Raul Leal leaving his role at the helm of Virgin Hotels this year to find the next challenge should come as no surprise. "It's a company that believes in reinvention," Leal says. 

Leal was first hired as CEO of Virgin Hotels, more than a decade ago, to turn a PowerPoint presentation into a reality. Today he sits on the Virgin Group Board of Directors, providing strategic oversight to the full portfolio of Virgin companies.

In this episode of Beyond the Bottom Line, Leal describes just how much trust Sir Richard Branson places in his team. "His philosophy is really to hire the most talented people and let them do their thing," shares Leal. "He always gives credit to the people that are actually doing the job."

Part of Virgin Group's leadership strategy has always been to push for a point of view. When it came to matters concerning the planet, the team's POV was that implementing CSR quotas wasn't nearly enough. They wanted to actually educate their teams on what a carbon footprint was, how to calculate it, and how to shrink it, in order to then take that knowledge home to their families and their communities and effect real change. "Knowledge is power," Leal says. "I think a lot of time, that information stays at the top, and it needs to come down."

The planet is just one element of the three Ps that guide Virgin Group's vision: people and partners round out the trifecta. So when Leal was building the Virgin Hotels team from the ground up, finding people who bought into the purpose was P1. In this tell-all interview, he shares his strategy behind a true people-first company, his predictions for a post-pandemic hospitality sector, and more. 

Dr. Jean Carruthers is nothing short of a pioneer. The Vancouver-based ophthalmologist was treating a patient for eye spasms in the 80s when she connected the dots between the botulinum toxin A she was injecting and softened wrinkles in the treated area. Fast forward four decades, and Dr. Jean's discovery — now widely known as Botox — has become perhaps the most popular cosmetic dermatology treatment used today. 

In this 30-minute conversation, Dr. Jean — who has since brought several more new drugs and treatments to market — describes how to pursue a belief that you know to be correct, even when everyone around you thinks you're wrong. The legendary MD explains how to support your theory with research, find an advocate, and stop at nothing to effect change that will make a difference in other people's lives — lessons that translate into any area of business. 

While Dr. Jean continues to be involved in clinical trials for revolutionary new drugs and treatments, her perspectives on innovation aren't limited to her medical expertise. Among other takeaways that can be applied across industries, sectors, and disciplines, is Dr. Jean's advice on the future of shared workspaces. Having opened a new patient practice in the spring of 2020, Dr. Jean shares some of the details — from an optimized patient flow, to a state-of-the-art ventilation system — that every sector should consider as we navigate return-to-work plans. 

Throughout our conversation, Dr. Jean proves the value in remaining open to change and to proactively seeking out opportunities to innovation. Learn what it takes to shift public perception with data and science, and impact the course of an entire industry from the Canadian doctor who first discovered the cosmetic application of Botox.

The team at CareerBuilder is looking back to look forward. As one of the world's leading job portals, CareerBuilder has access to data from across the global economy that they use to identify major trends in the World of Work. In this episode, President Sasha Yablonosky shares the three trends most likely to shape the year ahead.

Sasha begins by focusing on upskilling. She explains that the long-time buzzword will take on new meaning in 2021 as nearly 10.9M unemployed Americans reassess their futures in a workforce drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Next, she discusses strategies CareerBuilder has implemented to build a truly diverse team and break down traditional hiring biases, and describes the double-edged sword of remote work where increased global opportunities and connectivity must be considered in conjunction with the long-term implications of employee isolation. 

Tune in to Beyond the Bottom Line's official launch episode to hear what two industry leaders expect from the future World of Work (think flex > remote), the new prioritization of employee skills (EQ > IQ), and the onus of the employer through a period of immense change. 

In the first ever episode of Beyond the Bottom Line, Bert speaks with Peter Mondavi Jr. and Judd Wallenbrock about how they’ve successfully transitioned a legacy family business into the modern world. 

Peter Mondavi Jr., son of Peter Mondavi Sr., kicks things off by sharing the family history that underpins one of the biggest names in New World wine. He explains how his grandfather’s winemaking pursuits took off during prohibition — when it was somewhat accepted for individuals to make up to four barrels of wine for personal consumption — and how the Charles Krug brand aligns well with the Mondavi history.

He and Judd describe the passion required to work in the wine industry, the rapid shift to a digital focus they navigated earlier this year, and how their safety precautions have increased in light of both COVID-19 and the California wildfires. 

Learn how an 8,000 year old industry has thrived across generations, and why Peter and Judd predict data analytics will become the most critical skill in their space.

In this engaging and honest conversation, Andy Callahan, President & CEO of Hostess Brands explains what his team had planned for 2020 and how they pivoted in the face of a crisis. The U.S. Naval Academy graduate shares what his military background taught him about preparing better than anyone else for something you never want to face, and how he was able to apply this as the leader of a century-old brand. 

Andy explains that Hostess established a COVID-19 task force designed to cement the organization’s core values during a time of disruption. He outlines the many initiatives undergone to maintain a strong sense of safety, agility, and service as the foundation of the company’s culture — beginning with an altered bonus structure as soon as performance-based compensation no longer made sense. 

Join Bert and Andy as they discuss the brand new Hostess Innovation Lab, what innovation means to the 100-year-old company, and what’s in store for the century to come.