind. In this special episode of the IMD Podcast Network, we bring together two of the world’s most influential thinkers to discuss the future of work and leadership. Host Andrew Sharman, Adjunct Professor of Risk, Resilience and Safety Culture at IMD and author of Who Cares Wins, is joined by the globally renowned author Lynda Gratton to explore the profound implications of her book, The 100-Year Life. Lynda and Andrew dive into what it means to live and work for longer. They discuss why leadership must evolve to accommodate ageing populations,” the challenge of transforming organisations to support multi-stage careers, and how “care” is not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity. They tackle tough questions, like how leaders should balance empathy with productivity, and outline the importance of “unlearning” old habits.

04/08/2025

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34 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.

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IMD Podcasts

Top Shows

Holcim’s Ram Muthu: Can circular construction scale?

Inside the transition: Bottlenecks and strategic choices

Inside the transition with Pictet’s Marie-Laure Schaufelberger

The real story of AI’s rise from winters to workplaces

How to bounce back after summer, with Michael Watkins and Brenda Steinberg

Leaner, cleaner, faster, stronger: How ABB is reshaping an engineering icon for the future

Didier Cossin: High performance boards

GenAI and healthcare with Achim Plueckebaum

Supply chains: How GenAI has gone from disappointment to game-changer

The 100 year life, with Andrew Sharman and Lynda Gratton

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