In today’s rapidly changing world, the ability for an organization to adapt and transform is critical. But while nearly 75% of leaders believe that their organization risks going out of business without fundamental transformation in the next decade, only 29% say that their organization has been very or extremely successful in its transformation efforts.

In today’s Redefiners, Schneider Electric Chairman Jean-Pascal Tricoire joins Russell Reynolds Associates CEO Constantine Alexandrakis and leadership advisor Marla Oates to talk about why and how he led an audacious transformation of the company to become a global technology leader in software, sustainability, digitization, and electrification. Jean-Pascal talks about how he got the board, executive leaders, and team aligned around this new sense of transformational urgency and the first steps he took in the process. He shares why he built a leadership team designed for tension and friction to drive better decision-making, and how he got things back on track if something didn’t go according to plan. And he shares how he maintained his own vision and energy throughout the 20-year transformation process.

We’ll also hear from Sean Dineen, leadership advisor at Russell Reynolds Associates, who shares why organizations can struggle to make change stick—even when the need to transform is clear.

Four things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. What it means to be a Catalyst CEO to recognize transformation opportunities while aligning your board, leadership team, and people around the urgency
2. How to use “micro-movements” and storytelling to create transformation at scale
3. How to create productive tension and friction on a leadership team for better decision-making
4. The differences of driving transformation as a board member versus a CEO

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:

• Talking Transformational Leadership with RRA’s CEO Constantine Alexandrakis
• Leadership Lounge: From Firefighting to Future-Building: How Leaders Can Master Perpetual Transformation
• The Eight Moves to Rewrite Your Leadership Playbook with Former IG Group CEO June Yee Felix
• Leadership Lounge: How to Create and Maintain Impact as a Leader
• Driving Transformation with Volvo Cars President and CEO Jim Rowan
• Leadership Lounge: Beyond Handshakes: How to Build Trust and Transform Executive Team Performance

A closer look at the research from this episode:

• The Catalyst CEO: Why CEOs Can’t Lead Transformation Alone—And What the Best Do Instead
• Why Organizational Inertia Is Killing Your Transformation—And What to Do About It
• Transformational Leadership Study

When a CEO steps into the role, the focus is often on the first 100 days. But preparation should begin much earlier. The weeks—and sometimes months—between accepting the offer and officially starting provides a valuable opportunity to build (or evolve) relationships, reflect on the leader you want to be, and put the right support around you.

So, how can first-time CEOs use the period before day one to lay the groundwork for a strong start?

In this episode of Leadership Lounge, Emma Combe is joined by leadership advisors Ty Wiggins, Shannon Knott, and Marie-Osmonde Le Roy de Lanauze-Molines to explore how first-time CEOs can make the most of the transition period between accepting the role and officially starting.

They discuss:

• Why the transition period looks different for internal and external CEO appointments
• What new CEOs should prioritize before day one.
• How first-time CEOs can prepare themselves personally for the demands of the role
• Why thinking about impact, legacy, and support systems shouldn’t wait until after you start

“Every CEO transition introduces change, and every change is experienced through people.”

— Shannon Knott

Leadership Advisor, Russell Reynolds

Four things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Why external CEOs should be wary of early assumptions: Board papers, interviews, and conversations can tell you a lot about an organization, but they cannot give you a complete picture of its culture, ways of working, or leadership team. External CEOs need to remain open-minded and be prepared to test their early impressions once they are in the role.
2. Which relationships matter early on: Use the transition period to establish a strong working relationship with the chair, listen to individual board members, and understand the perspectives of other influential leaders.
3. How your leadership may need to evolve: The appointment process can offer valuable insight into your strengths, blind spots, and development areas. Use that feedback to consider how your leadership needs to evolve as you step into the CEO role.
4. What will help you sustain performance: The CEO role can be more isolating and demanding than first-time CEOs expect. Establishing a trusted group of advisors and routines that help you reflect and recharge can help you sustain your performance once the job begins.

In this episode, we discuss:

[01.55] Why internally promoted CEOs have a “golden hour” before their appointment is announced—and how to make the most of it

[03.38] Why external CEOs can do all the right research and still struggle to understand how an organization really operates before joining

[06.13] What newly appointed CEOs should learn from the chair and individual board members before they formally start

[10.02] How to use feedback from the CEO appointment process to identify the strengths and blind spots that could shape your tenure

[11.16] Why thinking about your legacy before day one can help clarify the impact you want to have as CEO

[14.32] Why first-time CEOs should build a “trusted cabinet” and establish routines that help them sustain their performance before they need them

With around 2 billion people globally in Gen Z—roughly 25% of the world’s population—it’s no surprise so many consumer companies are racing to connect with them, drawn to their spending influence today and their growing economic power tomorrow. Yet capturing their loyalty is anything but straightforward.

In today’s Redefiners episode, Tomas and Marla talk with a leader in youth fashion, Pacsun CEO Brieane Olson, who seems to have cracked the code on Gen Z and even wrote a book on it: Co-Created: The Cultural Strategy That Redefined Pacsun. Brieane shares how she helped lead Pacsun's turnaround after bankruptcy, the leadership lessons that shaped her early days as CEO, and how she shifted the culture from "brand telling" to "customer listening" and co-creation. She also covers how Pacsun is using AI to deepen customer relationships and drive sales, along with her playbook for building authentic partnerships that resonate.

We’ll also hear from Emmy Melville, a leadership advisor at Russell Reynolds Associates, who shares how today’s leadership teams can sustain performance when change never stops.

Four things you’ll learn from this episode:

1. Tips on stepping into the CEO role
2. How to go from “brand telling” to customer listening
3. Insights on developing authentic brand partnerships
4. Ideas on how to use AI to deepen customer connections

If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes:

• Paws, Purpose & Profit: A Conversation with Pets at Home CEO Lyssa McGowan
• Leadership Lounge: Why Decision-Making Is Becoming Harder for C-Suite Leaders—and How You Can Overcome It
• Music with a Mission: Former MTV International Chairman and CEO Bill Roedy on Leading with Purpose
• Leadership Lounge: How to Create and Maintain Impact as a Leader
• Outwork the Competition: Jordan Brand’s Winning Strategy with President Sarah Mensah
• Leadership Lounge: Generation Collaboration: How Leaders Can Harness the Power of Multi-Generational Teams

A closer look at the research from this episode:

• What Are The Top Surprises New CEOs Experience?
• The Three Conditions That Matter Most for Transformation
• Team Regeneration: How Leadership Teams Sustain Performance When Change Never Stops