Founder's Mentality: The CEO Sessions

What can a CEO of a firm learn from a milk co-op?

Peder Tuborgh joined Arla Foods as a marketeer, so no one expected that his first move as CEO would be to unite most of the company’s 100 brands under one name. But Peder’s purpose was clear. He built a shared conviction within Arla and developed a value proposition that has guided the company through two decades of turbulence and landmark mergers, all whilst driving relentless growth. Needless to say, there is a lot we can learn from the way Peder leads at Arla.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Peder as they discuss the importance of focusing on volume growth, the power of thinking beyond the boundaries of a firm, and how Peder balances his ingenious value framework to build resilience within his team.

Peder emphasizes the dangers of looking too far into the future. Does a ten-year mindset take away from the work we’re doing today? How can leaders combine today’s values with tomorrow’s goals to build a company that can thrive in turbulence?

This is a conversation about value building and people driven leadership that redefines what strategy means.

>>> LISTENER SURVEY: Share your thoughts at https://www.podpolls.com/founder

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
02:42 Launching the Arla brand
04:18 Betting on people
05:41 Growth is in Arla's DNA
07:42 The power of keeping it simple
08:51 Envision, engage, deliver
10:37 Engaging stakeholders
13:10 The importance of volume growth
15:10 How Arla's values help navigate turbulence
17:40 Balancing the value framework
19:47 Arla's DNA is not for discussion
20:23 Building resilience through values
22:47 The art of Peder's value framework
23:58 Bringing the future into today
25:56 How Peder has changed
28:06 The importance of meaning
29:40 The lessons we can all learn from Peder
31:23 Thinking beyond the boundaries of the firm

LINKS
Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]
Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]
Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]
Peder Tuborgh LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/peder-tuborgh-aba04935/]

About the Host:
Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

How do you grow a billion dollar business in the face of extreme turbulence?

Bruno Lasansky is CEO of Localiza&Co, a Brazilian car rental company that began with just six secondhand VW Beetles in 1973. From surging interest rates to industry altering government policies, there are few companies that have faced adversity quite like Localiza. But for Bruno, turbulence is not something to be scared of. Under his leadership, Localiza&Co has become South America's largest mobility network, and today, it has more than 600,000 cars.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Bruno as they discuss Bruno’s playbook for the perfect storm: how to unleash the power of the unvarnished truth, how to balance pace and strategy to address turbulence face on, and the importance of culture in fuelling growth that will last for the long run.

Bruno emphasizes the fact that success is not all about winning. Why should a leader shift their mentality away from winning, and towards valuing what they will learn along the journey?

This is a conversation about transparency, discipline, and becoming a leader that not only guides teams through unforeseeable adversity, but sets them up to thrive before turbulence even arrives.

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

02:03 The perfect storm

03:05 The turbulence Bruno was facing

04:43 Resisting the typical temptations

06:55 Strategy starts with a reality check

07:39 Next comes the point of arrival

09:38 How Bruno leads through turbulence

10:13 The importance of adapting fast

11:19 Responding to the unvarnished truth

12:43 The importance of transparency

13:55 Be prepared to exit when it’s necessary

14:28 Never forget the customers or the team

15:57 The power of people, culture, and the mission

17:43 Bruno's acid test

19:05 Entering turbulence with a full battery

21:13 Bruno’s biggest lesson

23:32 Winning is a consequence, not the main goal

25:24 The things that drive Bruno

26:43 Bruno's perfect storm playbook

LINKS

The Fifth New Rule of Scaling: Fall Back in Love with Process - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/FallBackInLoveWithProcess]

Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]

Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]

Bruno Lasansky LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/brunolasansky/]

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

When did showing up become optional?

In 2009 Michelle Zatlyn co-founded Cloudflare, a tech startup that powers 45% of all Fortune 500 companies through solving problems that were keeping their leaders up at night. The surprising thing is, Michelle had no background in engineering. She developed an expertise through showing up, leveraged her own strengths to build a billion dollar business, and wrote a playbook all founders can learn from in the process.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Michelle as they discuss the importance of solving problems that people care about, how to build teams that thrive off cross-functional collaboration, and how to balance delivery and development agendas throughout moments of hyperscale.

Michelle’s story highlights the importance of showing up. Not all leaders start off as experts, but they can become one through being in the room where it happens. How can founders push themselves to show up, even at times where they don't initially have the expertise?

This is a conversation about balancing delivery with growth, building a team that will drive progress through collaboration, and becoming an expert through showing up in the process.

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

00:48 No founder has the perfect skillset

02:31 Finding the right problem to solve

04:19 Building a customer-led tech company

06:42 How Michelle became an expert

08:15 The importance of showing up

12:37 Navigating moments of hyperscale

15:18 Scale demands decentralization

16:20 Empowering cross-functional collaboration

17:13 Protect the steady state, disrupt the status quo

18:30 Balancing delivery and development

19:35 How Cloudflare delivers and develops

21:43 Scale changes a founder's role

22:40 Recruiting for spiky capabilities

24:39 The Cloudflare way

26:10 Michelle's playbook

LINKS

A Beginner's Mindset: The Art of Showing Up - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/TheArtOfShowingUp]

Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]

Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]

Michelle Zatlyn LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellezatlyn/]

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

What does it take to build a business that can pass the purpose-driven test?

Before becoming group CEO and Office of the President at Mars, Poul Weihrauch led a generational transformation of Mars Pet Care that was defined by the things he didn’t do. Poul didn’t pursue a rapid integration or underestimate complexity, and he refined financial strategies by rejecting synergy. Through these unconventional leadership decisions Poul doubled Mars Pet Care’s size, and tripled its organic growth rate.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Poul as they discuss the value of embracing complexity in the name of the customer, how growth doesn't necessarily require synergy, and how Poul built a leadership development program which not only strengthens his leaders but also underpins the company’s growth.

Poul’s story sets a powerful example for any CEO aiming to build a successful purpose-driven business. How can leaders enable a company to stay true to its purpose even during the most testing challenges?

This is a conversation about the importance of CEO restraint, embracing the complexity that comes with growth, and the role of a leader in building a company that can pass the purpose-driven test.

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

02:40 A trip to the graveyard

03:48 Moving purpose from the walls to decisions

05:54 Restructuring the leadership team

07:35 The role of communication

09:02 The engine one, engine two problem

10:46 Navigating complexity

12:31 Focus wins over synergy

14:53 Poul’s philosophy

16:12 Refusing synergy is a financial strategy

17:45 The founder dilemma

19:02 Poul’s pathfinders program

20:18 The value of cross-functional collaboration

21:20 Embracing complexity for the customer

23:00 The cyber attack

24:25 Living up to their purpose

25:56 What it means to be purpose-driven

27:25 Organization first, self last

29:45 The lessons Poul learnt

30:51 Poul’s most important stakeholders

32:03 The things Poul didn’t do

LINKS

A Graveyard of Good Intentions - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/agraveyardofgoodintentions]

Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]

Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]

Poul Weihrauch LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/poulweihrauch/]

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

What does it take to lead a fragmented business through disruptive transformation?

When she joined The Economist as Group CEO, Lara Boro faced a divided company, metaphorically, and physically. She quickly won the confidence of the board, by writing off a £12 million, four year long transformation project, and showing that its replacement wouldn’t need a single pound of investment. It could actually fund itself. Through strategic and purpose-based leadership, Lara solidified her legacy of being the person who was able to finally bring two sides of the business together.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Lara as they discuss the importance of striving for simplification at pace, how culture helped her team embrace an ambitious digital transformation, and how she brought the business together through dissecting one foundational question: what is The Economist?

Lara’s journey also highlights the value of building for the customer. How can analyzing customer data shape budgets and provide strategic direction?

This is a conversation about the role of a leader in guiding teams through positive disruption, leveraging customer data to shape business strategy, and ensuring every part of a team strives for success together.

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:19 Arriving to a cultural divide

02:53 The gap between the editorial and the business

04:36 Understanding the issues from both sides

05:37 Journalism is independent, but not from the business

06:27 Lara's playbook - reframing the business strategy

07:35 Starting by understanding the customer

08:30 Customer data helps improve efficiency

09:42 Writing off £12 million and four years of work

11:50 Why Lara used the phrase "self funding"

13:19 The when, the how, and the little wins

14:25 Momentum matters most

15:35 Mixing pace with simplicity

16:44 Building a culture that eases tension

18:06 Maintaining principles in the face of AI

19:35 Discovering new perspectives through debate

20:44 Expression may change, but culture stays the same

21:40 What is The Economist?

23:32 Convincing the right people to join

24:27 Lara’s legacy: bringing The Economist together

25:22 The people who believed in Lara

26:44 The grand reframe

LINKS

The Most Successful Cultural Change Programs Never, Ever Discuss Cultural Change - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/CEOCulturalChange]

Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]

Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]

Lara Boro LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lara-salameh-boro-4a16405/]

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

How will AI impact the business I have spent years building?

When Sal Khan, CEO and founder of Khan Academy, was confronted with this question in 2023 he didn’t wait for someone to answer, he learned quickly and built the outcome he wanted. The result was a personalized learning model that enhanced education for 200 million users across the world.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Sal as they discuss how to embrace the discomfort of navigating disruption, the importance of relearning how to learn, and how CEOs can use AI to strengthen their competitive positions.

Sal also reveals the promise he made to his team - if they’re creating AI that can automate their roles they won’t be replaced, they will be promoted. How can leaders find new ways to drive productivity amid the uncertainty surrounding AI?

This is a conversation about turning disruption into new opportunities, how curiosity can help us navigate the unknown, and how leaders can leverage AI to set their businesses apart.

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
02:22 The astonishing ability of emerging AI
03:21 Experimenting with an early AI model
04:14 Turning fears into features
04:56 Sal’s quick decision to adopt AI
05:46 The concerns of AI in education
07:04 Sal’s symbiosis with AI developers
07:57 Why Khan Academy had to understand AI
08:32 How Sal seized the opportunity of disruptive technologies
09:22 Getting the team on board through confronting risks
10:05 Preparing to launch
10:34 The need for a responsible actor becomes clear
11:56 How Sal built his tiger team
13:17 How Sal’s mentality helps embrace AI uncertainty
15:23 Learning how to learn again
16:11 Helping people learn in the right ways with AI
18:05 How AI facilitates a deeper education
19:08 The choice: to thrive with AI, or to be replaced by AI
19:55 Three key things about learning with AI
20:36 Sal’s promise
20:55 A CEO’s guide to using AI
24:03 The fundamental question answered by Sal’s journey
25:28 What is personalized mastery education
28:21 How AI facilitates Khan Academy's personalized learning model
28:50 Gaining the conviction to adopt AI
29:54 When conviction turns into validation
30:37 What we can learn from Sal’s journey

LINKS
A Scorecard on our 3 AI Journeys - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/AIJourneyScorecard]
Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]
Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]
Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]
Sal Khan LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/khanacademy/]

About the Host:
Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

What does it take to expand worldwide without losing sight of the things that matter most?

Daniel Servitje is the executive chairman of Grupo Bimbo, an organization that rose from a small bakery to become one of the largest food corporations in the world. Since taking over in 1997, Daniel has overseen 900% growth and expansion into multiple international markets. Yesterday, he was on a bread truck.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Daniel as they discuss how robust cultures are developed in the field, the long-term value of choosing patience over urgency, and how to navigate building new systems whilst ensuring existing ones continue to function.

Daniel shares a vital tip for any CEO looking to develop their own business - never let growth separate you from the people that matter. Who really shapes the culture of a successful company? How can a field mentality help leaders grow their businesses?

This is a conversation about the importance of a long-term perspective, knowing how to build a strong culture from the field, and the role of a leader in driving successful growth.

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:32 An inspiring visit to the bakery

02:46 Listening to voices across the company

04:01 What Daniel learned from the annual conference

05:10 Big ideas come from examining the small things

06:27 Building a culture that starts from the field

07:22 What it takes to develop internationally

08:04 How Grupo Bimbo went international successfully

09:35 Developing a global culture

11:33 Culture is built by actions, not by words

12:46 With growth comes opportunity, but also complexity

14:10 Why leaders need to break processes and take risks

16:54 Don’t get trapped by old systems

18:37 How to transform a company whilst running it

19:47 The importance of long term thinking

20:54 Sometimes slower is better

21:52 Balancing the systems paradox

22:38 Daniel's leading mentality

23:36 Getting energy from curiosity

25:30 Finding the right people to diffuse your energy

26:44 Why the source of your energy really matters

27:44 Daniel's recipe for successful growth

LINKS

A Case for Complexity - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/thepowerofrenewal]

Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]

Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]

Daniel Servitje LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielservitje/]

About the Host

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

What are the costs of not daring to make a change?

Jacqueline Novogratz is the Founder & CEO of Acumen, an organisation that invests patient capital in enterprises working to reduce poverty around the world. In 2021, she took a $250 million risk when she set out to provide electricity to 75 million people in regions of sub-Saharan Africa that had a 45% electrification rate or below. It paid off.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company and Jacqueline as they discuss what we can learn from creative risk taking, how to balance socioeconomic tensions without compromising the mission, and how transforming our mentality from “what if?” to “what if I don’t?” can open the door for positive change.

Jacqueline and Jimmy emphasise the value of asking ‘why’ when navigating complexity as a leader. How can we ensure that we not only remember our ‘why’, but also that it is worth remembering in the first place?

This is a conversation about embracing complexity, the power of asking ‘why’, and daring to take risks in the pursuit of positive change.

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

EPISODE CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction

01:21 The billion dollar plan

02:45 Why Acumen started in the hardest location

03:58 Securing the first funding - a $10 million bet on Jacqueline

05:51 Starting and letting the work teach them

08:37 Getting smarter through creative risk taking

11:56 How Jacqueline balances her vision with specificity

12:30 Using deep listening as a tool to understand complexity

15:33 Closing allows Acumen to reflect on their ‘why’

16:37 Embracing complexity is what sets Acumen apart

18:30 What does it take to master complexity?

19:03 How rephrasing the question reminds us ‘why’

19:36 What is Acumen’s ‘why’

20:34 The importance of having the right ‘why’

22:11 How Jacqueline approaches complexity

23:07 Embracing tension, rejecting compromise

24:40 Advice for ambitious young leaders

26:19 Jacqueline’s message

LINKS

A Case for Complexity - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://tinyurl.com/acaseforcomplexity]

Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]

Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]

Jacqueline Novogratz LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqueline-novogratz/]

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

What does it take to back a decision that may take years to prove itself?

Soon after becoming CEO of Stryker, Kevin Lobo backed a $1.6 billion acquisition of Mako, a loss-making robotics company many customers, investors and industry experts believed was unnecessary. The deal would reshape both orthopedic surgery and Stryker’s growth trajectory.

Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Company as Kevin explains why he saw asymmetric upside in robotic-assisted surgery, how he sustained his conviction through disappointing early results, and how one bold bet became the foundation for a repeatable acquisition model spanning more than 60 deals.

Kevin and Jimmy also explore the tension between autonomy and scale. How do you capture the advantages of size without inviting bureaucracy? What should remain decentralized, and where can shared capabilities create a real edge?

This is a conversation about repeatable growth, the cost of complexity, and the CEO’s role in helping leaders think like founders.

https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

LINKS

Ask for Help - Jimmy Allen - Blog [https://shorturl.at/qvzxe]

Bain & Company LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/]

Bain & Company X [https://x.com/BainandCompany]

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/]

Kevin Lobo LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinalobo/]

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (01:35) - The potential in robotics that no else saw
• (02:27) - Taking the $1.6 billion proposal to the board
• (03:28) - Why Stryker had to act immediately
• (05:48) - The hard part begins after the board says yes
• (06:36) - Telling Wall Street about the slow first quarter
• (08:05) - Leading through the time lag
• (08:32) - Winning over employees and building M&A credibility
• (09:37) - Cold-calling Larry Culp, former CEO of Danaher, for advice
• (10:18) - Turning mistakes into an integration playbook
• (11:16) - Discovering the "Stryker way”
• (13:09) - Are you the right parent for the company you acquire?
• (15:12) - Building a repeatable acquisition machine
• (17:09) - The outer game and inner game of growth
• (18:14) - Preserving autonomy across 22 business units
• (20:21) - Good complexity versus bad complexity
• (21:00) - What is the CEO's job in a decentralized company?
• (22:52) - Creating a team of entrepreneurs
• (24:18) - The real meaning of conviction

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label [Abubilla Music] in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

Before a strategy becomes a success story, it's a judgement call.

For 35 years, Jimmy Allen has been in the room with the world's most consequential CEOs, and this season, he's bringing you inside those conversations.

Twelve leaders. Twelve moments that tested everything they thought they knew about leading. And one question that keeps coming back: it's not just what the CEO should do. It's who the CEO needs to become.

Founder's Mentality: The CEO Sessions, Season Two. Launches July 7th.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub:
https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Links:

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

As this season of Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions comes to a close, we take a step back to ask the question that has driven every conversation: how do you lead and grow in an era of turbulence?

In this season finale, host Jimmy Allen revisits the season’s most powerful insights from the leaders of global brands and high-growth innovators, uncovering the new rules of scaling. You’ll hear from founders and CEOs who have mastered the balance between the outer game of strategy and the inner game of leadership, and how they sustain their energy in a role that never stops demanding more.

From Pizza Hut’s Aaron Powell reigniting pride in the product, to Walmart China’s Christina Zhu turning routines into joy, to Mercado Libre’s Marcos Galperin on culture, competition, and resilience, this episode gathers lessons from leaders who refuse to let complexity kill growth. Alongside them, voices like Don Katz, Sunny Verghese, Tanuja Randery, Stuart Gent, David Haines, and Pedro Arnt reveal how simplicity, focus, and relevance can turn turbulence into momentum.

Whether you’ve followed every episode or you’re just joining for the highlights, this is your crash course in the season’s biggest ideas and a blueprint for leading at scale, grounded in clarity, powered by purpose, and built to weather even the fiercest storms.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

The Changing Nature of Strategy: Reflections on Thirty Years - Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/the-changing-nature-of-strategy-reflections-on-thirty-years-fm-blog/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

What does it really take to stay relevant when the world refuses to stand still?

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Marcos Galperin, Founder and Executive Chairman of Mercado Libre, and Chris Zook, Advisory Partner at Bain & Company and co-author of Profit from the Core and The Founder’s Mentality, to explore what it really takes to keep growing when the rules of strategy are being rewritten.

From a garage in Buenos Aires to a $100B powerhouse, Marcos shares how Mercado Libre became Latin America’s e-commerce titan, outpacing global rivals and thriving through calm and storm alike. He opens up about the personal sacrifices behind building at scale, what it means to lead at 24/7 intensity, and how competition, culture, and constant reinvention have kept Meli’s spirit alive.

Chris brings decades of deep research into what separates companies that sustain profitable growth from those that stall, revealing why most failures don’t come from markets, but from losing touch with the core that made them great. He shows how rediscovering an insurgent mission, a frontline obsession, and an owner’s mindset can reignite growth from the inside out.

Together, they unpack the brutal truth of sustainable success: that strategy alone won’t save you. It takes energy, resilience, and an ability to deliver and develop at once, optimizing today while inventing tomorrow. This conversation is a masterclass in balancing the outer game of performance with the inner game of purpose, and a reminder that the best CEOs don’t just manage complexity. They master it.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

Escaladores - Podcast Series (https://podcasts.apple.com/ar/podcast/escaladores/id1692216304)

The Founder's Mentality Defined (https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/about/)

Profit from the Core - Book (https://www.bain.com/insights/books/profit-from-the-core/)

Founder's Mentality® and the paths to sustainable growth - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/what-is-founders-mentality-video/)

Get Your Mojo Back with the Founder's Mentality® - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/get-your-mojo-back-with-the-founders-mentality-video/)

Barriers and Pathways to Sustainable Growth: Harnessing the Power of the Founder's Mentality - Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/founders-mentality-barriers-and-pathways-to-sustainable-growth/)

Reigniting Growth - Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/strategies-for-corporate-growth/)

The Lost Engines of Growth - Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/the-lost-engines-of-growth-fm-blog/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

David Haines LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-j-haines)

Iona Gaskell LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/iona-gaskell/)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

How can a hyperscaler grow at lightning speed without losing its soul?

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Pedro Arnt, CEO of dLocal and former CFO of Mercado Libre, to explore how to scale at pace while keeping culture, relevance, and energy intact. From building one of Latin America’s most successful e-commerce and fintech giants to steering a new generation of high-growth businesses, Pedro shares what it means to stay adaptable, focus on impact, and reinvent yourself as a leader.

We’re also joined by Ann Wright, founder of The Wright Approach and a long-time coach to global CEOs, who helps leaders navigate their career crossroads. Ann reveals why self-awareness is a strategic skill, how to protect your time and energy, and what it really means to do only what only you can do. Together, these conversations uncover how the best leaders balance humility with conviction and build organizations that stay curious, grounded, and relentlessly relevant.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

Introducing: The Net Promoter System® - Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/introducing-the-net-promoter-system-loyalty-insights/)

The Customer Confidential Podcast on NPS - Podcast Series (https://www.netpromotersystem.com/podcast/)

Closing the Talent Gap: Seven Tips from Dubai - Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/closing-the-talent-gap-seven-tips-from-dubai-fm-blog/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

Pedro Arnt LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/pedro-arnt-5a7a69/)

Anne Wright LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-wright-93587b14)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

What does it take to stay connected to your customers when scale and complexity threaten to pull you away?

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with David Haines, Group CEO of Flora Food Group, to explore how leaders can keep their focus vertical - anchored in the customer and the frontline, while running global organizations. From his early days at Mars and Vodafone to leading GROHE and Flora, David shares stories of how listening, curiosity, and relevance shaped his approach to leadership. He shows why great strategy starts on the shop floor, how moments of truth can differentiate a brand, and why humility and honesty are the CEO’s most underrated tools.

We’re also joined by Iona Gaskell, Head of Artist Voice at Abubilla Music, who brings a creative perspective on building authenticity and resonance. Together, they unpack how purpose, simplicity, and connection fuel lasting growth, and share the secret tools for staying truly vertical: humanity, transparency, and care.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

Micro-battles and the Journey to Scale Insurgency - Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/micro-battles-and-the-journey-to-scale-insurgency/)

An Introduction to Micro-battles - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/james-allen-an-introduction-to-micro-battles-video/)

On Building Communities - LinkedIn Post (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jamesallen-_as-part-of-the-%F0%9D%90%85%F0%9D%90%A8%F0%9D%90%AE%F0%9D%90%A7%F0%9D%90%9D%F0%9D%90%9E%F0%9D%90%AB%F0%9D%90%AC-%F0%9D%90%8C%F0%9D%90%9E%F0%9D%90%A7%F0%9D%90%AD-activity-7346480364657270785-SI3r/)
Flora Food Group Manifesto: Financial and ESG Summary 2023; Page 12-13) (https://www.florafoodgroup.com/-/media/project/upfield/corporate/upfield-corporate/supplier-centre/esg-centre-pdfs/esg-reports/current-years/financial-and-esg-summary-2023.pdf?rev=95bbb9295c0f4c1bb89fd58bc2b73b4e)
Flora Food Group Manifesto: Financial and ESG Summary 2022; Page 22-23 (https://www.florafoodgroup.com/-/media/project/upfield/corporate/upfield%20corporate/supplier%20centre/pdfs/upfield_annualsummary_esg_2022-1.pdf)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

David Haines LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-j-haines)

Iona Gaskell LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/iona-gaskell/)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

How on earth can we simplify when business complexity feels inevitable?

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Stuart Gent, Partner and Co-Head of Europe Private Equity at Bain Capital, to explore how leaders can strip away noise, refocus their teams, and rediscover what truly drives performance. From defining the heart of a business to knowing which problems only the CEO can solve, Stuart shares practical lessons on clarity, focus, and “flow” - the energy that fuels great organizations.

We’re also joined by David Fleck, Founder and Managing Partner at Freeflow Ventures, who brings a startup investor’s lens to the conversation. Together, they unpack how to balance creativity with execution, when to say no in order to grow, and how to build resilience in teams facing constant change. These insights reveal why the best leaders fall back in love with process, not bureaucracy, and how intentional simplicity can turn pressure into momentum and restore flow across an organization.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

Simplify to Fuel Growth - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/simplify-to-fuel-growth-fm-blog/)

Killing Complexity Before Complexity Kills Growth - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/killing-complexity-before-complexity-kills-growth/)

Overcoming Complexity and the Energy Vampires - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/overcoming-complexity-and-the-energy-vampires-fm-blog/)

Steve Jobs - Get Much Simpler, Be Really Clear - Sept. 23, 1997 - Video (https://youtu.be/jMSa9sSZpF8?si=Ul8iPmL8Zh1_RZ8C)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

Stuart Gent Profile (https://www.baincapital.com/people/stuart-gent)

David Fleck LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfleck)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

As the year winds down, Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions takes a festive turn. In this special holiday bonus episode, host Jimmy reflects on the season’s conversations with global leaders, each sharing a lesson they bring home to their families.

This episode gathers a wreath of insights about resilience, curiosity, and gratitude. You’ll hear from CEOs who’ve learned to sweat the details, embrace hard choices, love the ride, and simply say “thank you.” Whether you’re listening on the way home for the holidays or by the fire with friends, it’s a reminder that the best leadership lessons often start at home, and that bringing energy, empathy, and optimism to all we do might just be the greatest gift of all.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

Hard-Earned Lessons from CEOs - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/hard-earned-lessons-from-ceos-interactive/)

Five Keys to Navigating Organizations Through Turbulence - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/five-keys-to-navigating-organizations-through-turbulence-video/)

Maintaining Relevance Amid Uncertainty - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/maintaining-relevance-amid-uncertainty-video/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

Big companies are built to deliver, but in a world where technology shifts daily and customer needs change overnight, delivery alone isn’t enough. Business building has to become part of the culture.

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Tanuja Randery, Managing Director of Amazon Web Services in EMEA, to explore how AWS scales without becoming a bureaucracy. From codifying leadership principles to democratizing challenges, Tanuja shares how AWS sustains speed and empowers a rare but vital community she calls “scalers” - the people who turn bold ideas into repeatable models.

We’re also joined by Erika Serow, Partner and CMO at Bain and former President of Sweaty Betty, who reveals how improv comedy became a crash course in collaboration, creativity, and scaling ideas.

Together, these stories show why business building isn’t a distraction from delivery, it’s the growth engine. And why the real art of scaling comes from creating cultures where curiosity, experimentation, and even mistakes fuel speed and innovation.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

Four Ways CEOs Can Spur Innovation amid Turbulence - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/four-ways-ceos-can-spur-innovation-amid-turbulence/)

How to Identify Great Scalers - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/how-to-identify-great-scalers-fm-blog/)

Scaling Businesses as a Team - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/scaling-businesses-as-a-team-fm-blog/)

The Best Practices of Great Scalers - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/the-best-practices-of-great-scalers-fm-blog/)
How to Preserve the Essence of Founder-Driven Companies - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/how-to-preserve-the-essence-of-founder-driven-companies-video/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

Tanuja Randery LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanuja-randery)

Erika Serow Profile (https://www.bain.com/our-team/erika-serow/)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

How do you grow a bold idea into a global agribusiness leader… and then reimagine it all over again?

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder and CEO of Olam, to discuss how repeatable models can deliver both discipline and discovery. From sourcing cashews in Nigeria to building a business that now spans 60 countries, Sunny reflects on how differentiation, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace discomfort shaped Olam’s growth, and his own evolution as a leader.

We’re also joined by Tabu Osusa, legendary Kenyan producer, cultural archivist, and co-founder of Singing Wells. Tabu shares how field recordings across East Africa shifted from chaotic, costly expeditions into a streamlined process that ultimately gave musicians more space to shine.

Together, these stories show that repeatable models aren’t just about efficiency. They create the freedom to listen, to innovate, and to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or hit the link for additional CEO Insights.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

Repeatable Models and the Mafia Retirement Home – Blog (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/repeatable-models-mafia-retirement-home-james-allen-3adke/)

The Great Repeatable Business Model – Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/the-great-repeatable-business-model-hbr/)

The Strategic Principles of Repeatability – Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/the-strategic-principles-of-repeatability)

Three Things Your Company Can Learn from a Bottle of Water – Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/three-things-your-company-can-learn-from-a-bottle-of-water)

From Founder-Led Origins to a Decentralized Business Model – Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/from-founder-led-origins-to-a-decentralized-business-model-video/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

Sunny Verghese LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunny-verghese/)

Tabu Osusa Profile LinkedIn (https://www.singingwells.org/who-we-are/tabu-osusa/)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

What does it take to ‘refound’ a company that you started, this time in the public spotlight?

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Nirav Tolia, Co-Founder and CEO of Nextdoor, to explore the art of reorientating a company without losing momentum. From balancing the pressure of quarterly results with the need to reignite innovation, to radically shifting his own leadership style, Nirav shares the hard choices, personal lessons, and community-first mindset guiding Nextdoor’s next phase.

We’re also joined by Herman Spruit, CEO of 361 by FINCA and Advisory Partner at Bain & Company, who offers a practical lens on the difference between “delivery” and “development” meetings, and why confusing the two can stall progress. Together, these conversations reveal how leaders can honor the past while building for the future, why execution and innovation must coexist, and how the right mindset in the room can unlock creativity, culture, and growth.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

Deliver or Develop? Why CEOs Must Master Both - Blog (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deliver-develop-why-ceos-must-master-both-james-allen-wiuse)

Why the Systems That Helped You Grow Might Now Be Holding You Back - Blog (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-systems-helped-you-grow-might-now-holding-back-james-allen-3bvce/)

How to Breathe New Life into Strategy (https://www.bain.com/insights/how-to-breathe-new-life-into-strategy/)

Leon: What If God Made Fast Food? - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/leon-founders-mentality-video/)

Leading With Energy Through Turbulent Times - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/leading-with-energy-through-turbulent-times-video/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

Nirav Tolia LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/niravtolia/)

Herman Spruit LinkedIn (https://www.abubillamusic.com/the-team)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder

What happens when a founder’s vision doesn’t just spark a company, but reshapes an entire industry?

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Don Katz, founder of Audible, to explore how a writer-turned-entrepreneur built a global brand that redefined the spoken word. From his early influences such as Ralph Ellison and his career at Rolling Stone, to commercializing the first digital audio player, Don shares how artistic passion and relentless innovation fuelled Audible’s rise. He reflects on the challenges of scale, managing complexity, protecting culture, and how his “People Principles” launched a thousand conversations.

We’re also joined by Elliot Wenman, Managing Director of Abubilla Music, who offers a window into the recording studio - where rituals, conflict, and clarity can turn chaos into creativity. Together, these conversations reveal why great leaders keep their eyes on the “why,” how cultural missions outlast financial targets, and why caring - with grit and vision - can be the ultimate act of leadership.

Join the Conversation:

To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/

https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:

What Audible and a Studebaker Have in Common - Blog (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-audible-studebaker-have-common-james-allen-knfxe/)

Light the Candle – Bring Light Not Heat into Meetings - Blog (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/light-candle-bring-heat-meetings-james-allen-xb0we/)

Audible's People Principles (https://www.audible.in/about/people-principles)

How to Stop People Who Bog Things Down with Bureaucracy - Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/stop-people-who-bog-things-down-with-bureaucracy-hbr)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/)

Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany)

Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/)

Don Katz Profile (https://www.donald-katz.com/bio)

Elliot Wenman Profile (https://www.abubillamusic.com/the-team)

About Founders Mentality

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen.

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level.

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:

Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:

Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

>>> Have your say!
Fill out our short listener survey, and help us form the future of the show
https://www.podpolls.com/founder