Greg Creed, Former CEO, Yum! Brands; Director, Aramark, Delta Air Lines, and Whirlpool

In 2011, the American fast food brand Taco Bell faced an accusation that sent sales plummeting. According to a lawsuit that quickly went viral, the beef served at more than 5,600 Taco Bell restaurants in the U.S. wasn’t beef at all. The accusers deemed it was a mystery-meat recipe that the company was being deceptive about. At the center of it all was the company’s new CEO: 53-year-old Greg Creed, an Australian marketer who had made a name for himself at other fast-casual food brands such as Pizza Hut and KFC. In our conversation with Greg, he discusses how his decision to publicly fight the accusation was not just good business, but a battle to prove his own integrity. He offers his take on when to fight and when to fold, why today’s executives should be bolder, and how to win the right way.