Red Lobster’s CEO says “organizations take on the personality of their leaders” | Next to Lead

How Carvana Survived a 99% Stock Collapse | Next to Lead

In late 2022, Carvana was flirting with bankruptcy after its stock collapsed 99% in just 16 months. Now, the online used-car retailer is staging a stunning comeback, pouring billions into acquisitions, infrastructure, AI, and its signature car vending machines.  In this episode of Next to Lead, Fortune’s C-suite and Leadership editor Ruth Umoh sits down with Carvana strategy chief Christina Keiser to discuss what it will take to sustain that momentum and how it came back from the brink. 00:00 Intro 01:05 What is Carvana 04:49 Carvana’s online shopping business model 06:32 Christina’s rise to the C-suite 08:20 Christina’s strategy role at Carvana 10:56 Carvana’s vision 11:51 Christina’s vision 12:34 Managing Carvana’s stock crash 16:37 Looking back at Carvana’s crisis 19:00 Staying focused in leadership 21:27 Carvana’s inventory strategy 23:04 Balancing rising interest rates 25:28 Carvana’s ADESA auction acquisition 28:55 Carvana’s car vending machines 31:30 Carvana’s AI strategy 33:47 Christina’s best leadership advice 34:13 Christina’s advice for recovering from a career mistake 34:37 Christina’s personal car and outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Big Pharma's Trust Gap? How Gilead Is Rewriting the Narrative | Next to Lead

Gilead Sciences moves at a pace rarely seen in pharma, delivering breakthrough COVID-19 antivirals and HIV preventatives in record time. Yet, in an industry facing a massive trust deficit, speed isn’t always enough.  In this episode of Next to Lead, Johanna Mercier, Gilead’s Chief Commercial & Corporate Affairs Officer, joins Fortune’s Leadership Editor Ruth Umoh to discuss how the company is rewriting its narrative and balancing its patients with its shareholders. 00:00 Intro 01:05 Mercier’s role at Gilead 03:05 Work-life balance and managing energy 05:10 Mercier’s biology and business background 06:02 Personal motivation and prioritizing patients 08:10 Balancing profits with patients 09:04 Public trust 11:03 Resilience following failure 13:02 Drug pricing agreements with the federal government 14:33 Growth engines for Gilead 15:24 Gilead’s billion-dollar acquisition strategy 17:24 Gilead’s COVID-19 and SARS pivot 18:07 Gilead’s AI strategy 21:34 Responsible AI use 22:10 AI-powered predictive analytics 23:07 Mercier’s leadership strategy 24:24 Ending HIV 25:30 Rapid-fire questions 30:45 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Can Adobe Survive the AI Era It Helped Shape? | Next to Lead

Adobe built the modern creative economy, but as AI reshapes how content is made, its legacy may be its biggest risk. With a leadership shakeup and rising competition, will Adobe stay indispensable or will they'll be left behind? In a moment of transformational change, Adobe President of Customer Experience, Anil Chakravarthy, says the challenge is moving as fast as AI-- without losing sight of what their creatives, marketing professionals and businesses want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Airbnb Is Building a Travel Platform, Not Just Rentals | Next to Lead

Airbnb is evolving from a hotel alternative into a full-scale travel concierge. In this episode of Next to Lead, Airbnb CFO Ellie Mertz joins Fortune’s Ruth Umoh to discuss the company’s expansion into end-to-end travel services and "white space" opportunities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Red Lobster’s CEO says “organizations take on the personality of their leaders” | Next to Lead

To close out a year of great conversations with c-suite talent who may very well be the CEOs of tomorrow, Ruth speaks with one of the most interesting CEOs of today, Red Lobster’s Damola Adamolekun. Damola was only 31 when he became CEO of P.F. Chang’s. Five years later, he was tapped to turn around Red Lobster after bankruptcy. He talks to Ruth about his perspective on leadership, how his time working in private equity sharpened his skillset, and how he makes high stakes decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]