Founder's Mentality: The CEO Sessions
Founder's Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a podcast from Bain & Company hosted by Jimmy Allen, an advisory partner and leader of Bain's Global CEO Forum. In its second season, it explores the judgement calls and defining decisions behind successful leadership, from unseen market bets to crises that test organizational purpose. Each episode features candid conversations with CEOs and leaders from companies such as Mars, The Economist Group, and Khan Academy. The show examines both the outer game of markets, technology, and growth and the inner game of energy, humility, and courage required to lead through uncertainty.
Episodes
Bruno Lasansky, Localiza&Co: The Perfect Storm Playbook
How do you grow a billion dollar business in the face of extreme turbulence? Bruno Lasansky is CEO of Localiza&Co, a Brazilian car rental company that began with just six secondhand VW Beetles in 1973. From surging interest rates to industry altering government policies, there are few companies that have faced adversity quite like Localiza. But for Bruno, turbulence is not something
Michelle Zatlyn, Cloudflare: Protect the Steady State, Disrupt What’s Next
When did showing up become optional? In 2009 Michelle Zatlyn co-founded Cloudflare, a tech startup that powers 45% of all Fortune 500 companies through solving problems that were keeping their leaders up at night. The surprising thing is, Michelle had no background in engineering. She developed an expertise through showing up, leveraged her own strengths to build a billion dollar busine
Poul Weihrauch, Mars: Purpose Is Easy Until It’s Tested
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
Lara Boro, The Economist: AI Won't Change Who We Are
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 c
Sal Khan, Khan Academy: Why He Chose to Disrupt Himself With AI
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 & C
Daniel Servitje, Grupo Bimbo: The Enemy of Growth Is Distance
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
Jacqueline Novogratz, Acumen: Start Before You're Ready
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
Kevin Lobo, Stryker: The $1.6B Bet That Changed an Industry
What does it take to back a decision that may take years to prove itself? Soon after becoming CEO of Stryker, Kevin Lobo backed a $1.6 billion acquisition of Mako, a loss-making robotics company many customers, investors and industry experts believed was unnecessary. The deal would reshape both orthopedic surgery and Stryker’s growth trajectory. Join host Jimmy Allen of Bain & Com
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions - Season 2 - Coming Soon!
Before a strategy becomes a success story, it's a judgement call.For 35 years, Jimmy Allen has been in the room with the world's most consequential CEOs, and this season, he's bringing you inside those conversations.Twelve leaders. Twelve moments that tested everything they thought they knew about leading. And one question that keeps coming back: it's not just what the CEO should do. It's
Embrace the New Rules of Scaling
As this season of Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions comes to a close, we take a step back to ask the question that has driven every conversation: how do you lead and grow in an era of turbulence?In this season finale, host Jimmy Allen revisits the season’s most powerful insights from the leaders of global brands and high-growth innovators, uncovering the new rules of scaling. You’ll h
Compete, Evolve, Compete Again: Marcos Galperin, Executive Chairman & Founder, Mercado Libre
What does it really take to stay relevant when the world refuses to stand still?In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Marcos Galperin, Founder and Executive Chairman of Mercado Libre, and Chris Zook, Advisory Partner at Bain & Company and co-author of Profit from the Core and The Founder’s Mentality, to explore what it really takes to keep growing when the rules of strategy are
Stay Relevant, Spark Energy: Pedro Arnt, CEO dLocal
How can a hyperscaler grow at lightning speed without losing its soul?In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Pedro Arnt, CEO of dLocal and former CFO of Mercado Libre, to explore how to scale at pace while keeping culture, relevance, and energy intact. From building one of Latin America’s most successful e-commerce and fintech giants to steering a new generation of high-growth busine
Shift to Vertical: David Haines, Group CEO, Flora Food Group
What does it take to stay connected to your customers when scale and complexity threaten to pull you away?In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with David Haines, Group CEO of Flora Food Group, to explore how leaders can keep their focus vertical - anchored in the customer and the frontline, while running global organizations. From his early days at Mars and Vodafone to leading GROHE and
Simplify: Stuart Gent, Partner, Bain Capital
How on earth can we simplify when business complexity feels inevitable?In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Stuart Gent, Partner and Co-Head of Europe Private Equity at Bain Capital, to explore how leaders can strip away noise, refocus their teams, and rediscover what truly drives performance. From defining the heart of a business to knowing which problems only the CEO can solve, S
What CEOs Bring Home: A Holiday Special
As the year winds down, Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions takes a festive turn. In this special holiday bonus episode, host Jimmy reflects on the season’s conversations with global leaders, each sharing a lesson they bring home to their families. This episode gathers a wreath of insights about resilience, curiosity, and gratitude. You’ll hear from CEOs who’ve learned to sweat the deta
Rediscover The Art of Business Building: Tanuja Randery, Managing Director EMEA, Amazon Web Services
Big companies are built to deliver, but in a world where technology shifts daily and customer needs change overnight, delivery alone isn’t enough. Business building has to become part of the culture.In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Tanuja Randery, Managing Director of Amazon Web Services in EMEA, to explore how AWS scales without becoming a bureaucracy. From codifying leadershi
Pursue Repeatable Models: Sunny Verghese, CEO & Co-Founder, Olam
How do you grow a bold idea into a global agribusiness leader… and then reimagine it all over again?In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder and CEO of Olam, to discuss how repeatable models can deliver both discipline and discovery. From sourcing cashews in Nigeria to building a business that now spans 60 countries, Sunny reflects on how differentiation, cur
From Sapling to Forest, Master Deliver and Develop: Nirav Tolia, CEO & Co-Founder, Nextdoor
What does it take to ‘refound’ a company that you started, this time in the public spotlight?In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Nirav Tolia, Co-Founder and CEO of Nextdoor, to explore the art of reorientating a company without losing momentum. From balancing the pressure of quarterly results with the need to reignite innovation, to radically shifting his own leadership style, Nir
Manage Complexity By Returning to the Why: Don Katz, Audible
What happens when a founder’s vision doesn’t just spark a company, but reshapes an entire industry?In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Don Katz, founder of Audible, to explore how a writer-turned-entrepreneur built a global brand that redefined the spoken word. From his early influences such as Ralph Ellison and his career at Rolling Stone, to commercializing the first digital aud
Create Joyful Routines: Christina Zhu, CEO & President, Walmart China
What turns a routine into a ritual that actually changes how people work?In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Christina Zhu, President and CEO of Walmart China, to explore how she builds focus and resilience while leading through one of the fastest-changing retail landscapes in the world. From creating “joyful routines” that empower frontline associates, to translating customer cen
Fall Back in Love With Your Product: Aaron Powell, CEO, Pizza Hut
Pizza may seem simple, but leading one of the world’s most iconic brands is anything but. In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Aaron Powell, Global CEO of Pizza Hut, to explore how he’s helping the company rediscover its magic in over 20,000 restaurants across 110 countries. From falling back in love with the product to celebrating the heroes of the frontline, Aaron shares how mome
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions - Coming Soon!
What does it take to lead - and live - when the world won’t sit still?Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions, hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen, goes beyond the boardroom to uncover lessons in leadership and growth. Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs - from Audible, Walmart, AWS, and more - as well as artists, comedians, and other unconven
