Explore every episode of the podcast Next to Lead

Mastercard is betting on a new era of agentic commerce, where AI agents can act on behalf of consumers, make purchases, and even transact with other machines. But handing an AI agent your wallet raises new questions around trust, identity, and accountability. What happens when an agent buys the wrong thing, exceeds its authority, or gets manipulated? And how do you build a payments system that can distinguish between human and non-human actors? Fortune’s Ruth Umoh sits down with Ed McLaughlin, Mastercard’s President and Chief Technology Officer, to discuss the future of agentic commerce, AI-powered fraud prevention, cybersecurity, and what happens when machines become participants in the global economy. 0:00 AI Agents Are About to Change How We Shop 1:04 What’s Keeping Mastercard’s CTO Up at Night? 3:46 How Mastercard Transformed Over 20 Years 5:33 Lessons From a Startup Founder 8:34 How Mastercard Makes Decisions at Scale 11:15 How to Move Fast Without Breaking Things 16:11 Is Identity the New Challenge of the AI Era? 20:14 Mastercard’s Biggest AI Opportunities 26:17 Who’s Liable When an AI Agent Makes a Purchase? 36:30 The Leadership Skills AI Can’t Replace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Toast started as a point-of-sale company. Today, the restaurant technology platform serves over 180,000 locations globally and is expanding into areas including payments, payroll, marketing, reservations, retail.In this episode of Fortune Next to Lead, C-suite and Leadership Editor Ruth Umoh sits down with Toast CMO and COO Kelly Esten to discuss the company’s growth strategy and its vision for the future of restaurant technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta is spending billions to catch up in the AI race, betting that its latest model, Muse Spark, can help close the gap with its biggest rivals. But the company’s aggressive AI investments, ranging from advertising tools to its latest AI-powered smart glasses, are coming at a cost: Meta’s profits fell 14% in the second quarter, as spending surged alongside hefty legal penalties.  In this episode of Next to Lead, Fortune’s C-suite and Leadership Editor Ruth Umoh sits down with Nicola Mendelsohn, Meta’s Head of Global Business Group, in Cannes to discuss the company’s AI ambitions, the creator economy, and Meta’s push towards AI supremacy. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:08 Ad 01:38 How AI is Shifting All Business 03:02 Meta’s AI Ad Stack Advantage 04:26: Meta’s Creative Workplace Launch 04:53 Meeting Customers Through Messaging, Business Agents 06:43 Meta’s Customers Key Pain Points 07:20: Case Study: Car Rentals in Brazil 07:54 Is Meta Taking Too Much Control? 09:07 Estée Lauder Experiment 10:44 Kylie Jenner x Meta Glasses 12:04 Creators, Community, Commerce 13:40 AI Hype, Responsibility 14:48 Future of Creators, Agents 16:28 Looking Ahead for Nicola Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As dating apps experiment with AI, Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley is drawing a line between using the technology to help people connect and using it to replace human connection. Tinder wants AI to help users choose their best profile photos, make sense of complex astrology charts, and ultimately spend less time on their phones—not create artificial people to date. At Cannes Lions, Fortune’s Ruth Umoh sits down with Hobley to discuss AI avatars, the future of digital intimacy, and where technology’s role should end and real-life connection begin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI is rewriting the rules of marketing, but not every brand is ready for it. At Cannes Lions, Fortune's Ruth Umoh sat down with the marketing and growth chiefs behind four major brands to drop the polish and tackle the messy middle: what's really holding AI adoption back. How do you build momentum when your data strategy is still warming up? How do you chase innovation without torching the budget? And what happens when "AI-powered everything" creates more noise than results? Expect straight talk, live debate, and hard numbers on where the hype ends and the business impact begins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s CMO isn’t just selling the brand; they’re responsible for the business, owning revenue, product, and data. At the same time, AI is automating a huge slice of marketing and exposing the metrics that don’t actually move the business.At Cannes Lions, Fortune’s Ruth Umoh sat down with the marketing chiefs of Slack, Zoom, Slalom, and TD Bank U.S. to unpack how AI is reshaping their roles, what they now measure, and how they chase growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may know Coach and Kate Spade, but you may not know Tapestry, the $30 billion company behind them. After a blocked merger with Capri Holdings, and the sale of its Stuart Weitzman brand, Tapestry is betting on Coach's momentum to fuel its next phase of growth. As luxury retailers compete for younger consumers in an uncertain economy, Tapestry CFO and COO Scott Rowe says the key is winning Gen Z, investing in brand engagement, and using AI-driven insights to stay ahead of changing consumer behavior. 00:00 Why Coach Is Winning While Luxury Struggles 01:18 Tapestry's Competitive Advantage 02:09 Scott Rowe's Career Journey 03:42 Why He Left Manufacturing for Fashion 04:11 Why Global Experience Creates Better Leaders 05:35 Is Job Hopping Better Than Company Loyalty? 07:58 Why Scott Joined Tapestry 09:46 Balancing the Roles of CFO and COO 10:39 The "So What?" Test for Business Investments 11:37 Why Finance and Operations Work Better Together 12:41 What the Failed Capri Merger Taught Tapestry 14:33 Can Kate Spade Make a Comeback? 15:59 How Tapestry Is Navigating the K-Shaped Economy 17:27 Why Coach Keeps Winning 19:18 The Biggest Myth About Gen Z Consumers 20:38 How Tapestry Uses AI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In late 2022, Carvana was flirting with bankruptcy after its stock collapsed 99% in just 16 months. Now, the online used-car retailer is staging a stunning comeback, pouring billions into acquisitions, infrastructure, AI, and its signature car vending machines.  In this episode of Next to Lead, Fortune’s C-suite and Leadership editor Ruth Umoh sits down with Carvana strategy chief Christina Keiser to discuss what it will take to sustain that momentum and how it came back from the brink. 00:00 Intro 01:05 What is Carvana 04:49 Carvana’s online shopping business model 06:32 Christina’s rise to the C-suite 08:20 Christina’s strategy role at Carvana 10:56 Carvana’s vision 11:51 Christina’s vision 12:34 Managing Carvana’s stock crash 16:37 Looking back at Carvana’s crisis 19:00 Staying focused in leadership 21:27 Carvana’s inventory strategy 23:04 Balancing rising interest rates 25:28 Carvana’s ADESA auction acquisition 28:55 Carvana’s car vending machines 31:30 Carvana’s AI strategy 33:47 Christina’s best leadership advice 34:13 Christina’s advice for recovering from a career mistake 34:37 Christina’s personal car and outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gilead Sciences moves at a pace rarely seen in pharma, delivering breakthrough COVID-19 antivirals and HIV preventatives in record time. Yet, in an industry facing a massive trust deficit, speed isn’t always enough.  In this episode of Next to Lead, Johanna Mercier, Gilead’s Chief Commercial & Corporate Affairs Officer, joins Fortune’s Leadership Editor Ruth Umoh to discuss how the company is rewriting its narrative and balancing its patients with its shareholders. 00:00 Intro 01:05 Mercier’s role at Gilead 03:05 Work-life balance and managing energy 05:10 Mercier’s biology and business background 06:02 Personal motivation and prioritizing patients 08:10 Balancing profits with patients 09:04 Public trust 11:03 Resilience following failure 13:02 Drug pricing agreements with the federal government 14:33 Growth engines for Gilead 15:24 Gilead’s billion-dollar acquisition strategy 17:24 Gilead’s COVID-19 and SARS pivot 18:07 Gilead’s AI strategy 21:34 Responsible AI use 22:10 AI-powered predictive analytics 23:07 Mercier’s leadership strategy 24:24 Ending HIV 25:30 Rapid-fire questions 30:45 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adobe built the modern creative economy, but as AI reshapes how content is made, its legacy may be its biggest risk. With a leadership shakeup and rising competition, will Adobe stay indispensable or will they'll be left behind? In a moment of transformational change, Adobe President of Customer Experience, Anil Chakravarthy, says the challenge is moving as fast as AI-- without losing sight of what their creatives, marketing professionals and businesses want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Airbnb is evolving from a hotel alternative into a full-scale travel concierge. In this episode of Next to Lead, Airbnb CFO Ellie Mertz joins Fortune’s Ruth Umoh to discuss the company’s expansion into end-to-end travel services and "white space" opportunities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To close out a year of great conversations with c-suite talent who may very well be the CEOs of tomorrow, Ruth speaks with one of the most interesting CEOs of today, Red Lobster’s Damola Adamolekun. Damola was only 31 when he became CEO of P.F. Chang’s. Five years later, he was tapped to turn around Red Lobster after bankruptcy. He talks to Ruth about his perspective on leadership, how his time working in private equity sharpened his skillset, and how he makes high stakes decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2016, Philip Morris International announced a bold new mission: to deliver a “smoke-free future.” Its U.S. division—Philip Morris U.S.—is now leading that charge with a portfolio of smoke-free products, including the widely known nicotine pouch brand ZYN. Yet globally, Philip Morris International continues to sell cigarettes, fueling the very addiction it says it aims to eliminate. In this episode, Ruth Umoh sits down with Seth Kaufman, chief commercial officer of Philip Morris U.S., to discuss what success looks like for a company trying to move consumers away from cigarettes, the ethical tensions embedded in its business model, and whether a truly smoke-free future is possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does a company founded in 1908 survive the breakneck speed of the 21st century? For Shilpan Amin, General Motors’ global chief procurement and supply chain officer, the answer has been forged through crisis leadership and quiet reinvention over nearly three decades inside one of America’s auto giants. He joins Fortune’s Ruth Umoh to reflect on how mentorship accelerated his career, what it takes to move with speed inside a massive organization, and why supply chain risk is one of the few things that still keeps him up at night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

BNY’s Chief Commercial Officer, Cathinka Wahlstrom, joins Fortune’s Ruth Umoh to unpack how a centuries old institution is transforming itself for the next era of finance. Drawing on her nearly three decades at Accenture and her time at Alight, she explains how client obsession and following her gut has shaped her career.  She discusses why today’s leaders have to be comfortable “living in paradox,” how BNY is adopting AI, and how it's balancing tradition and innovation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From consoles to cloud, Xbox is reinventing itself for an era where players can game anywhere. Xbox president Sarah Bond sits down with Fortune to discuss the company’s sweeping transformation, her approach to leadership and innovation, and how she plays to redefine the future of gaming. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As President of Winfield United and SVP at Land O’Lakes, Leah Anderson has a front-row seat to the challenges and opportunities shaping American agriculture. In conversation with Fortune’s Ruth Umoh, she discusses the macroeconomic headwinds facing farmers, how AI can strengthen the workforce, and the path that led her to the C-suite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of widespread layoffs, UPS is undergoing one of the largest transformations in its nearly 120-year history. Chief commercial officer Matt Guffey explains how a leaner operating model and a sharper focus on healthcare, small and midsized businesses, and international markets are positioning the company for its next era of profitable growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Rob Thomas has spent more than two decades at IBM, rising from consultant to SVP of software and chief commercial officer. In this conversation, he explains why real innovation starts close to the customer, why reading is a core leadership habit, and how IBM is shifting from “lightbulb” AI experiments to business-changing “motor” outcomes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grindr calls itself “the global gayborhood in your pocket,” and since going public in 2022, the dating app for gay men has steadily expanded its reach. Behind that leap to the public markets was CFO Vanna Krantz, who previously helped launch Disney+. She joins Ruth to reflect on being a self-described late bloomer, the joy of working with teams deeply invested in their work, and what’s next for her career. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Resy’s CMO Hannah Kelly reflects on the brand’s journey from AmEx acquisition to post-pandemic reinvention—and how data and storytelling are guiding its next chapter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julia White has made her mark across the tech landscape. For almost two decades she rose through the ranks at Microsoft becoming Corporate Vice President. She left to be the Chief Marketing & Solutions Officer at SAP. Now, almost a year into her tenure as Chief Marketing Officer for Amazon Web Services, Julia joins Ruth to talk about why she’s “addicted to tech,” what values leaders need to succeed today, and how human creativity will become key in an AI-driven marketing world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jon Blotner, president and chief commercial officer of Wayfair, credits his climb to the C-suite to a simple formula: pursue the hardest problems, demand real ownership, and work alongside smart, humble peers. That philosophy now drives Wayfair’s next phase of growth. In 2020, when homebound consumers rushed to redecorate, the company posted its first profit after years of losses, with second-quarter revenue soaring 84% to $4.2 billion and the stock price tripling. As the world reopened, however, Wayfair weathered three straight years of net losses before delivering, in 2025, its strongest revenue growth and profitability since 2021. Blotner intends to extend that rebound by accelerating a push into physical retail, rolling out large-format stores, and expanding specialty brands. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aneri Jambusaria has spent her career in wealth management, inspired by immigrant parents who viewed financial planning as security for underserved families. Now leading wealth management at LPL Financial, a firm with $2 trillion in assets and serving seven million Americans, she credits her C-suite rise to a mindset shift from scarcity to abundance and a stronger appetite for risk. Jambusaria calls this the most exciting era yet, as investing once reserved for the ultra-wealthy becomes accessible to everyone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ServiceNow CFO Gina Mastantuono grew up determined never to rely on anyone. Her first career move was cautious after a friend told her accounting was “recession proof.” A series of smart and calculated leaps turned that safe start into a rapid climb. Today Mastantuono is paid to take big swings and deliver results. Under her financial leadership ServiceNow entered the Fortune 500 in 2023 and has remained on the list ever since. For the first episode of Next to Lead Fortune executive editor Ruth Umoh explores how Mastantuono built a career that spans industries and continents from auditing at Ernst & Young to CFO roles at tech giant Ingram Micro and now ServiceNow. She explains how to recognize the right moment to switch industries, why technical expertise remains critical in the C-suite, and what rising leaders should know about seizing their next big opportunity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices