Meet The Leader

Last year, Ingka Group, the parent company for big retailer IKEA, reached near gender balance in leadership. This transformation did not come overnight and HR chief Ulrika Biesèrt discusses the mindset shifts and tangible changes in everything from hiring to development that helped make this possible for the 80-year-old company. Biesèrt also shares her own leadership journey, one that includes 27 years at IKEA and roles in every part of the company, including logistics, product development and retail. She explains how that breadth and depth shapes how she leads -- while also sharing the advice her mother gave her at the beginning of her career that has helped her get her voice heard.  Interview recorded Spring 2024.  Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/mserdr8z To learn more:  Global Gender Gap: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/ Related podcasts: 9 leaders from Microsoft, IKEA and more share advice for new grads: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/9-leaders-share-advice-for-new-grads-2024/ Ingka Group's Jesper Brodin: The talent crisis you’re not talking enough about: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ingka-holding-jesper-brodin-refugees-hiring/  

Unsafe, costly transit contributes to everything from wealth and equity gaps to pollution. But as cities grapple with growing populations, shifting needs, technological advancement and the energy transition, we’re approaching a moment of reinvention that could lead to positive change if planned correctly. Benjamin de la Peña, the CEO of the Shared-Use Mobility Center breaks down the incentives and strategies that could drive more climate-ready, equitable, safe and affordable transportation. He also discusses the importance of systems thinking and planning that factors in the generations to come -- thinking that can help any leader make big change happen. 

Daphne Koller is an AI pioneer, MacArthur fellow, member of the National Academy of sciences and the founder and CEO of drug discovery and development company insitro. She’ll talk about how attitudes surrounding AI have evolved in her multi-decade career and what's ahead - including how technology is reshaping drug discovery, paving the way for more targeted treatments for the patients who can benefit most. But maximizing AI-powered innovation will depend on better investments in data aggregation, quality and collection and navigating hype cycles that can distract from real impact.  This academic-turned-entrepreneur will also share how founding insitro (and a previous company, Coursera) helped her expand her leadership and management skills, all while driving home the importance of shaping a company culture. At insitro, this focus building a culture that works for unique needs led to a special ‘helix’ inspired-structure that helps discovery biologists, automation engineers and others in the company's cross-functional teams keep communication flowing, problem solve, and prevent the siloes that can hold true innovation back.  Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/daphne-koller-insitro-AI-soft-skills Insitro: https://www.insitro.com/ Top Ten Technologies of 2024: https://www.weforum.org/publications/top-10-emerging-technologies-2024/

Gaps in the design of everything from AI to pharmaceuticals lead to everything from safety risk to poor health outcomes. Nigina Muntean, the chief of innovation at the United Nations Population Fund, is looking to fix this, making research and design more inclusive for everyone. Her agency launched the Equity 2030 Alliance last year bringing together leaders in tech and pharma and other sectors to share best practices. Its experts in academia, government and business come together to help advocate for new standards in equitable investment, and to champion more gender-inclusive approaches to tech and design. The group is coming upon its first year anniversary which it celebrated during this year's UN General Assembly Week in New York City. Nigina is also a former physician and a public health expert who understands how investments in research and design impact the lives of everyday people, especially those with the least resources. She shares her first-hand perspectives on what’s needed tackle bias in design and what any leader should keep in mind. More about this episode:  2030 Equity Alliance: https://www.unfpa.org/equity-2030-alliance 2024 World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-gender-gap-report-2024/ 2024 Sustainable Development Impact Meetings: https://www.weforum.org/events/sustainable-development-impact-meetings-2024/ Related podcasts: Cyber has a skills gap. How approaches to tech, hiring – and retaining women - can help: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/petra-jenner-splunk-cyber-skills-gap/ Build a culture of innovation: HPE's CTO shares what must be in place: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/fidelma-russo-innovation-cto/      

After the pandemic, Tiya Gordon realized the next global crisis would be climate based. To that end, she’s co-founded It’s Electric, a curbside solution that takes power from buildings, sidestepping the currently time-consuming permitting and installation process that slows the growth of charging stations in cities around the world. She shares how her design background has helped her be clear-eyed on objectives, identify fresh approaches and break down stubborn barriers, all to speed the change needed for the energy transition.  To learn more: Guest: https://www.itselectric.us/Report: Scaling Investment in EV Charging: A Policy Roadmap for Cities Related podcasts: An energy company is building the world's largest airplane. Here's why: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/mark-lundstrom-radia-climate-change/ 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/top-innovator-strategies-tactics/

Jeremy Allaire is the co-founder and CEO of Circle, a global financial technology firm that operates one of the largest dollar digital currency payment systems in the world -- USDC. Stablecoin is already seeing billions of digital dollars in economic activity and he talks about what we can expect next, including emerging applications for humanitarian aid. He’ll talk about Circle’s special partnership with the refugee agency UNHCR, and how new approaches for social impact could be more and more important as political strife and climate change drive up the numbers of unbanked around the world.  Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/jeremy-allaire-circle-stablecoin-unhcr More about this episode: Circle: https://www.circle.com/en/usdc

Ty Wiggins coaches leaders during the hardest moment in their careers – the shift from mere mortal to CEO. He drives the CEO and executive transition practice at consultancy Russell Reynolds and has had a backstage pass to what works (and what doesn’t) in the top role. He’s put what he’s leaned into a new book, The New CEO, and in this wide-ranging interview, he shares tactical advice that can help any leader adjust, from what to do in the first 100 days, how to get more honest feedback from your team, common pitfalls to avoid, the traits effective leaders must develop and how leaders can adjust to a new reality where your words have outsized impact and few people tell you “no.” Related links:  The New CEO: https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/microsite/the-new-ceo

Fidelma Russo is the Chief Technology Officer of Hewlett Packard Enterprise running of team of 5,500 innovators driving everything from hybrid cloud technologies to solutions for the future. She brings 30 years of experience as a technologist to the role and shares the tactical strategies that leaders can deploy to support innovation, from tangible ways to invest in experimentation to methods that promote next-level research while breaking down siloes and driving cross-team collaboration.   Related episodes:  This simple question helped Amazon teams get future ready: AWS AI and data chief: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/ai-jobs-aws-amazon-swami-sivasubramanian/ This simple framework can drive disruptive innovation: Qualcomm's Cristiano Amon: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/qualcomm-cristiano-amon-innovation/ 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/top-innovator-strategies-tactics/

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is powered by 17 million volunteers in 191 counties.. At its helm is Jagan Chapagain, a man who started himself at the organization as a teenaged volunteer in Nepal, wanting to do good. He returned after college and has been with the organization ever since, eventually serving in a number of leadership roles until he was appointed to his current position of chief executive officer and secretary general in February 2020. In this wide-ranging conversation, he sets the stage for humanitarian challenges the world faces, as well as how the IFRC is developing solutions to prevent the next crisis from occurring. He'll also share a first-of-its-kind for the humanitarian sector -- an  insurance solution that can transform disaster preparedness and resilience. But he'll also share what any organization can learn from the IFRC on engaging and motivating teams -- and the simple lessons any leader can keep in mind. Transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/jagan-chapagain-red-cross-red-crescent-disaster-insurance To learn more about IFRC: https://www.ifrc.org/ To learn more about IFRC-DERF insurance: https://www.ifrc.org/happening-now/emergency-appeals/disaster-response-emergency-fund-dref/dref-insurance Other related podcasts: Helping the unprecedented number of forcibly displaced: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/kelly-clements-unhcr-refugee/ What COVID taught one epidemiologist about speaking to build trust, without jargon: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/speak-effectively-takeaways-from-scientist-turned-comms-founder/

As the Chief People Officer for global chipmaker Intel, Christy Pambianchi does more than drive hiring, organizational design or people development. As innovations cycles turn at faster and faster clips, she keeps an eye on how technology will reshape work for her teams and how they can stay one step ahead. She shared the importance of building in-company "skills economies", where individuals are empowered to tap into resources to drive innovation, learn new functions, or ready themselves for leadership positions. She shares programs that help expose workers to new tech, like AI, and how a future-ready approach to skilling can help bridge future labor shortages while helping to tackle big challenges.  To learn more: This episode's transcript: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/christy-pambianchi-intel-ai-jobs-reskilling Intel's Responsible AI Principles: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/artificial-intelligence/responsible-ai-principles.html World Economic Forum Future of Jobs report: Report link: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/ Intel: Intel.com Related podcasts: 9 leaders from Microsoft, IKEA and more share advice for new grads: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/9-leaders-share-advice-for-new-grads-2024/ Davos 2024: A conversation with Pat Gelsinger: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/davos-2024-intel-pat-gelsinger-semiconductor/ 7 top innovators share strategies that drive cutting edge solutions: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/meet-the-leader/episodes/top-innovator-strategies-tactics/