AND is the Future - Making Businesses Sustainable AND Profitable

According to Nobel Prize laureate Jean-Marie Lehn, chemistry isn’t just part of the solution to humanity's biggest challenges: it is the solution! That’s because chemistry can create solutions that do not yet exist. Ilham and Professor Lehn have a fascinating conversation about chemistry and creativity, failure and serendipity in science, and how companies play a crucial role in bringing scientific solutions into the world.

Professor Jean-Marie Lehn is a French chemist known for his groundbreaking synthesis of cryptands, which led to an entirely new field of supramolecular chemistry. In 1987 he won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry with Donald Cram and Charles Pedersen for the “development and use of molecules with structure‐specific interactions of high selectivity”. He is a Professor at the University of Strasbourg Institute of Advanced Study and the Chair of Chemistry of Complex Systems. He is also the Director, Chemistry Laboratory of Molecular Interactions, at the Collège de France.

Timestamps
2:03 - Inspiration from school science teacher
5:40 - Supramolecular chemistry
7:29 - Chemistry: part of the solution
12:03 - A creative science
14:17 - Science, failure and serendipity
17:38 - Companies play an important role
23:40 - Diversity, equity and inclusion in science
26:38 - Love of classical music - and the connection to science
29:11 - Winning the Nobel Prize
30:40 - Chemistry and architecture

Syensqo is proud to partner with the Jean-Marie Lehn Foundation. Through this strategic collaboration, we are working together to achieve breakthroughs in the design of sustainable and ecological materials, and the synthesis of renewable and polyfunctional building blocks.

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

Imagine. Be the change. Inspire - these are the words that Anousheh Ansari had made into a badge for her spacesuit as she became the first Iranian woman to fly into space! They are also the principles that led her to become a successful, sustainable CEO. Anousheh and Ilham have a fascinating conversation about the importance of having big dreams and reaching for the stars, why we need more women in STEM, and what it takes to become a sustainable entrepreneur and leader, and much more. 

Timstamps
1:29 - Childhood, love of stars and inspiration for going to space
6:06 - The importance of education - leading to engineering degree
9:45 - First Iranian Muslim woman to fly to space!
14:46 - Why we need to democratize space travel
20:13 - CEO of XPRIZE
23:52 - Advice for entrepreneurs
27:14 - The importance of having more women in STEM
30:51 - Imagine, be the change, inspire

Anousheh Ansari is an engineer, a highly successful entrepreneur, and the first Iranian and Muslim woman and the first private explorer to travel to space. She is the CEO of the XPRIZE, which aims to accelerate technological breakthroughs that will benefit humanity through the power of large scale public competitions. 

Ansari and her family sponsored XPRIZE’s first venture in 1994: the $10 million Ansari XPRIZE that ignited a new era for commercial spaceflight. She began serving on its Board of Directors and became CEO of XPRIZE in 2018, leading and scaling the foundation to its highest impact period in its history. To date, XPRIZE has launched 30 prizes offering over $500 million in prize purses, hosting over 35,000 innovators from around the world to participate in its competitions.

She is a global presence in future-positive tech markets and a resonant voice for women within STEM, business, and the entrepreneurial industries. 

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

So how does it feel to be part of one of the most sustainable sports? Great, according to Formula E champion, Stoffel Vandoorne! As he explains, Formula E, the driving competition for electric cars, is “really a championship that is on the rise, that is pushing sustainability, electrification and bringing that racing to the cities as well.” 

Stoffel gives an inspiring account of how he prepares physically and mentally for a race, what makes a Formula E car different to drive, what business leaders can learn from his champion mindset, the importance of dreaming big and never giving up, and much more! 

1:16 - Upbringing and inspiration for racing
3:34 - Preparing physically and mentally for a race
7:30 - Formula E: One of the most sustainable sports!
9:26 - The Formula E car - what’s different?
12:12 - Career in racing: focus on the journey
17:03 - What businesses can learn from racing
20:18 - Favorite race track
21:40 - Next big goal
23:06 - Life outside of racing

Stoffel Vandoorne is a Belgian professional racing driver in Formula E, the championship for electric cars. Until July 2024 he was a pilot for the DS Penske team, which Syensqo is proud to sponsor. Vandoorne's racing career started at the age of six, competing in kart championships – and this led him all the way to becoming the champion of the 2015 GP2 Series and winning the 2021–22 Formula E World Championship.

***This podcast was recorded in June 2024, when Stoffel was still with the DS Penske team. We wish him the best in his next adventure! 

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

According to Siddharth Chatterjee, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, "the world needs to unite" to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, "and this is where the role of the private sector becomes absolutely mission critical." Ilham speaks with Siddharth about his incredible work with the United Nations to improve the lives of children, ensure equality for women and girls, promote health and well being, drive progress on all the SDGs….and how businesses can play a key role..

Siddharth has worked tirelessly with the United Nations to protect the most vulnerable. One of his greatest professional achievements was the demobilization of more than 3, 500 children from the conflicts in South Sudan. He is also a health and wellness enthusiast and shares some tips from his own routines!  

Timestamps
1:35 - Childhood and inspiration for humanitarian causes
6:10 - The Sustainable Development Goals: how are we doing?
12:35 - SDG 13 and the climate agenda
18:10 - Fighting for gender equality - SDG 5
22:01 - Demobilization of over 3,500 child soldiers in South Sudan
29:52 - Focus on health and wellness
37:34 - Love of literature

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

It all started when Helen Sharman heard a radio advertisement that said they were looking for an astronaut, no experience required. She applied, beat out 13,000 applicants, and became the first British person to travel to space! Ilham speaks with Helen about her incredible journey from a young chemist to becoming an astronaut; how she had to believe not only in herself but also her team; her love of chemistry and science; and the discipline it took to make her dreams a reality.

In May 1991, Helen traveled to the Mir Space Station and spent eight days orbiting the Earth. The mission, called Project Juno, was a cooperative arrangement and would enable the UK to send one of its people into space for the first time. During her time at the Mir space station, she conducted a variety of experiments including medical and agricultural tests, protein crystal growth and how new materials perform in the environment outside the space station. Since her return from space, Helen has been heavily involved in communicating science and its benefits.

Timestamps
01:40 - Upbringing and love of chemistry
05:24 - Becoming an astronaut
08:23 - Focus on the journey
10:13 - Flying into space
13:58 - Looking down at earth
16:46 - Reliance on her team
19:55 - Not being defined by gender
24:46 - Sustainability in space
31:03 - When will humans get to Mars?
33:56 - Advice for next generation of scientists and explorers
37:40 -  What can businesses learn from space exploration
40:40 - Interest in music
43:17 - Love of nature 

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

According to Andrew Liveris, effective leaders can’t ignore the disruptive era we’re living in; they have got to embrace it. Ilham and Andrew have a fascinating conversation about disruption AND sustainable leadership, exploring the threat of short-termism, the need for inclusive capitalism, and the importance of purposeful leaders.

Timestamps

02:03 - Growing up in an ethnic family unit
08:19 - Chemistry is part of the everyday
12:42 - Explaining the mindset of the 5Ds
19:00 - Recreating yourself as a leader
25:49 - The epidemic of short-termism
28:58 - The need for inclusive capitalism
34:00 - The importance of human revolution
40:11 - Hopes for future leaders

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

When you educate students you can transform the world! Top economist and educator Bruno Van Pottelsberghe speaks with Ilham about the importance of a sustainable business education to inspire true sustainable leadership. They discuss the Solvay Business School’s Executive Masters in Sustainability, his advice for young leaders, how we can reimagine business, and much more! 

Timestamps
01:58 - Upbringing and start of career
04:53 - Solvay Business School and legacy of its founder Ernest Solvay
08:36 - Top Business School projects
11:58 - The Executive Masters in Sustainability
17:10 - What does it mean to be a sustainable leader?
24:16 - Advice for young leaders
28:24 - Hobbies and interests

Bruno Van Pottelsberghe is the Dean of the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management at the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium. He is a Professor, a top Belgian economist, a Senior Fellow at the Bruegel think-tank in Brussels, AND an expert on how we can create businesses that are both sustainable and profitable.

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

In this episode, Ilham sits down with the winner of Syensqo's 2024 Ernest Solvay Prize, Omar Yaghi.  

Omar has used his passion for Science to change the course of the future with his discovery of reticular chemistry. His pioneering work is making a positive impact on our planet, purifying our water, air and fuel for generations to come. His research has inspired further development of new materials and sparked discoveries that can help solve major problems such as CO2 capture, hydrogen storage, water harvesting and gas purification. 

Omar shares Syensqo’s passion for exploration and innovation, always pushing the boundaries of science to advance humanity.  He believes in the power of questions and curiosity over a focus on the end results, and this approach has led him to become the award-winning inspiration he is today.  

Timestamps

02:21 - Becoming one of the most renowned scientists of today
09:50 - Pioneering a new field of chemistry
15: 40 - Applying groundbreaking science to real-world scenarios
19:28 - Taking risks and embracing failure 
22:44 - The power of peer recognition 
24:15 - Looking toward the future 
16:22 - Democratization of technology 
30:02 - The importance of curiosity in STEM education 

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

The purpose of L’Oréal is to create beauty that moves the world. According to CEO, Nicolas Hieronimus, ‘to move’ can have two meanings: “One is to change things, such as using green sciences and reducing package as a way to move the world. But moving is also about emotion. Beauty is about emotions; it’s about bringing people self-confidence.” Ilham and Nicolas have a fascinating conversation about science AND beauty, discussing topics such as beauty and tech, how to be sustainable and profitable, and the importance of promoting diversity in the beauty industry.

Nicolas Hieronimus has spent the majority of his career at L’Oréal, one of the world’s largest cosmetic companies. He started his career at the company as a Product Manager for the Garnier branch in 1987 and was named CEO of L’Oréal in 2021. Describing himself as a ‘beauty junkie’, Nicolas has reinforced L’Oréal’s commitment to sustainability, inclusivity, transparency, and cutting-edge technology, solidifying L’Oréal’s position as a beacon of innovation and ethical responsibility in the beauty industry.

Timestamps
01:30- Introduction to the beauty industry
04:03 - Taking professional risks that pay off
08:29 - Being a purpose-led company
11:45 - Being sustainable AND profitable
15:45 - Tech for beauty
20:23 - The importance of psychological safety in the workplace
23:46 - Introducing Warm Up Mondays
25:05 -  Promoting diversity in science and beauty
30:39  - Favorite music and movies

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast

Did you know that there’s a strong connection between music and science? Ilham speaks with award winning chemist and pianist Nuno Maulide about the science behind the classical music of the greatest composers. He talks about the musical talent of brilliant scientists such as Albert Einstein and Max Planck, what scientists and business leaders can learn from music, and beautifully plays pieces by Bach, Mozart, Schubert, Chopin, Rachmaninoff and Debussy. Listen and be inspired! 

Nuno Maulide is a professor and head of the Institute for Organic Chemistry at the University of Vienna. Nuno studied piano and chemistry in his hometown in Lisbon and then went on to earn his PhD at the University of Louvain in Belgium. He has studied at universities in Louvain-la-Neuve, Paris and at Stanford University, and started his independent work as a Group leader at Germany's Max Planck Institute for Carbon Research. He has received numerous prestigious awards in both chemistry and music throughout his career. 

Timestamps
1:59 - Albert Einstein and Max Planck’s love for Bach and Mozart
7:09 - Nuno plays Bach’s Jesus bleibet meine Freude
10:38 - Introduction to music in primary school
13:11 - Switch to focus on organic chemistry
19:43 - Nuno plays excerpts from Mozart’s Sonata in G Major 1st Movement
20:48 - Connection between science and music
23:21 - Schubert and the connection to nature
27:51 - Nuno plays Schubert’s Impromptu in G Flat Major
33:00 - Chopin and the connection to water
35:07 - Nuno plays Chopin’s Etude Opus 25 No. 1
37:23 - What can businesses learn from music?
40:31 - Rachmaninoff and pattern recognition
41:27 - Nuno plays Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G Sharp Major
44:32 - Emotion vs rationality?
46:02 - Nuno plays Debussy’s Clair de lune

For additional details about the podcast, show notes, and access to resources mentioned during the show, please visit https://www.syensqo.com/en/podcast