Claim OwnershipThe Chief Strategy Officer Podcast
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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.
19 Episodes
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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 innova...
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 strateg...
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 fou...
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...
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 the...
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 ...
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 tr...
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 s...
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 str...
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...
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 ac...
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...
Welcome to another episode of The Chief Strategy Officer Podcast. Today’s discussion centers on one of the most transformative and rapidly evolving topics in business— artificial intelligence. We’re joined by three distinguished strategy leaders --- Joanne Sheppard of Holtzbrinck, Ed Knapp from American Tower, and Prashant Kelker of ISG, who bring unique perspectives about how organizations can think strategically about making investments in AI to minimize risk and maximize ROI. ...
In this episode, we're joined by Eric Goldstein, Chief Strategy Officer at TIAA, to explore the challenges and opportunities of setting up and operating a strategy office. With over six years at TIAA and an impressive background in investment banking at JP Morgan and management consulting at McKinsey, Eric brings a wealth of experience to the table. We dive into Eric’s journey of centralizing the strategy office at TIAA, the importance of aligning strategy with business goals, and how h...
In today’s episode, we're diving deep into the intricate process of designing and operating a successful strategy office. This is a critical discussion for any newly appointed CSO or those looking to fine tune their existing strategy office. Our guests today are two seasoned Chief Strategy Officers who have navigated the complexities of building strategy offices in different industries. We’re joined by Roopa Unnikrishnan, the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at IDEX Corporation, an...
In this episode, we are joined by three chief strategy officers who are also responsible for sustainability in their organizations. Alpa Sutaria of WestRock, Paula Kovarsky of Raizen, and Maisie Ganzler of Bon Apetit Management Company. In this episode, we explore why companies might choose to make sustainability a core responsibility of their strategy officers. We'll discuss the benefits of integrating sustainability into the strategic framework and examine the challenges that come with this...
How Southern Glazer's Office of Strategic Management Built an Enduring Strategic Advantage Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits is the largest wine and spirits distributor in the United States, serving over 240,000 customers across 44 states and the District of Columbia. It is also one of the largest family-owned business in the US. Their strategy office is doing remarkable things that push the boundaries that define most strategy offices. In this podcast episode, we hear first hand from the...
Corporate strategy in growth-stage companies can be very different from strategy in mature organizations. In this episode, we hear from three chief strategy executives who are effectively navigating the strategic journeys for their scaling organizations – Elisabeth Moore from West Monroe Partners, Adam Zalisk from Amplify Education, and Edward Crook from DeepL. Today’s discussion is moderated by Outthinker Networks President, Claudio Garcia. In this episode you’ll learn: Practica...
As much as companies promise and commit to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, the reality is corporate strategy, especially at the senior level, remains a male-dominated field. Some chief strategy officers have made it their mission to change that reality. In this episode, we hear from two of them. Alok Agrawal, Chief Strategy Officer & Head of Ventures at Celestica, and Nicolas Chapman, former EVP and Chief Strategy Officer of Teradata, have made tremendous strides in shifting...
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