Join host Rick Cheatham in this episode of Fearless Thinkers as he talks with Richard Hargreaves, Managing Director at Corporate Research Forum (CRF), about how HR leaders can build a future-ready workforce in times of uncertainty. They discuss the importance of focusing on critical roles, prioritizing impact, and staying agile amidst disruption. Tune in to hear practical advice on how HR can prepare organizations for the challenges ahead. Listen now!

Join host Rick Cheatham in this episode of Fearless Thinkers as he sits down with Matt Tonken, a leader in BTS's Assessment practice, to explore the power of "future-back thinking" in creating frameworks for leadership success. They explore how organizations can build "success profiles" by imagining future scenarios and preparing leaders with the skills and mindsets necessary for those challenges. Tune in to learn how to create leadership frameworks that stand the test of time. Listen now!

In this episode of the Fearless Thinkers podcast, host Rick Cheatham sits down with Jenny Dearborn, Chief People Strategy Officer & Head of Talent Insights, to discuss her journey from teaching to senior leadership. They explore the pivotal career decisions that led her to BTS, the power of aligning with stakeholder goals, and the importance of a strong support system in achieving professional success. Tune in to learn how Jenny’s experiences and insights can guide leaders in navigating their own career growth and making impactful decisions.

For a transcript, click here.

In this episode of the Fearless Thinkers podcast, host Rick Cheatham is in conversation with Kathryn Clubb, CEO of BTS North America, and Alex Amsden, Vice President of Change and Transformation at BTS, to explore the evolving landscape of strategic planning for senior leaders. They dive into the importance of engaging all levels of an organization in strategy formation and execution, the challenges of adapting to rapidly changing conditions, and the critical role culture plays in bringing strategy to life. Tune in to discover how top leaders are shaping strategies that are both resilient and adaptive, setting their organizations up for long-term success.

For a transcript, click here.

Welcome to another episode of the Fearless Thinkers podcast! Host Rick Cheatham is joined by Tara Castaneda, Senior Director at BTS, to explore the concept of vertical development. Tara breaks down the stages of vertical development, from the diplomat stage to the strategist stage, and explains how these stages influence leadership styles and behaviors. She emphasizes the importance of self-awareness and continuous growth for effective leadership. Tune in for practical insights and tips on elevating your leadership approach.

For a transcript, click here.

Welcome to another episode of the Fearless Thinkers podcast! Host Rick Cheatham is joined by Teresa Yetano, Senior Director, and Emily Steigerwald, Senior Director, to explore Revenue Growth Management (RGM). In today episode, they discuss how RGM links strategic and tactical approaches to meet evolving consumer needs, emphasizing omni-channel shopping, cross-functional alignment, leadership involvement, and predictive analytics. Tune in to discover how top global brands implement effective RGM strategies and drive organizational change.

For a transcript, click here.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Rick welcomes Martin Rahn, Director of Talent Development at Constellium, a global leader in the development, manufacturing, and recycling of aluminum products and solutions. Martin, highly experienced in HR and Talent Management, has closely partnered with BTS to implement a comprehensive leadership development program aimed at aligning leadership, strategy, and culture. Drawing from his extensive experience with global companies, Martin discusses how Constellium’s tailored programs and internal collaboration have successfully fostered company culture and empowered leaders to navigate transformation and change. Tune in to hear more about Constellium’s strategic approach and significant improvements in employee engagement.

For a transcript, click here.

Join Rick Cheatham as he explores the evolving role of AI in education, learning, and leadership with Karim Hirani, Senior Director at BTS. Together, they compare AI and human coaching, discuss AI’s potential to democratize education, and dive into its impact on leadership development with a focus on the balance between AI’s capabilities and the importance of human relationships in coaching. Tune in for insights on the future of AI and the ethical considerations of its advancements.

For a transcript, click here.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Rick Cheatham, hosts Katy Young, Senior Vice President and Partner at BTS, and Emanuele Scotti, Co-founder and CEO of Yumi, a recent addition to the BTS family. Emanuele unveils the fascinating story behind Yumi’s evolution into a powerhouse of HR innovation, drawing inspiration from the collaborative spirit of Waze. Discover how Yumi, their groundbreaking tool, harnesses collective intelligence to empower individuals within organizations, making change not just manageable, but thrilling. Katie shares insights on inclusive change and the thrilling challenge of scaling it across diverse organizations.

For a transcript, click here.

In the most recent episode of Fearless Thinkers, we feature Henrik Ekelund, innovative Founder and Chairman of BTS Group. He talks about his new ventures since transitioning from CEO to Chairman. Henrik shares insights of five current global macrotrends that are impacting every corporate’s success and resilience. Henrik also shares from his research on national prosperity – what are the key components that underpin thriving countries.

For a transcript, click here.

Effective decision-making has the power to accelerate growth and drive your organization forward, achieving key milestones and outcomes faster, while ineffective decision making can paralyze organizational progress altogether. In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Abbey Bonham, Principal, and Libby MacKenzie, Director, sit down with Rick Cheatham, CMO, to unpack what decision-making looks like in organizations today, the impact of AI, and the key moves you can make to level-up decision-making for yourself and your teams.

For a transcript, click here.

Tune into this exclusive repost of the HIKE2 webinar featuring Peter Mulford and Peter Coffee, VP for Strategic Research at Salesforce. In this insightful session, they dive into the game-changing role of AI in transforming industries. From the shift to edge devices and AI’s impact on the future of work, to the rise of quantum computing—discover how these groundbreaking technologies are fueling innovation and reshaping the business landscape. Don’t miss out—listen now!

"There's a premium here on meeting the customer where they are. We can understand their buyer's journey, but if we don't adjust the resources that we need to bring at specific points, then it's a miss," says Barbara Adey, VP, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Barbara and Jason Davis, Senior Director, sit down with Rick Cheatham, CMO, to discuss their customer-centric approach to sales methodology and process.

For a transcript, click here.

"Be a partner in educating the rest of the business [about the] strategic trade-offs of their choices... Breaking through the complexity of finance for the rest of the organization is really powerful," says Katy Young, SVP & Partner, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Katy and Ignacio Vaccaro, Senior Director & Head of SABA Practice, sit down with Rick Cheatham, CMO, to discuss the evolving role of finance in strategy execution.

Learn more about our Strategy Execution and Business Acumen centers of expertise.

Here's a transcript.

In this special Fearless Thinkers episode, Jennifer Porter, Partner, and Jessica Skon, CEO, discuss how to help leaders develop, improve, and increase their effectiveness.

Here's a transcript.

“It’s about that consistency that you’re able to create for your team and for your clients — thinking about how you establish your operational cadence helps to reinforce those expectations when you’re not there all the time,” says Kyle Dean, Senior Director, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Kyle and Rick Cheatham, CMO, share ideas for all salespeople to consider as they progress both professionally and collectively.

Learn more about our Go-to-Market services here.

Here's a transcript.

"From the start, engage in optimal inclusion... Draw from a representative sample of your organization, or what we like to call a diagonal slice: [people from] across various business units, functions, tenure, roles, levels, geographies — you name it," says Mallory Meyer, Culture Transformation Lead for BTS North America, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Mallory, Alex Amsden, Global Lead for Culture Transformation, and Tom Gaunt, Head of Change & Transformation for BTS Europe, join Rick Cheatham, CMO, for a discussion about the six common pitfalls of organizational culture change, and also offer uncommon-sense moves to counter each of them.

Learn more about our Change & Transformation center of expertise.

Find a transcript here.

“We can build really powerful experiences that get people to think about change differently, but if they’re not thinking about it in the context of a real change, then the power is diminished… Shift a little bit from thinking about training to thinking about building capability and alignment at the same time,” says Kevin Bronk, Senior Director, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Kevin and Rick Cheatham, CMO, discuss leveraging near-term change initiatives to build long-term capability and alignment.

For a transcript, please click here.

Learn more about our Change & Transformation center of expertise.

"In today’s market, commercial teams must act intentionally," says Barbara Adey, Vice President and Head of the North America Sales and Marketing Center of Expertise, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Barbara and Rick Cheatham, CMO, offer practical tips for sellers and customers maneuvering high interest rates, stagnating growth, and more.

Here's a transcript.

Learn more about our Go to Market services.

Here's a transcript.

Learn more about our Leadership Development area of expertise.

For a transcript, please click here.

Learn more about our Change & Transformation practice.

It's more important than ever that leaders invest in bringing their commercial teams together in person. But what makes a solid commercial kick-off? "The environment and the experience that we create shows them... that we do care about them as people," says Rick Cheatham, CMO, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Rick, Principal Ed Umanzor, Ph.D., and East Area Sales and Marketing Leader Jason Davis provide practical tips for facilitating energizing commercial kickoffs at every stage of the planning process.

Learn more about our Go to Market and large-scale event services.

Join Rick Cheatham in this insightful episode of Fearless Thinkers as he talks with Peter about the transformational power of AI in business. They dive into the three key phases organizations go through when adopting AI—awareness, experimentation, and impact—and how they can successfully navigate each stage. From shifting mindsets to embracing AI as a virtual teammate, Peter shares how organizations can move from experimentation to scaling AI for real impact. Learn about the mindset shifts necessary to navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape and unlock new opportunities for business growth. Listen now!

In this special episode of Fearless Thinkers, Kathryn Clubb, CEO of BTS North America, shares her perspective on the history, challenges, and future significance of Pride month both within and out of the workplace.

For a transcript, please click here.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Kelsey Raymond and Kendra Okposo, Directors, delve into the 6 "next practices" that ensure organizations maintain their relevance over time: planning and pivoting, leading with others, creating shared accountability, collaborating in the ecosystem, accelerating talent, and simplifying systems.

Read about our Change & Transformation services here.

Here's the infographic that Kendra mentions: "From Best Practices to Next Practices – what it takes to be Future Relevant."

For a transcript, please click here.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Beth Bush, Senior Director of Philanthropy at Rainforest Trust, and Xenia Roman Korobochkina, Senior Director at BTS, share about everything from the origins and ongoing fruits of the partnership (including the preservation of 35 million trees), to recent encounters with bromelias and tamarins, to ways that you, too, can help nature sustain itself.

Show notes

To donate directly to the Rainforest Trust, please click here.

For a transcript, please click here.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Corey Jacobs, Senior Director, makes the case for delivering business impact at scale and with momentum.

For a transcript, please click here.

Learn about our Go-to-Market service area here, and our large-scale events offering here.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Barbara Adey, Head of the North America GTM for Sales and Marketing, offers techniques for engaging with executives, such as showing up as a peer, challenging their thinking with respect, and creating both personal and business value.

Learn about our Go-to-Market service area here.

For a transcript, please click here.

In this special episode of Fearless Thinkers, guest hostess Anne Wilson (VP, Principal, and Head of the Change & Transformation Center of Expertise for North America) and Kathryn Clubb (CEO of BTS North America) discuss why organizations should expect more from consultants and when not to hire them.

Read about our Change & Transformation services here.

Find a transcript PDF here.

In this episode of the Fearless Thinkers podcast, Fredrik Schuller, Head of BTS Coach and Executive Vice President, shares how artificial intelligence can augment the leadership coaching process by increasing consistency, accessibility, and scalability.

Read about our Leadership Coaching services here.

Learn about our Innovation services here.

For a transcript, please click here.

In the first episode of Fearless Thinkers, Season 2, Thomas Natkowski and Cliff Pfefferkorn, Partners at eStrategy Consulting, and René Groeneveld, Partner and Global Sales and Marketing Practice Leader at BTS, vivify omnichannel and multichannel marketing concepts with concrete examples.

Learn how eStrategy Consulting guides clients through digital opportunities and challenges here.

Read about our Go to Market services here.

For a transcript, please click here.

In Episode 16 of Fearless Thinkers, Peter Mulford, Global Partner and Chief Innovation Officer, explores reasons and solutions for our reluctance to shift from intuition-led to computation-augmented decision making.

Learn more about our Innovation and Digital Transformation Center of Expertise here.

For a transcript, please click here.

Peter refers to:

• "Overcoming Algorithm Aversion: People will Use Imperfect Algorithms If They Can (Even Slightly) Modify Them" by Berkeley J. Dietvorst, Joseph P. Simmons, and Cade Massey
• Inner Mastery, Outer Impact: How Your Five Core Energies Hold the Key to Success, by Hitendra Wadhwa

In Episode 15 of Fearless Thinkers, Christie Obiaya, CEO of Heliogen, and Teal Reamer, VP and Head of BTS Central, discuss how Heliogen's leadership team, made up of individuals with far-ranging experience and ways of working, found common ground in their shared ambition.

Learn more about our Strategy Execution & Business Transformation services here.

For a transcript, please click here.

In this episode Peter speaks with Professor Alejandro Lozano Robledo. He is the Director of Future Mobility Design Lab at UC Digital Futures and Mobility Systems Design Professor University of Cincinnati. He’s a proven innovator with a record of successful collaborations, including with Boeing, NASA, the U.S. Department of Transportation, Hyundai, and MIT.

During our conversation we discuss the future of cities and mobility, the shift from car ownership to a subscription-based models, the implications of autonomous vehicle technology on various industries, the potential of level 5 automation and mobility as a service by 2040. the challenges of energy paradigm shift in the mobility industry, and other topics.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Kelsey Raymond, Associate Director, discusses organizational culture, or our deeply-held mindsets and ways of working, and its critical impact on performance.

Check out a blog post on the topic, "Is your culture past its sell-by date?", by Alex Amsden, Andy Atkins, and Mallory Meyer.

Learn more about our Strategy Execution and Business Transformation services here.

Find the transcript here.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, hear from Barbara Adey, Vice President, Head of Sales and Marketing for BTS North America, on how to drive go-to-market profitability by supporting your commercial leaders.

Check out Barbara's blog on the topic, "Developing next gen sales leaders."

Learn more about our Go to Market services here.

Find the transcript here.

In Pt. 2 of this interview with Suzanne Bates, SVP and Global Head of Executives & Teams, on the Fearless Thinkers podcast, learn how to leverage mindsets to sell to the C-suite.

Show notes

Check out Suzanne's books, All the Leader You Can Be: The Science of Achieving Extraordinary Executive Presence, Speak Like a CEO: Secrets for Communicating Attention and Getting Results, and others on her Amazon author page.

Learn more about our Executives & Teams services here.

Find the transcript here.

In Episode 12 of Fearless Thinkers, Suzanne Bates, SVP and Global Head of Executives & Teams, draws on decades of experience engaging with C-level leaders to share how you can establish executive presence.

Show notes

Check out Suzanne's books, All the Leader You Can Be: The Science of Achieving Extraordinary Executive Presence, Speak Like a CEO: Secrets for Communicating Attention and Getting Results, and others on her Amazon author page.

Learn more about our Executives & Teams services here.

Find the transcript here.

In Episode 11 of Fearless Thinkers, Brad Chambers, PhD, Head of Talent Acquisition Solutions, takes us through the hiring process from a candidate’s perspective, highlighting the moments organizations can leverage to ensure a better fit for both parties.

Show notes

Learn more about our Talent Acquisition & Succession services here.

Find the transcript here.

In Episode 10 of Fearless Thinkers, Adam Boggs, Vice President, and Alexis Fernandez, Director, draw on their experience from downturns past to help sellers steel themselves for the uncertain times ahead.

Show notes

Check out Alexis's recent Training Industry article: "3 Ways to Align Training With Business Goals."

Learn more about our Go to Market services here.

Find a transcript here.

In this episode, Katy Young, Senior Vice President & Partner at BTS, and Jeroen Kraaijenbrink, Strategy & Leadership Author, Consultant, and Mentor, dive deeper into the critical moments of strategy implementation, tracing a strategy from top-level ideation to its implications on an individual's day-to-day.

Show notes

To learn more about our guest Jeroen Kraaijenbrink, please see his personal website, visit his Forbes page, check out his Amazon author page, or find him on LinkedIn.

To read more on making strategy actionable, check out Jeroen's recent Forbes article "To Solve The Strategy-Execution Gap, Start Creating Executable Strategy" and book The Strategy Handbook: The Secret Sauce to Daily Business Success.

Learn more about our Strategy Execution & Business Transformation services here.

For a transcript, please click here.

In this episode, Dan Parisi, Executive Vice President, and Darsh Shrestha, Principal and Vice President, share tactics, principles, and mindsets for individuals to implement during uncertain times, so that their organizations emerge from economic downturns better positioned than ever before. 

Show notes

Read the article that Dan mentions, "Roaring Out of Recession," by Ranjay Gulati, Nitin Nohria, and Franz Wohlgezogen, here.

Check out a related article, "How to Survive a Recession and Thrive Afterward," by Walter Frick, here.

Learn more about our Strategy Execution and Business Alignment services here.

For a transcript, please click here.

In this episode, Rene Groeneveld, Partner, and Jason Davis, Senior Director, expand on ideas such as the gradual integration of sales and marketing and the timelessness of customer centricity.

Show notes

To learn more about trends and challenges in sales and marketing organizations, check out our Sales and Marketing Insights study.

Learn more about our Go to Market services here.

For a transcript, please click here.

In Episode 6 of Fearless Thinkers, BTS Sales and Marketing's Adam Boggs, Vice President, Matthew Archer, Vice President, and Melia Coury, Senior Business Analyst, discuss the repeatable, practical principles that make sales kick-off events inspiring, whether they're held virtually or in person.

Show notes

To learn more about trends and challenges in sales and marketing organizations, check out our Sales and Marketing Insights study.

Visit our large scale events page for more information.

Learn more about our Go to Market services here.

For a transcript, please click here.

Join host Rick Cheatham in this episode of Fearless Thinkers as he chats with Miguel Sequeira, an expert in sales leadership, about the five key mind traps holding back sales teams. As we kick off the new year, it’s a great time to reflect on how to drive a winning mentality in your teams. From the ‘victim mindset’ to the ‘lone wolf mentality’, Miguel uncovers the common barriers that can prevent high sales performance and how to overcome them. Discover strategies for leaders to recognize and address these traps, empowering their teams to embrace change and drive success. Tune in now!

For a transcript, click here.

In this episode, Ignacio Vaccaro, BTS Europe's Head of Strategic Alignment & Business Acumen, shares ideas that can help leaders equip themselves for challenging times, such as adopting an enterprise-wide approach to decision making.

Show notes

Learn more about the Leader Lab here. 

For a transcript, please click here.

In the second half of our chat with Jessica Skon, President & CEO of BTS Group, learn what she means by a big hearted and high performing culture, both at BTS and in today's business environment.

For a transcript, please click here.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, meet Jessica Skon, President & CEO of BTS Group, and hear about how her upbringing and decades-long evolution at BTS continue to shape her decisions.

For a transcript, please click here.

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, the BTS Podcast, Lacee Jacobs, Head of DEI at BTS, and Mac Quartarone, PhD, Director at BTS, reflect on their Harvard Business Review article of the same name discussing the critical differences between inclusion and assimilation.

Show notes

For a transcript, please click here.

Here's a link to the corresponding Harvard Business Review article, "Do Your Diversity Initiatives Promote Assimilation Over Inclusion?"