The Leadership Playbook

It was a packed Pigott Auditorium when Taco Bell CEO and MBA alum Sean Tresvant spoke at the Albers Executive Speaker Series. Tresvant, the first Black CEO of the $16 billion QSR brand, talked about his journey from university to the top position at Taco Bell, lessons he learned along the way, and how he saw marketing for the future: "It's both math and magic."   Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

"You want to be a leader? Then you must be a sponge." Virginia Mason Franciscan Health CEO Ketul Patel told the audience at the Albers Executive Speaker Series that learning is core to leadership success, along with building relationships and leaning into change. Healthcare continues to face challenges, among them workforce shortages and the entry of Wall Street, but he is optimistic about growing and scaling the only health system covering the entire Puget Sound. He is committed to rebuilding the workforce and culture, exploring partnerships, and continuing to learn from everyone. A wise mentor once told him that to be successful, "you have to live on an elevator. What he meant was you must connect with people at all levels of the organization, not just make it to the boardroom.   Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

Most recessions are not all hands-on-deck, everything-stops-at-once collapses." RSM US Deputy Chief Economist and Industry Analyst Program Leader Kevin Depew talks to Albers Dean Joe Phillips about the economy, domestic and global, and prospects for inflation. Recorded in August 2023, Depew elaborates on why he doesn't think a recession is guaranteed and how the regime change the world is experiencing is underpinned by three key factors: Globalization, growth, and liquidity. Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

In April of this year, Albers' MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management hosted the Pacific Northwest Academy of Legal Studies in Business' regional conference here in Seattle. Among the sessions was a highly anticipated panel discussion on NIL. NIL (name, image, likeness) refers to the rights of college athletes to profit from their personal brands as mandated by an NCAA policy that went into effect on July 1st, 2021. The evolving legal landscape for NIL makes it a closely watched topic by athletes, brands, universities, and other stakeholders. This is a recording of the panel discussion with NIL subject matter experts who are deeply immersed in the area: James Buder, Assistant Attorney General of the University of Washington; Hector Rivas, co-founder of Disruptive Sports; Debbie Spander, founder and CEO of Insight Sports Advisers; and Natalie M. Welch, assistant professor at the MBA in Sport and Entertainment Management. Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

Management professor Bill Weis sat down with Albers dean Joe Phillips to talk about how he became the school's longest serving faculty member with 50 years of teaching under his belt. In this half-century, Weis became the standard bearer of banning smoking in the workplace; brought worldwide attention to an obscure 15th century Italian friar; and started an adventure-based leadership course that built strong bonds among generations of MBA students. The freedom to pursue his varied interests was one reason he has stayed at Albers: "This is a place that honors who you are." Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

The FIFA World Cup is the world's largest sporting event, 14% bigger than the Olympics in audience size and six times the size of the Super Bowl's 175 million viewers. And it's coming to Seattle in 2026 as the city becomes one of 16 North American locations chosen to host several games. How do cities pitch for sporting events of this size? What is the economic impact of occasions like this? Peter Tomozawa, CEO of SEAFWC26, the organization tasked with preparing Seattle for the 2026 World Cup, talks about this and more at a recent Albers Executive Speaker Series. More important than putting on a good show is the legacy left behind, he says. "We're not going to build another Space Needle," he says, referring to the iconic construction from 1962 World's Fair. "The plan is to focus on a people-based legacy, on community, culture, and children." Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

In his book 'Running with Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack', Brooks Running Company CEO Jim Weber shared how he led a passionate, committed team to transform a failing business into a billion-dollar brand in the ultra-competitive global running market. Brooks' success caught the attention of Warren Buffett, who declared it a standalone subsidiary company of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. in 2012. Listen to this live recording of Weber's panel discussion where he talked about a range of topics, from promoting diversity in the workplace to what he would tell his 20-year-old self, in this episode of The Leadership Playbook. Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

Intentionalist founder and CEO Laura Clise makes the call for thinking small – small business, to be specific. In this episode, she talks about how we can all be part of the solution to economic inequality, racial injustice, and the fraying of our social fabric by being more intentional about where we eat, drink, and shop. As Clise puts it, 'Economic allyship is a powerful way to translate our good intentions into action that contributes to the cultural change necessary for a more connected, inclusive, and equitable world.' Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

How is the highest-ranking female business executive in baseball looking to revitalize one of Seattle's most loved sports franchises? Catie Griggs, President of Business Operations for the Seattle Mariners, joined the Albers Executive Speaker Series in April to talk about her vision. For her, it boils down to a renewed focus on the fan experience that's grounded on three principles: winning their games, creating a truly inclusive and welcoming experience to all, and offering outstanding value. Listen to the recording of Griggs' live panel where she talks about all this and her mantra, 'Doesn't Matter; Get Better'. Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.  

For Albers' 75th year, Dean Joe Phillips sat down with the iconic Harriet Stephenson, a business professor who taught at Albers from 1967 to 2014. Stephenson, one of the few female business PhDs in her time, founded what is now the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) and won many awards for her teaching and her work in social entrepreneurship and small business management. Phillips asked her how she first got interested in business (leasing her grandfather's swimming pool in Walla Walla), what it was like to be a woman in business in the 60s ("business was pretty much men"), and the origins of Albers' triple bottom line, among others. When asked how she felt about the IEC naming their business competition after her, Stephenson said with much satisfaction, "I gotta say I like it." If you studied under Harriet or are just interested in the woman after whom our business plan competition is named, listen to understand why she's a living legend. Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.  

In this recording of a November 2021 live panel, Puget Sound Energy CEO Mary E. Kipp talked about the dual utility's journey toward its goal of net zero carbon emissions, including natural gas sold to customers, by 2045. A big challenge, as Kipp explained, is 'how do you optimize existing assets to make sure you decarbonize as quickly as you can and not leave anyone behind?' To meet its goal, PSE has upped transparency, asked for more input from diverse communities, and focused on partnerships in a big way. 'This climate change thing is bigger than all of us,' Kipp said. 'So let's get together and do it in a collaborative, respectful fashion.' Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

REI Co-op President & CEO Eric Artz emphasized values and impact in this recording of the first live Albers Executive Speaker Series panel in 18 months. With an ambitious goal to grow membership from 20 million to 50 million, Artz said their aspiration is to grow a community of 50 million who are engaged and fighting for pressing societal issues we face today such as climate change and racial equity. He also spoke about how REI is handling supply chain challenges, how he built a powerful company culture, and the advice he'd give aspiring leaders. 'Challenge yourself. Go do. Go try. When you get comfortable, force yourself to get uncomfortable, because those are the moments that you're growing.' Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.  

A panel of three former Seattle University Board of Trustees Chairs – Phyllis Campbell, Jim Sinegal, and Steve Hooper – ask outgoing SU President Father Steve Sundborg about his leadership insights, the most challenging moments in the 24 years he led SU, his post-retirement plans, and how he sees the university in the future. The panel also announces the creation of the Stephen V. Sundborg, SJ Endowment for Business Social Impact to support community outreach programs such as the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center's RAMP-up program. Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

Challenge Seattle CEO and former Washington Governor Christine Gregoire talks to Albers Dean Joe Phillips about her experience navigating a recession, the initiatives she is spearheading in response to last year's racial unrest, and her advice for students graduating in a pandemic. The common thread throughout the episode is being open to learning throughout one's lifetime. 'Whatever you end up doing, don't assume that's your lifelong job,' she says in this episode. 'Let the doors open; let the sky be the limit.' Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

Alaska Air Group chairman Brad Tilden, who retired as CEO in March, reflects on the challenges, triumphs, and lessons learned in the nine years he led the Seattle-based airline. The self-confessed airline geek who 'loves the smell of jet fuel in the morning' talks about transcending the pandemic, what he is most proud of during his time as Alaska CEO, and how to spot the right talent for the airline industry. Like him, they all 'believe in the magic of flight'. Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

Retail Lockbox President and CEO Craig Dawson knew he wanted to go into business when he was four years old. In this episode, he talks about how he is leveraging his experience as a Black business owner and leader in heading up the Washington Roundtable and Washington Employers for Racial Equity, how he feels strongly about championing Black business, and the advice he would give to young professionals as they start their careers. 'When I graduated, I thought I was old,' he recounts. 'What I didn't realize was how much runway I had.' Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

Seattle University Emeritus Professor, thought leader, and author Marilyn Gist talks about her seminal work on leading with humility and how it underpins success in the best performing organizations. Gist defines leader humility as 'feeling and displaying deep regard for others' dignity'. Her research shows that contrary to the perception that it denotes weakness, leader humility builds a strong culture and incentivizes members to bring their best selves to the table. Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

‘Talent exists everywhere, but opportunity does not.’ When the pandemic hit, K-8 digital math program DreamBox Learning opened its platform for free to schools and parents, providing a much-needed resource during trying times. President, CEO, and Board Chair Jessie Woolley-Wilson talks about COVID being a pivotal moment for DreamBox, the future of education technology, and the challenges she has faced as a renowned Black female leader in the historically male-dominated tech world. Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

‘Seek businesses that are built on principle or go and build one of your own.’ In January 2020, the Albers Executive Speaker Series hosted Accolade CEO Rajeev Singh, one of the Pacific Northwest’s most successful entrepreneurs. During his talk, he shared his guidepost for his every decision, other highly successful innovators who embrace beliefs that contradict the current orthodoxy, and how to recognize and master those moments that will change your course forever.  Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.

For the first time ever, three former CEOs from Boeing were on a panel discussing their experiences in leadership and culture during their executive tenures. The Albers Executive Speaker Series hosted Frank Shrontz, Alan Mulally, and Ray Conner in October 2018, asking them a host of questions from the challenges they faced in running Boeing to what advice they'd give students aspiring to senior leadership someday.  Hosted by Joseph M. Phillips, dean of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics, The Leadership Playbook asks top executives from the business world's most recognizable brands and companies about the stories behind their success, their leadership secrets, and the biggest obstacles they've faced and overcome.  Follow us on leadershipplaybook.org to find out more about the show. Subscribe to listen to succeeding episodes.  The Leadership Playbook is brought to you by RSM US, the nation's leading provider of assurance, tax, and consulting services focused on the middle market. Podcast production and music by Alvarez Audio.