“We were so scared of our IPO”: Leaders Unplugged with former On-CEO Marc Maurer

Marc Maurer didn’t build ON by playing it safe. In this live conversation with IMD’s Alyson Meister, the outgoing Co-CEO explains why betting on purpose, rejecting hype, and ignoring the industry playbook paid off:1. Culture over hype. “We’re actually the anti-metaverse.” ON doubled down on real-life movement instead of pixels, and built a brand with soul.2. Purpose-driven growth. “Why do we need to grow 28%? Why not 20%? Who tells you it should be 28?” Maurer insists that growth must serve the purpose, not the markets.3. Hire outsiders, build insiders. “For the first 10 years or so, it was forbidden to hire from a competitor.” ON’s originality? No legacy thinking, just bold innovation.With insights on sustainability, Gen Z expectations, and life after ON, this episode – recorded live at IMD’s flagship event Orchestrating Winning Performance (OWP) – is a masterclass in leadership.