Podcast · Business
‘Executive Decisions’ is a CNBC podcast offering a rare window into the minds of top decision-makers. Hosted by seasoned financial journalist Steve Sedgwick, each episode explores the pivotal choices that shape the careers and legacies of influential business leaders and policymakers. Through candid
29 Sep 2026 · 31 min
State Street CEO Ron O’Hanley reflects on the career opportunity he initially turned down before changing his mind, and why it taught him that you can engineer opportunities but seldom their timing. He also discusses curiosity, leadership, mistakes and the decisions that shaped his career.
S4 · E3 · 15 Sep 2026 · 41 min
Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters reflects on the decisions that shaped his career, from taking an unfamiliar path at J.P. Morgan and being fired by Jamie Dimon to leading the turnaround of Standard Chartered. He explains why, when rare opportunities arise, he believes in taking the “reckless path.”
S4 · E2 · 1 Sep 2026 · 44 min
SkyBridge Capital founder Anthony Scaramucci reflects on the decision to face his public downfall after being fired from the Trump White House after 11 days. He discusses pride, ego, failure, rebuilding his career and why he believes the only way through a mistake is to own it and face it head-on.
S4 · E1 · 18 Aug 2026 · 34 min
Commerzbank CEO Bettina Orlopp reflects on her career decision to leave McKinsey to join one of Europe's most troubled banks, why she believes the toughest problems are worth solving, and how she is leading Commerzbank through its transformation and UniCredit's takeover approach.
S3 · E9 · 4 Aug 2026 · 34 min
Thomson Reuters CEO Steve Hasker reflects on why learning, not titles, guided his biggest career decisions — from leaving McKinsey for Nielsen to leading Thomson Reuters through Covid and accelerating its transformation into a technology and AI-driven company.
S3 · E8 · 21 Jul 2026 · 40 min
DSM-Firmenich CEO Dimitri de Vreeze reflects on selling the DSM materials business he helped build, the leadership lessons behind DSM-Firmenich’s merger and why companies must keep changing even when things are working.
S3 · E7 · 7 Jul 2026 · 35 min
Capital Group CEO Mike Gitlin reflects on the career decisions that took him from trading Asian markets overnight to leading one of the world's largest asset managers. He discusses why he left T. Rowe Price for Capital Group, the lessons learned from moving his family around the world, why EQ will matter more than IQ in the age of AI and how embracing discomfort, feedback and long-term thinking has shaped his leadership.
S3 · E6 · 23 Jun 2026 · 30 min
Novonesis CEO Ester Baiget reflects on the decision to leave Dow after 25 years to lead Novozymes, and why impact, not ambition, drove the move. She discusses the family values that shaped her, redefining the company as a biosolutions leader, the Chr. Hansen merger and why leadership requires courage, respect and long-term purpose.
S3 · E5 · 9 Jun 2026 · 35 min
After 26 years at Goldman Sachs, Robin Vince walked away without another job lined up. In this episode of Executive Decisions, the BNY CEO reflects on why he stepped off a successful career path, what he learned during the global financial crisis and how that pause ultimately led him to one of America’s oldest banks.
S3 · E4 · 26 May 2026 · 30 min
Why Euronext CEO Stéphane Boujnah fought a $30 billion deal — and how it defined his career
S3 · E3 · 12 May 2026 · 38 min
James Reed reflects on the decision that defined his career — taking the risk of joining the family business. The Reed CEO discusses failure, purpose and why standing still is the worst decision of all.
S3 · E2 · 28 Apr 2026 · 33 min
How Lloyd Blankfein stopped trying to fit in — and learned to lead as himself
S3 · E1 · 14 Apr 2026 · 39 min
Know when to walk away: The decision that shaped Aviva CEO Amanda Blanc
S2 · E5 · 3 Mar 2026 · 34 min
Novartis CEO: Commit fully now — and your career may thank you later
S2 · E4 · 24 Feb 2026 · 32 min
Why Olivier Blum hesitated before taking the Schneider Electric CEO job
S2 · E3 · 17 Feb 2026 · 35 min
How Jenny Johnson beat family‑name bias to lead $1.5 trillion Franklin Templeton
S2 · E2 · 10 Feb 2026 · 37 min
Philips CEO Roy Jakobs on why discomfort prepared him for leadership
S2 · E1 · 3 Feb 2026 · 40 min
Why Pinterest CEO Bill Ready’s Boldest Bet Was Shaped Far From Silicon Valley
S1 · E12 · 13 Jan 2026 · 42 min
A rebellious Danish coder turned entrepreneur, Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli reveals how curiosity, risk‑taking and a breakthrough in AI research propelled him from teenage tinkerer to leading a multi‑billion‑dollar tech company.
S1 · E11 · 6 Jan 2026 · 41 min
In this episode of Executive Decisions, Steve Sedgwick sits down with Sir Nigel Wilson, chairman of Canary Wharf Group, to explore the curiosity-driven career that took him from a council estate in northeast England to the top of U.K. business. Wilson shares how intellectual curiosity—nurtured by family and teachers—shaped his path from a scholarship at MIT to roles at McKinsey, Dixons and ultimately CEO of Legal & General. He reflects on leadership lessons, including his grandmother’s advice to lead with kindness and optimism and why encouragement beats shouting in management. The…
S1 · E10 · 30 Dec 2025 · 27 min
Heidelberg Materials CEO Dominik von Achten reflects on his path from law to leadership, why listening to younger voices is vital when navigating rapid change, and how turning a carbon challenge into an opportunity became the defining decision of his career.
S1 · E9 · 23 Dec 2025 · 45 min
Syensqo CEO Ilham Kadri shares how her humble beginnings in Casablanca and a passion for science shaped her journey to the C-suite. She reflects on the tough choices behind a global career, why embracing discomfort fuels transformation, and how she navigates leadership’s loneliest moments.
S1 · E8 · 16 Dec 2025 · 32 min
Phoenix Group CEO Andy Briggs reflects on how his family values shaped his four-decade career, why purpose-driven leadership matters when making tough decisions and how staying true to yourself is key to building long-term success.
S1 · E7 · 9 Dec 2025 · 39 min
London Marathon Events CEO Hugh Brasher shares how his family’s sporting legacy shaped his career, why embracing tough decisions builds resilience, and how focusing on where you want to go—rather than the obstacles—is key to leadership and growth.
S1 · E6 · 2 Dec 2025 · 37 min
Veolia’s CEO reflects on how the ground-breaking women in her family unlocked her career ambitions, why she wishes she had trusted her instincts earlier, and why reframing our mindset is key to tackling global sustainability challenges.
S1 · E5 · 25 Nov 2025 · 43 min
In this episode of Executive Decisions, Steve Sedgwick sits down with Andrea Rossi, CEO of global investment manager M&G.
S1 · E4 · 18 Nov 2025 · 37 min
In this episode of Executive Decisions, Steve Sedgwick speaks with Tim Adams, President and CEO of the Institute of International Finance and one of the most influential voices warning about the global debt crisis.
S1 · E2 · 11 Nov 2025 · 42 min
In this episode of Executive Decisions, Steve Sedgwick speaks with Christian Bruch, CEO of Siemens Energy, about the pivotal moments that shaped his leadership.From an early love of languages and math to a formative stint in a psychiatric hospital during Germany’s public service program, Christian shares how empathy and curiosity became cornerstones of his approach to business. He reflects on bold career moves—including relocating his family to the U.S.—and the freedom to take risks that prepared him for the top job.Christian opens up about the toughest chapter of his career: Siemens…
S1 · E3 · 11 Nov 2025 · 37 min
In this episode of Executive Decisions, Steve Sedgwick speaks with Julia Hoggett, CEO of the London Stock Exchange and a trailblazer in British finance.Raised in a family of pioneering lawyers and judges—including her mother, Baroness Hale—Julia chose a different path, studying sociology at Cambridge and launching a career in the City. She shares how her upbringing shaped her values, and how watching her mother break barriers inspired her to challenge the status quo.Julia reflects on her decision to come out as gay early in her career, a move that was both courageous and transformative. She…
S1 · E1 · 11 Nov 2025 · 48 min
In the debut episode of Executive Decisions, CNBC's Steve Sedgwick sits down with Ms. Jo Malone CBE, the visionary perfumer behind one of Britain’s most beloved lifestyle brands.Jo shares the pivotal decisions that shaped her life—from a challenging childhood on a London council estate, where she helped raise her sister and managed the family’s finances, to launching her first business and selling it to Estée Lauder.She opens up about being labeled “lazy and stupid” at school, surviving breast cancer and navigating the emotional complexities of building a second brand under a non-compete…
‘Executive Decisions’ is a CNBC podcast offering a rare window into the minds of top decision-makers. Hosted by seasoned financial journalist Steve Sedgwick, each episode explores the pivotal choices that shape the careers and legacies of influential business leaders and policymakers. Through candid conversations about risk, doubt and conviction, the series reminds us that even the most powerful face uncertainty and trade-offs. The first season of 'Executive Decisions’ will launch on November 11th.
Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick is a English business podcast from CNBC. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.
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