The Engineering Mindset of a CEO: MC Gasco-Buisson's Journey to CEO of Unilever Prestige

This week, I'm excited to introduce you to MC Gasco Busson, CEO of Unilever Prestige. Things that really stood out to me are her incredible engineering mindset and systemic thinking that she brings to everything that she does. She describes the set of paradoxes that all transformer CEOs face, and she confirms that for any transformation to be successful, the people and organisation in your company needs to be 100% match fit. In addition to transformer CEOs, I run my own successful advisory and consulting company, working with CEOs, Chairman and investors to deliver successful business transformations. I hope you enjoy what you're going to see and hear from MC. I certainly find her energy inspiring. KEY TAKEAWAYS Transformational CEOs don’t run steady state; they actively seek inflection points - turnarounds, accelerations, and realignments. Leaders who start with brutal diagnosis and re‑anchoring avoid wasting years on expedient fixes that don’t move market share. When teams share a meaningful “why” for the change e.g. getting a beloved brand’s “mojo” back - they endure pain, setbacks, and ambiguity in ways that pure incentives never unlock. BEST MOMENTS “There is a difference between modulating your style and changing who you are.” "Every transformation is more about people than about anything else." "I think transformational CEOs have to be masters of paradox." ABOUT THE GUEST Mary Carmen (MC) Gasco-Buisson is a global transformational leader with over 25 years of experience building iconic consumer brands across six countries. As CEO of Unilever Prestige, she steers a €1.6bn portfolio of high-growth beauty brands, including skincare, haircare, and cosmetics. Prior to Unilever, MC was CMO and EVP at Pandora, where she orchestrated the brand’s evolution into a culturally resonant jewellery house, driving double-digit growth and record share price performance. With a 20-year foundation at P&G across ventures and innovation, MC is a specialist in blending engineering discipline with creative "magic" to scale global businesses. 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/ This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/