Learnings from Leaders: the P&G Alumni Podcast

Latest Episodes:

JOHN SMALE: John Pepper & David Taylor’s reflections on P&G’s former CEO Oct 30, 2022

Show notes

“We learn from stories of character. How to live making decisions, caring for people, and carrying out the responsibility of a corporation, which John Smale perceived way before others.”

For this month’s podcasts, we'll be hearing reflections from leaders on John Smale, P&G's former Chairman & CEO, who led P&G from 1981-1990, and served as General Motors’ Chairman from 1992-1995. These conversions are in honor o f the new book "Here Forever: The Timeless Impact of John Smale on Procter & Gamble, General Motors, and the Purpose and Practice of Business" (by Rob Garver), available now.

While John Smale passed away in 2011 - he is arguably one the most influential leaders of the modern era, growing P&G more than six-fold in his tenure. And yet, Smale is largely unknown to many leaders guiding American and global businesses today. John's leadership in developing a vision for corporate purpose was decades ahead of its time. This was a book years in the making by not just the author, but many of some of the biggest leaders in business.

John Pepper and David Taylor — two of P&G's former Chairmen & CEO - sat down with Dorion Positano on P&G's More Than Soap podcast (GetMoreThanSoap.com). Both David Taylor and John Pepper have a lot to share about the purpose-inspired, caring, yet demanding and principled leader that was John Smale.

“Here Forever” is a compelling and insightful read we’d highly recommend, and will make a great holiday gift for the admired, or aspiring leaders in your life. Pick up a copy wherever you get your favorite books

Johnsmalehereforever.com
goodreads.com/book/show/62350265-here-forever
amazon.com/Here-Forever-Timeless-Practice-Business/dp/1667864068
/bookshop.org/p/books/here-forever-the-timeless-impact-of-john-smale-on-procter-gamble-general-motors-and-the-purpose-and-practice-of-business/18846027?ean=9781667863818

Jim Lafferty on making mistakes, and owning them. Oct 23, 2022

Show notes

“We live in a world of massaging perceptions. It's okay to make a mistake, but the second time you have to learn from these things.”

James Michael Lafferty is a returning guest to the podcast — rejoining us for an open and honest conversation about making mistakes, and owning up to them. Jim is the CEO of Fine Hygienic Holding - a leading CPG company across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, and USA - as well as an accomplished writer, coach, and athlete. Jim is an internationally-tenured leader whose career spans 3 decades and 5 continents. Jim served as CEO of British American Tobacco in the Philippines and Coca-Cola in Nigeria. He led a distinguished 24-year career at P&G, leading the company in both the Philippines and Poland, rising through the ranks in senior roles across Western Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. Beyond being a dedicated husband and father of 5, Jim is also an accomplished coach and athlete - serving as a Coach of the Philippines Olympic Athletics team at the 2016 Rio Games, having run 30+ marathons, and was the 2017 Philippines National Champion in Powerlifting. Jim’s consulted with numerous Fortune 500 companies, and his many talks and lessons have inspired brand managers around the world. He currently lives in the United Arab Emirates. In a world of projections, you’ll appreciate Jim’s vulnerabile, candid conversation.

Edward Norton - Actor, Director, Entrepreneur (from P&G’s “More Than Soap” Podcast) Oct 16, 2022

Show notes

"What gets made gets affected by the quality of the insights."

Edward Norton is an actor, filmmaker, and activist. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards for his work in Primal Fear, American History X, and Birdman and has starred in several other acclaimed films including Fight Club, The Illusionist, and Moonrise Kingdom. Edward is also a UN Ambassador for Biodiversity, a successful investor (Uber, CrowdRise, and Kensho — acquired by SAP for $550 million), and deeply involved in wilderness conservation. In 2015, Edward co-founded EDO with PhD economist, poet, and entrepreneur Daniel Nadler. EDO is a leading TV outcomes company that works with top brands, networks, and Hollywood studios — from AT&T and Disney, to Univision, and of course P&G — using cutting edge data science to predictively power the success of marketing, research, and creative professionals. In a candid conversation ranging from David Bowie to data science, you’ll enjoy hearing about stretching your limits beyond what’s expected of you — across many paths of creativity, business, and entrepreneurship. If you're ever driven to do something more than your day job, or what the world expects of you - AND you happen to be a bit of a nerd about marketing and tech - this is the podcast episode for you.

But Edward Norton is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com

Judy Okten: The Power of Disconnecting Oct 09, 2022

Show notes

“From the moment we wake up to going to bed, we spend a lot of time consuming. But If you are consuming all day, you are not creating. We need to turn down the noise.”

This week we’re sharing a talk on “The Power of Disconnecting in the Digital Era” by P&G Alumni Judy Okten - given at P&G Alumni Global Conference Madrid in 2019. It’s a topic that’s becoming more relevant as we become more and more connected every day. Judy Okten is the Co-Founder & CEO of Burgeon Labs, a science-based learning company. that empowers healthcare practitioners and innovators to develop the most effective solutions to preventative and personalized medicine through data science. Judy is also the Co-founder of Vitality Food Lab where she launched BonJu, the first fresh green smoothie brand in Switzerland to make it easier for busy people to eat healthy. And of course Judy spent a large part of her career @ P&G - leading marketing teams in Geneva and Toronto - across haircare and homecare brands. She also spent 4 years in brand management @ KAO Brands in Canada, and 2 years as a business analyst at CIBC. The message of finding more space to create - not just consume - is of particular relevance, now more than ever.

Every 2 years the P&G Alumni Network convenes top thought leaders from the Alumni Community and beyond. The next one will be in Washington DC in 2023, so make sure you're signed up for updates on pgalums.com - and all of the P&G Alumni Network's social channels so you're the first to know. Got a reco for a future speaker or guest? Be sure to send us a note - pgalumpod@gmail.com.

Kyle Schlegel, Weber’s VP Americas Marketing & DTC Oct 02, 2022

Show notes

“When you meet resistance - teach. Because one of you doesn't have the context that the other one has. Rather than debate and clash - better to explain why it is.”

Kyle Schlegel, is Weber Inc’s VP of Americas Marketing and Direct-to-Consumer - where he helps bring to life the most innovative, legendary grills in the world. Prior to Weber, Kyle spent three years at Louisville Slugger before its acquisition by Wilson Sporting Goods, where he then led all marketing strategy and execution across the Wilson Racquet Sports portfolio, the #1 iconic name in tennis. And Kyle spent thirteen years at P&G in brand management on brands like Herbal Essences, Old Spice, Aussie, and Wella. Kyle is also the recipient of the CMO Club’s Rising Star Award and AdAge’s 40 Under 40. Kyle now lives just outside of Chicago with his wife, daughter, and pub. While sports plays a different role in life today, Schlegel still fits it in wherever he can among other priorities in life, such as friends, family, faith and serving others. You’ll enjoy this candid, vulnerable, and insightful conversation about Kyle’s journey from Kentucky farmboy to Chicago professional.

Paul Polman, Unilever xCEO on being “Net Positive” Sep 25, 2022

Show notes

“Business cannot sit on the sidelines — we're not moving at the scale and speed needed, we as industry leaders have an enormous responsibility to drive these tipping points.”

Paul Polman, one of our most prominent and vocal P&G Alumni, who also happens to be the former CEO of Unilever. In this talk from 2021 P&G Alumni Global Conference Paul talks about "Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take" - a recent book he co-authored, the Financial Times named among the Best Business Books of 2021. The Financial Times declared Paul "a standout CEO of the past decade” - as he is a leading proponent that business should be a force for good. And the Economist declared Paul "An advocate of sustainable capitalism explains how it's done."

Paul Polman is the co-founder of IMAGINE, where he is mobilizing businesses to tackle climate change and global inequality. Paul also served as the CEO of Unilever from 2009-2018, where he created - and proved- a long-term approach to global problems can also drive business performance. Prior to Unilever, he was Nestle’s CFO & Head of Americas. And of course, Paul got his start at P&G, where he spent 27 years rising through the ranks ultimately leading Europe for P&G. Paul continues to be active on the world stage, bridging the private/public sectors. Alongside the UN Secretary General, he helped develop the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Paul is chair of the International Chamber of Commerce, The B Team, Saïd Business School and Vice-Chair of the UN Global Compact. You'll enjoy this very frank, compelling, and action oriented talk about what we can all be doing as business and community leaders — to face the challenges we have in front of us, and be a force for good.

Paul’s past P&G Alumni Podcast appearance: https://apple.co/3eI5PSR
BOOK: Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take - goodreads.com/book/show/58090463-net-positive

Alonya Tkachenko, Nommi CEO & Co-founder (Leaders Under 40) Sep 18, 2022

Show notes

“That was the moment I realized that if you're able to articulate complex things in a very simple language, that's the ultimate goal – in arts, in literature, in business.”

Alyona Tkachenko is the CEO and cofounder of Nommi, a mobile WiFi hotspot that provides LTE data in over 100 countries. She also serves as the VP of Global Markets at Sergek Development. Prior to founding Nommi, Alyona was the head of marketing for Love to Code, a coding school for children in Kazakhstan. Alyona started her career at Procter & Gamble, working in CMK for sales and eCommerce. Alyona is a Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 for Consumer Technology and also a P&G Alumni Network’s Leader Under 40. She continues to focus on improving the quality of Computer Science education and digital literacy of Kazakhstani school children through the NGO StudyCS. Alyona graduated with a degree in Business Administration from Kazakh State University. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about doing what feels right in the moment, and owning those decisions for success.

David Youn, Master Lock, President Sep 11, 2022

Show notes

“Diversity is almost synonymous with humanity — our communities and companies should reflect that diversity of the rest of the world to make impactful change.”

David Youn is President of Master Lock, the 100-year-old American company that is the leader in manufacturing & sales of locks, safes, and commercial security equipment. David started as a management consultant but learned that he enjoyed running businesses more than analyzing them. From entrepreneurship to corporate, from P&G’s brands of Tampax to Pampers, and from living in the U.S. to an expat in Korea working for Samsung, David’s journey is a testament to his motto of moving constantly and living boldly.

At the helm of Master Lock, David has delivered all time records in sales & profit and throughout his career has maintained a focus on people through mentorship and teaching. Not surprisingly, David also has a diverse range of hobbies, from being a pilot, to music, to being a dance instructor and he holds 2 degrees: a BA in Political Science from Stanford and an MBA from Northwestern. David’s wife is also a P&G alum and his son is a competitive swimmer and Rubik’s Cuber. As a proud Korean-American, you may find David watching K-drama. You’ll enjoy this great conversation about how our upbringings affect our work and life choices, taking a non-traditional career path by moving around and living boldly and the importance of finding commonalities amongst each other, in any situation.

Tom Asacker, P&G Trainer & Author (from P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast) Sep 04, 2022

Show notes

“Leaders must define the vision of how the world could exist — based on values, ideas, imagination — and driven by love for your people and passion for possibility.”

Tom Asacker is a longstanding strategist, speaker, and trainer — well known to many P&G executives. Tom is a writer, former GE executive, past owner of a high precision electronics firm and Founder & CEO of a medical device company. Tom holds medical patents and product design awards - and is recognized by Inc Magazine, MIT, and YE’s “Birthing of Giants” entrepreneurial executive leadership program. The author of several critically acclaimed books, including “The Business of Belief.” Tom’s a painter, magician, philosopher and screenwriter.

But while Tom IS known to many P&G’ers - he’s not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast - available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast - available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com

John Pepper & Ursula Burns’ Conversation on Race & Understanding Aug 28, 2022

Show notes

“Making improvements is challenging. But we can't give up and we've got to learn how to do it better.”

“Speak, engage, help, be helped. Be part of society. Be an optimist towards the fact that people can change, that people can learn.”

John Pepper, P&G’s former CEO, and Ursula Burns, Xerox’s former CEO, sit down for a candid conversation on race, understanding and our discourse with each other. This is a conversation the two longtime friends have been having for years - alongside many of us. While John needs no introduction to many, Ursula’s impressive career is worth sharing...

Ursula M. Burns is the Retired Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation and VEON Limited — and among the first Black women to become CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Ursula is also a founding partner of Integrum Holdings, Non-Executive Chairman of Teneo Holdings LLC, and the Executive Chairman of Plum Acquisition Corp. At Xerox, Ursula served from 2009-2017, having joined as a summer intern in 1980, after which she rose through the ranks across corporate services, manufacturing and product development. Ursula also serves on several corporate boards, including Uber Technologies, Exxon Mobil, Endeavor Group Holdings, Waystar and Hear.com Ursula’s also involved in leadership counsel for the Ford Foundation, MIT, the Cornell Tech Board, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Mayo Clinic, among others.

From 2009-2016, President Barack Obama appointed Ursula to lead the White House national program on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). Ursula also led the President’s Export Council from 2010 - 2016. In February 2022, Burns joined the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Advisory Council on Supply Chain Competitiveness. Ursula is a mechanical engineering alumni of Columbia University and NYU - and she’s a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the G7 Gender Equity Advisory Council.

Originally recorded on February 25, 2022 - this is an important conversation we hope will make many think and feel more deeply. While each of our guests are part of some great organizations who support the sharing of our views, these are the views of our guests alone. Got ideas for future deep dive topics with past and future guests? Reach out to pgalumpod@gmail.com

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