This week we feature a recent episode of IMD's sister podcast, Leaders Unplugged. IMD President David Bach sits down with Henrik Andersen, CEO of Vestas, for a raw conversation on Europe’s energy transition and the courage leaders need to navigate it.

Andersen delivers a stark warning on Europe’s complacency: “Europe is 50% dependent on import of energy day in and day out. The truth is we import more LNG gas from Russia than we did in 2022.” He explains how China is building up its alternative energy capacities faster than any other nation – and dismantles hype around unproven solutions, such as hydrogen: “It is a little bit of a dream that is beyond a dream”.

His purpose for being an outspoken leader is clear: “Our kids will say, ‘we will never forgive you because why did you keep talking about something that doesn’t happen?’” And he delivers a strong lesson to his peers: speak out, take blows, and act boldly in a volatile world.

This week, we bring you a powerful conversation from OWP Singapore, IMD’s flagship five-day program focused on orchestrating winning performance. In this fireside chat, Professor Omar Toulan sits down with Dan Luo, IMD MBA alumna (Class of ’99) and a trailblazing leader whose career spans global giants like Heinz, Lego, and Fonterra.

Luo shares her remarkable journey from Wuhan to the world stage, navigating the Asian financial crisis, pivoting industries, and building a dynamic board portfolio. With deep experience in both B2B and B2C, she reflects on the leadership lessons that shaped her path: the power of democratic decision-making, handling conflict with clarity, and the importance of assembling and inspiring high-performing teams.

From career inflection points to personal milestones, Luo’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and impact. What does it really take to lead with purpose across borders and industries? Tune in to find out.

In conversation with IMD's Jean-François Manzoni, Novonesis CEO Ester Baiget discusses how the Danish biosolutions powerhouse uses advanced tech and its ‘library of strengths’ to transform food production and laundry processes.

Novonesis is rapidly becoming the world leader in the field of biosolutions. By leveraging the power of microbiology with science, it is increasingly transforming the way the world produces, consumes, and lives. 

Born from the 2024 merger of enzyme and cultures specialists, Novonesis has integrated complex technologies and navigated regulatory roadblocks. But blending two corporate cultures requires more than science alone. For CEO Ester Baiget, the key is leadership rooted in humility, transparency, and a relentless focus on sustainable growth.

The energy transition isn't coming. It's already here. From boardrooms to trading floors, from tech labs to oil rigs, the shift toward clean energy is reshaping how business gets done. On "Inside the Transition," hosts Julia Binder and Knut Haanaes are bringing you conversations with the people at the front line of this historic shift of the energy transition.

This week, Knut and Julia are joined by Paul Watkinson, a seasoned climate negotiator who enabled the adoption of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Just weeks before COP 30 in Brazil, they discuss the current state of global climate efforts and the need to overcome domestic political, social, and financial barriers to decarbonization. The conversation delves into the uneven pace of the energy transition, the pivotal but complex role of China in clean tech, Europe's regulatory challenges, and the essential need for a "just transition" to build public support.  

Mike Wade and Amit Joshi welcome their colleague José Parra Moyano, Professor of Digital Strategy at IMD and contributor to their book GAIN. Jose shares his perspective on how Generative AI is not just an efficiency tool but a powerful enabler for non-technical business leaders. 

The conversation explores how Gen AI democratises data analytics, enabling managers to reduce uncertainty and make informed decisions without needing to code. They discuss the shift from using AI for cost savings to driving innovation, the evolving role of data science experts, and practical advice for listeners on how to leverage these tools to gain a competitive advantage.

In this episode of Mike and Amit Talk Tech, on the IMD Podcast network, our hosts discuss the transformative role of generative AI in supply chains. Joining the show is Professor Carlos Cordon, an IMD expert with over 30 years of experience in technology and strategy. Cordon reflects on his journey from the world of IT leadership to academia and explains why the supply chain remains both one of the most complex and most critical engines of modern business.

The discussion examines why early experiments with generative AI in supply chain operations led to disappointment and how the rapid evolution of tools like Microsoft Copilot and DeepSeek has since transformed the landscape. From Excel spreadsheets to enterprise systems, Cordon explains how AI is now beginning to enhance accuracy, unlock deeper analysis, and make supply chain management more adaptive in a volatile geopolitical environment.

In this episode of the CEO Dialogue series, Jean-François Manzoni speaks with Morten Wierod, President and CEO of ABB, about how one of the world’s great engineering companies is transforming itself for the road ahead.

With 110,000 employees, 170 factories, and more than $30 billion in annual revenues, ABB has long been central to electrification, automation, and industrial innovation.

Now, under Wierod’s leadership, the company is driving a “leaner and cleaner” mission that connects competitiveness with sustainability.

On the IMD Podcast network, Mike Wade and Amit Joshi speak about the future of health, with Achim Plueckebaum, a contributor to their latest book GAIN.

As a senior executive with decades of experience in the life sciences industry, Plueckebaum believes AI will have a transformative impact on medicine, pharmacology, and patient care. He emphasizes the importance of data privacy, ethical considerations, and the need for AI to serve patients effectively.

Plueckebaum predicts significant AI-driven drug innovations within the decade, and even the discovery of entirely new treatments. From synthetic biology to personalized medicines, healthcare is set to change in a big way.

IMD Dean of Faculty and Research Stefan Michel sits down with Amar Bhidé - Emeritus Professor at Tufts University, and a founding member of the Center on Capitalism and Society at Columbia. 

Drawing on insights from his latest book, Uncertainty and Enterprise: Venturing Beyond the Known, Amar unpacks the vital difference between risk and uncertainty, why this matters for entrepreneurs, and how imagination shapes decision-making in business and innovation.

In today’s business environment, true visionaries rely on contextual judgment rather than just statistical models. And though the evolution of AI will bring many opportunities, understanding its pitfalls remains key to success. Amar discusses these issues and the surprising role that routines play in enabling creativity and collaboration.

In this I by IMD podcast, Rohit Jawa, the former CEO of Hindustan Unilever, outlines how he is reshaping the company’s strategy to meet the evolving needs of India’s growing middle class, leveraging digital transformation, talent development, and a future-focused growth agenda. 

In conversation with IMD’s Jean-François Manzoni, Jawa explains how he is future-proofing the Indian consumer goods giant to take advantage of the nation’s rapidly expanding middle class. 

For nearly a century, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has been flourishing in the Indian subcontinent, growing in tandem with the nation. As India’s largest consumer goods company, the maker of Lux soap, Surf Excel laundry detergent, and Lipton tea has become deeply embedded in the country’s economic and cultural fabric, serving nine out of 10 Indian households and earning its place as the “crown jewel” in Unilever’s global portfolio. 

India is Unilever’s second-largest market after the US, contributing around 10% of the parent company’s turnover. While HUL draws on Unilever’s global R&D and brand strength, it has also become an exporter of talent and innovation, helping shape success in other markets.  

Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at what drives the company’s success. 

In this I by IMD podcast, host Michael Watkins, Professor of Leadership and Organizational Change, sits down with executive coach Brenda Steinberg to discuss a common challenge: the "post-summer blues."

They reframe this experience not as a slump but as a transition and discuss the importance of acknowledging and processing the seasonal change. For many, returning to work triggers a “survival mode” attitude. Watkins and Steinberg say it's common to feel a sense of loss or "grief" for the holiday break and to fear returning to the "go-go-go" office dynamic. The show provides practical advice for leaders, including the need to create space for team members to reflect on what they learned about themselves over the summer and what their new priorities are. They also delve into the strategic importance of managing one’s energy, a core tenet of leadership, and how personal reflection can be a catalyst for meaningful professional change. 

In this episode of Mike and Amit Talk Tech from the IMD Podcast Network, hosts Mike Wade and Amit Joshi speak with Tomoko Yokoi, Senior Researcher at IMD, about one of AI’s fastest-growing frontiers — Edge AI.

Drawing on over 20 years of experience in B2B and B2C industries, Tomoko explains what Edge AI is, why it matters, and how it could reshape both consumer and business applications in the coming decade.

The discussion unpacks how running AI directly on local devices brings speed, bandwidth savings, and potential privacy benefits, while also creating new opportunities for non-traditional AI players like telecoms companies and hardware producers. Tomoko also explores the likely rise of hybrid AI models that blend cloud and edge capabilities, and the competitive shake-up this could trigger in the AI ecosystem.

From healthcare wearables to next-generation smartphones, mining equipment and future 6G services, this conversation dives deep into the technical, strategic, and regulatory implications AI “at the edge.” 

What it means to be “working-age” is changing, and so too are the ways in which people look at their careers. The traditional “three-stage” life is giving way to a “multi-stage” life, and businesses that fail to adapt to this new reality are in danger of being left behind.

In this special episode of the IMD Podcast Network, we bring together two of the world’s most influential thinkers to discuss the future of work and leadership. Host Andrew Sharman, Adjunct Professor of Risk, Resilience and Safety Culture at IMD and author of Who Cares Wins, is joined by the globally renowned author Lynda Gratton to explore the profound implications of her book, The 100-Year Life.

Lynda and Andrew dive into what it means to live and work for longer. They discuss why leadership must evolve to accommodate ageing populations,” the challenge of transforming organisations to support multi-stage careers, and how “care” is not just a moral imperative but a strategic necessity. They tackle tough questions, like how leaders should balance empathy with productivity, and outline the importance of “unlearning” old habits.

Poul Weihrauch explains how family ownership gives him the opportunity to prioritize purpose alongside profit.

In an era where CEOs are under relentless pressure to deliver short-term gains while also addressing long-term challenges like sustainability, Poul Weihrauch considers himself fortunate. As the CEO of Mars – the 114-year-old, family-owned confectionery and pet care giant – he operates with a rare advantage: time.

“We like to say that we act in generations, not in quarters,” says Weihrauch, who joined the firm 25 years ago and steadily rose through the ranks.

Thanks to the Mars family’s long-term outlook and the company’s practice of reinvesting over 90% of its profits annually, Weihrauch has the freedom to prioritize lasting impact over short-term wins. The company evaluates success through four “compass quarters”: strong financial performance, quality growth, positive societal impact, and trusted partners. Notably, 40% of the long term compensation of Mars’ top 2,000 leaders, including Weihrauch, is tied to non-financial goals, an unusual commitment for a company of this scale in a corporate world still dominated by quarterly earnings targets.

AI is a double-edged sword for the environment. Its growth requires masses of energy, water, and rare earth metals. The LLMs of tomorrow may even require the world to bring old power plants, powered by fossil fuels, back online. On the other hand, AI has the potential to accelerate sustainable transformation by providing innovative approaches to energy production and consumption.

So, is AI a groundbreaking innovation or an environmental burden? Might it one day save our planet?

Today on the IMD podcast network, we're bringing you an episode of Mike and Amit Talk Tech, in which our hosts discuss AI and sustainability with Julia Binder, Professor of Sustainable Innovation and Business Transformation at IMD. To find out more about Mike Wade & Amit Joshi's latest book, "Gain: Demystifying Gen AI for Office and Home", visit the IMD website here or buy it directly from Amazon. 

What got you here won’t get you there. But that’s not all, says Kevin O’Brien, CEO of Gammon Construction in conversation with Professor Ric Roi. You’re also going to need to really unpack the detail of your new brief, marshal the data to spot the opportunities, figure out how to unlock future potential, and bring everyone with you on the journey. 

Richard Baldwin delves into the Trump administration, and what to glean from months of economic madness. Looking ahead, Richard discussed how trade and tariffs will directly impact businesses, from small enterprises to large corporations, and what business leaders can do to mitigate risk potential regional variations and sector-specific impacts. 

Historian-turned-business-professor Martin Gutmann talks to IMD’s Howard Yu about busting the “hero” myth, how Churchill really won WWII, and the silent strategist who conquered both poles while the flashy explorers froze. Along the way he reveals humility as the ultimate power-skill and hands leaders a playbook for quietly, predictably winning. 

Richard Edelman, CEO of the communications firm Edelman, explores in a conversation with Cynthia Hansen, Managing Director of Adecco Group’s Innovation Foundation, why so many people are dissatisfied with authority and institutions.

This interview with Ruchita Sinha, partner at AV8 Ventures, explores her journey from science to venture capital and her approach to early-stage investing. She discusses AV8’s focus on AI-driven innovation in healthcare, enterprise tech, and financial services, and shares insights on evaluating founders, what distinguishes a good company builder, navigating tough situations, and making impactful investment decisions beyond just picking winners.