Strategy Unscripted

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Simon Athlan — Global Strategy Director at Ogilvy UK and former Senior Director of Brand Strategy at Jellyfish — shares how he helps global brands like Dove and TRESemmé find a clear path from business problem to cultural relevance. With experience across Allianz, Neutrogena, Chanel and more, Simon bridges classic brand strategy with the realities of social platforms, rapid trends and generative AI.In this conversation, you’ll learn how he: ✅ Translates corporate business problems into sharp, human tensions that people actually care about ✅ Balances long-term brand consistency with the “lots of littles” content reality of social platforms ✅ Uses world-building and star stories to keep campaigns coherent while culture moves at speed ✅ Applies GenAI as a strategic tool (not a crutch), including treating agents as a new type of audience🎧 For senior leaders rethinking how strategy, creativity and AI come together at scale, this episode offers practical lenses you can apply across any large organisation!

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Russell Longmuir — CEO at EFQM and former consulting leader at IBM, KPMG and PwC — shares a candid look at transforming an organisation while operating under real-world constraints. From shifting EFQM to a direct go-to-market, to digitising decades of assessment data, Russell explains how a small, distributed team scaled globally without external equity or debt.In this conversation, you’ll learn how he:✅ Defined four non-negotiable pillars (product quality, digitisation, brand control, extended customer relationships) and stuck to them amid daily firefighting✅ Balanced surging demand with funding limits by sequencing bets and raising quality across a hybrid workforce operating in 25 languages✅ Replaced partner-led distribution with customer proximity to drive growth (including major gains in the Middle East)✅ Combines evidence-based benchmarking with emerging agentic AI while protecting human judgement and capability development

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Apoorva Kumar — Senior Director RGM Transformation at PepsiCo and former transformation leader at Haleon (GSK Consumer Healthcare) — shares hard-won lessons from two decades leading commercial change across FMCG and healthcare.  Having led large-scale change in revenue growth management and trade promotion, Apoorva unpacks how culture, clarity, and cadence turn high-level strategies into measurable outcomes across commercial transformations.In this conversation, you’ll learn how he turns strategy into results and why sequencing change, ways of working and technology is critical in high-velocity FMCG. He shared insights on:✅ The TPM “triangle”: change management, standard ways of working, and right-timed tech✅ Converting global intent into local KPIs without losing autonomy✅ When to pause or pivot transformation based on early indicators✅ Contextualising AI on proprietary data while preserving human decision-makingTune in for deeper insights that matter to senior leaders → [link]

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Mark Stone — award-winning Brand Consultant, University Lecturer, and founder of Strategy Stone — shares insights from over 20 years of building and advising brands across sectors from pharmaceuticals and finance to technology and consumer goods.Having led strategy for brands at agencies including Ogilvy, Wolff Olins, Mother, and BBDO, and worked directly with global brands such as DHL, Google, Nike, and KPMG, Mark brings a unique perspective on the intersection of brand and corporate strategy.We explore practical lessons on how senior leaders can integrate brand thinking into strategic planning, ensuring it drives measurable business value rather than sitting on the sidelines. In this conversation, you’ll learn how he: ✅ Aligns business and brand objectives using frameworks such as cascade goals ✅ Helps organisations overcome silos and build unified strategy execution ✅ Demonstrates the cultural impact of brand strategy on employees and customers ✅ Utilises brand valuation methods to identify areas of opportunity

In this episode of Unscripted, we sit down with Mark Servodidio, CEO of PGP Solutions, for an in-depth conversation about his dynamic career and the importance of aligning human capital with strategy execution. With a rich background spanning human resources and general management at industry giants like PepsiCo, Nabisco, and Avis Budget Group, Mark shares how leadership, culture, and operational excellence drive sustainable success.🎙 🚀Mark walks us through his journey of transforming organisations by focusing on people, strategy, and customer-centricity. From revitalising Avis Budget Group’s customer experience, significantly boosting its Net Promoter Scores across Europe, to launching his own venture, Mark discusses the critical role of engaging frontline employees and fostering a culture of inclusivity and respect. He also delves into the evolving landscape of business leadership, highlighting the unique challenges faced today in an increasingly fast-paced, complex, and AI-driven world.Key Insights from the Conversation:💡 Human capital is central to strategy execution. Leaders must ensure people are ready and capable to deliver the strategy, bridging gaps between the vision and the everyday tasks that drive success.💡 Spending time with frontline employees accelerates success. Mark emphasises the importance of understanding the challenges at the customer touchpoints and connecting those experiences to broader business objectives.💡 Leadership requires simplicity in communication. Breaking down complex challenges into manageable components and making them clear for employees is key to delivering results and gaining their discretionary effort.💡 Building culture and credibility is essential for driving change. Mark’s ability to influence culture—especially in a large, established organisation—helped transform Avis Budget Group’s customer service, drastically increasing Net Promoter Scores across Europe.💡 AI must be embraced for future success. Mark encourages businesses to lean into AI, using it to enhance existing processes and creating an opportunity for growth and innovation.Whether you’re leading a global organisation or looking to improve team alignment, Mark’s experiences offer valuable lessons on breaking down barriers to success and creating strategic, human-driven solutions.🎧Tune in to hear Mark’s strategic insights on leadership, human capital, and driving results in an ever-evolving business world.

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Srulik Dvorsky — Co-founder & CEO of TailorMed — unpacks how a purpose-driven healthtech company tackles “financial toxicity” and improves access to care. Based in New York and originally from Israel, Srulik explains TailorMed’s journey from a focused affordability solution to a growing network across providers, pharmacies and pharma, supporting patients through complex medical journeys.In this conversation, you’ll learn how he:✅ Starts small to de-risk, prove value, and earn expansion (from early pilots to enterprise roll-outs)✅ Aligns vision, strategy, and execution using high-touch customer engagement and clear operating cadences✅ Applies AI across engineering, services, and product (including a co-pilot for advocates) to increase throughput✅ Uses horizon thinking to protect the core while extending into new barriers beyond affordabilityTune in for deeper insights!

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Rikki Douglas — Managing Director at Quorum Technologies and Industrial Advisory Board Member at Lancaster University School of Engineering — shares insights from more than 20 years of leadership across defence, nuclear, maritime, and now advanced manufacturing. At Quorum, she leads a global specialist business in sample preparation for electron microscopy, serving universities, OEMs, and high-tech industries worldwide.We explore practical lessons on leading strategy in both large corporates and SMEs, and how to sustain growth in volatile markets. In this conversation, you’ll learn how she:✅ Builds strategy and accountability in a fast-moving SME environment✅ Balances focus with agility to pursue new markets from cryo to batteries✅ Embeds a culture where teams feel empowered to execute and deliver✅ Manages global partnerships and distribution without diluting strategy🎧 For senior leaders navigating scale, market volatility, and strategic execution, this episode offers direct lessons in resilience and growth

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Andy Wilkins — Futurist, Programme Director at Imperial College Business School, Visiting Lecturer at UCL, and Founder of Future of Health — maps a practical path from product-centric thinking to systemic innovation. Drawing on leadership experience across BT, strategy consulting and health policy, Andy explains how senior leaders can move from value extraction to value exchange and align strategy, operations and partners around what customers are truly trying to achieve.In this conversation, you’ll learn how he:✅ Applies Jobs-to-Be-Done to define value and guide strategy beyond the product✅ Uses the Three Horizons to bridge today’s constraints to a bolder future state✅ Orchestrates cross-silo collaboration using “cells-to-cities” and life-course models (start well, live well, age well, die well)✅ Positions emerging tech (AI, data, platforms) to serve outcomes, not old incentives🎧 Tune in for deeper insights that matter to senior leaders — actionable methods to align complex organisations and ecosystems for measurable results.

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Mark Preston — Director of Technology Integration at Oxa, Motorsport Director at Lola Cars, former F1 Technical Director at McLaren, Super Aguri, and Arrows, and the most successful Team Principal in Formula E history.Mark shares practical lessons on leading high-performance teams, balancing short-term delivery with long-term strategy, and applying motorsport discipline to complex industries. Drawing on an Oxford MBA and three decades at the frontier of racing and autonomy, he reframes leadership as an evidence-led operating system.We explore how to:✅ Embed knowledge and standards so organisations stop “oscillating” and compound capability✅ Balance exploration vs. exploitation with timeboxing, sprints, and clear release cadences✅ Use clusters, marginal gains, and reliability systems to move KPIs on a positive gradient✅ Apply scenario planning and Pareto thinking to allocate scarce resources under shifting rules🎧 Senior leaders in complex, distributed businesses will find practical, transferable models for execution at scale — from premortems to post-race learning loops — and foresight on where AI, simulation, and autonomy reshape advantage.Tune in for a rich conversation on how to navigate complexity, align global teams, and stay laser-focused on customer value in a world of constant change.#StrategyInAction #StrategyUnscripted #OXA #LolaCars

In this episode of Strategy Unscripted, Saasha Celestial-One, Co-Founder and COO of Olio, unpacks her journey from Stanford MBA and McKinsey consultant to leading a scale-up tackling food waste in 62 countries. Before founding Olio, Saasha built her expertise in strategy and business development at Morgan Stanley, McKinsey, and American Express. Today she leads a fully remote team of 60, supported by 150,000 volunteers and 8.5 million users who have collectively shared 120 million meals.We explore practical lessons for leaders managing complexity, building networks, and financing growth.In this conversation, you’ll learn how she:✅ Uses strategy frameworks and evidence-led decision making to prioritise at pace✅ Builds volunteer-powered operations that scale without traditional overhead✅ Aligns distributed teams through quarterly objectives and values-led governance✅ Structures funding to milestones and reallocates resources in shifting marketsFor senior executives balancing purpose with performance, this episode is a must listen!