Leadership Next

Something big is happening in the world of business. CEOs increasingly say their jobs have become less about giving orders, more about inspiring, motivating, setting a north star. They are taking the lead on big issues like climate change, worker retraining, and diversity and inclusion. They are under pressure from employees, customers and investors not just to turn a profit, but to prove they are doing good in the world. And in the process, they are fundamentally redefining the relationship between business and society. Join Fortune CEO Alan Murray and Senior Editor Ellen McGirt as they probe the best of these leaders for insight into what they're doing, why they're doing it, and what impact it is having.

137 episodes· 1,833 subscribers

Mar 28 · 38m Chemours on Cleaning Up its Legacy 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.
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Mar 21 · 36m Will Drone Delivery Go Mainstream?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.
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Mar 14 · 30m Prudential CEO Charlie Lowrey on Transforming an Almost 150 Year-Old Company 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.
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Mar 7 · 33m CVS's Karen Lynch on the Future of Healthcare 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.
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Feb 28 · 27m For Kickstarter, Crowdfunding Is Key to a More Creative World 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.
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Feb 21 · 33m Cotopaxi: Why Business Is the Best Way to Improve the World 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
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Feb 14 · 34m Bernard Looney on BP's Big Announcement 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.
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Feb 7 · 35m Esusu Brings "Justice Capitalism" to the American Credit System 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.
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Jan 31 · 33m The Biggest Opportunities for Business in 2023 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.
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Dec 13 · 30m What We Learned About Leadership in 2022 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!
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Dec 6 · 33m A.I. Is Still Human Intelligence 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.
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Nov 29 · 35m Citi CEO Jane Fraser is Bringing Empathy to Banking 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.
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Nov 15 · 30m Cigna's David Cordani is Expanding the Definition of "Healthy"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.
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Nov 8 · 30m Affirm CEO Max Levchin on the Potential of Buy Now, Pay Later 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.
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Nov 1 · 22m What Makes Progressive a Top Workplace for Women?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.
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Oct 25 · 38m Most Powerful Women on Leadership Next 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.
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Oct 18 · 24m Wharton's Dean on Prepared Leadership 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.
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Oct 11 · 41m An Introduction to Fortune's Newest Podcast 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.
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Oct 4 · 25m Running a Sustainable Business Is Good for the Bottom Line 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.
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Sep 27 · 28m Ray Dalio on the Big Challenges Threatening the U.S.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.
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Sep 20 · 30m 'We're In the Same Storm, But Our Boats Are Pretty Different'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.
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Sep 13 · 28m ESG Investing Likely Here to Stay, Despite Political Pushback 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.
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Sep 6 · 28m This Tech CEO Is Not Buying the Web3 Hype 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.
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Aug 16 · 32m Are You Happy at Your Job?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.
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Aug 9 · 30m Instacart Is Optimistic About Its Future 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, .
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