#91 Life After Being a Successful CEO w/ Beatrice Lafon, Former CEO of Claire’s

Beatrice Lafon is a top retail troubleshooter, having been CEO of Claire’s Accessories, NED of SuperDry, a board member of Pizza Express and many more powerful retail brands. She is here to tell you about the life and sacrifices of a successful CEO and how to become one. Whether you’re a seasoned CEO or even an aspiring one, and are interested in gaining insights into the world of retail, the hard choices you make as a CEO and how to live with them, or just want to reflect on your own leadership journey, then this episode is a must-watch. Timestamps: 00:00 - Trailer 02:52 - Joining Marks & Spencers 08:51 - Deciding to Go Down the Business Route 15:56 - Moving From a Big Business to a Small One 18:54 - The Hardest Thing About Working With Private Equity 22:14 - What Beatrice Was Most Proud of in Her Role at Claire’s 25:00 - The Retail Business Then vs. Now 29:54 - What the Younger and Older Generation Take for Granted 33:57 - What is Required Now to be a CEO? 37:06 - Why the Ability to Listen is the Best Quality a Leader Can Have 44:07 - Why Beatrice Stepped Down as Claire’s CEO 49:12 - Have You Sacrificed Your Personal Life as a CEO? 51:16 - Advice For Your Younger Self 53:43 - Making Mistakes 55:41 - Planning for the Unexpected: Death and Divorce 01:02:31 - Defining Success and Failure 01:06:45 - Sports and Leadership 01:12:04 - Why Life Doesn’t Have to be Hard 01:18:04 - The Best Piece of Business Advice You’ve Been Given With 40 years of experience in retail, spanning from executive roles in blue chip companies like M&S and J Sainsbury's to leading turnaround efforts for PE-backed businesses such as Claire’s and Kondor, Beatrice is a seasoned expert in financial restructuring and operational leadership. She’s currently serving on multiple boards and driving restructuring efforts for companies like Pizza Express Group PLC. Beatrice Lafon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/doctorbeatricelafon/ Maria Hvorostovsky: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariahvo/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mycareerwithmaria/?img_index=1 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@maria_hvo X: https://twitter.com/mhvorostovsky HVO Search: https://www.hvosearch.com Podcast filmed, edited and produced by: https://www.londonbeautyphotographer.com Need help HIRING – http://www.hirewithmaria.com SUBSCRIBE, COMMENT AND GIVE IT THE THUMBS UP LEAVE A REVIEW: If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts make sure to Follow, Rate, and leave a REVIEW.