Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick

Bill Winters planned to become a diplomat. Instead, a job at J.P. Morgan led him into banking and eventually to a pivotal early-career decision: move into the emerging derivatives business despite knowing little about it. In this episode of Executive Decisions , the Standard Chartered Group CEO tells Steve Sedgwick why that experience helped shape a career philosophy he still shares with younger colleagues: when rare opportunities arise, sometimes you should “take the reckless path.” For Winters, that doesn't mean being careless; it means being prepared to choose the less conventional route when it offers more to learn. Winters also reflects on his 26 years at J.P. Morgan, the lessons of the global financial crisis and what it was like to be fired by Jamie Dimon. He explains why he subsequently ignored advice not to join the UK's Independent Commission on Banking and why, six years after leaving J.P. Morgan, he returned to mainstream banking to become CEO of a troubled Standard Chartered. He also discusses the decisions behind Standard Chartered's turnaround, mistakes he made along the way, leadership, AI and why he believes ambition can sometimes become a curse. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Anthony Scaramucci’s career has included high-profile successes and setbacks. In this episode of “ Executive Decisions ,” the SkyBridge Capital founder reflects on leaving Goldman Sachs to build his own business, why insecurity led him into the wrong job early in his career and the pride and ego that influenced his decision to join the Trump administration. After being fired from the White House after just 11 days, Scaramucci was advised to disappear from public life. Instead, he chose to face his critics - a decision he says became part of a wider reckoning with his mistakes, his relationships and himself. He also discusses being fired and rehired by Goldman Sachs, the lessons he learned from market downturns, rebuilding SkyBridge and the fallout from its relationship with Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX. Through it all, Scaramucci says the lesson has been the same: own your mistakes, face the music and keep going. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Bettina Orlopp took over as CEO of Commerzbank as the German lender was pushing ahead with a multiyear turnaround — and as UniCredit was building a stake that raised the pressure on the bank's leadership. In this episode of Executive Decisions, Orlopp explains how she has approached leading through that pressure: staying calm, speaking candidly about difficult change and relying on trusted teams to deliver the bank's strategy. Orlopp also reflects on the path that brought her there, from nearly two decades at McKinsey to taking on Commerzbank's compliance function, becoming CFO just before the Covid-19 pandemic and later stepping into the CEO role. She discusses how takeover pressure accelerated Commerzbank's strategy work, the challenges of restructuring and why she believes leaders need to be direct about what change will require. Note: This interview was recorded on May 12, 2026. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Steve Hasker never followed a formal career plan. Instead, the Thomson Reuters CEO says his biggest decisions were guided by one question: Would he learn more by saying yes than by staying where he was? In this episode of “Executive Decisions,” Hasker reflects on the childhood experiences that taught him resilience, the mentors who shaped his leadership and why the people around you can matter more than the role itself. He discusses leaving McKinsey for Nielsen after an unexpected pitch from former GE executive Dave Calhoun, the lessons he learned from early career mistakes and why surrounding yourself with talented people can accelerate growth as a leader. Hasker also recalls becoming CEO of Thomson Reuters on the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading 25,000 employees through a period of uncertainty and helping transform the company into an AI-powered technology business. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

After more than three decades at science-based firm DSM, Dimitri de Vreeze faced what he calls the hardest decision of his career: selling the materials business where he had grown up professionally. In this episode of “Executive Decisions,” the DSM-Firmenich CEO reflects on why the decision made strategic sense, even as it felt deeply personal, and how it shaped his view that success is not a finish line. De Vreeze discusses joining DSM with plans to stay only a few years, the family values and rebellious streak that shaped his leadership, and why he believes leaders should keep challenging what is already working. He also discusses ending a half-billion-dollar biofuels project, serving as co-CEO, leading the merger that created DSM-Firmenich and why treating assumptions as facts can be one of the biggest risks in decision-making. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Mike Gitlin never set out with a master plan to become CEO. Instead, his career has been shaped by a series of decisions to embrace opportunities that pushed him outside his comfort zone. In this episode of Executive Decisions , the Capital Group CEO reflects on the family values that shaped his leadership, from lively dinner-table debates to mock trials with his father that taught him to think critically, listen carefully and communicate with confidence. Gitlin discusses his early fascination with financial markets, why he chose to study history instead of finance and the lessons he learned after being thrown into overnight trading in Asia with little experience and no roadmap. He also explains why he left T. Rowe Price - where he thought he would spend the rest of his career - to join Capital Group, helping transform one of the world's largest asset managers from the inside. Along the way, Gitlin shares how moving his family around the world influenced his biggest decisions, why he believes feedback is one of leadership's greatest gifts and why EQ will become even more valuable than IQ in the age of AI. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

After 25 years at Dow, Ester Baiget left a business she loved to take on the top job at Novozymes — now Novonesis. It was not a move driven by ego, or a lifelong plan to become CEO. Baiget says she did not need the title. What drew her in was purpose, potential and a belief that she could help the company make a bigger impact through biology. In this episode of “Executive Decisions,” the Novonesis CEO reflects on the family values that shaped her, the teacher who nudged her toward chemical engineering and the mother who pushed her to attend the interview that began her 25-year career at Dow. Baiget discusses why curiosity has guided her more than career planning, how she learned not to take setbacks out of proportion and why the CEO role is less lonely than many assume when you build the right team. She also explains the strategic shift that led Novozymes to see itself not as an enzyme company, but as a biosolutions company — a decision that helped make the merger with Danish biotech company Chr. Hansen possible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

After 26 years at Goldman Sachs, Robin Vince made a decision few senior Wall Street executives would make: he walked away without another job lined up. At 48, he chose to take what he called a “gap year,” turning down an immediate approach from BNY so he could step back and think carefully about what he wanted from the next phase of his life and career. In this episode of Executive Decisions, the BNY CEO explains why stepping away became essential, and how that pause helped him decide he was not finished building. He reflects on the pressure, uncertainty and self-doubt that shaped his career, from arriving in France as a child unable to speak the language to navigating the intensity of Goldman Sachs in the 1990s. Vince also looks back on the global financial crisis, including the weekend of Lehman Brothers’ collapse, and the lessons he took from moments of extreme pressure. He then discusses the transformation of BNY under his leadership, why consistency matters in building institutions and how he balances running one of America’s oldest banks with family life and personal wellbeing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Stéphane Boujnah, the CEO of Euronext, reflects on a pivotal decision to block a major merger, the origins of his conviction and the emotional weight of leading against the consensus. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

In this episode of Executive Decisions , Steve Sedgwick sits down with Dominik von Achten, CEO of Heidelberg Materials. One of Dominik’s earliest decisions was to leave the “dry” world of legal practice for the fast-paced environment of Boston Consulting Group. Today, he steers one of the world’s largest building materials companies through a bold sustainability pivot, Dominik reflects on the toughest choices of his career, including introducing decarbonization targets into executive compensation. He explains why exposing yourself to crossroads moments builds confidence in decision-making and why listening to younger voices is critical in an era of AI and rapid change. Finally, Dominik reveals what motivates him today—and why shaping an industry for future generations remains his ultimate goal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .