Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick

James Reed reflects on the decision that defined his career — taking the risk of joining the family business. The Reed CEO discusses failure, purpose and why standing still is the worst decision of all. 

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At the start of his career, Lloyd Blankfein made a decision that would define the way he led — stop trying to fit in. 

In this episode of Executive Decisions, the former Goldman Sachs CEO reflects on growing up in public housing in Brooklyn, arriving at Harvard as an outsider and learning that authenticity was more powerful than performance. He explains how that mindset shaped his rise through one of the most competitive firms on Wall Street.  

From handling criticism and changing his management style to leading Goldman Sachs through crisis, Blankfein explains why the most effective leaders know who they are — and when they need to change.

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At one of the highest points in her career, Amanda Blanc made a decision most executives would avoid — she walked away. 

In this episode of Executive Decisions, the Aviva CEO reflects on leaving a senior role with no safety net, the judgment required to know when something isn’t right and how that instinct shaped the decisions she’s made since. 

From leading Aviva through a major turnaround to publicly calling out sexism at the top of the industry, Blanc explains how decisive action — not consensus — defines leadership under pressure. 

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Vas Narasimhan never planned on becoming a CEO. In fact, he says the idea only hit him six months before he got the Novartis job.

He credits his rise to a lesson from his parents: throw yourself fully into whatever you’re doing, because you never know what comes next.

Narasimhan talks through the surprising roles that opened new doors, the crises that forced him to “stay in the ring” and why focusing on the job you have—not the next one—can accelerate your career.

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Thrust into the top job sooner than expected, Schneider Electric CEO Olivier Blum explains why leadership isn’t about making perfect calls — it’s about committing once you choose, following through with discipline and learning fast under pressure. He shares how he sorts reversible vs. irreversible decisions, builds teams that execute without micromanagement and how he stays steady when the stakes climb.

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Shaped by family legacy, grit and a deep sense of responsibility, Jenny Johnson reflects on the pivotal decisions that took her from “the founder’s granddaughter” to the CEO of Franklin Templeton.

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Roy Jakobs reflects on the early experiences that shaped his leadership—from post‑war lessons in forgiveness to the resilience built through childhood asthma. In “Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick,” the Philips CEO explains why compassion must sit alongside hard, practical choices—and how those uncomfortable decisions prepared him to lead the company through its latest evolution. 

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Pinterest CEO Bill Ready reflects on the pivotal decisions behind his rise from small-town-Kentucky to Silicon Valley—and the bold move that reshaped the platform for a new generation. 

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In this episode of Executive Decisions, Steve Sedgwick sits down with Victor Riparbelli, co‑founder and CEO of Synthesia, to unpack the unconventional thinking that took him from a restless, "rebellious" childhood in Denmark to leading one of Europe’s most valuable generative‑AI companies. 

He describes the pivotal moments that guided his trajectory—from a transformative semester at Stanford University to his discovery of the groundbreaking “Face‑to‑Face” research paper, which sparked the idea behind Synthesia. 

Riparbelli also opens up about the company’s rocky beginnings, including more than 100 investor rejections before a cold email to American billionaire Mark Cuban led to a game‑changing $1 million investment. 

The conversation explores the leadership lessons he’s learned scaling Synthesia to a multibillion‑dollar valuation, the importance of staying skeptical in fast‑moving industries and the high‑stakes decisions ahead as the company pushes into its next chapter. 

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In this episode of Executive Decisions, Steve Sedgwick sits down with Sir Nigel Wilson, chairman of Canary Wharf Group, to explore the curiosity-driven career that took him from a council estate in northeast England to the top of U.K. business. 

Wilson shares how intellectual curiosity—nurtured by family and teachers—shaped his path from a scholarship at MIT to roles at McKinsey, Dixons and ultimately CEO of Legal & General. 

He reflects on leadership lessons, including his grandmother’s advice to lead with kindness and optimism and why encouragement beats shouting in management. 

The conversation spans his current work at Canary Wharf and Cambridge Innovation Capital, his passion for growth and innovation and even his personal goals in athletics and family life.

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