Thinkers50 Podcast

What happens when the biggest risk to business isn’t in the model? Most financial models have a silent assumption buried at their core: that the climate will stay stable.

Spencer Glendon spent nearly two decades in investment research identifying what others missed. His search for hidden assumptions led him to discover that climate stability underpins virtually every business model, yet most leaders still treat climate as a specialist issue rather than a core strategic concern.

In conversation with Des Dearlove and Steve Goldbach, Spencer explores:

• why climate belongs in the boardroom, not in a box
• why markets have been so slow to price climate risk
• how to turn abstract climate science into practical decisions

As the founder of Probable Futures, Spencer translates complex climate models into accessible tools, helping leaders understand probable future, rather than distant challenges or apocalyptic scenarios.

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This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.

What if the biggest problem with marketing today is the way we’ve been taught to think about it?

Samuel Monnie, once a “reformed marketer” but now “marketing reformer,” argues that traditional marketing frameworks like the 4Ps (product, price, place, promotion) no longer reflect the world we live in. Instead, we should look towards a more human model: purpose, people, progress, and prosperity.

Purpose: driving more inclusive, equitable outcomes – and positive impact
People: leading with compassion, creativity, and connection
Progress: creating better solutions that raise the bar for everyone
Prosperity: building systems where business, society, and nature can thrive
In this episode he explains why aligning business with values is not just ethical but a commercial imperative. He brings the data to dispel the myth that profit and purpose are in conflict. And explores how organizations can “learn, unlearn, and relearn,” embracing curiosity, listening more deeply to customers and employees, and focusing on progress over perfection.

Samuel is co-founder and co-CEO of New York-based Purpose Hive. He has led brand and business growth at companies including Braun, Campbell's, Grainger, Safeway, Proctor & Gamble, and Sustainable Brands.

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This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.

What if the real purpose of business is not simply to make money, but to serve humanity?

André Hoffmann is vice chairman of Roche Holding, co-founder of Intent, board member of the World Economic Forum, and co-author of The New Nature of Business: The Path to Prosperity and Sustainability. In this rich conversation with Thinkers50 CEO Mikko Leskelä and Kulleni Gebreyes, vice chair and US life sciences and healthcare industry leader at Deloitte, André challenges the traditional view that financial capital alone defines success. Instead, leaders must recognise:

• Three other forms of capital: natural, social, and human
• Why being an environmentalist and a capitalist is not a contradiction
• Nature is our life support system; if we destroy it, we destroy ourselves
• It's not how you spend the money that matters, it's how you make it
• Business should and can be a force for good in solving humanity’s biggest problems

Discover how leaders can align profit and purpose, prosperity and sustainability, and ultimately become good ancestors.

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This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.

Cécile Béliot is the first female CEO of Bel Group, known for iconic cheese brands The Laughing Cow, Babybel, and Boursin, as well as GoGo squeeZ fruit pouches.

As only the second executive from outside the founding family to lead the 150-year-old company, she shares how she’s honoring legacy while driving transformation in today’s challenging environment – proving that companies can deliver both profitability and sustainability.

Cécile defines sustainability through two interconnected pillars: social impact for providers (fair wages, financing the transition to regenerative farming) and facilitating healthy eating habits for consumers.

To embed this vision at the company’s core, Bel transformed the Chief Financial Officer role into Chief Global Impact Officer – a bold move that changed how the entire organization thinks about performance and accountability.

Cécile’s provocation to business leaders everywhere is simple but powerful. Put an "AND" in everything you do. Not short-term or long-term. Not purpose or profit. Companies that embrace the “AND” – managing the tensions rather than choosing sides – unlock innovation, collaboration, and the ecosystem transformation needed to thrive today and tomorrow.

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This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.

Frances Frei is a professor of technology and operations management at Harvard Business School and, together with her partner Anne Morriss, is the bestselling author of Uncommon Service: How to Win by Putting Customers at the Core of Your Business; Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You; and Move Fast & Fix Things: The Trusted Leader’s Guide to Solving Hard Problems. Frances and Anne are #7 in the Thinkers50 Ranking.

In this episode, Frances reveals the three pillars that define the architecture of trust, three key mistakes repeatedly made by organizations, and why "move fast and break things" is actually slower than moving fast and fixing things. Discover:

• Why every trust breakdown can be traced to one of three dimensions: authenticity, logic, or empathy
• Why you should look beyond the “usual suspects” when solving big problems and invite more “unusual suspects" to the table
• Why AI struggles with trust – and the crucial difference between engagement and empathy

This conversation took place in London’s historic Guildhall during the Thinkers50 London Summit & Awards Gala in November 2025, with Frances joining Provocateurs hosts Steve Goldbach, leader of Deloitte’s Sustainability Business in the US, and Stuart Crainer, co-founder of Thinkers50.

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This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.