LEADING talks to leaders at the top of a wide range of organisations to discover how they learnt to lead, the big decisions they’ve taken and the advice they offer to others.
From the worlds of business, charity, the arts, sport, technology and healthcare, CEOs share their take on leading vital causes, famous brand names, multi-million-pound enterprises and fast-growing start-ups. The podcast is presented by the journalist James Ashton.
Nicola Mendelsohn oversees the vast $100bn-a-year advertising business at Meta, the social media giant known until recently as Facebook. She is one of the most senior women in UK tech, now heading to New York to take up her new role.
Business is booming for Meta, which also includes Instagram and Whatsapp, as it plots a push into virtual reality worlds. But so are critics’ voices, especially after damaging leaks suggesting the group knew its products contributed to violence and mental health problems. Regulators are asking how it might take greater responsibility for what goes on on its platform, which boasts 1.9bn daily active users.
Lady Mendelsohn joined Facebook in 2013 as vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa after 20 years in advertising, spent at firms including Karmarama, Grey and BBH.
She joins James Ashton to discuss:
Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for the future and how he plans to lead Meta forward;
The importance of asking questions and seeking mentors;
Coping with cancer in a leadership role and why it’s OK to show vulnerability;
And thriving in a male-dominated advertising industry.
For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com
James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available now
11 Oct 2021
JoJo Maman Bébé
Laura Tenison is the always-on founder and CEO of JoJo Maman Bébé, the children’s clothing, gifts and maternity wear chain which brightens dozens of UK high streets.
The business now stretches to 88 shops, a strong online presence, 900 employees and an annual turnover of £70m.
Laura joins James Ashton to discuss:
The life-changing car accident that led to the foundation of her business in 1993;
Rolling up her sleeves to join her warehouse workers during the Covid-19 pandemic;
The mentorship she received from the Body Shop’s Anita Roddick that informed JoJo’s focus on sustainability;
And the importance of supporting fellow entrepreneurs including through the everywoman platform.
For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com
James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available now
30 Sept 2021
Under Armour
Patrik Frisk is CEO of Under Armour, the US sportswear brand worn by top boxer Anthony Joshua, rugby star Maro Itoje and taekwondo champion Jade Jones that goes head-to-head with Nike and Adidas every day.
Frisk joined UA in 2017 to help get it back on track after sales growth stuttered. He oversees a global team of 15,000 and annual revenue of $5bn.
He joins James Ashton to discuss:
Taking the helm from UA’s long-serving founder Kevin Plank, who created his first T-shirt in 1996;
What he learns from the athletes that have become UA brand ambassadors;
Battling loneliness in leadership;
His last job, running shoe brand Aldo, and earlier years spent at Timberland and North Face;
And betting – and literally losing - the farm because of one of his business ventures flopped in his native Sweden. What are the lessons you take from failure?
For further details of this series, follow @leadingpod or go to leadingpod.com
James Ashton’s book The Nine Types of Leader (bit.ly/NINEbook) is available now
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