Transformation Talks

In this podcast David Lancefield, Strategy& Partner, is joined by Timpson Group, CEO, James Timpson. The Timpson Group has been a family owned and operated business for 150 years. We talk to James about his leadership style, delving into the unique way he recruits, rewards and inspires his people

In this episode, Strategy& Partner David Lancefield is joined by Paul Polman, who was the chief executive of Unilever for 10 years until January 2019. In this episode we talk about how Paul transformed Unilever for the good of society through pioneering a new, longer-term approach to shareholder value with sustainability at its core. That included the sourcing of raw materials and packaging of goods, developing new relationships with suppliers and producing healthier products. We find out more about Paul's purpose, leadership and passion, and he also gives his top tips to CEOs.

In this episode, David Lancefield is joined by Xavier Rolet, CEO, CQS who talks about his tenure as CEO of the London Stock Exchange. During his leadership, he scaled up the organisation from £800m to £14 billion through a complete reorganisation, which included acquisitions, new technology and hiring a new leadership team. In this podcast we find out about Rolet's strategy, leadership style and mindset, and why it is essential to put the customer first.

In this seventh episode of Transformation Talks, Strategy& Partner David Lancefield speaks with Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School and Bhushan Sethi, Joint Global Leader, People and Organisation at PwC US. Lynda and Bhushan share their views around the forward-thinking 'social pioneers' - as opposed to organisations - being the ones who will take the lead in the transition to the future of work.

In this sixth episode of Transformation Talks, Strategy& Partner David Lancefield speaks with Dame Moya Greene, former chief executive of Royal Mail. Moya shares her insights on how to approach a complex transformation, drawing on her own experience involving multiple different stakeholders such as unions, government and regulators. She also tells us how, as a board member, it pays to recognise the intellectual and emotional “smarts” of your company’s executive team.

In this fifth episode of Transformation Talks, Strategy&Partner David Lancefield speaks with Jacqueline de Rojas CBE, President of TechUK about how start-ups and large organisations can learn from each other when pursuing transformation, what it takes for boards to work well and the critical role diversity plays in creating high performing teams.

In this fourth episode of Transformation Talks, Strategy& Partner David Lancefield is in conversation with Tim Davie, CEO of BBC Studios, a global content company and a commercial subsidiary of the BBC Group. Together they explore the importance of involving every layer of an organisation in a transformation journey.

In this third episode of Transformation Talks, Strategy& Partner David Lancefield is joined by Kathleen Saxton, founder of The Lighthouse Company and Psyched Global. We explore why it's so important for leaders to pay attention to their mental wellbeing throughout transformations: “You can’t lead other people unless you are okay. It’s about boundaries and, particularly if you are transforming a business, having the space and time to think because our best creativity comes when we are quiet.”

In this second episode of Transformation Talks, Strategy& Partner David Lancefield is in conversation with Sir Mark Elder, CH, CBE, Music Director of the Manchester-based Halle Orchestra, one of Britain’s oldest symphony orchestras.

In this first episode of Transformation Talks Strategy& Partner David Lancefield is in conversation with Dan Cable, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at the London Business School. Dan argues that while managers need an element of control to get results, there's a real need for empowerment of employees as well, even allowing for creativity and - yes - play. In fact, our "seeking systems" need it.