The Art and Science of CEO Leadership: Chris de Bruin on Transformation

This week I am joined by Chris de Bruin, CEO at Acenda, the large Australian life business. Chris is a serial CEO, having transformed a number of businesses. He's very much a strategic thinker and problem solver. Among his key messages is the fact that deep thoughtfulness is required by all CEOs to judge timing, what to change, what not to change, how to develop as a master of influence and successfully manage multiple stakeholders.  If you think it's about control, forget it. Get the right talent on the bus and the wrong people off the bus. Decide quickly, don't wait. Then implement your plan fully and do so always with dignity. KEY TAKEAWAYS The CEO is a "final assembler" of vision, not the holder of hierarchical power. Treating the role as a craft of influence rather than a title of control enables the CEO to take successfully take everyone on a shared journey of transformation. CEOs must establish a brutal honesty about the numbers, or they will map a journey from a starting point that doesn't exist. Acting quickly on weak leadership or toxic personalities provides the economic resources needed for 'empathetic exits,' ensuring that those who leave are treated with the care they deserve while the remaining team focuses on the road ahead" BEST MOMENTS "If you think it's about control, forget it." "Decide quickly, don't wait. Then implement planfully and always with dignity." "Using digital as a disruption vector is not a strategy, it's just one part." ABOUT THE GUEST Chris J de Bruin is a global transformational leader with over 25 years of experience at the intersection of financial services and technology. As Group CEO of Acenda, he leads a premier life insurance and retirement platform uniting the heritage of MLC Life Insurance and Resolution Life Australasia. Prior to this, Chris was Chief Executive of Consumer & Business Banking at Westpac, where he spearheaded the group’s multi-billion-dollar digital transformation. His career spans leadership roles at Standard Chartered, where he co-founded Africa’s first digital bank. He guided development of industry leading solutions at Zafin and Deem Finance and a former McKinsey Associate Principal. He is a specialist in driving "step-change" economics through radical digitization and customer-centric innovation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisjdebruin PODCAST DESCRIPTION If you're a CEO, Chairman or investor this is a destination podcast for you.   At some time, all companies get out of step with their consumers, fall behind the competition, or lose their top talent –  or all three.   The financial fallout can be severe.    The Transformer CEO podcast meets global leaders who have taken on the brief to transform their company from ugly duckling to swan.  It explores their corporate and personal journey, their leadership values, their challenges, and successes along with their mis-steps and learnings.   It inspires those about to start, re-assures those already underway and offers a benchmark for those who feel they have concluded. If you want to know what it takes to succeed in tough environments, you'll not want to miss Transformer CEOs. HOST BIO Erik is described by CEO and Chairmen as "exceptional", "undoubtedly one of the top global HR leaders" and "a strong strategic thinker and amazing change leader".  After 35 years working with some of the most successful companies on the planet including Diageo, GE, LEGO, HSBC, and Pandora, he focuses in the podcast on sharing the unique character of corporate leaders who take on some of the biggest challenges and win.   This is also a critical topic in his consulting work where he partners with CEO’s, Chairmen and Investors as Founder & Managing Director of Erik Schmidt Consulting & Advisory (erikschmidt.co.uk) to help companies achieve out-performance. https://www.erikschmidt.co.uk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/schmidt-erik/