Leadership Next

Fortune's 2023 Brainstorm Tech Conference took place over three days last week, and it was one of our buzziest conferences yet. CEOs, a former Vice President, investors, founders, journalists and entrepreneurs gathered in Park City, UT, our first year hosting BST in the "Silicon Slopes," to discuss what's happening in the tech industry. In this episode of Leadership Next, host Michal Lev-Ram is joined by guest co-host Deputy Tech Editor Alexei Oreskovic to recap the conference's highlights alongside its most controversial moments. We hear from four Utah-based CEOs on the advantages and challenges of doing business in the burgeoning tech hub. Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez and Keith Rabois of the Founders Fund also discuss how the political situation in Florida is affecting tech workers' inclination to relocate to the state. Lev-Ram recaps her conversation with former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann about what he learned from his experience as the embattled founder and leader of the co-working giant and about his new venture, Flow. Later in the episode, the hosts dig into the tech topic on everyone's mind- A.I. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei discusses the short term, medium term and long term risks of generative A.I. and Dr. Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, shares her thoughts on what a national strategy for A.I. regulation could look like. Then, Meredith Whittaker, the president of encrypted messaging app Signal, shares why it is imperative to address the privacy issues in tech and what Signal is doing about it. Finally, Vice President Al Gore shares his view of what is happening in green tech, his thoughts on President Biden's climate legislation and the potential technology has to save the planet. You can find more Fortune conference coverage here. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

When Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz took over the toymaker in 2018, he was the company's fourth CEO in four years. Mattel's internal culture was rigid and top down, and operating income was at a $343 million loss. Kreiz implemented cost saving and restructuring measures, which included laying off almost 2,000 people and closing five Mattel factories. In 2021, the company recorded $730 million in profit. Mattel is now betting big on using its beloved toy brands as IP in other media, starting with the much anticipated Barbie movie, in theaters on July 21st. Mattel currently has 14 films in various stages of production, each centering on an iconic toy like Hot Wheels and the Magic 8 Ball. In this episode of Leadership Next, Kreiz joins hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram to talk about his experience of joining Mattel at one of the company's lowest points and his strategy for turning it around. He also explains why he thinks Mattel's toy brands hold so much promise as larger franchises beyond the toy aisle, so expect a lot of conversation about the Barbie movie. Kreiz talks about how he expects the movie to affect the perception of Barbie and what he thinks of Will Ferrell's portrayal of Mattel CEO. Additionally, he shares more about how his experience as a media exec prepared him for this role and Mattel's plans for more diverse and inclusive toys - and how he deals with political blowback for creating those toys. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

The changing public expectations for how corporations should honor Pride month has been nothing short of a roller coaster ride over the past decade. Pressure from both the public and from employees to support the LGBTQ+ community has been vocalized and well documented. That pressure was followed by some corporate missteps and accusations of pinkwashing, but this year’s corporate pride celebrations have been the most conflicted in recent memory. Right-wing backlash led Target to pull its Pride merchandise from stores and AB InBev to yank ads featuring a transgender influencer. Those companies have made a lot of headlines, but they are not alone in facing backlash and needing to figure out how to respond. These responses have impacted both the public perception of companies and their bottom lines. In this episode of Leadership Next, GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis joins hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram to discuss how the country's political atmosphere has impacted this year's Pride, and why it feels different from previous years. She shares advice and guidance for companies in supporting the LGBTQ+ community and explains what happens when CEOs listen to the needs and desires of both shareholders and stakeholders to guide these sorts of decisions. Ellis also talks more about GLAAD's transformation under her leadership from a media watchdog to a consultant and advisor to media, advertising, social media and business industries on representation and support of LGBTQ+ people. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Dave Calhoun took over as the CEO of Boeing in January 2020 in the midst of two major crises: the crash of two of Boeing's 737 Max aircrafts that led to the grounding of the fleet and an abysmal internal culture that was being discussed in the press and throughout the industry. Calhoun has led the company through a notable turnaround in the past three years, as reflected in the company's earnings and increased demand for its aircrafts. Boeing's Q1 earnings for 2023 grew 30% year over year. In this episode of Leadership Next, Calhoun joins hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram to discuss leading Boeing through a difficult and complicated period in its history. He shares what he chose to prioritize in his turnaround efforts and why, including initiating a safety overhaul for Boeing's aircrafts and emphasizing transparency throughout the company. He also discusses how supply chain issues are impacting Boeing and the aerospace industry at large in the face of unprecedented demand, along with his predictions for when the problem may resolve. Additionally, Calhoun shares how working with Jack Welch at G.E. influenced his leadership style, the needs of both Boeing's military and commercial arms, and producing more sustainable aircraft. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Over 30 million Americans suffer from some form of kidney disease, and roughly 600,000 people have their kidneys fail. It's a chronic disease that requires chronic treatment, and there is a Fortune 500 healthcare company dedicated to supporting people living with it. DaVita, an Italian phrase meaning "give life", is number 357 on this year's 500. It runs almost 3,000 outpatient dialysis centers across the country and is working to transform from a dialysis company into a holistic kidney care company. Javier Rodriguez took over as CEO of DaVita in 2019, after 21 years with the company. In today's episode of Leadership Next, Rodriguez joins hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram to discuss the scale of the kidney disease crisis and how DaVita is addressing it. He explains DaVita's plans to shift from a fee for service to a value based model with the goal of providing care to people earlier in life before their kidneys begin to fail, and how this change will affect business. Rodriguez also discusses navigating the healthcare staffing shortage, Berkshire Hathaway's investment in DaVita and tech innovations in healthcare. He also shares his personal story of immigrating to the U.S. from Mexico and his decision to turn down $250 million in government pandemic relief funding back in 2020. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Delta Air Lines soared twenty-eight spots up the 2023 Fortune 500 to reach number eighty-five. Demand for air travel is bouncing back to and beyond pre-pandemic levels, and Delta's earnings are bouncing back along with it. Delta reported $51 billion in revenue in 2022, a 69% jump from the previous year. This is not the first time CEO Ed Bastian is leading Delta through a period of bouncing back. Bastian took over as CEO in 2016, but he has been in the airline's leadership ranks for twenty-five years. This means he has led the company through some seriously tough times, including 9/11, Delta's 2007 bankruptcy declaration and the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode of Leadership Next, Bastian joined hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram for an in-person recording in Fortune's studio. Bastian shares which crisis he found the hardest to lead through and how Delta is planning to meet this summer's unprecedented demand for air travel, which he refers to as "revenge travel." He also explains why the airline has done away with change fees and what Delta is doing to bring free WiFi onboard every flight. Additionally he shares his thoughts on the pushback against "woke ceos" - a label that's been attached to him in the past. We also hear from Bastian on developing more fuel-efficient aircraft, how Delta is using A.I., pilot and flight attendant shortages. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Emma Walmsley, who became CEO of drug giant GSK in 2017 after 17 years at L'Oreal, has led the company through several challenges: disappointing COVID-19 vaccine candidates, noise from activist investors, and Europe's largest demerger in two decades when the company spun out its consumer healthcare business. But according to Walmsley this all comes with the job. And, she also has a lot to celebrate. Shortly before she visited the Leadership Next studio, GSK announced its RSV vaccine was one of two recommended for approval by the FDA for older adults. In this episode of Leadership Next, Walmsley talks to hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram about the potential impact of that approval and the other aspects of GSK's infectious disease portfolio including innovation in H.I.V. treatment and prevention. She also shares her thoughts on the opportunities for data tech in healthcare, leading in the face of pushback from activist investors, and being the only woman CEO in big pharma. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off an annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe. Leadership Next is Powered by Deloitte.

Reid Hoffman might be best known as the cofounder of LinkedIn. He’s also a partner at the VC firm Greylock and was an early investor in OpenAI, the company that developed ChatGPT. He's been investing in and writing about A.I. for several years, and recently he put the technology's capabilities to the test. In March 2023, he released his book Impromptu: Amplifying Our Humanity With A.I. , co-written by GPT-4. In this episode of Leadership Next, Hoffman joins hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram to discuss what it was like to write a book using generative A.I. Hoffman also discusses how he thinks A.I. will change the job market, and why all of us might soon have a "co-pilot" to help us do our jobs. He also has some thoughts on how both tech and non-tech CEOs can talk about A.I. with their employees. Finally, Hoffman shares his perspective on the creative opportunities for A.I., and what its limitations are. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off an annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe. Leadership Next is Powered by Deloitte.

When Brian Cornell became Target's CEO in 2014, the company was in desperate need of a turnaround. The retailer was plagued by supply chain problems, trying to recover from a major data hack and struggling to compete with e-commerce giants like Amazon. In today's episode of Leadership Next, Cornell talks about some of the key decisions he's made that have led Target to now be ranked number 32 on the Fortune 500, including a particularly unpopular announcement in 2017 that the company would spend $7 billion to rehab Target stores across the country. In the age of Amazon, investors were doubtful that spending money to improve brick and mortar was worthwhile. But today it's clear that investment has paid off. And as Cornell tells hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram, despite the rise of online shopping, 73% of retail sales last year took place in physical stores. In today's conversation, Cornell details how consumer spending has changed since the height of the pandemic, and how shoppers seem to be responding to the current economy. He explains why he feels it's so important for Target to improve wages and benefits for store associates. And, he talks about the importance of culture to the company's success. Also in today's episode hear from Fortune Senior Writer Phil Wahba who has been reporting on Target for nearly a decade. Wahba fills us in on the state of Target when Cornell took over and how the CEO's leadership has transformed the company. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off an annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

May 12th is National Childcare Provider Appreciation day. To show our appreciation for the workers who take care of our kids, Leadership Next is bringing you an episode of Where's My Village? Fortune's podcast about America's childcare crisis and the people who are trying to fix it. You can listen and subscribe to the entire series here. In this episode of Where's My Village?, Fortune senior writer Megan Leonhardt digs deeper into the opportunity for and pros and cons of private investment in childcare. Private investment in childcare companies doubled between 2020 and 2021, and the range of apps, software, products and services investors can put their money into is growing. Many think private dollars have the potential to transform the childcare industry, others think involving private investors is a risky endeavor. Shruthi Jayaram of Dalberg Advisors and Jess Lee of Sequoia Capital talk through why investors have been skeptical of investing in care in the past and what's changed in the past few years. Chris Bennett, the CEO of Wonderschool. discusses his decision to focus on in home providers, how many providers on the Wonderschool platform earn almost triple the national average and his vision for the company's future. Wonderschool is a childcare management platform that works with home-based providers to streamline and grow their businesses. We also hear from home-based providers about the realities of their professions and experts in the field on their concerns about private investment in childcare.

In the spring of 2020, the travel industry ground to a halt due to COVID. Marriott International's business dropped more than 90 percent. Where does the company stand today? CEO Anthony Capuano joins Leadership Next to provide an answer to that question. And yes, the answer does involve "bleisure" travel - the growing trend of combining work and leisure travel. Marriott International is made up of over 8,000 properties across 139 countries. And the company's growing all the time. Just last month, Marriott acquired City Express- a mid size hotel chain with 150 locations across Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean. Although most of these 8,000 properties are hotels, Marriott International claims to be more than just a hotel company. What does that actually mean? That's another question Capuano answers for hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram. Also in this episode: Marriott's continued expansion into the luxury market (including the launch of the Ritz-Carlton yacht), the company's plans for global growth, the success of the Marriott app and how it competes with travel tech companies like Expedia and AirBnb. Lastly, Capuano talks about sustainability at Marriott hotels and social responsibility initiatives like training associates to recognize signs of human trafficking. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off an annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Each year Fortune brings together experts from a variety of fields to talk about health care, how it's changing, and the vital role business plays in the industry. Leadership Next hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram both attended Fortune's Brainstorm Health event and today they're sharing some of their favorite conversations with you. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy explores the consequences of America's mental health crisis. Olympic athlete turned entrepreneur Apolo Ohno shares how he stays healthy. Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation Chelsea Clinton and reproductive rights activist Professor Loretta Ross explain why all of us need to start paying more attention to Black women's maternal health. Twitter's favorite doctor, Dr. Robert Wachter, talks about the pandemic accelerating our adoption of digital health and several voices weigh in on A.I.'s potential to solve some of healthcare's most pressing problems. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off an annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

In 2019, Moderna reported revenues of sixty million dollars. By 2022 it was number 195 on the Fortune 500 with over $18 billion in revenue. This meteoric rise was due to Moderna's development of one of the major COVID-19 vaccines. Now, thankfully, the height of the pandemic has passed and the need for these vaccines is far less urgent. There is something to be said about your marquee product being less useful because people are healthier, but where does Moderna go from here? And how will its CEO Stéphane Bancel help it get there? In this episode of Leadership Next, Bancel talks with hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram about the other uses for Moderna's proprietary mRNA platform - including potential vaccines for cancer and H.I.V. Bancel also discusses Moderna's controversial plan to start charging as much as $130 a dose for the COVID-19 vaccine once the U.S. ends the pandemic public health emergency on May 11th. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off an annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

In this episode of Leadership Next, Alan Murray is joined by his new co-host Fortune Editor-at-Large, Michal Lev-Ram. In Lev-Ram's first episode, she and Murray speak to Christa Quarles of Alludo. Alludo, formerly known as Corel, is a software company whose products enable people to work from anywhere. Quarles became the CEO of Alludo in 2020, after stints as the CEO of OpenTable and the SVP of Interactive Games at Disney. They start the episode recapping a legendary moment at a 2017 Fortune conference where Quarles literally called B.S. on a claim that women in business don't support each other. Quarles then shares what progress she's seen made for women in tech over the past six years and how she reached 50/50 gender parity in hiring at OpenTable. Qaurles also discusses how Alludo is trying to compete with software like Canva and Asana, the state of remote work, her "management by Haiku" leadership approach and the process of rebranding Alludo from Corel. Stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear Alan and Michal read their original Haikus! Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off an annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

When Vicki Hollub was named CEO of Occidental Petroleum in 2016, she became the first woman to lead a major oil and gas company. In the years since she's brokered some big acquisitions, brought on Warren Buffett as a major investor and produced record returns for shareholders. But the savvy Leadership Next listener wants to know: can you do all of that AND truly care about sustainability? Hollub says not only is it possible, it's essential that energy companies focus on their climate impact. In today's episode, recorded live at Deloitte University in Dallas, Texas, Hollub tells hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt all about OXY's plans to build out a carbon capture business and why this makes strategic sense for the company. Also in today's episode: details on how the controversial deal to buy Andarko Petroleum came to pass, how employee expectations around the CEO role have changed, and why Hollub never thought she would become CEO. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off our annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe.

Mark Newman is the second CEO of Chemours, a chemical company that spun out of DuPont in 2015. Chemours is now a global company with almost 7,000 employees, $7 billion in revenue and has three industry-leading businesses. Chemours may be best known for producing Teflon, a chemical coating associated with non-stick surface on pots and pans. Teflon is also considered a polyfluoroalkyl substance. Polyfluoroalkyl substances (better know as PFAS) are a class of chemicals considered “forever chemicals” meaning they don’t break down in the environment, and are linked to a number of health problems. Production of some of these chemical has landed Chemours in legal and regulatory trouble in the past, but Newman thinks Chemours can right its past environmental wrongs and has worked to weave sustainability into the company's next chapter. In this episode of Leadership Next, Newman talks with host Alan Murray about how Chemours is addressing these legacy issues while pushing back against claims of greenwashing. Newman explains how the company's chemicals work in consumer products like mobile phones and how its products are striving to solve the EV battery challenge. He also talks about hydrogen production and hydrogen's potential as an energy source. Later in the episode, host Ellen McGirt talks with Dr. Maria Doa, the Senior Director of Chemicals Policy at the Environmental Defense Fund, about the impact of PFAs and if they can ever be made responsibly.

Zipline is the world’s largest commercial drone delivery system. Since the company’s founding in 2014, Zipline’s autonomous electric aircrafts have delivered hundreds of thousands of packages to people around the world. It's planning to complete 1 million deliveries by the end of 2023. Most of the packages the Zips have delivered include vital items like medicine, vaccines and PPE. Zipline's first distribution center opened in Rwanda in 2016 and it has since expanded into Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, Japan, and the U.S. Keller Rinaudo Cliffton is Zipline's co-founder and CEO. In today's episode of Leadership Next, Rinaudo Cliffton joins hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt to share why Zipline started with drone delivery to hospitals in Rwanda seven years ago, and how the company has grown. He explains why launching as a business, not a philanthropy, was essential. He also talks about Zipline's partnership with Walmart, delivering to shoppers in Arkansas, and the company's plans for expansion into the consumer delivery market. Later in the episode, hear from Fortune Senior Writer Jessica Matthews who visited Walmart's drone delivery site in Pea Ridge, AR back in 2021. Matthews tells us more about the state of the drone delivery market, where it’s going and what challenges it's facing.

Prudential Financial was founded in Newark, N.J. in 1875 with the goal of providing insurance to everyday American families. Almost 150 years later, Prudential has offices all over the world and now provides investment management and other financial services along with insurance. In this episode of Leadership Next, Prudential CEO Charlie Lowrey joins hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt to talk about how this legacy insurance company (one of the oldest companies we've ever had on Leadership Next!) is transforming to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world. Lowrey also shares why the company is committed to remaining in Newark and why it has contributed over one billion dollars to the city. He also discusses his perspective on ESG, his dedication to making Prudential a fully inclusive workplace and his journey from being an architect to leading one of the world's largest financial services companies. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off our annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe.

CVS Health is ranked number four on the Fortune 500. And when Karen Lynch became the company's CEO in 2021, it was a big deal. No woman had ever led a company that highly ranked on the list before. Plus, she brought some serious ambitions for healthcare to her role. The short version: she wants to provide a continuum of both physical and mental healthcare for CVS customers. Since taking over as CEO almost exactly two years ago, Lynch has initiated a plan to transform hundreds of the brand's almost 10,000 U.S. stores into super-clinics. And, she's spent billions on acquisitions that move CVS into primary care and home healthcare. In this episode of Leadership Next, Lynch joins hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt to discuss how far CVS has come in the 60 years since its founding as Consumer Value Stores. She explains how the company's recent acquisitions of Oak Street Health and Signify fit into her larger vision, how the pandemic has influenced the company's strategy and how technology is transforming healthcare. Lynch also shares more about her personal passion for health, the importance of including mental health services in primary care and her journey as a woman in leadership. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off our annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe.

Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter has launched a lot of creative dreams, including those of household consumer names like Peloton and Allbirds. Since its founding in 2009, backers have pledged over $7 billion to over 200,000 projects on the platform. For Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor, these numbers are just a start. In this episode of Leadership Next, hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt talk to Taylor about how Kickstarter is democratizing crowdfunding and working to make sure creators of color have equitable access to funds. He also discusses taking over Kickstarter in October 2022 as a turnaround effort, what makes a successful Kickstarter campaign and the company's thinking on A.I. in art. Finally, Taylor shares his experience of being the first Black person in Kickstarter's C-suite and the impact he'd like to make as the company's leader. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off our annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe.

Cotopaxi is an outdoor gear and apparel brand that pledges to give at least 1% of its annual revenue to charitable causes through its Cotopaxi Foundation. Cotopaxi is also a certified B corp and 94% of its products contain recyclable or reusable materials. On its mission to help people and the planet, Cotopaxi is also making money. In 2022, the company surpassed $100 million in revenue. Its work has caught the eye of investors. In 2021, Bain Capital's Double Impact Fund invested $45 million in Cotopaxi. In today's episode of Leadership Next, hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt talk to Cotopaxi founder and CEO Davis Smith about why he built Cotopaxi as a for-profit company rather than a non-profit, and how Cotopaxi differs from other outdoor brands. Smith also explains why he's stepping away from leading the company he believes in so deeply. Later in the episode, we hear from Cecilia Chao, Managing Director of the Bain Double Impact Fund. Chao talks about why Bain invested in Cotopaxi and the importance of prioritizing both impact and profit. Chao also gives her take on trends in impact investing and the difference between impact and ESG investing. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off our annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe

In 2020, BP CEO Bernard Looney announced the international oil company planned to significantly increase investments in solar and wind energy while cutting oil and gas production - and thus carbon emissions - up to 40 percent by 2030. Last week, amid soaring oil prices, BP rolled back that commitment. BP's new plan is to reduce its oil output 25 percent by 2030 and its Scope 3 carbon emissions by 20 to 30 percent. At the same time, the 114 year-old company points out it now spends 30 percent of it capital on its alternative energy business, up from just three percent in 2019. And, it still intends to cut its own direct emissions 50% by 2030. In this episode of Leadership Next, Looney joins hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt to dissect this complicated message. He details what motivated the change and lays out BP's strategy to become an integrated energy company (to include explaining why oil will remain a part of that strategy). Also in the conversation: BP's approach to addressing the "energy trilemma," maintaining public trust in the midst of a strategy change, and how growing up on a farm in Ireland influenced Looney's leadership style. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off our annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe

Forty-five million Americans are credit invisible, meaning they do not have a credit score or have had very little opportunity to build credit. Many of these millions are people of color, low-income people or immigrants. Esusu co-CEO Wemimo Abbey is trying to do something about that. Esusu is on a mission to democratize access to credit. By reporting on-time rental payments to the three major credit bureaus, the company allows people with no or low credit scores to build credit history. In the five years since its founding, Esusu has reached over one million renters in all 50 states and helped put 44,000 people on the financial map. In this episode of Leadership Next, hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt talk with Abbey about how Esusu's platform is helping change who can fully participate in the American economy. Abbey shares what inspired him to start the company, how Esusu makes money, and his long-term dreams for it. He also shares how he persevered through "NOs" from over 300 investors to become the founder of what is now a unicorn company. Later in the episode, McGirt is joined by Erika Seth Davies, the CEO of Rhia Ventures and the founder of The Racial Equity Asset Lab. Seth Davies shares her thoughts on trends in impact investing, the barriers diverse-owned companies face when looking for capital, and what we can all do to encourage investment in those companies. Explore more of Fortune! Use the promo code LN25 to get 25% off our annual subscription at fortune.com/subscribe

Welcome back for season four of Leadership Next! In today's season opener, hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt present exclusive content from Davos, where Coca-Cola's James Quincey, Novartis' Vasant Narasimhan and Grab's Anthony Tan joined Fortune for conversation over dinner. On the menu: discussion around the biggest opportunities and challenges facing business in 2023. Murray, McGirt and the panelists tackle topics like using A.I. to help scale business while protecting employee jobs, responding to the “woke ceo” narrative, and more. In this episode, Murray and McGirt also talk with Fortune Senior Writer Jeremy Kahn about the A.I. tool on everybody's mind... ChatGPT. Kahn shares how the chatbot can be used for good and what we should be afraid of. You can read more about ChatGPT in Kahn's Fortune magazine cover story The Inside Story of ChatGPT.

In this final Leadership Next of 2022, Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt are joined by Joe Ucuzoglu, CEO of Deloitte and long-time supporter of the podcast. The team talks through how the biggest news of the year impacted CEO leadership, and discusses what's ahead for business in 2023. You'll also hear thoughts, reflections and advice from CEOs featured throughout this season, including Doug McMillon of Walmart, Jane Fraser of Citi and Albert Bourla of Pfizer. Leadership Next will return with more interviews in January of 2023. Subscribe to be the first to know when we return!

Tiger Tyagarajan is the CEO of Genpact. Originally a part of GE, Genpact is a professional services company that helps organizations undergo digital and technological transformation. And in this penultimate episode of Leadership Next's third season, host Alan Murray explains why he considers Tyagarajan his A.I. mentor. Along with co-host Ellen McGirt, the three discuss how A.I. is being used effectively in business and explore its future potential. Tyagarajan also shares his leadership journey from being a sales manager in Mumbai to being the CEO of a global, publicly-traded company. He details what he learned from former head of GE Jack Welch, digs into the role of globalization in business and explains how podcasts have helped him become a more curious leader. Leadership Next is powered by Deloitte.

Jane Fraser became CEO of Citi in March 2021- a difficult time for the world and for the bank. Fraser was expected to turn around a bank that had struggled to recover from the 2008 financial crisis when it took a $45 million government bailout in order to survive. Luckily, Fraser was prepared for the challenge. She had already navigated economic crises in Venezuela, Argentina and Puerto Rico in her previous role as CEO of Citigroup Latin America. In this episode of Leadership Next, hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt speak with Fraser about why focusing on culture is essential to turning Citi around and why she is committed to making empathy a key initiative in banking. She explains her approach to true inclusion in the workplace and why equity is essential to successful investing. Fraser also shares her thoughts on the current state of the economy, the return-to-office debate and how the crypto meltdown has impacted traditional banking. She also speaks candidly about her journey towards the CEO role as a woman and a mother.

Whether it is leaning more on telehealth options or lining up outside our local pharmacies and walk in clinics for vaccines and covid tests, the pandemic has changed out relationship with healthcare. And the pandemic is still changing the way we relate to each other and the world. Mental health issues are on the rise and many of us feel more isolated than ever before. Cigna insurance is on a mission to make sure that the half a million people enrolled in their plans can access top tier care for their bodies and their minds. In this episode of Leadership Next, hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt speak with Cigna's CEO David Cordani. Cordani interprets the findings of a few of Cigna's studies and initiatives that are determined to understand and treat America's mental health crisis- including Cigna's research on the loneliness epidemic and on the mental health of young women and girls coming out of the pandemic. He then shares more about Cigna's new vitality index as a measure of true ability, and how the vitality of America's workforce impacts the economy. Cordani also has some advice for other CEOs on what they can do to maximize their company's insurance offerings and support the health of their employees.

Recently, you may have noticed that when you buy almost anything online - clothing, furniture, even groceries - there's an option to Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL). This usually means splitting the total cost of your purchase into a series of smaller payments, and it doesn't require a credit card up front. The BNPL business is taking off as a payment alternative, thanks in part to Affirm. Affirm is a financial company that allows its 14 million active consumers to pay for purchases over time, without a credit check and without late fees. In this episode of Leadership Next, hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt speak with Affirm's founder and CEO Max Levchin. Levchin, also a co-founder of PayPal, struggled to build credit in the U.S. after immigrating from Ukraine. He shares how this led him to eventually found Affirm and shares his hopes for making financial services more equitable. He also explains how Affirm plans to make money without collecting late fees, and discusses the ups and downs the company has experienced since its January 2021 IPO.

Tricia Griffith started her career at Progressive in the insurance giant's claims department. "I saw that there were not very many people that looked like me at the top," she tells Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt on this week's Leadership Next. "And we had to change that." Today, Progressive's board of directors is led by a woman and the board has gender parity. Griffith talks about the work it took to get to that point, and details DEI initiatives she's launched and supported over the years. "We've been working on this for probably 15 to 20 years," she says. Also in today's conversation: how Progressive is thinking about climate change, the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and the impact of inflation on the insurance business.

Each year Fortune hosts the Most Powerful Women Summit - a gathering of some of the most influential women in business. And, as the CEO of Fortune, Alan Murray typically scores an invite too! On today's Leadership Next Alan and Ellen McGirt share some of their favorite moments from this year's Summit. Melinda Gates talks about advocating for women and the fight for women's equality. Lisa Su, the CEO of AMD, shares how she's grown the semiconductor company. Thasunda Brown Duckett reports on her first year as CEO of financial firm TIAA. And finally, the inspiring Cynt Marshall tells how she came to be the CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, and why it was so essential for her to be in that role.

Erika H. James is the Dean of Wharton Business School of the University of Pennsylvania and the author of The Prepared Leader: Emerge from Any Crisis More Prepared Than Before. In this episode of Leadership Next, Dean James talks to host Alan Murray about how leadership has changed over the past decade and what fundamental truths about leadership are evergreen. Dean James also discusses what it means to be a prepared leader, how the pandemic changed her understanding of preparation and why humans are usually so poorly prepared for a crisis. Finally, she shares her hopes for the next generation of leaders and how the role of educational institutions is evolving in an increasingly hybrid world.

This week Alan Murray is at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit, gathering material for an upcoming episode of Leadership Next. In the meantime, check out Where's My Village? Fortune's NEW podcast co-hosted by Leadership Next's Ellen McGirt. Where's My Village is a limited series about the childcare crisis in America and the stories of people who are trying to fix it. Like what you hear? Subscribe! Thanks to the COVID pandemic it's become very clear that the issue of America's crumbling childcare infrastructure extends far beyond individual families. The lack of formal support for working parents is a problem that all company leaders – and frankly anyone interested in building a better economy – needs to understand. Over five episodes Fortune reporters will introduce you to politicians, community leaders, entrepreneurs and corporate executives who fully believe that doing right by kids and families ultimately drives economic growth. In this episode, also available here along with the series' prologue, Fortune's Beth Kowitt investigates what happens when state and local governments take it upon themselves to try and fix this broken system. Kowitt tells the story of how one New England state and a city in Kansas are finding both the political will and financial resources to provide reliable, affordable childcare to their residents.

At beer giant AB InBev, the company is focused on farming methods that conserve water. That's just the start of its focus on sustainability. And on this episode of Leadership Next, CEO Michel Doukeris tells Alan Murray this focus is not a passing fad. "We, as a company, have been doing this for many, many years," Doukeris says. "And we do this, first, because it's good for the business. Every time that you can be more efficient, you are doing something that is good to your business." Doukeris has been in the CEO role for just over a year, but has spent 26 years at the company. He shares his career journey to AB InBev's top job, discusses his approach to leading a global company and explains why the brand's digital platform could one day eclipse its current beverage business.

Ray Dalio's approach to investing has netted his hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, billions of dollars. He's taken that same analytical approach and dug into history in an effort to decipher what today's turbulent economic and political period tells us about the future. Here's a hint: it's not pretty. He laid out the findings in a book last year, Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order, and on today's Leadership Next he and Alan Murray discuss the details. With markets down, fears of recession continuing to grow and elections on the horizon, Dalio's reading of history is more timely than ever. While today's conversation is different from those usually held on the podcast, Dalio's insights are likely helpful for all leaders.

Zoetis is a Fortune 500 company that makes medicine, vaccines and other products for pets and livestock. When the COVID pandemic hit - just weeks after Kristin Peck became CEO - animals still needed those products, and Peck had to figure out the best way to support her team to enable their work to continue. This ultimately led her to reimagine how she operated as CEO - details she shares with Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt in this episode of Leadership Next. "My big saying was, we may all be in the same storm but our boats are pretty different, so let's find out what your boat looks like ... What was it that was making it challenging for you? And how as a CEO could I create policies, benefits and leadership that supported you?" Also in today's episode: why Zoetis cares about sustainable agriculture, Peck's take on the future of stakeholder capitalism, and pandemic puppies.

Lynn Martin grew up loving math. She went on to be one of two women in her college cohort to major in computer science. Today, she's the 68th President of the New York Stock Exchange, and only the second woman to hold that role. On today's Leadership Next, she tells Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt about the path that led her to this job and the mentors who helped her get there. But first, she digs into the growing interest around ESG investing, the impact of technology on financial markets and explains why being a CEO is more challenging than ever before.

Alan Murray describes the CEO of Box, Aaron Levie, as "a serious leadership nerd." And that makes him the perfect guest for Leadership Next! In this episode, Murray and co-host Ellen McGirt dive into Levie's time heading a leadership course at Stanford, exploring lessons learned about digital disruption in long-standing industries. Also in the conversation, Levie's approach to hybrid work and his take on Web3 technologies.

The question Are you happy at your job? seems to be on the top of more people's minds than ever before. Employees are looking for employers whose values align with their own and who will care for them in moments of personal and global strife. Employees' changing priorities have revved up the War for Talent, where a shortage of workers in many industries has led companies to reassess how they attract and keep talented people. How has this shifting dynamic already changed hiring? How does hiring still need to change? Indeed CEO Chris Hyams explains. In this episode, Hyams joins hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt for an in depth conversation about the changing nature of work and the resulting impact on the labor market. Hyams shares his insights on why talent is more important to companies than ever before and what leaders should focus on to meet the needs of the moment. He gives his thoughts on how to minimize bias and prioritize inclusivity in hiring. He also frankly discusses his own learning journey that has led him to be a more thoughtful, inclusive leader.

Instacart was a pandemic darling. Its nationwide network of drivers, shoppers and grocery partners made it a go-to service for Americans stuck at home during a time when grocery shopping was considered a high-risk activity. But what does Instacart do now that many of us have returned to the norm of in-person shopping? Fidji Simo, who just marked her one-year anniversary as the CEO of Instacart, answers this question, and more. In this episode of Leadership Next, Simo tells host Ellen McGirt why she wanted to be CEO of Instacart, even during such tumultuous times. She explains Instacart's decision to begin accepting SNAP EBT benefits and how that's tied to the company mission of increasing access to healthy food. Also in the conversation: what she learned from a 10-year career at Facebook and why she is optimistic about the company's future even in the face of a 40% cut in its valuation, .

Even if you have never heard of Arm, you've likely used its technology. Arm is a semiconductor and software design company. It designs blueprint technologies for the microprocessors that live inside most of the tech we use every day, including our smartphones, our TVs and our cars. The ubiquity of this technology also makes demand for it very high. So how is this high demand impacted by the struggling international supply chain and Russia's invasion of Ukraine? And what does this mean for the consumer? Arm CEO Rene Haas explains. Also in this episode, Haas and Fortune CEO Alan Murray discuss Arm's impending IPO, Arm's work to make chip processing more climate friendly, and how the rapid access to information has changed the nature of leadership.

Over the past two years, Arianna Huffington, CEO of Thrive Global, and Tony Bates, CEO of Genesys and co-author of the book Empathy in Action. have been spreading the word that empathy-driven leadership isn't an afterthought, it is an essential business practice. They believe this approach not only makes employees happier at work but boosts productivity and other important metrics. What does it mean to be an empathetic leader? How do you do it well? Why is it important, especially right now? Huffington and Bates share the details with Leadership Next hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt. Also in the episode: how Genesys software helps call center workers monitor and manage their stress levels, how the pandemic has fueled a focus on empathy at work, and why both Huffington and Bates have dedicated themselves to companies that center emotional wellness. Thrive Global is a behavior change technology company that Huffington started in 2016 after she collapsed due to sleep deprivation and exhaustion. Bates' company Genesys is a software company with the vision of creating empathetic customer service experiences at scale.

Kate Ryder, the founder and CEO of Maven, was early to telehealth. Ryder founded Maven in 2014 after witnessing and experiencing gaps in the women's and family healthcare model. Today, Maven offers patients access to a digital network of over 2000 providers specializing in women's and family health. It has become the first company valued at over a billion dollars in the category. This suggests investors - alongside employers and insurance companies - are recognizing the business case for comprehensive family planning and reproductive health benefits. Ryder joined Fortune CEO Alan Murray in Aspen, CO at Fortune's Brainstorm Tech Conference. In this powerful conversation, Ryder explains what healthcare shortcomings motivated her to start Maven and how the company has evolved over the past eight years. Ryder also shares how employers have responded to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and how the ruling is impacting her company.

Niren Chaudhary is the CEO of Panera Brands, which includes the popular chain restaurants Panera Bread, Caribou Coffee and Einstein Bagels. The brand has nearly 4,000 restaurants across 10 countries, and the company is committed to serving high quality food in every one of them. Panera also wants to make sure its 110,000 employees feel supported on and off the job. In this episode of Leadership Next, Chaudhary tells Alan Murray that Panera Brands only serves food he would be willing to serve to his own family. He also describes Panera's commitment to providing its diverse workforce an array of educational and growth opportunities. Chaudhary elaborates on how including each meal's individual carbon footprint on the menu is key to their sustainability goals and how his late daughter inspires his leadership. Chaudhary is also Leadership Next's first singing CEO! Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear his ode to Panera's chicken sandwich.

Shipping is an industry that is so invisibly essential to our lives, so much so that we might only think about it when something’s wrong. And the world has been talking a lot about the shipping industry since the start of the pandemic BECAUSE there are so many factors making their jobs very difficult. Supply chain issues, COVID restrictions, climate concerns, the invasion of Ukraine... to name just a few. In this episode, hosts Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt interview Søren Skou, the CEO of Maersk. Maersk is a Danish shipping and global logistics company that moves goods around the world, primarily by sea. Skou talks to Alan and Ellen about the challenges and opportunities presented by the global events of the last two years. Skou discusses how the pandemic, China’s stringent Covid regulations and the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has impacted the supply chain and Maersk’s role in it. He also explains Maersk’s decision to withdraw its business from Russia after they invaded Ukraine, how Maersk plans to meet their goal of going carbon neutral by 2040 and what tech advancements consumers can expect from the shipping industry in the coming years.

Hayden Brown is the CEO of Upwork, a platform that connects freelance workers with companies looking to hire. Founded over twenty years ago, Upwork went public in 2018. But it was the pandemic that has truly proved to be a turning point as both workers and companies have begun to embrace remote work in new ways. In this episode of Leadership Next, Ellen McGirt digs into the size and scope of the freelance economy, and explores how the past two years continue to influence the future of work. Also in the conversation: bringing new diversity into a company via freelance talent, Brown's push to help working moms regain jobs lost during the pandemic and the opportunities that come with crisis.

Over the past two and half years, many companies have transformed at faster rates than ever before, as the sudden shifts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, calls for racial justice, and other events have accelerated the need for new ideas and innovations. Those organizations that rose to the challenge were able to navigate ongoing disruptions—and embrace change to meet the evolving needs of their stakeholders. Now, as business leaders look ahead, they are searching for ways to continue to build on this growth. Here, Fortune Media CEO Alan Murray and Deloitte US CEO Joe Ucuzoglu sit down to discuss how global events have challenged businesses, from digital transformation to the Great Resignation, and how forward-looking leaders can utilize the lessons they’ve learned throughout this challenging and transformative period to come out even stronger. “Deloitte presents: Leadership Transformed” was produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio. FORTUNE editorial staff was not involved in its creation or production. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of FORTUNE.

For two and a half years, Leadership Next has introduced listeners to a new CEO each week - exploring how these leaders are looking beyond the bottom line and tackling issues that impact employees, customers and other stakeholders. But, to mark our 100th episode, Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt have invited three previous guests back to the show. Why? To learn how much progress these CEOs have made on some important initiatives, and gain perspective on how strongly the business world is embracing the idea of stakeholder capitalism. Today you'll hear from Chip Bergh, CEO of Levi Strauss; Adena Friedman, CEO of Nasdaq; and Martin Whittaker, CEO of JUST Capital.

Doug McMillon is a Walmart lifer. He started loading trucks at a Walmart warehouse as a teenager trying to pay for college. He is now the company's CEO. Just two weeks ago, Walmart topped the Fortune 500 for the 10th year in a row. In this episode, McMillon and Leadership Next's Alan Murray discuss how record-high inflation, conflict in Ukraine and supply chain snarls are affecting Walmart’s business. McMillon elaborates on Walmart’s plans to become a regenerative company, detailing the environmental impact that transformation will have. And, to critics who say today's CEOs invest too much time in the planet and other external stakeholders, he has this to say: “I think it all boils down to timeframe. Yes, we are here to provide a return for shareholders. The best way to provide a return for shareholders over time, is if you have strong communities, associates that are well compensated and happy with their jobs and excited about their futures. A planet that works.”

When Sasan Goodarzi became Intuit CEO about three and a half years ago he wanted to move the company beyond its focus on taxes and accounting. Through two big acquisitions and innovations utilizing data, A.I. and blockchain, he's making big strides towards that goal. On today's Leadership Next, Goodarzi explains why this was so important and how he's pulling it off. Also in today's conversation: what it means to truly be an inclusive company and how Intuit is helping small businesses hit climate goals.