The CEO Dialogue

Anticipating rising raw material costs, Tata Steel’s CEO & Managing Director TV Narendran tells IMD President Jean-François Manzoni how he introduced a change management process to instill a culture of future readiness at the 100-year-old industrial company.

Henrik Andersen discusses with IMD President Jean-François Manzoni the challenges of navigating supply chain disruptions and soaring raw material costs over the past three years, and why he changed the wind farm developer’s culture to encourage openness and trust.

Regenerative agriculture techniques are vital to improve the resilience of crops and help farmers achieve humanity’s dual objective of growing more food using less land, the CEO of the Swiss agriculture group tells IMD President Jean-François Manzoni, as he advocates for carbon labelling on produce.

Dilhan Pillay, CEO of Singapore’s global investment giant Temasek, discusses with Jean-François Manzoni the importance of a carbon tax and how his company is working to ensure ‘every generation prospers’ without sacrificing profits.

Mostafa Terrab, CEO and Chairman of the Board of the Moroccan fertilizer group OCP, explains to IMD President Jean-François Manzoni how sincerity of intent helped him gain the trust of his people. ------- Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

Antoine de Saint-Affrique is a man who doesn’t let himself, his employees, or his investors get too comfortable. Since becoming the CEO of French food and nutrition giant Danone in September 2021, the 58-year-old executive has delivered some uncomfortable truths. Saint-Afrique has clearly called out the company’s underperformance compared to peers while remaining confident that Danone is operating in the right categories and has what it takes to win. In conversation with IMD President Jean-Francois Manzoni, he talks about his quest for constant learning and renewal, and his drive to create room for budding talents to emerge and thrive within the organization. ------- Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

Rakuten CEO Mickey Mikitani tells IMD President Jean-François Manzoni how – by challenging conventional wisdom and encouraging all staff to tidy their own offices – he has grown his company from an e-commerce startup into an ecosystem spanning internet services, fintech, and mobile.

The Wallenberg sphere operates in about 180 countries and its holdings generate a total of $260bn of annual revenue. But Marcus Wallenberg, chairman of the family holding company, explains to Jean-François Manzoni why working for the benefit of his native Sweden is so important. The Swedes even have a word for it: landsgagneliga. As companies grapple with some of the biggest upheavals since the industrial revolution, today’s business owners face multiple challenges, from how to transition seamlessly towards sustainability to ensuring that their companies harness the full potential of digitization. But they also have to satisfy an increasingly complex tapestry of stakeholders while ensuring that their governance structures remain transparent and agile enough to respond to a backdrop of growing economic and geopolitical uncertainty. ------- Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

In Nairobi’s industrial area, motorcycles piled high with bright yellow plastic tubs zip through the early morning traffic to deliver food staples like flour, cooking oil, and pulses to women who have set up makeshift stalls to cook meals for low-income workers. The street food vendors place their orders the day before via an app and pay for their purchases with mobile payment system M-Pesa. This tech-enabled business-to-business food distribution service was the brainchild of Khadija Mohamed-Churchill, who founded Kwanza Tukule (which means “first, let’s eat” in Swahili) to address the lack of affordable and nutritious food for people living in Kenya’s growing informal settlements. Mohamed-Churchill says building a social enterprise requires both a big heart and a clear strategic focus. In an in-depth discussion with Jean-Francois Manzoni, she reveals what motivates her and offers advice for other impact entrepreneurs on how to build a committed team and attract investors. ------- Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

For Schneider Electric, making a difference centers on bringing technology and expertise to best manage energy – specifically sustainably produced electricity. After 16 years in charge of the French multinational – seven as CEO and a further nine as Chairman – Jean-Pascal Tricoire has clear views on what keeps him motivated. “You have to be very stubborn strategically and very agile tactically,” says Tricoire, in the latest edition of IMD’s CEO Dialogue “If you have your goal post in place, always pulling you some years ahead, then what’s important is to have your mindset on the next two steps – because that’s what keeps you really excited and busy.” Belief in himself also helps. “I’ve been with my company a long time, and I think I know its business really well. I also believe, whatever people say, that competency is still really important – because with that knowledge you can really innovate. You understand those micro points and micro settings where you can find the spot that makes a difference.” In conversation with IMD President Jean-François Manzoni, Tricoire explains how he has had a lifelong interest in taking a different path, and how decentralization drives his corporate thinking. ------- Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

The role of any CEO comes with a unique level of pressure that must be actively managed. David Loew, the Chief Executive of Ipsen, knows this well. Since joining the French pharma firm in 2020, he has led it through a complex transition; and says he holds a strong belief in “single accountability”. In this episode of the CEO Dialogue, Loew tells IMD President Jean-Francois-Manzoni about how his values are forged from the fire of personal experience, and how he finds a sense of purpose in providing solutions that keep people healthy or enable them to regain their health.

Jan Jenisch, CEO of Holcim, discusses with IMD President Jean-François Manzoni the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with all stakeholders… In the five years since taking the helm at Holcim, Jenisch has overseen a complex acquisition, creating a company with 70,000 employees and net sales of nearly CHF 30 billion. Jenisch explores the responsibility and opportunity the 110-year-old Swiss-based global leader in innovative building solutions faces in its charge towards sustainable transformation in the building industry; as well as the macro and industry environments of different markets and how these play out in Holcim’s operations. - Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

As the chief executive of Wärtsilä, one of the world’s leading power technology and services providers for the maritime and energy industries, Håkan Agnevall has called on governments and companies to speed up decarbonization in these two sectors that account for roughly a third of the world’s carbon emissions. Agnevall himself joined Wärtsilä as CEO in February 2021 from Volvo Buses, a subsidiary of the Swedish commercial vehicle maker where he was president for eight years. He took the helm at Wärtsilä at a unique time for the group, with a tough market situation heavily impacted by the pandemic. In conversation with IMD President Jean-Francois Manzoni, Agnevall reflects on the multitude of demands placed on leaders of public companies and delves into the transformation facing maritime and energy industries today. ————————— Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

Founded in 1988, Ping An has built itself into Asia’s largest insurance company, selling US$110 billion of insurance premiums last year. But while Ping An made its name in insurance, the company has also established itself as one of China’s leading digital innovators; and the key figure driving some of its cutting-edge technologies is Jessica Tan. As one of Ping An’s three co-CEOs Tan is helping the company go from strength to strength, especially in the areas of fintech and artificial intelligence. In conversation with IMD President Jean-Francois Manzoni, Tan talks about growth, change, and breaking ground in new markets. ————————— Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

Less than six months after Julie Sweet was named Global CEO of Accenture, COVID-19 hit. For some businesses, the pandemic marked a breaking point; but Accenture was ready to ride it out. Sweet says the company has been preparing for a rapid change to working life for a decade, and that as far back as 2013 the company was declaring that “every business is a digital business”. Julie Sweet has been instrumental in guiding the company through turbulent times and has made huge strides since taking over global operations at Accenture. In conversation with IMD president Jean-Francois Manzoni, she discusses the importance of learning new skills and how companies must use technology, data, and artificial intelligence to find new ways to engage with customers. ————————— Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

Takeshi Niinami became President and CEO of Suntory Holdings just over seven years ago, in October 2014. His task: to help the company manage the biggest event of its 120-year history – its purchase of the US’s Beam Inc, maker of Jim Beam and a host of other spirits, for US$16 billion. In conversation with IMD president Jean-Francois Manzoni, he discusses why CEOs need to embody their company values, the challenges of multi-billion dollar acquisitions, and the importance of the Suntory Founder's Spirit. ————————— Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

As CEO of the Adecco Group, Alain Dehaze has a unique perspective on the future of labor. The pandemic revealed just how quickly workplaces can change, and his fortune 500 group has helped millions of people find jobs and reskill in an uncertain and highly-competitive global economy. For Dehaze, the pandemic did not create new megatrends but accelerated them; making it all the more important for governments to retrain national workforces. In conversation with IMD President Jean-François Manzoni, Dehaze and protege Jordan Topoleski discuss the merits of homeworking, what's next for global labor markets and why young workers are increasingly choosing employers based on 'EQ'

Riad Sherif is truly an expert in his field. Trained as a doctor, his drive to succeed in business led him to pharmaceuticals; and a successful 25-year career at corporate giants like Sanofi and Novartis. After reaching the top of the pharmaceutical industry, he joined the start-up Oculis in 2017. And as IMD President Jean-François Manzoni discovers, that move has paid off. As CEO, Riad has steered the biotech company to financial and regulatory success. But the best days may yet be to come. In May, Oculis secured a $57 million financing round and is now poised to advance its late-stage topical Ophthalmic portfolio. Highlights of this episode of The CEO dialogue include: the importance of expert investors; how engaging with the community can build your professional network; and why you should never take a meeting without an agenda. ————————— Links: Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.

In a rapidly decarbonizing world, the energy sector is facing immense challenges. The 'net-zero' promises of today lead to demands for greener more efficient grids tomorrow, and some are struggling to keep up with the times. Others, like Antje Kanngiesser, are flourishing. As a young lawyer in Germany, she specialized in renewables long before they hit global headlines. Now, following a successful career in the energy sector, she's emerged as CEO at Alpiq, a company that delivers about 20% of Switzerland’s power. Like many energy companies, Alpiq is rethinking its business model, and in her new position, Kanngiesser has wasted no time setting out a sustainable plan for growth. In conversation with IMD President Jean-François Manzoni, she discusses the future of energy production in Europe, and how hydrogen can make green travel a reality. ————————— Links: Read our new magazine, I by IMD, here. Discover IMD's leadership programmes here.