In February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and multinational companies began pulling out of Russia, in response. At Switzerland-based Nestlé, chief executive Mark Schneider had a difficult decision to make. Nestlé had a long tradition of neutrality that enabled it to operate in countries regardless of their political systems and human rights policies. But mor ... Show More
Jul 8
At Booking.com, Innovation Means Constant Failure (Summer Repeat)
During a busy travel season, digital travel platform Booking.com tried a risky experiment that meant changing the site’s landing page. Then CEO Gillian Tans made the decision to lean into the company’s “test everything” culture—even if it meant failure. In this episode from 2019, ... Show More
26m 41s
Jun 24
Ensuring Boston Ballet Stays Relevant
Ming Min Hui, executive director of Boston Ballet, is unique in her field. As a young, Asian American woman with a HBS MBA and a background in finance, she focuses on ensuring the ballet company stays true to its art form and still relevant to its times. Hui had worked for eight ... Show More
30m 59s
Oct 2021
First He Saved Unilever. Now He Wants to Save Capitalism.
Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, led a dazzling career in consumer goods, from Procter & Gamble to Nestlé to the British multinational. His experience fending off a hostile takeover bid taught him that the doctrine of shareholder capitalism is wrong. He believes there’s a bet ... Show More
24m 41s
Jan 2022
Why Companies Should Stop Political Spending Now
A decade ago, the U.S. Supreme Court changed the rules on how businesses could donate to political campaigns. Since then, hundreds of millions of corporate dollars have been spent on local, state, and federal elections, often without transparency. Many CEOs and boards feel this i ... Show More
26m 36s
Feb 2022
How is The Coca Cola Company moving from a linear to a circular economy?
“Some people say ‘business is big, that’s not good.’ On the other hand, I’d say that means we can drive scale, we can make meaningful change, and we have the resources to do it.”-Bea Perez, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications, Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships ... Show More
41m 1s
Nov 2023
In Hindsight: With Kirsty Leighton, founder & group CEO of Milk & Honey PR
In a new regular format of the PRmoment Podcast with me, Ben Smith, we’ll be catching up with UK public relations leaders - and our guests will share their in-hindsight secrets that they wish they'd known when they started their businesses!
Today, we're chatting with K ... Show More
45m 54s
Dec 2020
When to Team Up with Your Competition
Barry Nalebuff, professor at Yale School of Management and cofounder of Honest Tea, says too many companies shy away from cooperating with a competitor, and they’re leaving value on the table. He says even when working with other companies to find mutual benefits is not a clear w ... Show More
24m 26s