What do you learn when you’ve led three billion-dollar buildouts, across banking, insurance, and global capability centers?
In this episode, we sit down with Dinesh Deo, a quiet giant of India’s GCC sector, for a no-holds-barred conversation on what it really takes to build, scale, and lead in high-stakes environments. From GE’s legendary talent playbook to the emotional rollercoaster of acquisition, this is a conversation packed with insight, honesty, and the hard-earned truths of leadership.
We unpack the stories behind the headlines, what it took, what changed, and what never should.
In this episode:
The 3 big leadership lessons from GE, BNY Mellon, and Marsh McLennan
What it means to invest in yourself
The emotional decision to leave a company when values don’t align with ownership shifts
How to reinvent yourself from individual contributor to CEO (and 25 to 7000 employees)
Learning to lead through uncertainty and M&A shock
What most leaders get wrong about friendship, performance, and fairness
The unspoken cost of why rating systems break culture
Why “I don’t know” can be a powerful answer
Plus:
What it takes to lead with authenticity during crisis
The fine line between being liked and being trusted
And how to find purpose in people and stay resilient for 25 years
Listen now and reflect on the kind of leadership that doesn’t just chase performance but shapes it.