Leaders in Motion - How Global Executives Reinvent Leadership in the Age of AI and Market Disruption

LYC Partners
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Leaders in Motion is a strategic podcast for global executives, C-suite leaders, and transformation experts navigating career reinvention, AI disruption, and cross-border leadership in a rapidly changing world. Hosted by Kevin Hong, Partner of LYC Partners - a leading executive search and leadership advisory firm - and The Council, an exclusive peer network for senior leaders, the show brings real-world insights from those shaping the future of work. Each episode dives into the intersection of leadership, technology, and human adaptability, offering actionable strategies for leaders who want to stay relevant, resilient, and future-ready. What you’ll hear on Leaders in Motion : In-depth interviews with global CEOs, CHROs, board members, and transformation leaders who share their defining career moves, leadership philosophies, and lessons from uncertainty. Solo episodes where Kevin shares frameworks, market intelligence, and proven tools to help executives stress-test their careers, strengthen their visibility, and build long-term career insurance. Key topics covered : Executive career transformation & personal reinvention The rise of skills-based organizations and agile leadership models AI, automation, and the evolving role of the C-suite Global mobility & cross-cultural management Building influence, resilience, and board readiness The future of work in Asia and beyond 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter (https://lyc-partners.us22.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a6ba34d5d9e108df4fae223c8&id=a0961ca045)to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics we discussed today resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners (http://www.lyc-partners.ai/contact-us) to set up a consultation. Produced by Bonjour Podcast (https://www.bonjourpodcast.com/) (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

  1. 15. Chinese New Year in China Teams: Operations, Relationships, and Trust

    17H AGO

    15. Chinese New Year in China Teams: Operations, Relationships, and Trust

    In this solo episode, Kevin Hong shares key insights on why Chinese New Year creates so much friction inside international companies — and what strong China leaders do differently. CNY is not just “seven days off.” Operational work slows down. But relationship work accelerates. That gap is where most HQ misunderstandings start: HQ either keeps pushing (and mistakes responses for consent), or goes completely dark (and signals absence in a relationship-driven moment). Kevin breaks down three practical insights that most global teams miss: availability is not the same as safety, operations can pause while relationships must stay active, and the right approach is planned, personal outreach — warm, specific, and non-transactional — followed by a prepared re-entry plan when work resumes. If you lead across China and HQ, manage partners in China, or want to build trust without burning out your team, this episode will give you a clear way to handle CNY without damaging the relationships that actually make the business run. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    12 min
  2. 14. From Coder to CEO: AI Startups, Cross-Generational Leadership, and Building in Asia with Sega Cheng

    FEB 13

    14. From Coder to CEO: AI Startups, Cross-Generational Leadership, and Building in Asia with Sega Cheng

    "I just want to build a company like Google. That was very naive. But that was my passion." Google engineer turned founder Sega Cheng on what happens when you leave the Valley to build an AI startup in Asia — and why the hardest part of the journey was not learning new skills but unlearning the DNA of deterministic code to lead with probabilistic uncertainty. Based in Taiwan, Sega spent six years at Google (Mountain View and Taiwan) working on Android before co-founding iKala in 2012. Fourteen years later, iKala serves over 1,000 enterprises across Asia-Pacific with AI adoption platforms and operates Kolr, the world's largest influencer marketing platform with data on 300 million creators. From cloud infrastructure to AI-powered marketing, Sega has navigated multiple pivots, five funding rounds, and the reality that building a team in Asia with Silicon Valley speed requires finding traits most education systems do not cultivate: adaptability, bottom-up initiative, and tolerance for shipping imperfect products. In this episode: Why the Valley-Asia gap is not about technology, but about digital transformation readiness — and how that gap created iKala's first business model The hidden cost of technical founder → CEO transition: from writing code to allocating resources, from deterministic logic to probabilistic leadership How to hire for adaptability in top-down cultures: why CVs are now useless, what open questions reveal, and why Sega listens more than he talks in interviews If you are a technical founder navigating the shift to CEO, building teams across Asia-Pacific markets, or trying to balance Silicon Valley speed with local talent realities, this conversation will reshape how you think about leadership, hiring, and what it takes to scale a startup when systems break at borders. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    48 min
  3. 13. Sales Hiring in Startups: Environment, Mindset, and Trust

    FEB 6

    13. Sales Hiring in Startups: Environment, Mindset, and Trust

    In this solo episode, Kevin hong share key insights from our executive webinar on sales hiring in founder-led businesses, featuring Yining Wang (serial entrepreneur who took a company public in two years) and Christian Schneider (CEO of File AI, a Series B enterprise SaaS company). Their experiences reveal three critical insights that most founders miss: the environment mismatch between established companies and startups, the mindset that actually predicts success over credentials, and the trust problem that prevents founders from scaling through delegation. I focus on the hiring decisions that separate founder-led businesses that scale from those that stall—and what it takes to identify sales entrepreneurs, not just sales operators, in uncertain environments. If you're a founder struggling to make your first sales hire work, or if you're building a team in a high-growth environment, this episode will give you the clarity and framework you need to hire differently. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    11 min
  4. 12. From India to Global Markets: AI, Cultural Context, and Marketing's Human Bridge with Kaveri Roy

    JAN 31

    12. From India to Global Markets: AI, Cultural Context, and Marketing's Human Bridge with Kaveri Roy

    "AI can mimic our voice, but it cannot capture our vision." Burson WPP senior director Kaveri Roy on what happens when marketing agencies navigate the collision of artificial intelligence, cultural nuance, and global storytelling — and why "localization" is no longer about translation, but about co-creating with context to build campaigns that resonate across India, APAC, and beyond. Based in Mumbai, Kaveri has spent 15 years at the intersection of marketing, communications, and cross-cultural strategy. From early content roles to planning and digital leadership at Fleishman Hillard and Economist Impact, she has helped both global brands and regional players navigate the realities of Asia's diverse markets: the cultural elasticity required to contextualize campaigns, the friction between Western frameworks and local meaning, and the hard truth that what works in Brooklyn rarely works as-is in Bangalore. In this episode: Why cultural context is not a data set: how AI's Western bias shows up in tone, metaphor, and what "success" looks like The hidden cost of copy-paste campaigns: why Nike's "Just Do It" works in the West but P&G's "Thank You Mom" resonates deeper in collective cultures What ESG means across regions: in Europe it's regulation, in India it's inclusive growth, in Southeast Asia it's resilience and adaptation How to bridge HQ and regional teams: contextualize, don't just translate — and why co-creation with local teams is non-negotiable India's shift from creative back office to pilot market: the role of agility, cultural intelligence, and language fluency in shaping global campaigns Leadership in the age of AI: why intuition is not magic — it's curiosity, mental stillness, diverse feedback, and pattern recognition that machines cannot replicate If you work across global and regional markets, lead brand strategy in culturally diverse ecosystems, or want a clearer lens on why AI cannot replace the human bridge of culture, this conversation will reshape how you think about marketing in a world that moves faster than planning cycles. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    48 min
  5. 11. From China to the World: Brand Excellence, Agility, and Going Global with Ye Han

    JAN 23

    11. From China to the World: Brand Excellence, Agility, and Going Global with Ye Han

    “In China, three-month-old insight can already be outdated.” Kantar advisory partner Ye Han on what brand strategy really looks like when the market moves faster than your planning cycles — and why “brand excellence” is no longer a marketing function, but a company-wide operating system that links strategy, product, experience, and people. Based in Beijing, Ye Han has spent two decades helping both international and Chinese companies navigate the realities of China’s consumer ecosystem: the speed of innovation, the friction between China and HQ decision cycles, and the hard trade-offs between agility and long-term brand equity. She also shares what she’s seeing as Chinese champions move outward — from product-first expansion to building global brand management systems. In this episode: Why China forces a different definition of agility (and what “18 months vs 4 months” means in practice) The hidden cost of moving fast without strategy: how companies become copyable when brand equity is missing What “brand excellence” means now: consistent experience across touchpoints, employees, and corporate strategy How to reduce HQ–China friction: principles stay global, relevance goes local Chinese companies going global: the mistake of buying awareness without building meaning + linkage to category If you work across China and global HQ, lead brand or strategy in fast-changing markets, or want a clearer lens on why transformation fails when systems cannot keep up with reality, this conversation will recalibrate how you think. Follow the show and leave a rating to help more leaders find it. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    45 min
  6. 10. From Japan to Greater China to Australia: Cultural Agility and Omnichannel with Loïc Réthore

    JAN 17

    10. From Japan to Greater China to Australia: Cultural Agility and Omnichannel with Loïc Réthore

    “Online? Offline? They cannot be separate — consumers don’t care where they buy.” Omnichannel operator Loïc Réthore on why most transformations fail when they start with tech instead of vision, people, and governance—and how strong operating discipline stops channels from competing with each other and starts protecting margin and customer experience. From building brands across APAC (Japan, Greater China, Australia) in senior roles spanning Jurlique, Dyson, DFS, L’Oréal, LVMH, and Unilever, Loïc shares what actually travels across markets: cultural agility (“read the air”), active listening, and leaders who combine high skill with low ego. In this episode: Why omnichannel is a vision + governance problem before it is a platform problem The pricing and promo calendar discipline that prevents channels from undercutting each other Travel retail vs domestic: keeping the story consistent while changing store design and execution Centralized vs localized models: how category and product reality determine the operating design Mobility and cultural agility: why international careers still require curiosity, EQ, and real-market immersion If you lead across markets, manage channel conflict, or want a cleaner playbook for building resilient growth in volatile regions, this one will sharpen your instincts. Follow the show and leave a rating to help more leaders find it. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    40 min
  7. 9. Global-to-Local Leadership: Building Icons, Earning Autonomy, and Career Compounding with Guilhem Souche

    JAN 10

    9. Global-to-Local Leadership: Building Icons, Earning Autonomy, and Career Compounding with Guilhem Souche

    Autonomy isn’t independence — you earn freedom by serving the brand.” Luxury beauty leader Guilhem Souche on why the best global-to-local leaders win trust by delivering results and protecting the Maison—and why product-first localization beats “one-size-fits-all” every time. From launching Lancôme Absolue and Génifique, to leading across Asia in roles spanning L’Oréal, LVMH (Dior), and Coty, Guilhem shares what actually travels across markets: a simple filter for every plan—good for sales, good for image, brings something new. In this episode: The global⇄local filter that simplifies decision-making: sales, image, novelty Why product-first localization (textures, tones, routines) moves the needle before media or pricing The bridge leader’s job: educate HQ early, align on a common language, and build two-way ownershi If you lead across HQ and markets, build brands in fast-moving regions, or want a clearer playbook for turning local wins into global adoption, this one will sharpen your instincts. Follow the show and leave a rating to help more leaders find it. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    39 min
  8. 8. From Hype to Practice: How Leaders Actually Implement AI

    JAN 7

    8. From Hype to Practice: How Leaders Actually Implement AI

    In this short solo episode, I unpack practical lessons from real AI implementation work drawn from our September 2025 executive webinar, “AI Implementation: Governance, Strategy, and Practical Applications.” Building on cases from executive search, manufacturing, retail, and regulated markets, I focus on three pillars of effective AI adoption today: human‑centered AI applications, disciplined implementation frameworks, and governance as a genuine competitive advantage rather than a box‑ticking exercise. I share what actually works inside organizations: how to segment workflows, start with narrow use cases that deliver visible ROI, redesign KPIs, and put people at the center of AI transformation so that technology augments rather than replaces human work. If you are leading AI projects, responsible for digital transformation, or positioning yourself as an executive in the AI era, this episode will give you clear lenses, concrete examples, and sharper questions to guide how you build and lead AI initiatives in your own organization. --- 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics discussed resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners to set up a consultation. -- Produced by Bonjour Podcast (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

    20 min
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About

Leaders in Motion is a strategic podcast for global executives, C-suite leaders, and transformation experts navigating career reinvention, AI disruption, and cross-border leadership in a rapidly changing world. Hosted by Kevin Hong, Partner of LYC Partners - a leading executive search and leadership advisory firm - and The Council, an exclusive peer network for senior leaders, the show brings real-world insights from those shaping the future of work. Each episode dives into the intersection of leadership, technology, and human adaptability, offering actionable strategies for leaders who want to stay relevant, resilient, and future-ready. What you’ll hear on Leaders in Motion : In-depth interviews with global CEOs, CHROs, board members, and transformation leaders who share their defining career moves, leadership philosophies, and lessons from uncertainty. Solo episodes where Kevin shares frameworks, market intelligence, and proven tools to help executives stress-test their careers, strengthen their visibility, and build long-term career insurance. Key topics covered : Executive career transformation & personal reinvention The rise of skills-based organizations and agile leadership models AI, automation, and the evolving role of the C-suite Global mobility & cross-cultural management Building influence, resilience, and board readiness The future of work in Asia and beyond 🎧 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your executive inspiration and learn how global leaders think ahead, move faster, and lead smarter. Subscribe to our newsletter (https://lyc-partners.us22.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a6ba34d5d9e108df4fae223c8&id=a0961ca045)to get access to exclusive insights and all the details about the Leaders in Motion Academy, our executive program. If the topics we discussed today resonate with your own leadership challenges or the conversations happening in your organization - assessing international leaders, aligning global and local teams, building capabilities across regions. You can reach us at LYC Partners (http://www.lyc-partners.ai/contact-us) to set up a consultation. Produced by Bonjour Podcast (https://www.bonjourpodcast.com/) (Melanie Hong), Leaders in Motion blends storytelling, strategy, and data-driven insight, giving today’s leaders a roadmap to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges and lead with intention. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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