The Leadership Ledger: Insights from Aflac’s Chief Accounting Officer

In this special episode, celebrating 15 years of the Leading Women Executives program, co-founders Cheryl Francis and Sheila Penrose, along with CEO Deb DeHaas, reflect on their journey in creating impactful leadership programs. Discover the lessons learned, the milestones achieved, and the legacy being built as they continue to inspire a new generation of women leaders. Sponsored by Discover, this episode marks the culmination of our 2024 podcast season, showcasing the power of leadership, collaboration, and resilience. 

In this episode, Deb DeHaas, CEO of Corporate Leadership Center, is joined by Sarah Robb O'Hagan, CEO of EXOS, to explore Sarah’s remarkable personal and professional journey. Sarah shares pivotal moments from her career, including her roles at iconic companies like Nike, Gatorade, and Equinox and how those experiences shaped her leadership philosophy. Together, they discuss the importance of resilience, strategic branding and fostering corporate wellness. Sarah also highlights EXOS’ innovative approach to combating burnout and the value of the four-day workweek in improving employee wellbeing and productivity. This conversation offers inspiring lessons on embracing failure, staying ahead of disruption and leading with vulnerability.

In this episode, we feature LanTing Garra, Senior Director of Innovation and Design at Motorola Solutions and an LWE Fellow from Fall 2016. LanTing discusses her career evolution from Industrial Design to AI-supported end-to-end customer experience design. She shares the challenges she faced and overcame while leading a critical project for the company’s iconic public safety product line. LanTing also talks about influencing change within the company, integrating AI, building a supportive network of colleagues, and ensuring younger team members gain visibility with senior management.  

This episode features a conversation between Lori Nishiura Mackenzie, co-founder of the Stanford VMware Women's Leadership Innovation Lab and faculty member of Leading Women Executives; and Deb DeHaas, CEO, Corporate Leadership Center. Lori and Deb talk about Stanford’s recent research and playbooks around board diversity and culture, along with Deb’s real-life experience and advice across her many years of serving on corporate, nonprofit, and higher education boards. SHOW NOTES: 4:27 The Impact Lab 6:07 Inclusive seats of power 8:24 The importance of focusing on building an inclusive board culture 10:07 Playbooks for Board diversity and culture 16:00 Setting norms with Boards 22:10 Building interpersonal relationships on boards 21:52 Engaging with and across differences 29:48 Defining board culture and looking forward DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation:   What ideas from this discussion can you take back to any Boards you are involved with that could help create a more inclusive Board culture? What other ideas have you seen that work to create cultures of inclusion on Boards? As you think about these playbooks, what might you take from them to also incorporate a stronger culture of inclusion in your teams?  

This episode features Robin Blackmon, Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Aflac.  Robin shares her wonderful, winding journey in Finance and HR that led her to where she is today. You’ll also hear insights on learning from others in big and small ways, the importance of relationships and practice when it comes to boards, and a few tips on wellness and stress management.    SHOW NOTES:  2:41 The goal was not necessarily to end up here  6:11 The value of gaining HR experience to succeed in Finance  10:20 Thoughtful transitions for leadership  11:56 Tips on presenting to the Board  12:42 Having good working relationships with your business partners  16:02 Building out the team and working towards optimization  17:39 Taking care of your own health and wellness     DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:  We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation:    How might you be able to start developing or further cultivate relationships with your Board members?  What are some of the things your peers or team members do in their work that you admire and could incorporate into your own work or style?  How might you be able to strengthen relationships with business partners that are important to you and to your team?  What are ways that you can pay more attention to your health and wellness and to that of your team members? 

This episode features Laura Kohler, Chief Sustainable Living Officer, Kohler. Laura shares insights about the legacy of Kohler and her journey within the company, and Kohler’s culture of innovation, sustainability and purpose. Laura also discusses the importance of re-skilling, the role of technology in sustainability, and how her personal values have played a role in her leadership journey. SHOW NOTES: 1:51: Kohler's Legacy Values: Resilience, Persistence and Innovation 6:49: What started as cast iron farm implements 11:20: The importance of sustainability and DEI as cultural competencies and behaviors 16:33: Innovation and Purpose: People are more than the job they do 20:07: Dealing with roadblocks when building a culture of innovation 22:05: Smart products to serve sustainable living 24:41: The importance of reskilling and a 70-20-10 model 29:48: The thrill and challenge of career pivots DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation:   If you were to further cultivate your own resilience, persistence, and innovation, how might that serve you well in your ongoing leadership journey? What opportunities might exist to further cultivate sustainability and DEI as cultural competencies and individual behaviors in your own organization? Are you leaving money and talent on the table by not fully activating your own team members? What might you do to better activate them? What could you do to foster a culture of innovation in your team and how might you be able to influence that more broadly in your organization? What skills and competencies of your own do you need to update, and what is your plan to do so?  

This episode features Jennifer Montague, President and Chief Operating Officer for Columbia Gas of Virginia. Montague is also a Leading Women Executives Fellow, Fall 2018. Jennifer provides insights about innovation in the energy industry and delivers advice and experience about growing as a leader through taking on P&L roles, smartly planning for technology and people, advantages to working overseas, and creating smart plans for work-life balance.  SHOW NOTES: The importance of P&L experience in carving a pathway to leadership [4:39] Excitement and opportunity in the energy industry [6:21] Building an AI strategy board: digital transformation and preparing for the future [8:35] The importance of not losing critical thinking [10:43] Intentional plans for future leaders [11:57] The benefits of working overseas [14:00] Different ways of balancing work and life [15:37] Managing your derailers and growing as a leader [19:01] Closed mouths don’t get fed (ask for what you want) [22:05] Discussion Questions We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation: How is your organization collectively thinking about, learning about, and working to understand the implications of AI? As you and your team start to leverage AI tools, what are you doing to also continue cultivating the important skill of critical thinking in yourself and within your team? How are you and your organization creating intentional pathways to train and prepare future leaders? What strategies can you share with others about managing derailers when the pressure is on?  

This episode features Deanna Kovar, President, Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division: Small Agriculture & Turf Care, Europe, Africa, and Asia, Deere & Company. Kovar is also a Leading Women Executives Fellow, Spring 2017. This conversation explores the history and evolution of technology and innovation in Deere and Company and shares insights into precision agriculture and how it impacts all of us. Kovar also shares meaningful leadership lessons learned and the necessary adjustments on how to better lead in our rapidly changing world of technology.  SHOW NOTES:  About precision agriculture [10:34]  Autonomous tractors and leveraging technology [14:42]  Innovation at the core of Deere and Company [20:14]  Leading with tech-savvy innovation [26:15]  Data skills necessary in leadership [29:25]  Being intentional in building your network [37:40]  Learning not failing [40:26]  Discussion Questions  We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation:   How are you taking steps to grow your leadership capabilities through understanding technology?  What is something you'd like to do differently at your organization in how you use data to make leadership decisions or recommendations?  When is a moment where a seeming failure turned into an important opportunity?  What is an example where you might adjust how you ask the questions rather than provide the answer to your teams?  What is a priority in how you would like to grow your own network this year?   

In this episode, Kelly Tufts, Vice President, Field Talent at Discover and Leading Women Executives Fellow, Spring 2015, discusses her focus on finding meaningful and impactful ways to lead with purpose. In her role at Discover, Kelly has been integrally involved in the opening of a new contact center in Chatham, a disinvested neighborhood in Chicago. Through this work and other civic roles, Kelly is able to help employees, customers and community members thrive, as well as chart her personal growth as a leader. Kelly also shares how adopting a growth mindset has empowered her to serve as a customer champion, lifelong learner and collaborative connector.   Discussion Questions   We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation: Questions: 1.     How does your organization lead with purpose? 2.     Where might opportunities exist for your organization to take a hyper-local approach and impact local businesses? 3.     What can you get involved with to help you foster a growth mindset?   Highlights: How Discover Leads with Purpose [4:59] Finding Success by Taking a Hyper-Local Approach [9:40] Leadership Requires a Growth Mindset [11:35] Empowering Women through PayTech Women [14:06] Being a Curious, Lifelong Learner [16:46]

In this episode, Jennifer DelVecchio, Senior Director Global Content and Culture at McDonald’s (Leading Women Executives Fellow, Fall 2022), shares her leadership journey, that has allowed her to travel the world while tackling unique and challenging growth opportunities. Throughout these experiences, Jennifer has fostered and developed her creativity as a way to approach new challenges, solve complex problems, and find new ways to connect with others.   Discussion Questions   We encourage you to connect with your peer board, team or colleagues to discuss the podcast. Please use the following questions to guide your conversation: 1.     How might the changing nature of communities impact the future of your organization's business and brand? 2.     Where are opportunities for you to both lead in the moment and also remind your team to be in the moment and not miss the moment? 3.     How have other leaders effectively built followership for the mission they are responsible for pursuing?  4.     How do you spend your time as a leader? Are there ways to change how you spend your time that would make you a more effective leader? 5.     What routines have you seen other leaders use to elevate their leadership impact? Are there routines that you could adopt that would elevate your leadership impact? 6.     What non-negotiables do you need to set for yourself?   HIGHLIGHTS: Meeting the Moment and Not Missing the Moment [7:39] A See and Seize Leadership Style [9:50] The Power of Routines [11:19] Utilizing the Language of Leadership [15:20] Where to Spend Your Time as a Leader [20:16] ROI Can Mean ‘Return on Inspiration’ [22:12] Using the FOAM Method to Craft a Compelling Story [23:48] Tapping into Your Creativity [27:42]