Redefiners

Russell Reynolds Associates

Call them changemakers. Call them rule breakers. We call them Redefiners. And in this provocative podcast, we explore how daring leaders from across industries and around the globe are redefining their organizations—and themselves—to create extraordinary impact in today’s rapidly changing world.

In each episode, Russell Reynolds Associates Leadership Advisor Hoda Tahoun and former CEO Clarke Murphy host engaging, purposeful conversations with leaders in and out of the business world who share their insights and perspectives on how they lead, boldly. You’ll come away with fresh ideas and tangible takeaways on how you can redefine your own leadership trajectory – no matter where you are on your journey.


Our Hosts:

Clarke Murphy


Clarke Murphy is the former Chief Executive Officer of Russell Reynolds Associates and serves on the Board of Directors. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was the Global Leader of the firm's CEO/Board Services Practice.​


While at Russell Reynolds Associate​s, Clarke has conducted a number of significant projects in the industry, including Fortune 100 board searches and CEO successions. In addition, he has led notable searches in​​ the private equity industry including searches ​for the Carlyle Group and Warburg Pincus.


Hoda Tahoun

As a leadership advisor and leader of the global Leisure & Hospitality Practice at RRA, Hoda Tahoun identifies, assesses, and develops dynamic C-suite leaders for global hospitality, travel, and leisure companies. Based in Miami, Hoda helps clients solve their most pressing leadership issues at the CEO, C-suite, and other executive-levels. She also advises clients on customer-centric, go-to-market leadership roles such as chief marketing officers and chief experience officers. Hoda is committed to reshaping the hospitality and leisure landscape to ensure it is an industry that leads with purpose, value, and wellbeing and continues to attract and retain talent across all facets of diversity.


Hoda spent more than seven years working for a boutique executive search firm, rising to the title of principal where she worked closely with hotel management companies, cruise lines and private equity firms. Previously, Hoda was an assistant vice president at SHUAA Capital in Dubai where she led the firm’s investment banking efforts. She has also worked at American Express, Bank of America and Citi.


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Episodes

Global business moves fast. But Formula One racing moves faster.
Apr 10 2024
Global business moves fast. But Formula One racing moves faster.
On today’s Redefiners episode, we talk with Natalie Robyn, the first ever CEO of the International Automobile Federation (or the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile or our French listeners). The FIA is the governing body for world motor sport, including Formula One, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and some of the world’s most exciting motorsports races on and off the track. Natalie shares her leadership story, shifting from auto production at Volvo, Nissan, and DaimlerChrysler, to auto racing. She talks about how she and the FIA team manage the challenges and complexity involved in managing 24 races in 21 countries on five continents, working with a variety of stakeholders, local politics and regulations to make it all happen successfully and safely.   Natalie talks about how the FIA parses through the more than three terabytes of data per Formula One car per race weekend to share data between competitions, which helps foster innovation and safety. All that data also helps inform sustainability as well, as Natalie outlines how the FIA plans to achieve their commitment to net zero emissions by 2030.   We’ll also hear from Dee Fitzgerald, a Managing Director in our Sydney office, who highlights how important it is for CEOs to have the right top team around them, and the five actions CEOs can take to maximize C-suite performance.  If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: The Business of Football with Los Angeles Rams COO Kevin Demoff Outwork the Competition: Jordan Brand’s Winning Strategy with President Sarah Mensah Transforming the Energy Sector with Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli
Charting New Waters: A Conversation with Record-Breaking Yachtswoman Dee Caffari MBE
Mar 13 2024
Charting New Waters: A Conversation with Record-Breaking Yachtswoman Dee Caffari MBE
Today’s guest grew up in a landlocked region of the UK, with more than a hundred miles separating her from the open ocean. Not your typical start for someone who went on to become a trailblazing, record-breaking yachtswoman. On today’s Redefiners episode, Clarke Murphy sits down with long-time sailing buddy Dee Caffari MBE—the only woman to have sailed solo while circumnavigating the world, in both directions. Throughout her career, Dee has continued to surprise and inspire others with her courage, grit, and determination to enter uncharted waters. Dee shares her deep experience in leading teams through adversity—how you get them to pull together and perform, even in stormy times, and how she overcame loneliness when sailing solo for the first time. She also talks about the importance of demonstrating self-awareness as a leader, as well as how she responded when told that she was ‘too emotional’ to lead a team. Dee also imparts a key piece of advice—you learn the best lessons from your mistakes, so don’t be afraid to be bold and take a risk.We’ll also hear from Marie-Osmonde Le Roy de Lanauze-Molines, a Managing Director in our Paris office, who will highlight the gender imbalance in global CEO appointments and discuss how organizations can chart a path to achieving gender parity. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Doubling Down on Double Standards: British Journalist Mary Ann Sieghart on Closing The Authority Gap | Redefiners - Podcast Series | Russell Reynolds AssociatesFrom Server to COO: Kat Cole’s Journey to the Top | Redefiners - Podcast Series | Russell Reynolds AssociatesLeadership Lounge - Ep.3 | How to recover from failure | Russell Reynolds Associates
Science Fiction to Science Fact: A Conversation with Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson
Feb 28 2024
Science Fiction to Science Fact: A Conversation with Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson
Today’s healthcare industry has gone from science fiction to science fact in a very short period of time. Gene editing, artificial intelligence (AI), and a host of medical innovations are helping researchers discover new life-changing solutions to target previously incurable diseases like sickle cell anemia, muscular dystrophy, and more.  On today’s Redefiners episode, Clarke Murphy and Emma Combe talk with Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi, about how he’s transforming the practice of medicine in a highly competitive industry through new technologies and breakthrough science. Beyond drug discovery, Paul discusses how he’s embracing innovation and AI across his organization to drive efficiency and new thinking, as well as finding ways to make healthcare more equitable for those who need it around the world. He talks about how he balances financial risk and return on investment inherent in the pharmaceutical industry. He shares his approach to talent management, dynamic resource allocation, and how the explosion of digital technologies have upended the traditional path to the C-suite. Paul also talks about the impact of business on society, including Sanofi’s sponsorship of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  We’ll also hear from Danny Ryan, an Executive Director in our London office, who will discuss how organizations can not only weather today’s volatile biopharma market but thrive in it.  If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Risk-taking and Dealmaking with Global MedTech Leader, Kevin Lobo A Front Row Seat to the AI Revolution with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith – Part 2 Leadership Lounge | Ep. 6 – How can leaders succeed in a Gen-AI-driven world? How the Barely Possible Can Overcome the Barely Solvable with First Mode’s Chris Voorhees
The Business of Football with Los Angeles Rams COO Kevin Demoff
Jan 31 2024
The Business of Football with Los Angeles Rams COO Kevin Demoff
What does it take to win the Super Bowl? The obvious factors include drive, grit, determination, and excellence to make it to the championship level. But what else goes into the winning formula to propel teams through the ups and downs of an NFL season where only one team can be called the champion?  Today on Redefiners, we talk with Kevin Demoff, Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Rams football team, who won Super Bowl LVI in 2022. Kevin takes us into the locker room and the front office to share what it takes to be a Super Bowl championship team. He talks about the importance of consistency and authenticity as a leader, how he uses fan feedback to solve problems, the importance of inclusion and diversity to reflect your fan community in your staff, and how fear of failure and vulnerability help him propel his organization to new heights. Kevin also goes beyond football to talk about the vision and sustainability plans behind Hollywood Park, the 300-acre sports and entertainment complex that houses SoFi Stadium where the Rams play.  Pull up a chair and grab your nachos, chicken wings, and a favorite beverage for this insightful conversation.  We’ll also hear from Ben Shrewsbury, a Managing Director in our Dallas office, who will discuss why COOs are often first choice for the CEO role, and the skills they’ll need to dial up to thrive in the top seat.  If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Leadership Lessons from the Field with Troy Vincent From Gillette to Jamba Juice: How to Lead Iconic Brands with Empathy, Purpose & Integrity Leading with Vulnerability with Bestselling Author Jacob Morgan
Outwork the Competition: Jordan Brand’s Winning Strategy with President Sarah Mensah
Jan 17 2024
Outwork the Competition: Jordan Brand’s Winning Strategy with President Sarah Mensah
Great leaders at the top of their game have the audacity to continue to believe in themselves, to continue to work harder and keep trying, even when faced with failure. It’s a superpower that helps them redefine themselves, their companies, their industries, and ultimately be successful.  Today, we sit down with one of those audacious leaders. Sarah Mensah is the first female president of Jordan Brand, which revolutionized sports marketing in 1984 when Nike partnered with Michael Jordan to create the first Air Jordan basketball shoe. Sarah has broken barriers throughout her career at the Portland Trailblazers, Nike, and now Jordan Brand. We’ll talk with Sarah about the power to be unabashedly yourself, harness humility and courage, and use your voice in the right way to be a trailblazer in your career. We’ll explore how Jordan Brand is committed to improving the lives of Black people and inspiring communities across the world to ensure racial equality, social justice and greater access to education. And she’ll share how risk-taking, innovation, and values-based decision-making are core parts of the DNA driving Jordan Brand’s global growth.   We’ll also hear from Hetty Pye, a Managing Director in our London office, who will discuss the gender imbalance in today’s C-suites and the steps organizations can take to close the gap.  If you’d like to read more about Sarah Mensah and how women are rewriting the rules for success to close the gender gap at the top of organizations today, pick up a copy of To The Top by Russell Reynolds Associates Managing Director Jenna Fisher.  If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: Sunscreen and Success: Supergoop!'s Winning Formula with CEO Amanda Baldwin Opening Hearts and Minds on Late Night News with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle From Server to COO: Kat Cole’s Journey to the Top
A Front Row Seat to the AI Revolution with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith – Part 2
Dec 13 2023
A Front Row Seat to the AI Revolution with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith – Part 2
Technology has the power to redefine business and the world. The printing press. The telephone. The automobile. The personal computer. The Internet. These are just a few inventions that have transformed how we work and live. And each invention came with both the promise and peril of a new technology that had the power to uplift society while also threatening the way things had been done for years before. Today we find ourselves at a pivotal moment in the introduction of another world-changing technology – artificial intelligence (AI) – that has been the hot topic in boardrooms, captured the attention of leaders and employees, and captivated consumers around the world.    In this episode of Redefiners, we continue our special two-part conversation with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, to dig into the complex issues around AI. Brad shares his thoughts on the scale of impact that AI will have, whether efficiency is more powerful than innovation, the promise and peril of technology, and how much leaders really need to learn before they leap. We’ll also talk with Brad about his view that every technology can be used as a tool and a weapon depending on who is using it, and the urgent need to find the right combination of private sector company responsibility and government regulation on a global scale.   We’ll also hear from Joe Ghory, a Managing Director in our Stamford, CT office, who shares the five key areas to help CEOs, boards, and senior technology leaders navigate the impact of generative AI on their organizations.   To learn more about Brad’s book, Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age, visit  https://news.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/tools-and-weapons/.   And if you missed Part 1 of our conversation with Brad Smith, you can listen here.   If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:  Reimagining Patient Care: A Conversation with Healthcare Innovator Ashley McEvoy Common Sense is Very Uncommon: A Conversation with Corporate Sage Ram Charan Leading with Vulnerability with Bestselling Author Jacob Morgan
A Front Row Seat to the Digital Revolution with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith – Part 1
Nov 29 2023
A Front Row Seat to the Digital Revolution with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith – Part 1
Unless you’ve somehow avoided all technology for the past three decades, you’ve likely used Microsoft products. The company has been a global technology leader since the start of the Digital Revolution and has positioned itself to grow even further as a leader in the future of computing and artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT.    In this special two-part episode of Redefiners, we’re joined by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, who in his 30 years with the company has had a front row seat to not only how much the tech industry has changed, but also in how much it’s changed business and society in a relatively short timeframe. In fact, The New York Times has called this redefining leader “a de facto ambassador for the technology industry at large.”  We’ll talk with Brad about the big shifts in technology and the tech industry he’s seen over the past three decades, the critical role of government and regulation when it comes to digital technology, how to find common ground in the cybersecurity threat landscape, and how he develops systems thinking with his team to “inspect the trees” while “analyzing the forest” to identify patterns and better navigate complexity. Brad also talks about Microsoft’s commitment to sustainability, which he calls “…the issue of the decade, if not the century.” He likens where we are with sustainability now to where the United States was in 1961 after committing to go to the moon – we may not fully understand the problems we need to solve and we clearly don’t have all the answers, but it’s critical that we figure it out.   We’ll also hear from Maneesh Dube, an Executive Director in our New York office, who explains why finding leaders who are tech-savvy is crucial to the success of your organization.  Be sure to check back for part two of our conversation with Brad in two weeks, where we’ll dig into artificial intelligence (AI), productivity, and his thoughts on the need for the tech sector to assume more responsibility and governments to move faster to address the challenges that new technologies are creating.   To learn more about Brad’s book, Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age, visit  https://news.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/tools-and-weapons/.  If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:  Daring to Build a More Sustainable World with Kate Brandt and Sophia Mendelsohn Doing Well by Doing Good: Feike Sijbesma, CEO Emeritus of Royal DSM, on the Power of Bold Change How the Barely Possible Can Overcome the Barely Solvable with First Mode’s Chris Voorhees
Leading with Vulnerability with Bestselling Author Jacob Morgan
Nov 1 2023
Leading with Vulnerability with Bestselling Author Jacob Morgan
If your organization is like many around the world, you’re trying to figure out how to better lead through uncertainty and change, attract and retain talent, increase employee engagement, and adapt to rapid technological change. In fact, according to our latest Global Leadership Monitor report, only 55% of leaders feel prepared to face these top external threats in the year ahead.   Well, today’s episode should help give you some guidance as we sit down with Jacob Morgan, speaker and bestselling author of five books. We’ll talk with Jacob about his passion and mission to create great leaders, engaged employees, and future-ready organizations. He’ll share his insights gleaned from interviewing hundreds of CEOs and thousands of employees to help you improve your leadership and transform your organization. Jacob discusses what it means to lead with vulnerability and how can leaders tap into it more authentically and effectively; how to increase employee engagement (hint: it’s not more free lunches and happy hours!); his views on return-to-office (RTO) and hybrid work to find a balance between productivity, collaboration, and innovation; and how technology like AI will impact the future of work.  We’ll also hear from Laura Mantoura, a Managing Director in our Stamford office, who dives into our latest research on why employee experience matters—and how boards can take meaningful action.  If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:  Transforming the Energy Sector with Baker Hughes CEO Lorenzo Simonelli Opening Hearts and Minds on Late Night News with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle Planting Long-Term Investment Seeds with Markel Group CEO Tom Gayner
Planting Long-Term Investment Seeds with Markel Group CEO Tom Gayner
Oct 18 2023
Planting Long-Term Investment Seeds with Markel Group CEO Tom Gayner
What do you get when you combine values-centered leadership with a long-term view of investing? In Tom Gayner’s case, you get an incredible recipe for success! As CEO of Markel Group, Tom helped grow the company over three decades from a relatively small insurance company into the diversified global conglomerate it is today. No wonder Markel Group is often called a "Baby Berkshire." In this conversation, Tom shares his career journey from teenage investor to CEO and how he dealt with various challenges along that path. He’ll talk about how the Markel Style crafted in 1986 has been so critical to their success and continues to serve as the organization’s north star today. Key to that success, Tom shares Markel’s four criteria they use to make investment decisions, including how to define a fair price on a deal. He also talks about his view on the pendulum of investment optimization versus satisfaction. And if you ever wondered how the low interest rates of the past decade encouraged risky decisions, you won’t want to miss Tom’s insightful analogy of interest rates as a form of curfew. So enjoy this episode and get to bed at a reasonable hour!  We’ll also hear from Kurt Harrison, a Managing Director in Russell Reynolds Associates New York office. Kurt digs into our latest Divides & Dividends report to explain why even though sustainability progress is being made, there are four sustainability gaps CEOs must bridge.  If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:  From Server to COO: Kat Cole’s Journey to the Top Sunscreen and Success: Supergoop!'s Winning Formula with CEO Amanda Baldwin Common Sense is Very Uncommon: A Conversation with Corporate Sage Ram Charan
Daring to Build a More Sustainable World with Kate Brandt and Sophia Mendelsohn (Re-release)
Sep 20 2023
Daring to Build a More Sustainable World with Kate Brandt and Sophia Mendelsohn (Re-release)
Sustainability has quickly risen to the top of corporate agendas, as shareholders, investors, employees, policy makers, and other stakeholders demand action. We talk with two passionate leaders – Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google and Sophia Mendelsohn, former Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of ESG at Cognizant – about how they embed sustainability into their organizations’ core business strategy. They’ll share how they’ve mastered the role of “CEO whisperer” to drive top-down change and connect sustainability initiatives to their company’s business, products and supply chain. We’ll talk about why it’s critical to shift our thinking from how to reduce our business impact on climate change to how to reduce climate change's impact on our business. And for those interested in becoming a CSO, Kate and Sophia share their career advice on how to navigate the often-undefined path to the role.  If you’d like to learn more about Sustainable Leadership, check out Redefiners host Clarke Murphy’s new book, Sustainable Leadership: Lessons of Vision, Courage, and Grit from the CEOs Who Dared to Build a Better World. The book is a complete blueprint for infusing sustainability across business strategy, all while growing your bottom line. Drawing on the stories of 35+ CEOs at world-leading companies, including Adidas, Heineken, Duke Energy, Natura &Co, Maersk, Mahindra Steel, and Salesforce, veteran leadership expert Clarke shows how sustainability action is within reach of every business executive. Perfect for CEOs and boards across industries, Sustainable Leadership is also a can’t miss book for sustainability experts, entrepreneurs, and next-generation leaders looking to make sense of the latest—and most profitable—sustainability strategies. Order your copy here.  To hear more from other global leaders on sustainability, you might also enjoy these Redefiners episodes:  Feeding the World and Protecting the Planet with Yara International CEO Svein Tore Holsether Thriving Through Adversity: How WTO’s Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is Solving Global Problems How the Barely Possible Can Overcome the Barely Solvable with First Mode’s Chris Voorhees
Reimagining Patient Care: A Conversation with Healthcare Innovator Ashley McEvoy
Sep 6 2023
Reimagining Patient Care: A Conversation with Healthcare Innovator Ashley McEvoy
What’s life really like at the top of a $30 billion healthcare company? While many might find the prospect of serving 300 million patients around the world daunting, Ashley McEvoy, Worldwide Chairman of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, sees it as a privilege. While at the helm of J&J MedTech, her impact has been significant: she has tripled its revenue growth since 2017 and spearheaded its entrance into telehealth, robotics, and digital surgery. At a time when senior executive tenure is often short, Ashley has carved out a career at J&J MedTech spanning almost three decades—all while maintaining an unwavering passion for providing the very best care to patients when they need it most. In this fascinating episode of Redefiners, Ashley lifts the lid on how J&J MedTech is transforming how it delivers care to patients with the help of AI, why being an exceptional listener should be in every leader's toolbox, and why your inner voice is the most powerful voice of anyone in the world. It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss. We’ll also hear from Fawad Bajwa, a Managing Director in our Toronto office. He’ll outline how generative AI tools like ChatGPT are changing the game for leaders, and how great leadership is critical to its successful implementation. Click HERE to access our report How will ChatGPT and other generative AI impact leadership? If you enjoyed this interview, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:• Risk-taking and Dealmaking with Global MedTech Leader, Kevin Lobo• Confessions of a Serial Entrepreneur with Mario Schlosser, CEO and co-founder of Oscar• Break the Bias: Closing the Gender Wealth Gap with Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and c-founder of Ellevest
Leadership Lounge: How to accelerate your leadership journey after a career break
Aug 23 2023
Leadership Lounge: How to accelerate your leadership journey after a career break
There are many reasons why people choose to take a career break. We share how leaders can re-enter the executive world with confidence.  Did you know that 62% of all employees worldwide have taken a career break at some point?  Career breaks have become far more commonplace, likely caused by the period of deep reflection that the pandemic sparked.   Often we associate career breaks with being on maternity leave or taking time out to look after children. But in reality, there are lots of reasons why men and women choose to take a break from the typical 9-5—whether that be for mental health reasons, to care for elderly or sick relatives, or to go on a sabbatical.   Even though career breaks have become more common, a stigma remains associated with taking time away. And that means many people still brush their career breaks under the carpet during executive interviews.   In our Leadership Lounge podcast, we invited four of our leadership advisors; Sarah Galloway, Shoon Lim, David Lange, and Stephanie Tomasso, into the conversation, who share their advice for those looking to re-enter the executive world with confidence.   Tune in to discover why taking time away can help you hone different, desirable leadership skills, the importance of leveraging your network when you choose to re-enter the job market, and why honesty is the best policy when it comes to talking about your career break.