Episodes

  • Humans have learned to survive in space. But as Tejpaul Bhatia reminded Meet the Leader, it’s time to learn how to live, work and thrive. One step towards that goal is Axiom Station, the first commercial space station. With the International Space Station due to be decommissioned, he explains how Axiom Station will build on decades of lessons learned for a future-ready station factoring in principles of ergonomic and industrial design, a station planned to adapt to new technologies and needs. And while it employs its share of former astronauts and rocket scientists, this unique company also designs space suits - like the one for the upcoming Artemis moon mission set for 2026. This means it also counts sewers and costumers from places like Cirque du Soleil on its team – people who understand performance fabrics and who have the skill sets to hand sew parts of uniforms that can’t be tackled with a machine. He’ll share how this incredibly diverse group works together and how learning how to tap such a range of capabilities is a window into the unique pioneering collaborations that will drive the space economy.

    To learn more:
    Axiom Space: https://www.axiomspace.com/

    Report:
    Space: The $1.8 Trillion Opportunity for Global Economic Growth: https://www.weforum.org/publications/space-the-1-8-trillion-opportunity-for-global-economic-growth/

    Related podcasts:
    This former astronaut shares what’s key to building strong, effective teams: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/soichi-noguchi-astronaut-build-effective-teams/

    From space to the ocean's depths - how a space CEO and explorer approaches risk: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/dylan-taylor-voyager-space-risk-leadership/

  • Last year, Ingka Group, the parent company for big retailer IKEA, reached near gender balance in leadership. This transformation did not come overnight and HR chief Ulrika Biesèrt discusses the mindset shifts and tangible changes in everything from hiring to development that helped make this possible for the 80-year-old company. Biesèrt also shares her own leadership journey, one that includes 27 years at IKEA and roles in every part of the company, including logistics, product development and retail. She explains how that breadth and depth shapes how she leads -- while also sharing the advice her mother gave her at the beginning of her career that has helped her get her voice heard.

    Interview recorded Spring 2024.

    Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mserdr8z

    To learn more:
    Global Gender Gap: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/

    Related podcasts:
    9 leaders from Microsoft, IKEA and more share advice for new grads: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/9-leaders-share-advice-for-new-grads-2024/
    Ingka Group's Jesper Brodin: The talent crisis you’re not talking enough about: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ingka-holding-jesper-brodin-refugees-hiring/

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  • Unsafe, costly transit contributes to everything from wealth and equity gaps to pollution. But as cities grapple with growing populations, shifting needs, technological advancement and the energy transition, we’re approaching a moment of reinvention that could lead to positive change if planned correctly. Benjamin de la Peña, the CEO of the Shared-Use Mobility Center breaks down the incentives and strategies that could drive more climate-ready, equitable, safe and affordable transportation. He also discusses the importance of systems thinking and planning that factors in the generations to come -- thinking that can help any leader make big change happen.

  • Daphne Koller is an AI pioneer, MacArthur fellow, member of the National Academy of sciences and the founder and CEO of drug discovery and development company insitro. She’ll talk about how attitudes surrounding AI have evolved in her multi-decade career and what's ahead - including how technology is reshaping drug discovery, paving the way for more targeted treatments for the patients who can benefit most. But maximizing AI-powered innovation will depend on better investments in data aggregation, quality and collection and navigating hype cycles that can distract from real impact.

    This academic-turned-entrepreneur will also share how founding insitro (and a previous company, Coursera) helped her expand her leadership and management skills, all while driving home the importance of shaping a company culture. At insitro, this focus building a culture that works for unique needs led to a special ‘helix’ inspired-structure that helps discovery biologists, automation engineers and others in the company's cross-functional teams keep communication flowing, problem solve, and prevent the siloes that can hold true innovation back.



    Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/daphne-koller-insitro-AI-soft-skills

    Insitro: https://www.insitro.com/

    Top Ten Technologies of 2024: https://www.weforum.org/publications/top-10-emerging-technologies-2024/

  • Gaps in the design of everything from AI to pharmaceuticals lead to everything from safety risk to poor health outcomes. Nigina Muntean, the chief of innovation at the United Nations Population Fund, is looking to fix this, making research and design more inclusive for everyone. Her agency launched the Equity 2030 Alliance last year bringing together leaders in tech and pharma and other sectors to share best practices. Its experts in academia, government and business come together to help advocate for new standards in equitable investment, and to champion more gender-inclusive approaches to tech and design. The group is coming upon its first year anniversary which it celebrated during this year's UN General Assembly Week in New York City. Nigina is also a former physician and a public health expert who understands how investments in research and design impact the lives of everyday people, especially those with the least resources. She shares her first-hand perspectives on what’s needed tackle bias in design and what any leader should keep in mind.

    More about this episode:
    2030 Equity Alliance: https://www.unfpa.org/equity-2030-alliance
    2024 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/
    2024 Sustainable Development Impact Meetings: https://www.weforum.org/events/sustainable-development-impact-meetings-2024/

    Related podcasts:
    Cyber has a skills gap. How approaches to tech, hiring – and retaining women - can help: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/petra-jenner-splunk-cyber-skills-gap/

    Build a culture of innovation: HPE's CTO shares what must be in place: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/fidelma-russo-innovation-cto/

  • After the pandemic, Tiya Gordon realized the next global crisis would be climate based. To that end, she’s co-founded It’s Electric, a curbside solution that takes power from buildings, sidestepping the currently time-consuming permitting and installation process that slows the growth of charging stations in cities around the world. She shares how her design background has helped her be clear-eyed on objectives, identify fresh approaches and break down stubborn barriers, all to speed the change needed for the energy transition.

    To learn more:
    Guest: https://www.itselectric.us/
    Report: Scaling Investment in EV Charging: A Policy Roadmap for Cities

    Related podcasts:
    An energy company is building the world's largest airplane. Here's why: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/mark-lundstrom-radia-climate-change/
    7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/top-innovator-strategies-tactics/

  • Jeremy Allaire is the co-founder and CEO of Circle, a global financial technology firm that operates one of the largest dollar digital currency payment systems in the world -- USDC. Stablecoin is already seeing billions of digital dollars in economic activity and he talks about what we can expect next, including emerging applications for humanitarian aid. He’ll talk about Circle’s special partnership with the refugee agency UNHCR, and how new approaches for social impact could be more and more important as political strife and climate change drive up the numbers of unbanked around the world.

    Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/jeremy-allaire-circle-stablecoin-unhcr

    More about this episode:
    Circle: https://www.circle.com/en/usdc

  • Ty Wiggins coaches leaders during the hardest moment in their careers – the shift from mere mortal to CEO. He drives the CEO and executive transition practice at consultancy Russell Reynolds and has had a backstage pass to what works (and what doesn’t) in the top role. He’s put what he’s leaned into a new book, The New CEO, and in this wide-ranging interview, he shares tactical advice that can help any leader adjust, from what to do in the first 100 days, how to get more honest feedback from your team, common pitfalls to avoid, the traits effective leaders must develop and how leaders can adjust to a new reality where your words have outsized impact and few people tell you “no.”

    Related links:
    The New CEO: https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/microsite/the-new-ceo


  • Fidelma Russo is the Chief Technology Officer of Hewlett Packard Enterprise running of team of 5,500 innovators driving everything from hybrid cloud technologies to solutions for the future. She brings 30 years of experience as a technologist to the role and shares the tactical strategies that leaders can deploy to support innovation, from tangible ways to invest in experimentation to methods that promote next-level research while breaking down siloes and driving cross-team collaboration.

    Related episodes:
    This simple question helped Amazon teams get future ready: AWS AI and data chief: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ai-jobs-aws-amazon-swami-sivasubramanian/

    This simple framework can drive disruptive innovation: Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/qualcomm-cristiano-amon-innovation/

    7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/top-innovator-strategies-tactics/

  • The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is powered by 17 million volunteers in 191 counties.. At its helm is Jagan Chapagain, a man who started himself at the organization as a teenaged volunteer in Nepal, wanting to do good. He returned after college and has been with the organization ever since, eventually serving in a number of leadership roles until he was appointed to his current position of chief executive officer and secretary general in February 2020. In this wide-ranging conversation, he sets the stage for humanitarian challenges the world faces, as well as how the IFRC is developing solutions to prevent the next crisis from occurring. He'll also share a first-of-its-kind for the humanitarian sector -- an insurance solution that can transform disaster preparedness and resilience. But he'll also share what any organization can learn from the IFRC on engaging and motivating teams -- and the simple lessons any leader can keep in mind.

    Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/jagan-chapagain-red-cross-red-crescent-disaster-insurance

    To learn more about IFRC: https://www.ifrc.org/

    To learn more about IFRC-DERF insurance: https://www.ifrc.org/happening-now/emergency-appeals/disaster-response-emergency-fund-dref/dref-insurance

    Other related podcasts:
    Helping the unprecedented number of forcibly displaced: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/kelly-clements-unhcr-refugee/

    What COVID taught one epidemiologist about speaking to build trust, without jargon: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/speak-effectively-takeaways-from-scientist-turned-comms-founder/




  • As the Chief People Officer for global chipmaker Intel, Christy Pambianchi does more than drive hiring, organizational design or people development. As innovations cycles turn at faster and faster clips, she keeps an eye on how technology will reshape work for her teams and how they can stay one step ahead. She shared the importance of building in-company "skills economies", where individuals are empowered to tap into resources to drive innovation, learn new functions, or ready themselves for leadership positions. She shares programs that help expose workers to new tech, like AI, and how a future-ready approach to skilling can help bridge future labor shortages while helping to tackle big challenges.

    To learn more:
    This episode's transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/christy-pambianchi-intel-ai-jobs-reskilling

    Intel's Responsible AI Principles: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/artificial-intelligence/responsible-ai-principles.html

    World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report: Report link: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/

    Intel: Intel.com


    Related podcasts:

    9 leaders from Microsoft, IKEA and more share advice for new grads: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/9-leaders-share-advice-for-new-grads-2024/

    Davos 2024: A conversation with Pat Gelsinger: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/davos-2024-intel-pat-gelsinger-semiconductor/

    7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/top-innovator-strategies-tactics/

  • OakNorth Bank is a digital commercial bank founded by serial entrepreneurs who know firsthand the role advice and expertise plays in growing vibrant businesses. To that end, OakNorth has developed a special 'mentorpreneurship' program with the London School of Economics, all to help build socially-conscious businesses through mentoring. Meet the Leader talked to co-founder Rishi Khosla about what traits great mentors share and how anyone can make the most of the expertise around them. He also shared why it can be powerful to consider mentorship as a way to build your own personal board of directors, people who can give you the range of measured, honest insights that aren't often easy for top leaders to find any other way.

    To learn more:

    This episode's Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/traits-great-mentors-share-oaknorth-rishi-khosla/ "Mentorpreneurship" at the London School of Economics: https://oaknorth.co.uk/mentorpreneurship-programme/
    OakNorth: https://oaknorth.co.uk/

    Related podcasts:
    9 leaders from Microsoft, IKEA and more share advice for new grads: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/9-leaders-share-advice-for-new-grads-2024/ Workers have changed - How leaders must adapt: Randstad's Sander Van't Noordende: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/how-leaders-must-adapt-randstad-sander-vant-noordende/
    Launch your brainchild: Raise Our Voice Australia's Ashleigh Streeter-Jones: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/raise-our-voice-australias-ashleigh-streeter-jones-launching-your-brainchild/
  • Florian Hoffman is a social entrepreneur and the founder of The Do, a platform for tomorrow’s entrepreneurs that runs a special 'anti-business' business school focused on helping leaders implement tangible, real-world solutions. He shares why leaders need to make a shift in how they motivate and inspire, moving from driving a 'command and control' mindset' to driving a movement that connects with hearts and minds. He explains why this approach helps leaders tackle apathy and resistance to change, and how it will be all the more important given increasingly fast cycles of innovation.

    To learn more:

    The Do: https://thedo.world/
    Young Global Leaders: https://www.younggloballeaders.org/community/?page=12®ion=a0Tb00000000DCLEA2&x=8&y=7

    About this episode:

    Transcript

    Related podcasts:

    Workers have changed - How leaders must adapt: Randstad's Sander Van't Noordende: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/how-leaders-must-adapt-randstad-sander-vant-noordende/
    Rally others to your cause: former trial lawyer, Baptist minister (and United Way CEO) explains how: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/angela-williams-united-way-advocate/
    Turning points and lessons learned: Meet The Leader's top leadership moments so far: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/best-leadership-moments-so-far/
  • Mark Lundstrom is the CEO and founder of energy company Radia. He'll explain why he's building the world's largest plane --and how a unique approach to making offshore wind turbines onshore can speed progress on tackling emissions. He'll also share why this company is focused on using just existing technologies. He'll explain why this approach can actually lead to a host of new solutions for innovators and tackle big challenges more quickly -- and can be especially powerful as leaders consider how to efficiently tackle sustainability issues.

    To learn more:

    World Economic Forum Energy Transitions Index: https://initiatives.weforum.org/energy-and-industry-transition-intelligence/energy-transition-index Radia: https://radia.com/

    Related podcasts

    Skills are changeable - passions are not: Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions

    Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:

    YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts

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    Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560

    Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

    Join the World Economic Forum Podcast Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wefpodcastclub

  • Soichi Noguchi is a former astronaut with the Japanese space agency JAXA who has flown to space not once but 3 times. He’ll talk about the unique training these astronauts undergo - and the special lessons these trainings can teach any team about tapping each individual's expertise and what's needed to be a great leader and a great follower. He has since worked in a number of capacities, including as a professor at the University of Tokyo and an executive fellow at the Institute for International Socio-Economic Studies. He’ll share what he’s focused on now - and how space can help us better live on Earth.

  • With hacking, it’s always a matter of when, not if and many leaders believe cyber skills gaps could leave their organization vulnerable. In fact, nearly 80% of respondents surveyed in our 2024 Cybersecurity Outlook report said their organizations do not have the in-house skills to meet their cybersecurity objectives this year. Given tech’s fast pace of growth and change, making opportunities available more widely will be critical bridging that skills gap in the sector while also driving opportunity and economies more widely. Petra Jenner, senior vice president and general manager at cyber and analytics company Splunk shares how leaders can expand talent pools to new groups (including women and those with non-traditional backgrounds) and how to retain people skilled in such a stressful field.


    This episode leverages the following research:
    Global Gender Gap 2024: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/
    Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2024: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-cybersecurity-outlook-2024/
    Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2023:
    https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-cybersecurity-outlook-2023/

  • Today's grads will live longer, face faster cycles of technological change and drive careers like we've never seen. This special compilation episode taps top leaders from companies like Intel, Microsoft, Ingka Group and more on the unique ways they can make the most of the first days of their careers. From remembering to "take your space" to finding time to "browse", they share the advice that has shaped them and that they wish they knew sooner.

    In this episode: Olajumoke Adekeye, Founder, Young Business Agency; Ulrika Biesèrt, CHRO, INGKA Group; Sander van't Noordende, CEO, Randstad; Rishi Khosla, Co-founder and CEO of OakNorth; Annette Mosman, APG; Madison O'Brien, Teamgage; Christy Pambianchi, Chief People Officer, Intel; Brad Smith, President, Microsoft.

  • As Microsoft’s vice chair and president, Brad Smith leads a team of professionals across business, legal and corporate affairs, tackling issues that stand at the crossroads of technology and society. In this wide-ranging discussion recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, he shares how these issues have shaped his thoughts on innovation and how they have informed his book and podcast Tools & Weapons. The 30-year Microsoft veteran also shares the career lessons that have changed him, how he leverages AI in his everyday work, why he thinks leaders must learn to be better storytellers and the tech blindspots they'd do well to avoid.

  • Living longer than ever will mean we’ll need to prepare for our later years in ways we've never done before. While financial education and making savings last is always paramount, the World Economic Forum's recent Longevity Economy Principles report drives home the need to make sure we also prepare to live those extended years with purpose, changing the way we approach everything from careers to community. Annette Mosman, the CEO of APG (one of the world’s largest pension investors) shares how she approaches the long-term as well as the trends she sees on the horizon -- and how they could change how workers and leaders take on everything from training to career development and advancement.

    Longevity Economy Principles Report: https://www.weforum.org/publications/longevity-economy-principles-the-foundation-for-a-financially-resilient-future/

  • Norsk Hydro was founded nearly 120 years ago to tackle global famine. Today, it has evolved to take on a bigger challenge: climate change. The company focuses on low- and no-carbon aluminium, a material that will be key in electric vehicles, construction and comprises 2% of emissions. CEO Hilde Merete Aasheim shares the unique technologies and partnerships that are helping to drive a green energy transition. She also takes us through her unique path to the top job, one that has spanned a range of roles, from plant manager to auditor to HR leader. She shares how seemingly unrelated roles can help you better understand yourself and how you can contribute as a leader -- better motivating people and tapping the full capabilities of your team.

    This episode was recorded at the Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, 2024.