The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast

In this episode of the Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast, Dr. Jerh Collins, chief technical operations and quality officer at Moderna, reflects on how cultivating talent and fostering personal growth have shaped his approach to building effective teams, emphasizing the role of mentorship and psychological safety. The conversation explores the discipline and balance required to maintain resilience, particularly when steering organizations through rapid change and uncertainty. Dr. Collins also considers the transformative impact of artificial intelligence, highlighting the importance of embracing innovation while caring for the human side of change. 

In this episode of The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast, Heidrick & Struggles’ Paula Davis speaks with Corey duBrowa, the global CEO of Burson and a seasoned communications leader whose career spans senior roles at Google, Salesforce, Starbucks, and Nike.  Drawing on his decades of experience, Corey offers insights for today’s corporate communications leaders on how to effectively harness AI, anticipate and respond to emerging trends, and guide CEOs and boards in framing and asking the right questions that shape strategy and reputation.

In this episode of The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast, host Edmund Thomson Jones speaks with Mads Nipper, Board Chair, former CEO, and Energy Transition Advocate. Mads reflects on his leadership journey across diverse industries, sharing lessons on business transformation, building trust, and leading with purpose through uncertainty. He also discusses the challenges of steering organizations through the global energy transition, the critical role of boards, and what it takes to balance vision with agility in volatile times.

In this interview, Heidrick & Struggles’ Jerry Gorss speaks to Karl Iagnemma, the CEO of Vecna Robotics. Iagnemma shares how the talent needs of the robotics and automation sector are evolving as the sector grows, as well as how he thinks about finding and training the right talent. He also shares his perspectives on managing economic and geopolitical uncertainty, industry consolidation, and the evolution and importance of implementing the flexible and collaborative automation technology for case picking in today's supply chain operations. Finally, Iagnemma also discusses artificial intelligence and what its advances mean for the human leader in terms of the skills or capabilities they will need to manage a workforce with an increasing share of machines and collaborative work.

In this episode, Heidrick & Struggles’ Nicole Balsam and Haven Thompson sat down with Lisa Valentino, president of Best Buy Ads, which is the in-house regional media arm of Best Buy. The three discuss the growth in retail media networks and what this means for talent across the retail, media, and ad tech sectors. Valentin shares the capabilities and skill sets that are most important for talent today, and what sectors outside of retail media networks can be relevant experience. She also discusses how generative AI is affecting the retail media networks space, and how she expects the space to continue evolving in the next few years.

In this interview, Heidrick & Struggles’ Scott Bae speaks to Dr. Roawen Chen, the chief supply chain and operations officer of Qualcomm Technologies. Dr. Chen first defines the concept of a “fab” [fabrication facility] versus “fabless” semiconductor company, and explains how the management of the supply chain is nuanced between the two. He then shares what he calls the “semiconductor trilemma”—how leaders have to balance three competing KPIs: pursuing the most advanced technology, having the lowest cost, and having unlimited supply—and discusses the leadership capabilities he believes are critical to manage that trilemma. Throughout the conversation, he also offers his advice for leaders who are managing the current uncertain and volatile market dynamics as it pertains to the chip space, how he has seen the role of the supply chain and operations leader evolve, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, and how he approaches the balance between developing talent internally and recruiting talent externally, particularly when conditions are changing so rapidly.

In this next episode of The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast, Heidrick & Struggles’ Paula Davis is joined by Sally Susman, the chief corporate affairs officer of Pfizer. Susman, who recently published her book, Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World, shares her insights on what skills are most important as a leader, particularly a communications leader, as well as the value in humanity, humility, and humor. She also discusses navigating professional boundaries and spotting a healthy corporate culture.

In this special feature of The Heidrick & Struggles Leadership Podcast, Heidrick & Struggles’ Jason Henderson and Sean McLean sit down to talk about trends in private equity across Canada and the United States: evolving dynamics, human capital, and how leaders can compete in this environment.

In this interview, Heidrick & Struggles’ Uroš Zver speaks to Jennifer Granholm, the former United States Secretary of Energy, about what leadership looks like in the context of the global energy transition—a transformation that's technological, economic, political, and human all at once. Granholm discusses the value of storytelling as a leader as well as how leadership evolves under pressure, especially when the stakes involve generational change and long-term global challenges. She also reflects on the moments that shaped her leadership philosophy, shares insights on how to foster cultures that balance innovation and execution, and discusses what it takes to keep teams motivated in long-horizon, purpose-driven work.