Founder's Mentality: The CEO Sessions

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.

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/]

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.

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.

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.