In this episode of Strategy Thinkers, I sat down with Stefano Saporetti, a leader in Modern Brand Licensing, Director of Brand Diversification at Aston Martin Lagonda and formerly Head of Licensing and Brand Operations at Ferrari. We went deep on the strategic thinking behind Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the first Ferrari branded theme park.At the time, Ferrari was producing roughly 7,000 cars a year, doing very little traditional marketing, and relying primarily on product excellence. Opening a theme park in a new region was an unconventional move.Stefano shares how the team framed the strategic rationale, worked through internal resistance, and designed a model that protected brand equity while building long-term presence in a new region.If you look at the project today, it is still working. People continue to visit, and the brand is even better understood thanks to richer content and experiential storytelling, which resonates strongly with younger generations.A few ideas from our conversation that will resonate with senior leaders:☑️ Brand extension only works when it strengthens the core, not when it distracts from it☑️ Experience has become a central currency of luxury☑️ In a heritage business, credibility is earned through rigour and risk design☑️ Sometimes the most practical move is to license the execution while owning the meaningChapters:00:00 - Intro - Stephano’s career across sport and luxury brands01:34 - The Context & Problem - Why Ferrari needed a new brand experience in the Middle East05:17 - Strategic Rationale & Business Case - Building legacy and desire through experiential luxury08:49 - Constraints & Execution Approach - Winning internal buy-in and de-risking via licensing12:36 - Delivery & Outcomes - Designing the park experience and strengthening brand equity15:25 - Strategic Thinking Lessons - Innovate first, then work within constraints

In this episode of the Strategy Thinkers Podcast, I speak with Jon Waters.

Jon is a solutions, business development and commercial leader in workforce/B2B enterprise services. He has spent nearly twenty years helping public and private organisations blend people, process and technology so they have the right resource in the right place at the right time, at the right cost.

In his capacity as a strategic business leader for workforce solutions providers, we spoke about what happens when an organisation emerges from a period of intense demand and delivery and has to decide what comes next. Not in theory, but in practice, with real constraints, real people and real accountability. 

Jon shared how a five-year plan was built to reconnect ambition, capability and execution, while staying adaptable in a changing environment.

Our discussion explores:

 ☑️ Strategy starts by clarifying what the organisation is truly capable of

 ☑️ Plans work when they create options, not rigid commitments

 ☑️ Capabilities help people understand both where to focus and where to stop

 ☑️ Execution improves when people can see themselves in the story

If you lead strategy, commercial or workforce transformation, this episode offers a practical lens on planning under uncertainty.

In this episode of Strategy Thinkers, I am joined by Rich Cashin, Chief Financial Officer at AVON Technologies plc and former President - Strategy and Business Development at Ultra Electronics.Rich’s career spans Rolls-Royce, UBS Global Asset Management, Meggitt, and Ultra. He brings a rare combination of investor discipline, operational pragmatism, and strategic judgement.In our conversation, we focus on a real case from Rich’s time at Ultra Electronics. Despite being a high-technology business with a strong market position, growth had become stagnant. The turning point came when Rich and the team challenged the “rules” people had absorbed as fact.You’ll learn:☑️ How “folklore” forms inside organisations and how it quietly narrows strategy☑️ The shift from capex dependence to models that support recurring revenue☑️ Why empowerment is a strategic lever, not a cultural slogan☑️ How questions can become the most powerful strategic toolThis episode is a masterclass in what happens when leaders replace inherited assumptions with open dialogue and disciplined action.

How do you keep strategy relevant when the world moves faster than your plan?

I put that question to Dan Figueiredo, Director, Global Technology Strategy at Microsoft. Dan has spent more than twenty years at the intersection of business and technology, guiding partners and enterprises through AI-enabled transformation while keeping people, outcomes and capability at the centre.

We spoke about what it means to build strategy around outcomes, how to sustain direction without over-fixating on targets, and why true change depends on people, not platforms.

Key lessons from our discussion:

☑️ Treating technology as capability blocks and keeping outcomes in charge

☑️ Using a North Star and quick wins to build confidence and momentum

☑️ Converting AI hype into operating value through skills and process

☑️ Creating real partnership language and dealing with resistance constructively

For senior leaders driving transformation, scale or technology-enabled growth, this discussion brings strategy back to outcomes — and to the people who make them real.

What does it take to make strategy work inside large incumbents under digital threat?

In this episode, I speak with Jonathan Chocqueel-Mangan, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer at BSI and former CSO at Pearson and Kantar. Jonathan bridges the worlds of engineering, consulting and academia and brings rare depth to the question of how strategy becomes a capability, and not just a document.

We spoke about how incumbents can stay adaptive and how to make strategy truly inclusive and emergent, You’ll hear how he:

☑️ Builds strategy as a capability across hundreds of leaders through large-scale scenario planning

☑️ Turns strategic ownership from the “few” to the “many,” creating curiosity and engagement across the organisation

☑️ Aligns strategy, change and innovation so that plans, budgets and people move together

☑️ Measures success not by delivering a plan, but by building organisations that learn and adapt

For senior leaders working on transformation, digital adaptation or inclusive strategy, this is a conversation worth your time!

In this episode of the Strategy Thinkers Podcast, I speak with Peter O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Penspen and Executive Committee Member at Sidara.

Peter began his career as a mechanical engineer, moved through consulting and entrepreneurship, and has led Penspen through industry cycles while building a culture that delivers.

We discuss how the business stabilised during the 2014–2016 downturn, rebuilt the pipeline, and used data and discipline to improve profitability.

In this conversation, you’ll learn how he:

☑️ Reset the operating model with timely data, tighter controls and a stronger bid discipline

☑️ Chose where to play, exited unsustainable regions, and focused scarce talent on advantaged markets

☑️ Treated strategy as horizon bets that compound, including early positioning in hydrogen and carbon capture

☑️ Embedded continuous improvement and a values-led culture so execution keeps pace with ambition

For senior leaders balancing core performance with new growth, this is a practical look at strategy that works in the real world.

How do you turn a sprawling conglomerate into a focused value creator with sustained cash returns? I put that question to Simon Pryce, CEO at RS Group and former CEO of BBA Aviation and Ultra Electronics. We focus on his BBA Aviation journey and the move from financial engineering to strategic advantage and scale.In this conversation, you’ll learn how through high performing teams he:☑️ Created a clear reason for change and involved hundreds across the organisation to build momentum☑️ Made portfolio choices using risk-adjusted value and reallocated scarce talent to where it mattered most☑️ Recognised enhanced value opportunity through network extension, service consistency and scale☑️ Led with inquisitive challenge, practical implementation and managed risk taking, including raising fresh equity to consolidate the market🎧 For senior leaders working on transformation, portfolio focus or scale, this discussion connects strategy to execution in plain terms

In this episode of the Strategy Thinkers Podcast, I speak with Giovanni Ghisetti, Head of Global Business Development at Diageo and formerly Global SVP M&A at Ferrero. Giovanni led more than €9bn of acquisitions, taking Ferrero from a European chocolate leader to a global player in sweet snacking.We spoke about what it takes to build M&A as a capability and how to make it work in practice. Giovanni is open about failure, about culture, and about the scale effects that only appear with patience.Key lessons from our discussion:✅ A $100m acquisition was initially chosen to embed learning. It led to market leadership and the following $10Bn of acquisitions ✅ Growth synergies create lasting value; cost savings do not✅ Scale economics matter — profitability shifts only once revenue passes ~$2bn in the food and beverage market in US✅ Culture and trust decide whether integration succeedsFor senior leaders thinking about scale, acquisitions or growth, this conversation offers lessons that go beyond theory.