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The Chief Strategy Officer Podcast brings you conversations with global executives who lead strategy to share their unique experiences in tackling complex challenges, navigating disruptive technologies, and driving impactful growth. The Chief Strategy Officer role can be lonely and misunderstood. In today's interconnected world, no single leader has all the answers. To learn more about how Outthinker's network of leading chief strategy officers can offer you time-saving solutions, trend insights, and invaluable peer connections - visit outthinkernetwork.com.
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Joining us this episode is Jeff Walker, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and M&A at BraunAbility — a company that builds wheelchair-accessible vehicles, founded fifty-five years ago in an Indiana garage by Ralph Braun and now owned by the Swedish patient-capital investor Investor AB through its Patricia Industries arm. Educated at Yale and Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, where he studied under the legendary endowment investor David Swensen, Jeff sees strategy through three lenses: the historian's pattern recognition, the economist's sense of cost versus value, and a parent's. In this conversation, we explore a deceptively simple question every strategy leader should be able to answer: what is the strategy office actually for, and how do you know it's adding value rather than quietly taxing the business it serves? Things we will cover: - Why "the center" is best understood not as a group of smarter people who second-guess the business, but as a decision boundary — the place where enterprise-wide choices naturally belong The two tests for what truly belongs at the center: scale (cross-business leverage) and duration (the length of the strategic bet) - The "two seams" framework — a stated priority with no resources behind it, and a shadow project with no bets behind it Jeff's sharpest warning: never mistake curiosity for value-creating results, and the passive-investing philosophy underneath it - Why every question you pose to the business is a tax that had better be driving alpha before you ask it - His make-versus-buy default for strategy work, and why he runs the center as a team of one The strategist as a parent — someone who sets things up, teaches, and gets out of the way, rather than the invisible hand behind the curtain From David Swensen's table to the M&A seat, Jeff offers an unusually honest set of tools for pressure-testing your own role. Before you ask the business your next recurring question, can you name the choice it might change — and why that change is worth the organization's time? For any strategy leader, it's a bracing invitation to earn your place at the center. Additional Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreycwalker/ BraunAbility: https://www.braunability.com Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks Thank you to our guest Jeff Walker for such a thoughtful and honest conversation. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Joining us this episode is Carrie Hanna, Chief Strategy Officer at Gunster — a century-old firm that is one of Florida's largest, with around 340 attorneys across offices statewide. A legal-marketing professional by background with more than thirty years in the field, Carrie has spent the majority of her career at Gunster, first as a consultant and then stepping into the CSO role when the firm launched its strategic plan in 2007. She brings a rare vantage point on a hard problem: how you build one cohesive strategy inside a professional-services firm full of independent, self-directed practitioners. In this conversation, we explore how a law firm — an industry built to be siloed — created a single North Star, and what any strategy leader can borrow from it. Things covered: - Why law firms are structurally siloed, and how Gunster built a collaboration-first, people-first culture instead - The four pillars of the firm's five-year vision — the "Gunster Way," market presence, client relationships, and technology — and how to define a pillar broad enough to pivot but specific enough to direct - Where a legal CSO looks for inspiration: borrowing the corporate operating model and lessons from the Big Four - How to get independent practitioners to care about the firm, not just their own P&L — through story, data, and the client voice - The difference between an answer and a decision, and why who is in the room determines which one you get - Building a leadership pipeline through a bespoke "Future Leaders" programme, and running an annual planning "report card" - Why Gunster aims to be a "bronze medalist" in AI — a deliberate near-follower stance in a fast-moving field From forcing the hard conversations to reinvesting in future leadership, Carrie offers one of the most practical, grounded views you'll hear on turning a fragmented professional-services organisation into a cohesive whole. For any strategy leader building an office from scratch, her advice on ownership, accountability, and treating the plan as a living process is worth the listen alone. Additional Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-hanna/ Gunster: https://www.gunster.com Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks Thank you to our guest Carrie Hanna for such a generous and practical conversation. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Joining us this episode is Claudio Finol, Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer at Fyffes — one of the world's leading fresh produce companies, owned by Japan's Sumitomo Corporation. An engineer by training with an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School, where he also teaches, Claudio has led innovation and strategy across Chiquita, Danone, FrieslandCampina, and McBride. He brings a rare cross-industry lens to the discipline — part academic, part practitioner — and a conviction that strategy should sit far closer to execution than most strategy offices allow. In this conversation, we explore why the pursuit of stability, the very thing most strategy functions are built to deliver, may be the hidden weakness that brings an organisation down. Things we will cover: The Icarus principle applied to strategy, and why over-reliance on stability is more dangerous than over-reliance on strength Why adaptability is less about managing change and more about constantly challenging the assumptions beneath every plan The tension between efficiency and resilience, and why real resilience demands a degree of redundancy by design The "velocity of risk" — not just how big a threat is, but how fast it can surface, from steady regulation to a blind side like DeepSeek How to reframe risk as opportunity, and why the risk function and strategy function need to work in concert Reconciling a fast-moving external environment with long-horizon ownership expectations The Chief Strategy Officer as "chief reminder officer" — keeper of a living, adaptive process rather than the executor of a fixed plan From the Icarus principle to the chief reminder officer, Claudio draws on experience across some of the world's best-known consumer and industrial brands to make a grounded case that the real work of strategy is never finished — because the assumptions underneath every plan are always shifting. Episode Timeline: Additional Resources: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claudiofinol/ Fyffes: https://www.fyffes.com Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks Thank you to our guest Claudio Finol for such a thoughtful and genuinely practical conversation. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Joanne Sheppard is a strategic advisor to the Holzbrinck Group — the German family holding company behind Macmillan Publishers, Springer Nature, and Die Zeit — and a board member across several of its owned and invested companies. Her career spans publishing, M&A, and corporate strategy, and she brings an unusually wide lens to her work: graduate study in English literature, executive education in AI and innovation at MIT, positive psychology from Penn, and board governance through INSEAD. In this conversation, we explore why AI adoption stalls inside large organisations — and why the answer has far less to do with technology than most leaders assume. Things we will cover: Why AI adoption is fundamentally a change management problem, not a technology problem How to build the psychological safety that makes experimentation and upskilling possible What IKEA and JP Morgan can teach us about bringing employees along on the journey How to think about reinvesting the productivity AI frees up — and why that decision deserves a quarterly board conversation The architects, bridgers, and catalysts framework for understanding the role of leadership in driving adoption From employee resistance to board-level strategy, Joanne draws on real experience inside a complex, decentralised organisation to offer one of the most grounded and human-centred perspectives on AI adoption you'll hear. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Today’s guest is Shantnu Sharma, a senior public-company executive who has led enterprise strategy, transformation, and corporate development across the semiconductor and digital infrastructure ecosystem. Shantnu’s career spans leadership roles at Western Digital, Arrow Electronics, AMD, and McKinsey, giving him a rare perspective on how technology strategy, capital allocation, and competitive advantage are being reshaped by AI from the infrastructure layer up. In this conversation, we explore the forces shaping AI’s next phase and unpack what strategy leaders need to understand about the bottlenecks, value shifts, and strategic tradeoffs emerging across the semiconductor and digital infrastructure landscape. Things we will cover: • How semiconductor capacity, talent, and execution constraints are shaping the pace of AI growth • Why the distinction between AI training and inference matters for infrastructure strategy and economics • How advanced packaging and supply chain choke points are becoming new sources of strategic advantage • What the “convergence frontier” could mean as AI moves into physical industries like manufacturing, logistics, energy, and healthcare • The bull and bear cases for AI’s future, including regulation, power constraints, and the difficulty of scaling into messy real-world environments From semiconductor strategy to AI infrastructure and long-term value capture, Shantnu brings a highly informed perspective on where AI is going and what Chief Strategy Officers should be paying attention to now. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Neil Hoyne joins Kaihan Krippendorff to unpack why most strategy failures aren’t caused by a lack of data — they’re caused by organizations asking the wrong questions, setting the wrong standards, and rewarding the wrong behaviors. Neil is Google’s Chief Strategist and the bestselling author of Converted. In this conversation, he shares how he thinks about strategy as an incremental discipline: keeping the business alive today while moving it into a stronger position tomorrow. They explore how leaders unintentionally turn metrics into theatre, why “more measurement” often becomes a coping mechanism, and how to set decision standards that match the speed of your competitive environment. The conversation also examines where AI can amplify strategic confusion, and how CSOs can keep strategy anchored in what customers actually value. Things we’ll cover: How Neil defines strategy as survival + positioning Product-led vs customer-led models (and the role marketing plays in each) Customer lifetime value and what it changes in enterprise strategy Why common metrics aren’t comparable (even when they share the same name) The “manipulation test” to reveal weak KPIs How leaders override data — and how to design better decision standards Why AI adoption fails when strategy is unclear Learn more about Outthinker’s community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Today’s guest is Adam Zalisk , Chief Strategy Officer at Amplify — a pioneer in K–12 education since 2000. Today, Amplify serves more than 10 million students across all 50 U.S. states , delivering next-generation curriculum and formative assessment in ELA, math, and science. In this conversation, Adam reflects on what changes when strategy becomes a formal role inside a growing organization. Rather than treating strategy as a static plan, he frames it as a set of clear commitments tied to an explicit end state — and explains why ambiguity around those commitments is often what causes companies to struggle as they scale. He also introduces a practical framework for understanding why strategy offices emerge in the first place, helping leaders distinguish between different strategic needs and translate strategic thinking into real organizational traction. Things we’ll cover: How Adam defines strategy in growth-stage companies The four distinct reasons organizations create a strategy office What leaders are actually looking for when they say, “we need strategy” How a strategy office avoids becoming an internal order-taker Where strategy functions most often lose — or earn — credibility This episode is a practical guide for CSOs navigating growth, ambiguity, and rising organizational complexity. If you’re wrestling with focus, alignment, or execution as your organization scales, this conversation will sharpen how you think about the role — and the impact — of strategy. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Today’s guest is Michael Drexler , Chief Strategy Officer at Brightstar Capital Partners , a private equity firm that invests in closely held, middle-market businesses and helps them scale into professional, process-driven organizations. Michael’s career spans leadership roles across investment banking, global strategy, and private equity—from Barclays to the World Economic Forum, and Brightstar Capital Partners—giving him a rare perspective on how strategy functions evolve as companies mature from founder-led to institutional scale. In this conversation, we unpack lessons from Michael’s career leading strategy functions and explore how the head of strategy role transforms along a company’s growth journey. Things we will cover: How strategy evolves from a “chief of staff” role in founder-led companies to a full-fledged internal consulting function The mindset shift from advising a single CEO to influencing a broader leadership team How to build and sustain an effective strategy team—including Michael’s “2-to-4-year rotation” and “no bad news for two weeks” rules Why private equity firms view internal strategy functions differently—and how to reposition your team in a PE environment Michael’s four-step framework for prioritizing projects that’s “never failed him once” From developing consulting-style skillsets inside corporations to balancing neutrality among competing executives, Michael brings clarity and practicality to what it means to be an effective CSO. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
In this episode, Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer Ammar Maraqa joins host Kaihan Krippendorff to discuss how one of the world’s largest technology companies is evolving its strategy to lead the next wave of AI and digital infrastructure. From building AI-ready data centers to fostering intrapreneurship through Outshift , Cisco is reimagining how strategy, innovation, and execution come together. Ammar shares lessons from his experience leading Cisco’s strategy organization and shaping its innovation portfolio across build, buy, partner, and incubate pathways. Topics Covered Cisco’s strategy for the AI and digital infrastructure era How the Strategy Office connects long-term vision with execution Building AI-ready data centers and enabling digital resilience The meaning of agentic AI and its impact on enterprise productivity How Cisco’s Outshift incubator drives internal innovation Cisco’s approach to build, buy, partner, and incubate innovation The difference between a “ push ” and “ pull ” model in corporate strategy teams Why resource allocation is the truest test of strategic clarity Key Quotes “We’re helping customers build AI-ready data centers — the infrastructure that will power the next generation of digital workers and intelligent systems.” “Cisco has always viewed the startup ecosystem as an extension of our own R&D. We don’t have a monopoly on good ideas.” “A successful strategy team isn’t the strategy police. It’s when people across the business pull you in because of the value you bring.” Resources Mentioned Cisco Outshift ( https://outshift.cisco.com ) Cisco’s Digital Resilience framework Outthinker Networks ( https://outthinker.com ) Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
In this special in-person conversation recorded at Adobe’s global headquarters, Kaihan continues his discussion with Malte Bernholz, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Incubator at Adobe. In Part One, on our sister show Outthinkers, Malte explored the macro trends transforming creativity, technology, and business in the age of AI. Click the link below to watch part 1 if you havent already. https://youtu.be/pYoIvvb0SGc Now, in Part Two, we go deeper—inside Adobe’s strategic engine—to learn how this global innovator designs its own future. Malte shares: How Adobe has reorganized around three audience groups—business professionals and consumers, creative professionals, and marketing professionals—to better align innovation with customer needs How his team leads corporate strategy and incubation, balancing “looking around the corner” with accelerating high-priority initiatives How the Adobe Incubator fosters entrepreneurship within the company, empowering small internal teams to build the next generation of product – and the early outcomes of that work, from Firefly Boards to Project Pulsar and beyond Part one on OUTTHINKERS: https://youtu.be/pYoIvvb0SGc Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
In today’s episode, we speak with Oreste Donzella , former Chief Strategy Officer of KLA , a global leader in semiconductor process control and inspection. Oreste brings over three decades of experience in the semiconductor industry — a sector that quietly powers every technological advance we see today. You know, every strategist planning for AI's future is charting a course on assumptions about computational power, cost curves, and technological capability. But few are examining the foundation on which all of it rests: semiconductors. Without understanding where chip technology is headed—and the geopolitical forces reshaping its landscape—you're navigating without checking what lies beneath the waterline. Oreste is a veteran strategy officer with decades navigating the complex semiconductor stack, and here we explore the dynamics shaping foundational technologies—from manufacturing processes to geopolitical tensions—so you can better anticipate the forces that will enable or constrain your AI ambitions. In this episode we get into: Why AI’s rise is really a story about semiconductors — and how the industry’s “emotional revenge” is unfolding. The hidden complexity of the semiconductor supply chain — and how a few specialized companies shape global innovation. How geopolitics, national strategies, and power consumption are redefining the industry’s future. The movement toward modular, heterogeneous chip design — and what it means for strategy leaders in every sector. Oreste’s model for the three timeless pillars of great strategy execution: Collaboration, Innovation, and Execution . Oreste’s perspective reminds us that strategy doesn’t live in isolation — it operates often within vast, interconnected systems. And those able to think at the systems level, able to understand how they are evolving, will be the ones able to understand where value is truly pooling and therefore where to play. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
What does a banana have to do with data strategy? In this episode of the Chief Strategy Officer Podcast, we sit down with Claudio Finol , Chief Strategy Officer at Fyffes, one of the world’s oldest and most recognized produce companies. Fyffes bananas, pineapples, and melons may be a familiar sight in your grocery store, but behind the scenes the company is navigating some of the most complex strategy challenges of our time—climate change, global supply chains, digitization, and the disruptive power of data. Claudio shares how Chief Strategy Officers across industries can learn from agriculture—a sector as old as civilization—about using data to push Michael Porter’s productivity frontier, transform traditional business models, and even create new revenue streams. From John Deere’s reinvention into a data-driven platform company to the strategic tension between optimizing your core and monetizing aggregated data, this conversation uncovers lessons every CSO should hear. Things We Will Cover in This Episode: - How Fyffes is blending tradition with transformation in the global produce industry. - Why data is no longer just supporting products—it is becoming the product. - Michael Porter’s productivity frontier and its relevance in the AI era. - How companies like John Deere turned data into a competitive advantage and 95th-percentile growth engine. - The two strategic paths with data: optimizing the core vs. creating new data products. - What CSOs must do today to prepare their organizations for digitization, AI, and data-driven business models. Why Listen If you’re a Chief Strategy Officer, innovation leader, or executive thinking about the future of business, Claudio’s insights will challenge you to rethink what business you’re really in. Whether you’re managing physical products, digital platforms, or services, this episode shows how data strategy, AI readiness, and organizational culture can define the competitive frontier in the years ahead. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
In this episode, we sit down with Rachel Credidio , Chief Innovation Officer at Aster Group, to explore how restorative practices can be a powerful lever for culture change, innovation, and organizational performance. Having held the previous role of Chief Transformation and People Officer, Rachel has been at the forefront of embedding inclusivity, trust, and accountability into the DNA of Aster Group. Her leadership has helped make Aster Group most impactful non-profit groups in the UK as they help tackle the UK’s housing shortage by providing affordable, safe, and inclusive housing options, while offering wraparound services to support vulnerable communities. In this episode we cover: Why restorative practices reduce conflict and boost engagement across complex organizations How inclusive culture lays the foundation for innovation and decentralized leadership What it means to shift from managing people to empowering them through fair process and shared accountability Why building a culture of voice and trust is a strategic investment—not a “nice to have” How Rachel restructured policies and embedded principles into systems for long-term impact Whether you're navigating transformation, scaling innovation, or building a more inclusive workforce, this episode offers practical tools and inspiration. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
In this episode, we sit down with Todd Cassler , Chief Growth Officer of Cerity Partners, to explore the growing role of corporate venture capital (CVC) as a strategic tool for driving innovation and growth. With decades of experience in asset and wealth management as a chief strategy and growth officer, Todd is a trusted partner with a front-row seat to how Fortune 500 companies are using CVC not just to diversify financially, but to shape their strategic futures. Things we cover in this episode: - Why CVC programs often fail without CEO and board-level buy-in - How to design a governance model that avoids being pulled back into “business as usual” - The hidden benefits of CVC, from M&A pipeline generation to competitive intelligence - What it takes to align siloed innovation efforts with core business objectives - How to measure the strategic—not just financial—value of your venture investments Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
In this episode, we’re joined by Sarah Beckman , Chief Strategy Officer of Ulteig . Ulteig specialized in infrastructure solutions across power, renewables, transportation, and water. Sarah is an experienced structural engineer, shedesigning energy systems spanning the continental U.S., and also spent time in sales before moving into her current role leading corporate strategy. Her deep technical roots give her a unique perspective on solving complex problems and leading transformation in a traditionally slow-moving, high-stakes industry. Today, she’s focused on preparing Ulteig—and the entire sector—for an era defined by AI, electrification, and the race to build faster than ever before. Sarah brings a powerful systems-thinking lens to transformation in one of the most critical—and traditionally slow-moving—sectors: energy infrastructure. Things we’ll cover in this conversation: How to drive innovation inside mission-critical industries where the cost of failure is high Why aligning strategy to purpose and stakeholder value is key to building urgency without panic How Sarah applied engineering skills to transform a sales strategy and sunset a commoditized offering What CSOs can do to prepare for industry-wide disruption—from AI demands to a nuclear energy renaissance The leadership behaviors and organizational systems that actually make strategy stick Whether you're preparing to pivot, wrestling with internal resistance, or rethinking how to build a transformation-ready culture—this episode is packed with practical wisdom from the front lines. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Today, we are tackling a topic that holding back most organizations from adapting to our rapidly changing business environments, a topic rooted in a habit that is so engrained in most companies that we don’t even think about changing it: budgeting. In this episode, we sit down with Eric Woodard , Head of Strategy at Primerica and former Bain consultant, to unpack the future of agile budgeting. Eric shares why the old model—locking budgets 12 months in advance—is no longer viable in a world shaped by digital disruption, economic volatility, and shifting priorities. He lays out a practical, compelling alternative: treat strategy as a living, breathing guide for capital allocation. We explore: - Why companies are being forced—not just encouraged—to rethink budgeting cycles - The key difference between "run the business" and "change the business" spend - How to structure dynamic, strategy-led funding pools - What cycle times and KPIs work in an agile budgeting environment - Why people—not systems—are the biggest barrier to change Whether you're navigating growth, transformation, or efficiency, this episode will give you the tools to align your budget with your boldest strategic ambitions. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
If you’re a strategy leader stepping into M&A or refining your inorganic growth strategy, there’s one relationship that can either propel you forward or hold you back: your relationship with investment bankers. In this episode, we dive deep into the often opaque world of investment banking with two strategy executives who’ve worked across both sides of the deal table. Together, our guests bring more than 40 years of combined experience across investment banking, M&A strategy, and corporate development—having led acquisitions and divestitures in both public and private companies, across industries and borders. Michael Arlotto is the Global Head of Corporate Development and Ventures at Kenvue, an American consumer health company and the proprietor of many brands you’ve heard of, like Band-Aid, Benadryl, Neutrogena and Tylenol. Chris Nuttall is the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Bazaarvoice, an American tech company that helps brands collect and leverage UGC, which stands for user-generated content. Together, the three of us explore: - How to assess and build the right relationship with an investment banker - What “transformative M&A” really means—and how to pull it off - The soft skills and cultural fit that matter just as much as deal terms - How to avoid M&A regret by starting with strategy and ending with integration - Why successful M&A is less about buying a company—and more about buying into a multiyear business plan Whether you’re planning your first acquisition or fine-tuning your approach to external growth, this episode will help you build stronger partnerships, avoid costly missteps, and execute deals that deliver long-term value. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Welcome to another episode of The Chief Strategy Officer Podcast ! Today, we’re tackling a topic that sits at the heart of every successful organization: purpose . For years, the question of what purpose an organization should hold has typically sat outside the auspices of the strategy office. It was the remit of the CEO or board, maybe corporate communications or the HR. But it is increasingly becoming a central strategic lever, especially as the success of strategy depends on activating ecosystem partners, employees, communities … and it is one we need to better understand. How can companies define a purpose that isn’t just a slogan but a real driver of strategic decisions? How does purpose impact employee motivation, customer engagement, and long-term competitive advantage? And most importantly, how can CSOs play a role in shaping and embedding purpose in a way that creates measurable business impact? To explore these questions, we’re joined by David Zapata , Corporate Head of Strategy at Grupo Bancolombia, and Claudia Ludovisi , former head of strategy at Disney ABC, assistant Dean of Marketing and Strategy at Pepperdine Business School, who has done interest research into the role of purpose in strategy. Together, they share firsthand experiences and research-driven insights on how organizations can make purpose actionable, sustainable, and truly transformative. In this episode, we explore: Why purpose isn’t just about branding—it should drive real business decisions. The biggest mistake companies make when defining their purpose. How to measure whether purpose is actually working inside your organization. The evolving role of AI in shaping personalized and scalable purpose-driven strategies. Insights and a step-by-step approach for crafting a purpose that aligns with strategy and capabilities for your organization. Whether you’re refining your company’s purpose or just starting to explore its role in strategy, this episode is packed with insights to help you take a more structured and impactful approach. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
Welcome to another episode of The Chief Strategy Officer Podcast! Today, we’re diving into a pivotal topic for strategy leaders: how to approach mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to accelerate your company’s strategic goals. Joining us are two Outthinker CSOs with extensive Strategy and M&A experience. Kevin Ilcisin , has a fascinating career in high tech, most recently as SVP of Strategy and Corporate Development for NI, formerly known as National Instruments, which was recently acquired by Emerson Electric in 2023. Kevin brings a scientific approach and holds a phD in Astrophysical Sciences with a focus on Plasma Physics. Alok Agrawal is the Chief Strategy Officer at Celestica, a $7B multinational leader in the design, manufacturing, and supply chain solutions industries. Alok started his career as a management consultant with Kearney serving industrial clients before taking strategy and M&A executive leadership roles for industry leaders like Johnson Controls, Meritor, and Tenneco. In this episode, Kevin and Alok share their insights and practical experience in the art and science of successful deal-making and integration. In this episode, we explore: The critical distinction between strategy and M&A. (hint- M&A isn’t a strategy- it's a tool to realize your strategy) —What people miss about this and why that matters. How to identify the right acquisition targets and develop relationships with key players like investment banks. Practical tips for building and managing a robust M&A pipeline Insights on navigating cultural integration and realizing post-merger synergies effectively. The unique role a Chief Strategy Officer plays in orchestrating and guiding the M&A process- and advice they have for CSOs and M&A leaders early in their career about what they wish they knew early on and mistakes to avoid Whether you’re new to M&A or looking to refine your approach, this episode is packed with practical advice and lessons learned from two seasoned leaders. Tune in for actionable takeaways to become masterful at using M&A to accelerate your strategy and execution. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
In this episode, we’re diving into an increasingly hot topic for chief strategy officers: joining external advisory boards. We feature three accomplished chief strategy officers who serve on numerous public and private boards : Desiree Castillejos, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of M&A for Scutum Group North America; Prasad Padman, Chief Strategy Officer of Moog; and Sukanya Soderland, former CSO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. Together, they share their experiences and provide actionable advice for CSOs looking to expand their influence and impact through board service. In this episode we talk about: How to craft a compelling board bio that highlights your unique value The importance of networking in securing board opportunities and practical tips and tactics for “board-specific-networking" The unique attributes and differentiators CSOs can highlight to strengthen their board resume and increase their chances of selection Important considerations, risks, and factors you don't want to overlook when evaluating board service Entry points for strategy officers who are looking to land their first external board position Whether you’re considering your first board position or looking to refine your strategy for securing your next board opportunity, this episode is packed with insights to guide your journey. Learn more about Outthinker's community of chief strategy officers - https://outthinker.com/ Follow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/outthinker-networks
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Observed November 3, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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