CEO Moments of Truth

When Kate Johnson became CEO in 2022, Lumen was $20 billion in debt with a rapidly declining revenue base. In this conversation with Christoph Schweizer, she shares how a bold vision, investment in people, and AI innovation is driving a remarkable turnaround.

As tariffs, shifting climate regulations, and intensifying global competition reshaped the industry, Daimler Truck AG needed to adapt quickly. CEO Karin Rådström shares concrete examples of what worked and how leadership can mobilize an organization of more than 100,000 employees around simpler, faster, stronger ways of working.

From chocolate to salty snacks, Hershey’s Michele Buck explains why the company needed to challenge the status quo and diversify its snacking portfolio. Watch the video to find out how Buck led the company through this transformation.

The CEO of LATAM Airlines has built a stronger and bigger company after Chapter 11 bankruptcy. People-centric leadership was at the center of the turnaround. He shares his personal insights in this video with BCG’s Christoph Schweizer.

The Mahindra Group has seen its market capitalization increase twelvefold in just five years. In this episode of Moments of Truth, CEO Anish Shah explains how he has chosen to think big and lead with purpose.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian reflects on leading through crises, sharing how putting people first, communicating with honesty, and investing boldly in the future have guided him through 25+ years of change and challenge.

SAP CEO Christian Klein joins Christoph Schweizer to share how, despite market pushback, he boldly transformed SAP's business model to better serve its customers in a digital future.

Indorama CEO Aloke Lohia joins Christoph Schweizer to share how a tough decision—made despite short-term market impacts and potential risks—ensured his company's long-term success.

When technology is an unstoppable force, standing still isn’t an option. In this episode, the CEO and Chair of New York’s Nasdaq stock exchange talks about the risks of complacency. To keep up with advancing tech, Adena Friedman decided to shift the exchange’s market infrastructure technology to the cloud. Doing so meant changing the mindset of many team leaders and equipping them to confidently explain the technology to clients.

Appointing a leadership team is often one of the first challenges facing a CEO. And it’s important strategically, culturally, and operationally. In this episode of CEO Moments of Truth, Exelon’s Calvin Butler shares his thoughts about choosing the right people to help lead the firm through a period of intense change. This includes finding the people who will step up during tough times.

In 2022, EQT’s CEO Christian Sinding decided to push ahead with a significant acquisition in Asia that led to the private equity firm becoming a global leader. It was a career-defining moment for him, a moment which carried considerable risk as well as reward.

Carol B. Tomé was starting her tenure as CEO of UPS when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. At a time when almost every part of the business was disrupted, Tomé chose to focus first and foremost on culture. This approach included defining a purpose for the firm, to serve as a rallying cry for workers during that difficult time, as well as agreeing on behaviors and values among the leadership team. 

S&P Global provides data to power global markets. As Douglas Peterson prepares to stand down from his role as CEO, he spoke to BCG’s Christoph Schweizer about some of the defining moments of his career. One of those moments was the bold decision to acquire IHS Markit. And part of the success story was ensuring the right leadership abilities and capacity to manage the change that followed.

One of the hardest tasks for CEOs is future-proofing their business. Jean-Pascal Tricoire was CEO of Schneider Electric for 17 years. Shortly after his tenure began, he chose to kick-start the company’s transformation through the acquisition of one of the most disruptive firms in the sector. It turned into an uphill battle, with some investors and employees seeing the strategy as far-fetched and struggling to buy into the vision.