Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

S10-Ep40: Delivering the Future - Why Amazon Execs Lead Beyond Retail

Guests: Ryan Redington, Amazon Music GM, & Kara Hurst, Chief Sustainability Officer
An open door is an opportunity – and a risk. Assess that risk a little easier with the one-way and two-way door framework. It’s just one of the tools Amazon uses to innovate better and faster.
 
In this episode, two Amazon execs explain how and why they innovate in areas outside of the company’s stereotypical retail business: in sustainability and in the music industry.The impact has been huge. Over 500 companies have joined Amazon in their climate pledge, moving to clean energy and other sustainable practices. In music, they’re redefining the industry, even discovering new artists such as Chappell Roan!
Here's what Kara, Ryan, and Maureen cover:
Why seeing an industry outside of its traditions helps you discover new markets and opportunities;
What the one- and two-way door framework is, and how to use it to spark innovation; and
Why it’s good business to increase sustainability and climate action.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
Innovation Insights: Amazon Executives Share How They Deliver the Future with VPs Udit Madan, Jamil Ghani, & Sarah Rhoads
How Climate Change Batters Business Bottom Lines with former Prime Minister Kim Campbell
Stewarding the Future of the Planet: Views from the Boardroom with Helle Bank Jorgensen
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Detail about the sustainability initiatives Kara mentioned are online at https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/. Businesses interested in working with – or just learning from – Amazon’s sustainability efforts can learn more on the Exchange at https://exchange.aboutamazon.com/.
 
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work by Ancestry CEO Deb Liu, on how to overcome the obstacles women still face in the workplace – especially in tech. It’s in hardback at https://amzn.to/47OUO9E, and audio at https://amzn.to/3Y6EmOQ.
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
 
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Instagram: @innovativeleader 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guests:  
Kara Hurst leads Amazon’s sustainability efforts, overseeing the company’s initiatives on environmental sustainability and social responsibility. Under her leadership, Amazon announced its commitment to be net-zero carbon by 2040 and co-founded The Climate Pledge, which now has over 525 signatories. Before joining Amazon, Kara was CEO of The Sustainability Consortium and served as Vice President at BSR, where she led global partnerships and built sustainability programs for businesses. Kara holds a BA from Barnard College of Columbia University and a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
 
Ryan Redington oversees all aspects of Amazon Music, including strategy, product development, licensing, marketing, and industry relations. He has led the service’s growth into one of the world’s leading audio streaming platforms. Prior to becoming General Manager, Ryan was Vice President of Music Industry, where he led partnerships with artists and labels. Ryan started his Amazon career in the Prime Video division before moving to Amazon Music, where he initially managed the physical music category. Ryan sits on the boards of the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Business Administration from the University of Iowa.

S4-Ep7: 11 Steps to Help You Heal Divides from the Centre for Peace & Security

Guest: Mike Hardy, founder & former director, Coventry University’s Centre for Peace & Security
Is peace relevant to business?
 
Absolutely, according to Mike Hardy. Profits and stability arise from peacefulness, yet we relegate its pursuit to nonprofit and government leaders. In this episode, Mike shares both his research and diplomatic experience to show how leaders in all sectors can create, and benefit from, peace and security in their communities and around the globe.
Here's what Mike and Maureen cover:
Why you have just as much of a leadership role in fostering peace and security as any Prime Minister or President;
How an experience in Iceland brought him to focus on the interplay of trust, peace, and social relations; and
Why Star Wars provides a perfect model for inclusion and DEI in real life.
 
Produced in partnership with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
Former Prime Minister Papandreou’s Path to a Just World with George Papandreou and Jorrit Volkers
Empathy, Dialogue, & a Good Mood: An Ambassador Reveals What Leaders Need in Crisis with Thomas Greminger & Peter Cunningham
Peace through Better Leaders with Mike Hardy
Work, War, and In-Between: An International Peace Negotiator’s Top Tips for Resoving Conflict with John, Lord Alderdice
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
The Center for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, now called the Centre for Peace & Security, is online at https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/areas-of-research/peace-and-security/.
 
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper & Indira Samarasekera. Paperback (https://amzn.to/3tOtzg4) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/41OYdT5)
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Mike Hardy was the founding Director of the Centre for Trust, Peace, and Social Relations (now the Centre for Peace & Security) at Coventry University. He is adjunct professor of leadership at the LSPR Institute of Communications and Business in Jakarta, Indonesia. Mike has been twice honoured in the UK, awarded the OBE in 2001 for his peace-building work in the Middle East, and appointed a Companion of Honour of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the HM Queen’s Birthday Honours June 2010 for his work internationally in Intercultural Dialogue.   Mike is a Board Director and Chair of the International Leadership Association, Chair of Trustees of The Faith and Belief Forum the leading interfaith charity in the UK, and life-fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts.

S10-Ep39: In It Together - How Boston Consulting Group Combines Strengths from Every Generation

Guest: Alicia Pittman, Global People Chair – Boston Consulting Group
Fast and furious: that’s how change is hitting our workplaces with AI, multiple generations, and more. Yet Boston Consulting Group has figured out how to turn those changes into advantages. Their Global People Chair, Alicia Pittman, shares how to unlock all that potential in your business, too.
Here's what Alicia and Maureen cover:
Why BCG started reverse mentorships, and how that energizes their teams;
What an exoskeleton does for the organization; and
Why you can’t just “stay in your lane” of expertise any more…and what to do instead.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
AI Is Changing Your Business Model: Boston Consulting Group’s Managing Director Explains How with Such Srinivasan
Getting on Code: Leaders Walk Their Talk with Ricky Robinson & Keith Powell
Career Sponsorship & Being Sponsor Ready with Ricky Robinson & Keith Powell
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work by Ancestry CEO Deb Liu, on how to overcome the obstacles women still face in the workplace – especially in tech. It’s in hardback at https://amzn.to/47OUO9E, and audio at https://amzn.to/3Y6EmOQ.
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
 
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Alicia Pittman is the Global People Chair at Boston Consulting Group and is integral to the firm's Consumer, Operations, and Organization practices. Alicia is responsible for BCG’s efforts to attract, retain, and develop exceptional talent, ensuring BCG delivers leading-edge capabilities and diversity of perspectives to clients. She also serves on the firm's Executive and Operating Committees. Previously, Alicia was the North America Consulting People Team chair leading Women@BCG for North America. Over the last five years, she played a vital role shaping BCG’s people strategy through COVID and developing new programs like Teaming@BCG and Pathways@BCG. Alicia’s passion for BCG’s value of “grow by growing others” guides her approach to mentoring BCG’ers the world over.

S10-Ep38: The Three Steps for Successful Negotiation from a Former Ford Exec

Guest: Greg Moran, Former Ford Senior Executive
How do you negotiate the best deal possible?
 
Our guest, Greg Moran, shares the three key elements he discovered negotiating for Ford and other top corporations. The ultimate success, he found, came when both parties found great benefit in the results.
Here's what Greg and Maureen cover:
Why going for the win is less important than finding the win-win;
Why the other party isn’t the enemy – it’s something else entirely; and
Why the other side tries to instill a sense of fear in you over losing the deal.
 
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
Let’s Talk: Four Steps to Bridging Workplace, Political, & Family Disagreements with Michael Morrow-Fox
Work, War, & In-Between: An International Peace Negotiator’s Top Tips for Resolving Conflict with John, Lord Alderdice
The Career Toolkit: Essential Skills for Success No One Taught You with Mark Herschberg
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work by Ancestry CEO Deb Liu, on how to overcome the obstacles women still face in the workplace – especially in tech. It’s in hardback at https://amzn.to/47OUO9E, and audio at https://amzn.to/3Y6EmOQ.
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
 
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Greg Moran is a C-level digital, strategy and change leadership executive with extensive global operations experience. He led corporate strategy for Ford and designed the plan that Alan Mullaly used to turn around the company. Greg held C-level IT positions in app dev, infrastructure, and core banking applications at Ford, Nationwide Insurance, and Bank One/JPMC, respectively. He began his career in consulting with Arthur Andersen Accenture, working across industries with 100 companies over the course of a decade. He is passionate about leadership and culture, and teaches part time on the topic at Ohio University.

S10-Ep37: Economic & Geopolitical Shifts - The Trends Leaders Need to Know for 2025

Guest: Christopher Washington, Franklin University Provost
What awaits leaders in 2025? You’ll find out in this special future-scanning episode.
 
We turn the tables this week, as our host, Maureen Metcalf, is interviewed by guest Christopher Washington, the provost of Franklin University. Maureen has determined the five major global trends which will affect leadership in 2025. It’s based on her countless interviews with CEOs and other though leaders over the past few months.
Here's what Christopher and Maureen cover:
Why the 70+ elections in nations around the globe in 2024 will lead to major policy shifts affecting corporations;
The biggest mistake leaders make as the new year dawns; and
How the changing nature of work will continue in the next year.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
Uncharted: How to Map the Future Together with Margaret Heffernan
The Future Is Yours to Create with Rebecca Ryan
Is Your Organization Designed for the Future? With Mark Palmer & Eddie Moore
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work by Ancestry CEO Deb Liu, on how to overcome the obstacles women still face in the workplace – especially in tech. It’s in hardback at https://amzn.to/47OUO9E, and audio at https://amzn.to/3Y6EmOQ.
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
 
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Booking Producer: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest Host:  
Dr. Christopher Washington serves as the Provost and Executive Vice President of Franklin University. He has dramatically increased the number of academic programs as the Chief Academic Officer, and supported the advancement of Franklin’s internationalization through relationships with partnering universities in Europe, Central America, the Middle East region, and Asia. He currently serves as National Board Chair of Global Ties U.S. and has been a member of the boards of The Metro Schools, the International Visitors Council, and the Columbus Council of World Affairs. Dr. Washington was selected for the Fulbright Specialist Roster in 2015 and is a member of the United States Speakers Bureau, and the Forbes Nonprofit Council. Dr. Washington holds a Ph.D. in human resource development from Ohio State University, a master of science in college student personnel, and a bachelor of arts in communications from Western Illinois University.

S10-Ep36: Mastercard's Chief Innovation Officer on Fostering a Culture of Innovation

Guest: Ken Moore
How can you have solutions for your customers before they even know they need them? Or BE the change instead of reacting to change?
 
That’s all part of the job for Mastercard’s Chief Innovation Officer, Ken Moore. He says the rate of change for businesses will soon increase 400%, as if the world isn’t changing fast enough already! But no worries; Ken shares the keys to innovation and being ready for change with you in this episode.
Here's what Ken and Maureen cover:
The five things most important for your business to focus on heading into the future;
How AI will reshape the ways we shop – and how you sell to your own customers; and
The big trends forming now for the way we’ll soon be doing sales.
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
Leading Fintech: Mastercard Execs Share How They See the Future and Meet It Now with senior execs Jennifer Marriner and Sherri Haymond
Disruption No More: DHL’s Supply Chain VP on Future-Proofing Your Business with Mike McLellan
Prepare for the Future with Foresight with Dr. Ciela Hartanov
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper & Indira Samarasekera. Paperback (https://amzn.to/3tOtzg4) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/41OYdT5)
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Charging into Our Future: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Ken Moore is chief innovation officer at Mastercard and a member of the company's Management Committee. He leads the Mastercard Foundry organization, inclusive of R&D, Digital Futures, Product Lifecycle Management, and Experience Research & Design teams. In this role, Ken is responsible for the company's innovation agenda, including incubating and bringing new products and services to market, unlocking the potential of emerging technologies, and anticipating changes in customer needs. Ken is an advisory board member to the World Intellectual Property Organization on the production of the Global Innovation Index, and an Expert-in-Residence at Harvard Innovation Labs at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

S10-Ep35: Leading Fintech - Mastercard Execs Share How They See the Future and Meet It Now

Guests: Jennifer Marriner, Sr. VP,  & Sherri Haymond, Co-President, of Mastercard divisions
What happens when innovation means life or death for your company?
 
In this first of a two-part series of innovation at Mastercard, guests Jennifer Marriner and Sherri Haymond describe the ongoing innovations in their divisions: Global Acceptance Solutions and Global Partnerships, respectively. As customers and retailers alike continue to change how they move money, Mastercard must not only keep up with them, but innovate so deeply that they actually have new tech ready BEFORE payment preferences evolve.
 
That means leading an organization-wide innovation culture, with plenty of leadership lessons for the rest of us.
Here's what Jennifer, Sherri, and Maureen cover:
Why it’s so important for leaders to think differently and experiment with the new;
How collaboration, inside and outside the organization, boosts your odds of success; and
Why constantly asking your stakeholders “What do you need from us?” keeps you ahead of the competition.
Other episodes on innovation in companies:
Innovation Insights: Amazon Executives Share How They Deliver the Future with Udit Madan, Jamil Ghani, & Sarah Rhoads
Eat Mor Chikin: Chick-fil-A’s CMO on Their Recipe for Success with Steve Robinson
Avocados: When Produce Produces Innovation with Alvaro Luque
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper & Indira Samarasekera. Paperback (https://amzn.to/3tOtzg4) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/41OYdT5)
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Making the World a Better Place: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guests:  
Jennifer Marriner is the Executive Vice President of Global Acceptance Solutions at Mastercard. She leads the product evolution and strategy for Mastercard’s acceptance solutions, ensuring the company’s payments products drive usage and shape future commerce experiences. Prior to Mastercard, Jennifer spent over 16 years at PayPal, leading the Global Markets and Partnerships team. She also managed strategic merchant growth for The Royal Bank of Scotland’s acquiring division and worked at The Wall Street Journal. Based in London, Jennifer is the executive sponsor of Mastercard’s Women Leadership Network (WLN) and ADAPT.
 
 
Sherri Haymond is Co-President of Global Partnerships and a member of the company's Management Committee.
Sherri co-leads a unique team that works with partners large and small to create disruptive products and solutions. As our world becomes borderless and even more digitally connected, Sherri's team keeps a pulse on the industry and collaborates with partners to ensure Mastercard delivers innovative and differentiated products and services at scale to meet the needs of today's evolving businesses and consumers.
Sherri holds a B.A. in Literature from Duke University and a J.D. from University of Pennsylvania Law School. She serves on the board of MoCADA, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts, in Brooklyn, NY.

S4-Ep4: Leading with Purpose and Compassion in the 4th Industrial Revolution

Guest: Éliane Ubalijoro, Rwandan Presidential Advisor, Consultant, & Professor
Clues about the leadership you’ll need in the near future are coming from unexpected places: Africa and genetics.
 
Our guest, Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro, shares success stories in leadership development she’s seen in African communities. Nuance, cultural competencies, and persistence stand out as qualities not usually seen in lists of leadership qualities, but they enhanced success – and with growing multiculturalism in our workforces and globally interconnected markets, they are emerging as keys to enhancing leadership everywhere.
 
Here's what Éliane and Maureen cover:
How both societal and technological shifts require new leadership models – and make old-school leaders fall further behind;
The ways your genetics (and epigenetics) affect your underlying emotions and influence your decisions; and
The emerging Fourth Industrial Revolution, and how Africa may be better positioned to leverage it than traditional industrialized nations.
 
Recorded in Brussels in association with the International Leadership Association:
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
A Genocide Survivor’s Path to Leadership: How One Man Turned Trauma into Passion for Peace with Hyppolite Ntigurirwa & Mike Hardy
Sheba & ShEquity: Empowering Women-Owned Businesses with Pauline Koelbl
ShEquity: A Refugee’s Path to Empowering Women & Their Businesses with Pauline Koelbl
Diamonds in the Rough: Sustainability & Corporate Citizenship with DeBeers VP Pat Dambe
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper & Indira Samarasekera. Paperback (https://amzn.to/3tOtzg4) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/41OYdT5)
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Dr. Éliane Ubalijoro is an adjunct professor of practice for public and private sector partnerships at McGill University’s Institute for the Study of International Development, where her research interests focus on innovation in global health and sustainable development.
 
She is the project manager and an investigator on a Gates Foundation Grand Challenges in Global Health phase 2 project led by Professor Timothy Geary, the director of McGill’s Institute of Parasitology. She is a member of FemStep, a research network highlighting rural girls’ and women’s perspectives for engendering poverty reduction strategies in Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, DR Congo, and Ethiopia using arts-based methodologies. In this context, she has been developing Ashes to Light, a multimedia project to document intergenerational dialogue on resilience as a platform for wisdom sharing and youth leadership training in peacebuilding. Dr. Ubalijoro is an expert consultant for the non-profit group The Innovation Partnership (TIP) as well as the founder and executive director of C.L.E.A.R. International Development Inc., a consulting group harnessing global networks for sustainable systems development. Previously, she was an assistant professor in McGill’s Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. She is a member of the Presidential Advisory Council for Rwandan President Paul Kagame.
 
Prior to going back to academia, she was a scientific research and development director in a Montreal-based biotechnology company for five years in charge of molecular diagnostic and bioinformatics discovery programs. She is a member of the Advisory Board of Ecosystems Restoration Associates, a Canadian-based pioneer in global forest restoration and conservation-based carbon offset programs. She is a contributor to the book The Transforming Leader: New Approaches to Leadership for the 21st Century by Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

S10-Ep34: They're Always Watching You: A White House Advisor's Lessons for Every Leader

Guest: Betsy Myers, Former White House Advisor, Author, & Leadership Consultant
The concept of the ideal leader changed dramatically over the last few decades, and Warren Bennis was one of the first researchers to analyze modern leadership. Our guest Betsy Myers shares the traits he found, then merges that with her own extensive experience in leadership – which reaches right up to the President of the United States – to look at the continuing gender divide in corporate and political leadership.
 
The gender gap remains, and who perpetuates it may surprise you!
Here's what Betsy and Maureen cover:
The key leadership traits that make a great leader, according to Bennis’ findings;
Why leading is just like being a parent: what you do is more important than what you say; and
The role of Tall Poppy Syndrome in keeping women out of the C-suite.
Produced in association with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org/
 
 
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
Top Leadership Lessons for Women from a Senior White House Advisor with Betsy Myers
Epic! The Women’s Power Playbook with Carolyn Buck Luce
The Bonobo Sisterhood: Ape Society’s Lessons for Leadership with Diane Rosenfeld
 
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Betsy’s book, Take the Lead, is available in paperback at https://amzn.to/3lbMWv6. The Kindle version is at https://amzn.to/3YEb1Za. Her website is betsymyers.com. 
    
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work by Ancestry CEO Deb Liu, on how to overcome the obstacles women still face in the workplace – especially in tech. It’s in hardback at https://amzn.to/47OUO9E, and audio at https://amzn.to/3Y6EmOQ.
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
 
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Generally Awesme in Every Regard: Jenna Reik
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Betsy Myers is on a mission to improve leadership by developing leaders and teams who infuse passion and purpose into their organizations by leading from both the head and the heart. Betsy's insightful keynotes and workshops have inspired executives and managers worldwide to level up their leadership. Her practical guidance helps attract and retain top talent, build an inspirational culture, and achieve impactful results in the rapidly changing workplace.  
 
Betsy is a renowned expert on emerging leadership trends and women’s leadership and is the author of Take the Lead: Motivate, Inspire, and Bring Out the Best in Yourself and Everyone Around You. She is currently a senior advisor at the Warren Bennis Leadership Institute at the University of Cincinnati. She also serves on the Council on Advancing Women in Business for the US Export-Import Bank and the Board of the International Leadership Association. She has extensive experience in the corporate world, government settings, and in higher education.  
 
Previously, she was the founding director of the Center for Women and Business at Bentley University and the executive director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard's Kennedy School. A senior adviser to two U.S. presidents, Betsy served as President Clinton's White House Advisor on Women's Issues and was the Chief Operating Officer and Chair of Women for Obama during President Obama's historic 2008 national campaign. Her extensive leadership background also includes roles at the U.S. Small Business Administration, including heading the Office of Women's Business Ownership.

S10-Bonus: The Seven Leadership Mindsets You Need Right Now - Focus from a Former Ford Exec

Guest: Greg Moran, Former Ford Senior Executive
We’ve distilled seven absolutely vital mindsets every leader must have to succeed. They’re extra critical in today’s business environment, which continues to evolve and change years after the infamous COVID quarantine. The only constant: there’s no going back to the old way of leading.
 
In this episode, Greg Moran joins Maureen to discuss these seven mindsets, and give examples on their effectiveness from his extensive real world experience – from small startups such as Aware to giant corporations like Ford.
 
Other episodes with Greg Moran:
How Missing Ethics Makes a Mess of Organizations
Forming Your Firm’s Ethics
The Rationale of Irrationality
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. The Kindle version is available at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 .You’ll find further details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI. Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper & Indira Samarasekera. Paperback (https://amzn.to/3tOtzg4) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/41OYdT5)
Jilly Truit murder mysteries by Beverley McLachlin:
Full Disclosure – https://amzn.to/46TxW6Q (paperback) https://amzn.to/46VDL3Q (audiobook)
Denial – https://amzn.to/46YCbhs (paperback) https://amzn.to/3GJc0AA (audiobook)
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Overachieving with 8 Mindsets: Jenna Reik
 
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Greg Moran is a C-level digital, strategy and change leadership executive with extensive global operations experience. He led corporate strategy for Ford and designed the plan that Alan Mullaly used to turn around the company. Greg held C-level IT positions in app dev, infrastructure, and core banking applications at Ford, Nationwide Insurance, and Bank One/JPMC, respectively. He began his career in consulting with Arthur Andersen Accenture, working across industries with 100 companies over the course of a decade. He is passionate about leadership and culture, and teaches part time on the topic at Ohio University.

S3-Ep4: Deloitte’s Dean Explains Why Your Old Leadership Style Doesn’t Work Anymore

Guests: Gill Hickman, Jepson School of Leadership Studies Professor Emerita; Jorrit Volkers, dean of Deloitte University EMEA; and Cynthia Cherrey, CEO of the International Leadership Association
“CEO clashes with their own corporate culture.” That’s the subtext of business headlines at least once a week. What’s going on?
Simply put: they’re sticking with their old leadership styles, even though the world – and their own organization – has changed around them. The solution is simple: change…and change quicky.
That’s the underlying message for our guests, as Gill, Jorrit, and Cynthia talk with host Maureen Metcalf about their own research, and how it’s important to blend today’s latest leadership theories with practical, proven leadership techniques. Generational and societal changes are happening too rapidly; leaders can’t simply “wait it out” if they want success. Listen in for the details!
Produced in partnership with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org .
Other episodes you'll enjoy:
How Leaders Thrive through Rapid Change with film director Chris Nolan and producer Mike Schindler
Change, Risk, Diversity: The Pillars of Modern Leadership with Hilton Senior Vice President Shruti Gandhi Buckley
Leadership 2050: Two Experts Uncover How to Become Tomorrow’s Leader, Today with futurist Susan Cannon and consultant Mike Morrow-Fox
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
She’s also written several award-winning books on leadership development. You can peruse and purchase them here. 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller, the Man Who Created Nancy by Bill Griffith
The Five Lost Superpowers: Why We Lost Them & How to Get Them Back by John Reid, et al
The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Adaptable Support: Jenna Reik & Mike Morrow-Fox
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
Twitter: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guest:  
Gill Robinson Hickman is Professor of Leadership Studies Emerita at Jepson School of Leadership studies and winner of the 2016 ILA lifetime achievement award. Compelling common purpose would be three words at the core of Gill’s institution building work in leadership studies, her life and her research. As one of the inaugural faculty members of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies, one of the first institutions in the world with a multidisciplinary faculty devoted to the study of leadership, Gill joined forces with her colleagues to build a leadership studies program from the ground up. She published Leading Change in Multiple Contexts which has become a standard in a field that has experienced incredible growth since those first Jepson faculty gathered with their compelling common purpose more than 20 years ago. She grew up as a black woman in Birmingham, Alabama during the Civil Rights era where she experienced the power of people coming together in common cause.
 
Jorrit Volkers is Dean of Deloitte University Europe Middle East Africa (DU EMEA), one of the world’s largest consulting firms, Deloitte. DU EMEA designs and delivers a world-class curriculum to develop Deloitte practitioners as trusted business advisors and leaders. Its vision, which Volkers himself exemplifies is to “have a ‘game-changing’ impact on clients and people, and add value to every member firm by embedding a unified culture across borders, functions and levels.” With only four years of operations, under Volkers’ leadership, DU EMEA has already offered professional and leadership programs to nearly 18,000 participants. The mission is to develop the Deloitte culture, develop skills to serve clients better and develop people. At the heart of the curriculum is the global leader framework and the seven core competencies Deloitte leaders need: living the purpose, influence, performance drive, strategic direction, talent development, competitive edge and inspirational leadership.

S10-Ep33: Innovation Insights: Amazon Executives Share How They Deliver the Future

Guests: Amazon Vice-Presidents Udit Madan (Worldwide Operations), Jamil Ghani (Worldwide Prime), & Sarah Rhoads (Workplace Health & Safety)
Answer honestly: can you innovate? Most organizations can – but their leaders won’t. Fear of change is often cited, but the reality is they don’t know how.
 
Amazon’s success is predicated on constant innovation, so leaders there have deeply embedded it into their business culture. In this episode, we hear from three high-level Amazon executives, each one encouraging innovative mindsets in different ways. They reveal their teams’ latest innovations, and their own leadership philosophies that keep their teams on the cutting edge.
Here's what Udit, Jamil, Sarah and host Maureen Metcalf cover:
The secret sauce behind all Amazon initiatives: constant customer-back thinking;
How Prime uses AI to make shopping easier for those customers; and
The Six Pillars that fuel the goal of making Amazon the safest place to work on the planet.
Do a deeper dive on Amazon leadership with these interviews:
To Err Is to Innovate with Beryl Tomay, Amazon VP of Last Mile Delivery & Technology
Four Key Lessons on Trust & Safety from Amazon’s Head of Family Trust with Catherine Teitelbaum
Putting People First with AI with Dave Levy, VP of Amazon Web Services WWPS
How Moonshots & Robots Put Packages on Your Porch with Steve Armato, VP of Middle Mile & Tech at Amazon
For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re onTikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!
 
RESOURCES:  
Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here. 
 
Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at  https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.
 
Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here. 
 
Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:
Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work by Ancestry CEO Deb Liu, on how to overcome the obstacles women still face in the workplace – especially in tech. It’s in hardback at https://amzn.to/47OUO9E, and audio at https://amzn.to/3Y6EmOQ.
Covert Cows and Chick-fil-A by Steve Robinson; it’s available in hardback at https://amzn.to/460LnmQ, on Kindle at https://amzn.to/3RVXhZs, and as an audiobook at https://amzn.to/3xPjBgn.
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Paperback = https://amzn.to/3VEl7cU, Kindle = https://amzn.to/45JGm1L, and audiobook = https://amzn.to/3RPhC2y
Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
 
NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.
 
-----------------------  
OUR PODCAST TEAM:  
Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf
Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko
Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko
Eternally Irreplaceable by AI: Jenna Reik
Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.
CONNECT WITH US: 
YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership 
Threads: @innovativeleaders
X/Twitter/Whatever New Name It Has This Week: @IL_Institute 
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2 
Instagram: @innovativeleader 
TikTok: @innovativeleadership
Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com 
 
Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating! 
-----------------------  
About Our Guests:  
Udit Madan, VP of Worldwide Operations, oversees fulfillment, transportation, and last-mile delivery operations. Udit joined Amazon in 2008 as a Software Development Engineer, building technology to automate and scale the company’s fulfillment network. Over the years, he has led numerous R&D initiatives, introducing robotics and automated control systems. In 2015, he transitioned to the Last Mile Technology team, where he developed key programs for Amazon’s delivery services. Udit also played a crucial role in Amazon’s COVID-19 operations response. He earned degrees in Computer Science and Economics from the University of Texas and was born and raised in India before moving to the U.S. in 2004.
 
Jamil Ghani, VP of Worldwide Prime, leads Amazon Prime globally, overseeing product, technology, marketing, decision science, operations, and finance teams that drive the membership’s growth and success. Under his leadership, Prime membership has tripled, and per-member spending has doubled, with new benefits added across categories such as healthcare, grocery, and food delivery. Before joining Amazon in 2017, Jamil was Senior Vice President of Enterprise Strategy, Digital & Innovation at Target, where he played a key role in revitalizing Target.com and launching new customer experiences. Jamil also held leadership roles at The Walt Disney Company, General Mills, and The Boston Consulting Group. He holds a BA in Economics and Computer Science from Harvard College and an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was named a Baker Scholar.
 
Sarah Rhoads, VP of Workplace Health & Safety, oversees Amazon’s global health and safety programs, managing a team of over 9,000 professionals dedicated to the well-being of more than 1 million employees. Sarah joined Amazon in 2011 as an Operations Manager and has since held various leadership roles, including Director of Amazon Air. In her role at Amazon Air, she built the company’s air-haul network from scratch, growing it into a global operation with nearly 100 aircraft. A former U.S. Navy fighter pilot, Sarah flew F/A-18 jets and completed over 250 carrier landings. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a Master’s in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.