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Shaun is an internationally popular economics speaker who works with boards, billionaires, heads of state, CEOs, and senior executives of Fortune 500 & leading Chinese companies, private equity firms, SMEs, and long/hedge funds to develop their China growth, political, and investment strategies.

Shaun is the author of international best-sellers The War for China’s Wallet: Profiting from the New World Order, The End of Cheap China, and The End of Copycat China and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, the New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg Businessweek, CBS, CNN, BBC, CNBC, PBS, CNBC, NPR / APM Marketplace, and MSNBC.

Born in New Hampshire, Shaun earned his BA from McGill University and his MA from Harvard. He’s previously taught executive education classes for London Business School and has served on the Board of Trustees for St. Paul’s School. Shaun lives in Shanghai, China.

This is part of our Chinese leaders series – hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

 

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Manreet’s articles and essays have appeared in the NY Times, the International Herald Tribune, and the South China Morning Post, among others. Manreeet has taught for the New York Public Library and the City College of New York—and she’s a former corporate citizen having done stints in Asia, and a parent grappling with the world our kids will inherit.

Manreet’s recently completed Partition Trilogy—a series of 3 books titled Lahore, Hyderabad, and Kashmir—is a historical fiction set during, before, and immediately after the Partition, and independence of, India and Pakistan of 1947. Partition is among the great humanitarian disasters of the 20th century, and the largest mass migration in history. The history of Partition impacts and informs much of what is happening today in both Asia and the United States, from the tensions between India and Pakistan to the rise of nationalism and extremism in our politics around the world.

Manreet’s unique voice focuses not just on the personal musings of these larger-than-life historical figures, like India’s founding fathers Gandhi & Nehru, but also breathes life into characters who represent the stats and figures that we sometimes gloss over when we hear of a tragedy (including the role and subversion of women by history). This is a powerful conversation about the weaponization of history, and how storytelling and fact-checking have to work hand in hand to inform the next generation.

This is a past conversation from Raman’s other podcast, Modern Minorities, where each week we share minority conversations for all of our majority years. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation that we hope will provide new perspectives and learnings.

 

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Prior to becoming a coach, Dawn spent over 30 years at Procter & Gamble with responsibility for businesses of up to $12 billion in revenue and managing organizations of up to 3,000 people. Her experience includes startup, expansion, and restructuring of international markets in Asia, North America, Latin America, and Eastern and Western Europe. Dawn has guided hundreds of individuals, teams, and organizations to achieve greater success through the confidence to push the boundaries of what is possible and deliver the extraordinary. Dawn is a Co-Active Coach with Certifications from the Coaches Training Institute and the International Coaching Federation. She holds a BS degree from the University of Rochester, is a faculty member at the UC San Diego Rady School of Management, and speaks four languages. Dawn lives near Denver, CO with her family and enjoys snow skiing, traveling, and reading cookbooks.

This is part of our P&G Alumni Coaching series diving deep into relevant career coaching topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in career and life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free first session at coaching.pgalums.com

 

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Since taking leadership of P&G’s Beauty portfolio in 2017, Alex has driven the sector’s turnaround. As Executive Sponsor for Corporate Sustainability, Alex works alongside P&G’s Chief Sustainability Officer to guide the Company’s sustainability progress. She is also the company’s Executive Sponsor of LGBTQ+ Equality & Inclusion. During Alex’s 34 years with P&G, she has worked in Product Supply, Brand Management, and General Management, spanning multiple categories across Fabric Care and Beauty, in North America, Asia, and Europe regions. In 2020, Alex was elected to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s Board of Directors. A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alex holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona. She lives in Geneva, Switzerland with her husband, Chris Keith.

 

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This is part of our Chinese leaders series – hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode? Reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

 

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Her last position was Vice President of Insights at PepsiCo Europe. She is a national of 3 countries in 3 different continents and has worked with clients and teams across the globe. You’ll enjoy this candid coaching conversation on how to reconcile values that come into conflict and make thoughtful, intentional choices for work and life. 

This is part of our P&G Alumni Coaching series diving deep into relevant career coaching topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in your career and life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free session at coaching.pgalums.com 

 

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Following a spiritual adventure, Denis left P&G and completed seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, then led Answers for Life, the ministry of Dr. Henry Cloud before becoming Senior Pastor at Mariemont Church before retiring in 2022.  Denis shares not just about his P&G career progression, but also about the makings and execution of a big career pivot that left some of his colleagues baffled, and the importance of passing down wisdom to the next generation of leaders which, in Denis’ case, is through his book. Denis has been married to his wife Marianne for 42 years and enjoys spending time with his 4 children and 10 grandchildren, with their eleventh on the way. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about making big changes to lead a fulfilling life.

 

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While at P&G, Bob worked on brands like Tide, Mr. Clean, Mr. Clean Auto Dry, and even Fit fruit and vegetable wash. Bob’s authored books and launched several successful newsletters. In his latest Substack newsletter the Workaround (beheartly.substack.com), Bob shares real-life stories of his business ups and downs. Bob’s latest piece is titled “In Person is a 10x” about the magic that comes when we get together—because you can’t
co-create something special without being in the same room.

LEARN ABOUT BOB – behearty.substack.com

This is a feature of an Alumni Leader’s frequently published thought leadership. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode – reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

 

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Up Studios, the creative force behind much-loved Chinese shows like Piggy, Tomo, and BOOMi, has received large investments from Chinese tech giant Tencent. When he’s not creating world-class animated stories, Trevor loves playing ice hockey in China and traveling around the world.

You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about creativity, inspiration, and perseverance.

This is the first episode in our series about Chinese leaders – hosted by P&G Alumni Emily Chang. Got an idea for a future “Learnings from Leaders” episode – reach out at pgalumpod@gmail.com

 

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Five years ago, Bernice left her corporate career to pursue her dream of becoming an Executive Coach. Today, she is among the top 4% of professional coaches with a Master Certified Coach designation, the highest credential awarded by the International Coach Federation. Bernice also helped co-found the P&G Alumni Network Coaching program, ringing together professionally certified Executive Coaches with proven track records.

You’ll enjoy this candid and very personal conversation about IKIGAI—the Japanese concept that encourages people to discover what truly matters to them—to live a life filled with purpose and joy.

This is a continuation of our series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep into relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in your career and life through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G alumni can learn more and sign up for their first free session at coaching.pgalums.com

 

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So she put her “work brain” to work and sketched out a creative brief (one of the key tools of the ad trade) for herself, granting clarity on what was missing and what she really wanted in her life.

Not only did “The Life Brief” save Bonnie’s marriage, recenter her parenting, and catapult her career (she was named Ad Age’s Chief Strategy Officer last year)—it has since gone on to help thousands of others through her speaking at Apple, Bain & Co, Change.org, Google, Goop, Jane Goodall’s “Activating Hope” Summit, SXSW and more. Her new book —  “THE LIFE BRIEF: A Playbook for No-Regrets Living” — creates a clear guide for anyone to break through life’s clutter and create deeper meaning through three simple stages: Get Messy. Get Clear. Get Active. This is a perfect conversation to help so many of us who seem to “have it all” yet feel restless or rudderless. 

This is a past conversation from Raman’s other podcast, Modern Minorities, where each week we share minority conversations for all of our majority years. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation that we hope will provide new perspectives and learnings.

 

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Stefan is also the Founder of Stefan Homeister Leadership, a consultancy focusing on improving leadership performance and strategy via consulting, training, coaching, and keynotes. Stefan’s held a diverse career as Sales & Marketing Director of SAB Miller Europe and CMO for T-Mobile Germany where he had P&L responsibility for more than $8 billion. Stefan started his career at Procter & Gamble in various sales and marketing roles in Frankfurt, Brussels, and Geneva before becoming the Marketing Director for Healthcare and Pharma DACH. 

In this candid conversation – we’ll explore principles and ideas on leadership, branding, legacy, and what can be learned through the lens of podcasts, conversations, and storytelling. Be sure to check out Leitwolf wherever you get your favorite podcasts. https://stefan-homeister-leadership.com/en/podcast

 

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While many pay lip service to the importance of innovation and product superiority – Gordon and many other technical leaders know that words simply won’t cut it. Product superiority must be demanded, rewarded, and celebrated – with org structures and processes built to achieve it, led by senior line and R&D leadership, but importantly starting with the CEO and Board of Directors. In this conversation Gordon shares stories behind the products we love – what worked and didn’t – with lessons that are for more than just R&D’ers, but also rising business executives and students who want to foster an environment of innovation. 

Check out SUPERIOR PRODUCTS as an eBook / Kindle, or wherever your favorite books are sold. And for even more of Gordon Brunner’s learnings from his time as P&G’s CTO, be sure check out our past podcast conversation from September 2021 and November 2022.

 

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Geraldine’s also SVP of news and entertainment at The Grio – a black-owned media platform owned by businessman and philanthropist Byron Allen. A media and journalism veteran, Geraldine’s held senior roles at CNN, NBC, PBS, ABC, and CBC – including being vice president for diversity, equity, and inclusion for CNN Worldwide. A Canadian Jamaican living in New York, Geraldine never accepted setbacks on her journey – they were just challenges to overcome. From confronting racist administrators in college to accepting a fax machine invitation, Geraldine built a career that would always challenge the right story to be told. You can learn more about Geraldine’s work at Soundslikehate.org // splcenter.org

This is a past conversation from Raman’s other podcast, Modern Minorities, where each week we share minority conversations for all of our majority years. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation that we hope will provide new perspectives and learnings.

 

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He was also the founder and CEO of marketing startup, The Abundancy, and co-founded its holding company Abundant Venture Partners (AVP), an incubator focused on building media and healthcare companies. Before that, he was president of Starcom MediaVest Group, the world’s largest media agency. He also proudly served his country as a platoon leader in the U.S. Army. Andrew has been recognized by Advertising Age as a “Media Maven,” and was inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Achievement in 2008. Andrew has founded 9 companies, with 7 exits. And even worked on the Reflect Brand at P&G. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about focusing on problems to solve, cultivating a curious soul, and practicing kind leadership.

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This is where Katherine developed her love for the origins and birthplace of vodka and was compelled to share this remarkable story of women Master Distillers, classical methods, and extraordinary spirits. Zirkova is now the top-selling vodka produced in Ukraine that is sold in Canada. More than just a brand, Katherine’s vision for Zirkova is a reflection of her own beliefs, of standing for the freedom to be and celebrate who you are, to toast and acknowledge others, and to create special moments that bring people together, so that everyone feels like they are part of one table.  You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about creating moments that unite, not allowing fear to guide our decisions, and creating a life by design vs default.

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Karen transitioned to Silicon Valley fifteen years ago and is deeply engaged with emerging automotive technology companies. Karen’s career has also included executive positions at Procter & Gamble, Internet Capital Group, Bain & Company, Berol Corporation, and Publicis. Karen graduated from Dartmouth College and has an MBA from Harvard Business School. And is the Owner of Limerick Lane Cellars, a 53-acre estate vineyard property in Northern California. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about mentorship and advocacy.

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Rajiv recently sat down with journalist Isaac Saul, whose newsletter and podcast TANGLE NEWS (ReadTangle.com) is an increasingly relevant source of independent, non-partisan news summarizing the best arguments from across the political spectrum on the news of the day. Rajiv and Isaac covered a lot of topics including the political makeup of Tangle’s audience, and how our news sources dictate our outlook and discourse. It’s a down-the-middle approach that might give you some pause. So wherever you’re coming from, we hope you’ll enjoy this candid conversation about how and where we get our news for a very important year to come.

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Dan Hamilton was a dreamer, a mentor, and someone who had a passion for coloring outside the lines and breaking all the rules while bringing us along for the ride. Dan was a bandmate, a father, and a friend. He was born in Seattle in 1969 to Valerie and Vernon “Bud” Hamilton. Bud is a fellow P&G Alum who retired after 37 years as a VP in Sales, Marketing, and Governance, and one of the reasons Dan came to P&G. Dan grew up in Cincinnati later studied journalism and jazz guitar at the University of Cincinnati and CCM, he co-founded the band Spookfloaters, which he toured with, then went back get his Masters of Computer Science from Miami of Ohio, after which he joined P&G as one of the earliest digital marketing managers, starting in the beauty business on Olay. Dan quickly changed the game in digital, rising to become the media leader of Olay, arguably one of P&G’s most innovative brands in marketing and media during Dan’s tenure. Over nearly 15 years Dan worked across Olay digital, Olay media, Olay design, P&G’s corporate brand, and personal care. Dan spent another seven years in Colorado as a marketing, media, and creative leader at WhiteWave Foods, as it later merged with Danone. In 2021 he joined Ocean Spray as the company’s Head of Marketing Center of Excellence. 

Across his entire career, Dan was a friend and mentor to the many who had the privilege of working with him. He was always one of the Alums we wanted to reconnect with on this Learnings from Leaders podcast, but we regret missing our chance. So to capture some of the “Learnings from Dan” – we wanted to share a few stories from those who knew him well.

Got a Dan story? Please send an email or voice memo to pgalumpod@gmail.com – we’d love to hear it and share it with the many friends and family who survive him. We know you’ll enjoy this candid conversation about our good friend Dan.

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Dan Hamilton was a dreamer, a mentor, and someone who had a passion for coloring outside the lines and breaking all the rules while bringing us along for the ride. Dan was a bandmate, a father, and a friend. He was born in Seattle in 1969 to Valerie and Vernon “Bud” Hamilton. Bud is a fellow P&G Alum who retired after 37 years as a VP in Sales, Marketing, and Governance, and one of the reasons Dan came to P&G. Dan grew up in Cincinnati later studied journalism and jazz guitar at the University of Cincinnati and CCM, he co-founded the band Spookfloaters, which he toured with, then went back get his Masters of Computer Science from Miami of Ohio, after which he joined P&G as one of the earliest digital marketing managers, starting in the beauty business on Olay. Dan quickly changed the game in digital, rising to become the media leader of Olay, arguably one of P&G’s most innovative brands in marketing and media during Dan’s tenure. Over nearly 15 years Dan worked across Olay digital, Olay media, Olay design, P&G’s corporate brand, and personal care. Dan spent another seven years in Colorado as a marketing, media, and creative leader at WhiteWave Foods, as it later merged with Danone. In 2021 he joined Ocean Spray as the company’s Head of Marketing Center of Excellence. 

Across his entire career, Dan was a friend and mentor to the many who had the privilege of working with him. He was always one of the Alums we wanted to reconnect with on this Learnings from Leaders podcast, but we regret missing our chance. So to capture some of the “Learnings from Dan” – we wanted to share a few stories from those who knew him well.

Got a Dan story? Please send an email or voice memo to pgalumpod@gmail.com – we’d love to hear it and share it with the many friends and family who survive him. We know you’ll enjoy this candid conversation about our good friend Dan.

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As a coach, Carol’s coaching is influenced by brain science and how it can shape leaders and teams. In this candid conversation, we discuss how brain-based coaching can bring about lasting change. Carol shares about the SCARF model — which involves five domains of human social experience: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness — a powerful neuroscience-based model for coaching. We explore hot topics – inclusion, psychological safety, and trust. We talk about how leaders and organizations can prepare for change and a lot more. 

This is a continuation of our series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep into relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in your career and life, through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their first free session at coaching.pgalums.com

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Annie is the co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, a nonprofit whose mission is to improve lives by empowering students through decision skills education. My discussion with Annie focuses on her recent book, “How to Decide, Simple Tools for Making Better Choices.”

But Annie is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast – available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast – available to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation and AI Integration Strategy. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com

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Kenneth led an organization of 150,000 employees and oversaw the fastest period of expansion at that time — opening over 1,000 restaurants in the span of 5 years. Kenneth was awarded the prestigious “Overseas CEO Award” at the Singapore Business Awards (2014), as well as the “Leading CEO Award” by the Singapore Human Resources Institute (2007).

He now serves as a strategic advisor and executive mentor. You’ll enjoy this deep, humble conversation on creating one’s authentic leadership style, how Asians can become strong leaders, and the importance of values during adversity.

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Going beyond her own career journey, Carol shares relevant advice on the mindset shift needed to ascend into senior executive roles. This is the first in a series with P&G Alumni Coaching where leading Alumni will dive deep into relevant topics. Just as professional athletes have a coach to help them perform at their best, coaching can help you thrive in your career and life through powerful questioning, exploration, and action planning. P&G Alums can learn more and sign up for their free first coaching session at coaching.pgalums.com 

You’ll enjoy this candid coaching conversation with Carol on not just the big mindset shift needed for executive growth, but also how to get clear on what we want, take ownership of your career, build self-awareness, and go beyond the buzzwords of building an authentic personal brand.

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But Tim is not exactly a P&G Alumni, so what’s the deal? Alongside our partners at P&G, we’re thrilled to share another episode of P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast – available exclusively each week to P&G Employees at GetMoreThanSoap.com. On “More Than Soap,” P&G shares weekly conversations with Inspiring guests, unique perspectives, and unconventional ideas. “More Than Soap” is P&G’s official internal podcast – available  to all 100,000 P&G employees worldwide, and hosted by Dorion Positano, P&G’s Director of New Business and Content Innovation. Interested in learning more about P&G’s “More Than Soap” podcast, or P&G Studios, can reach out directly to Dorion on LinkedIn. GetMoreThanSoap.com

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With the Fourth of July right around the corner for Americans, we celebrate our independence and freedom but also take an honest reflection on who we are (and want to be) as a nation and as a people. With today’s level of division and discord, the importance of talking and listening to others who might not look and think like us cannot be overstated. There is a better way than simply passively standing by and retreating to our echo chambers. It’s about seeking to understand, which was one of the values many of us were taught during our time at P&G. We hope you’ll enjoy this candid conversation about comedy and curiosity.

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Fama is a respected leader with a track record of turning around businesses, including during her time in North America Baby Care, while at the helm of Global Feminine Care, and as the Baby & Feminine Care Sector CEO. An inspiring leader, Fama is a role model known for championing gender and intersectional equality. She is also an advocate for mental health and leads her business with empathy and openness building resilient teams who she empowers to rise up to their full potential. She has four children and currently lives with her family in Cincinnati. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about resiliency, and being a trailblazer in an organization.

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GHE brings solar energy and sustainable development to half a million people across five remote regions in India. Jaideep and his team are the winners of the 2020 UN Climate Action Award. GHE’s work has been documented by National Geographic, BBC, and NDTV, and awarded by the WTTC and the World Tourism Awards. Jaideep has been featured repeatedly at Davos among the top leaders inspiring change in the world. He is also an Asia Foundation Fellow and has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about social entrepreneurship and living a purpose-driven life.

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Born in Saigon, Beth is the author of books like Stealing Buddha’s Dinner, Short Girls, Pioneer Girl, and Owner of a Lonely Heart – her memoir in essays about post refugee life coming out later this year.

Beth 2021 New Yorker article – “America Ruined My Name For Me” unpacks a necessary conversation about identity, adaption and assimilation – especially for those whose name is not hard to pronounce or understand. A refugee and a mother, Beth’s moving work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The New York Times, and Literary Hub. Beth’s awards and honors include an American Book Award, a PEN/Jerard Award from the PEN American Center, a Bread Loaf fellowship, and best book of the year honors from the Chicago Tribune and Library Journal. Beth has taught at Purdue University and the University of San Francisco – she is and is currently a professor of creative writing at the University of Wisconsin. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about growing between the cultures of two worlds

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From 2016 to 2021, Shailesh served as executive sponsor for global sustainability, enabling P&G’s “force for growth and a force for good” vision and ensuring the company’s sustainability goals are fully integrated into the day-to-day business to enable—and to inspire—positive impact on the environment and society while creating value for the company, consumers and shareholders. Shailesh’s extensive P&G career has spanned 30+ years – across multiple businesses (Health & Beauty Care, Home Care, Fabric Care and P&G Professional) in both developed and developing regions – including North America, Europe, Asia and Africa) – getting his start in his home country in India. Shailesh is known for his unique ability to identify growth possibilities, having consistently delivered strong business results in every market and on every business. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation on curiosity, seeing around corners, and learning to learn.

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Since retiring in 2008, Franz has remained an active consultant in Business Intelligence and Marketing, Retail Innovation, AI, and Business Process Improvement. Franz has also consulted with groups like GE Aviation and as an adjunct professor at Columbia University. Franz has a degree in astrophysics from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Master’s in Industrial Mathematics from the University of Florida. With the rapid advancements in AI changing every day, things discussed in this March 2023 conversation may already have moved – but there are a lot of fundamentals in this candid conversation that make sense.

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Ed also served on the boards of American Express, Delta Airlines, GTE, and Teradyne. He was active in foreign affairs and an influential advocate of world trade and on President Clinton’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations. 

With Ed’s recent passing in April 2023, we wanted to honor his memory, by replaying our 2020 conversation where Ed shared his perspectives on the importance of storytelling and the competitive advantage of integrity. His stories illuminate concrete lessons from both P&G’s successes and failures which speak directly to the challenges business leaders continue to face today.

READ THE BOOK — For more on Ed’s life and learnings – be sure to purchase his memoir / oral history: “P&G the Globalization Years: Lessons Learned during Procter & Gamble’s Transformation from an American Exporter to a Global Marketer”

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Daniela has also served as a member of the board of WPP, the world’s largest agency holding company, and the French Luxury goods company, and graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Rome—La Sapienza (Italy) and holds degrees in Political Science and International Studies. Prior to that, she completed professional studies in classic and modern dance at the National Dance Academy in Rome. She speaks fluent French, English, Spanish, and Italian. You’ll enjoy this candid talk on leadership, heritage & modernity from the 2019 P&G Alumni Global Conference in Madrid.

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Bracken’s a longtime “Friend of the Pod,” so we wanted to feature another chat he had with our favorite Humor Engineer and Co-host Andrew Tarvin, in one of Drew’s ”Humor Talks.” You’ll enjoy hearing Bracken share his recognition of the power of humor for creating a fun workplace. Now more than ever, it’s important to be able to be your authentic self at work, and for so many people, that includes humor. But Bracken knows that humor at work doesn’t have to mean telling jokes (he doesn’t think he’s a particularly funny person). He’s more in the moment, improvising or reacting quickly to what is said—a great mindset for building humor. This conversation may also feature stories about Jack Welch, and the naming of a cat in this candid conversation that, no surprise, is a fun one.

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Misha got her Master’s in Journalism at Northwestern University and has taught as an adjunct professor at USC Annenberg and the Transom Radio Workshop. Misha started work in podcasting in 2017, at the dawn of the podcasting era, and has quickly become an important voice for today’s times, speaking on storytelling, identity, and ethical entrepreneurship. In a word, Misha is a podcast.

This insightful and entertaining conversation on identity and belonging comes from P&G Alumni Co-host Rajiv Satyal’s talk show “What Do You Bring To The Table” — where Rajiv spotlights prominent South Asian voices. Rajiv has spoken with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Comedian Hasan Minhaj, author Deepak Chopra, influencer Lilly Singh, journalist Manu Raju, TV personality Tan France, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and many more. You can SEE lots more of Rajiv’s video conversations at WatchRajiv.com.

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During Charlotte’s 33-year career at P&G, she rose through the ranks of Brand Management and Corporate Comms and was the trusted counselor to five P&G CEOs. In fact, Charlotte was P&G’s first female corporate officer. Charlotte has received numerous industry accolades—including being named Woman of the Year AND Corporate Woman of the Year by the Cincinnati Enquirer, as well as receiving the Matrix Award for Public Relations, and the prestigious Paladin award. Charlotte’s a proud Purdue Alum, where she received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees—and she even studied at the Culinary Institute of America.

In a great conversation about intention and serendipity, you’ll learn about the power of embracing a path never imagined, and removing our own blinders to be truly intellectually honest and objective about whatever situations we may face.

This episode originally aired in April 2021

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She rose through the ranks, becoming a serial “first female” including first brand manager and first direct report to then CEO John Smale as head of strategic planning and acquisitions. After leaving P&G to become an almost full-time mom, Peg sought other challenges — consulting for Fortune 500 CEOs, and founding a venture capital fund focused on women-led companies. Peg soon launched Grandin Properties, a real estate development and management company focusing on walkable urban neighborhoods in Cincinnati. Beyond her career, Peg helped found the P&G Alumni Network and the Women’s Capital Club. Peg’s new book is called One Red Shoe: The Story of Corporate America’s First Woman. Alongside her husband Jack, Peg has four children and nine grandchildren. You’ll enjoy this insightful conversation about what it takes to persevere when the odds may be against you and to challenge the status quo, outperform, and break through boundaries.

This episode originally aired in November 2021

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Previously Susan served as a Communications Director at Nike for three years. She also served in senior comms roles at Sleep Number Corporation, Home Chef, and Abbott. Susan got her start over eleven years at P&G in Communications working on brands like Gillette and Braun, as well as across Skincare and Homecare brands. Susan is driven by creative curiosity and a journalist’s heart for the story beneath the surface, helping companies identify and connect with their missions, navigate moments of crisis, and inspire the world with their unique story. Hailing from Nigeria as a child, Susan moved across major cities with her university professor’s parents and got her start at P&G through a youth organization called INRoads.org . Susan now returns to Ohio with her husband and two daughters. You’ll enjoy this candid conversation about speaking authentically, where your words have to follow your actions.

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At Procter & Gamble, Ed was P&G’s second-ever Black Vice President, spanning a 36-year career at the company in 1965 – during which he was the R&D Technical Brand Manager who helped create Pringles. Ed was later the first Black co-owner + lead investor of the Cincinnati Reds, as well as CEO of EnovaPremier, and CEO of Legacy Acquisition. Ed has served on numerous company boards and has received appointments from the Governor of Ohio and a sitting US President. He’s a husband, father, grandfather, accomplished artist, and guitar player.

In this candid conversation on race, work, and life—Ed shares his thoughts as a black man growing up in Louisiana, rising through the ranks of corporate America, and the current climate. Ed believes that his number one mission is to help those who have been consistently under-represented to achieve higher levels of freedom…especially in the areas of education, economic empowerment, and inclusion.
This episode originally aired in August 2020

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