You’ve lived and worked in 6 countries and managed teams across more than 15. How has this multicultural journey shaped your leadership style, and what lessons have you carried into leading truly global organizations?
Actually, I’ve moved 22 times in my life—which is a great way to keep your cellar empty (except for the wine!). More seriously, my real immersion into multicultural environments began at INSEAD in 1996, and it completely shaped how I approach leadership. Working with people from so many cultures has been both enriching and humbling. You quickly realize that there isn’t just one way to solve a problem—perspectives differ widely, and that diversity sparks incredibly creative solutions. Over time, I’ve learned that leading global teams is less about imposing a model and more about creating the space for those differences to collaborate, complement, and inspire each other.
Your career spans consulting, C-level executive roles, and leadership in industries from energy to technology. Looking back, how did your time in consulting prepare you to navigate such diverse sectors?
Nothing too surprising here, I guess. Consulting taught me how to structure issues, solve problems, and communicate complex topics clearly and concisely. More importantly, it trained me to focus on what truly matters—a skill that is essential as a CEO. You learn that success often comes down to doing a few critical things exceptionally well—and one of those is choosing the right people. As a board member, that same foundation helps me guide CEOs by asking the right questions, challenging assumptions, and supporting their thinking process—almost in a Socratic way. Based on my past career successes, I am very grateful to BCG and what I’ve learned during my consulting time.
Working with people from so many cultures has been both enriching and humbling. You quickly realize that there isn’t just one way to solve a problem—perspectives differ widely, and that diversity sparks incredibly creative solutions.”
Your expertise spans sustainability and renewables. How do you see the role of business leaders—and BCG alumni in particular—in driving the energy transition and shaping sustainable industries?
Let’s face it. The technologies needed to solve the climate challenge have existed for years and continue to improve. What’s really changed over the past decade is the mindset. Sustainability has evolved from being a “nice to have” or side topic to a true strategic priority for most corporations, where financial performance and sustainability are no longer seen as opposites. As a data point, between 2022 and 2023, the number of companies that had 2030 decarbonization goals doubled to nearly 4,200 corporations.
The next challenge is accelerating the pace of change—and that comes down to better resource allocation and improving policies. We’ve probably lost ten years already, but the opportunity now is to move decisively. Business leaders—and BCG alumni in particular—have both the knowledge and the responsibility to make this transition happen at scale.
You’ve led complex transformations involving M&A, divestments, and post-merger integrations. What do you see as the most overlooked factor in making these transitions successful across different cultural and organizational contexts?
Again, many learnings from my time at BCG! Let me focus on one area: post-merger integration. Today, the diversity of business models has increased significantly, largely driven by AI and new technologies. That means the old “one-size-fits-all” PMI approach simply doesn’t work anymore. I’ve seen real value destruction when companies underestimate the business model dimension in their integration plans.
Sustainability has evolved from being a ‘nice to have’ or side topic to a true strategic priority for most corporations, where financial performance and sustainability are no longer seen as opposites.”
Reflecting on your global career, is there a defining challenge or breakthrough moment that most influenced how you approach leadership today?
I’ve had the opportunity to lead several turnarounds and strategic repositioning of global companies. One breakthrough moment for me was realizing that you can run a company—at least for a while—even after removing 60% of the management team. It was a powerful lesson in resilience and alignment. It reinforced that success in transformation always comes down to people—choosing and keeping the right ones to drive change while trusting the broader organization’s strength and commitment to keep the business running.
With your experience leading across 15 countries, what’s your best advice for CEOs on building inclusive, high-performing global teams?
If I had to give one piece of advice to CEOs, it would be to truly understand that their business is people. Everything else flows from that. And if I could add a second, it would be to protect time in their agendas for real thinking and reflection—on strategy, on culture, and on the medium to long term. In today’s fast-moving world, that reflective space is often the first thing to go—and yet it’s where the best decisions are made.
Success in transformation always comes down to people—choosing and keeping the right ones to drive change, while trusting the broader organization’s strength and commitment to keep the business running.”
With decades of cross-industry and cross-cultural leadership, what do you see as the defining qualities of CEOs who succeed in today’s volatile and complex global environment—and what advice would you share with other leaders navigating global teams today?
In a few words: 1) Keep learning every day—curiosity is a leader’s best ally; 2) be strategically stubborn but tactically agile—know where you’re going but stay flexible in how you get there; and 3) choose the right team—because no vision, no matter how strong, can succeed without the right people to bring it to life.
