Strategy Thinkers

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi and the Discipline of Brand Stretch with Stefano Saporetti

In this episode of Strategy Thinkers, I sat down with Stefano Saporetti, a leader in Modern Brand Licensing, Director of Brand Diversification at Aston Martin Lagonda and formerly Head of Licensing and Brand Operations at Ferrari. We went deep on the strategic thinking behind Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, the first Ferrari branded theme park.At the time, Ferrari was producing roughly 7,000 cars a year, doing very little traditional marketing, and relying primarily on product excellence. Opening a theme park in a new region was an unconventional move.Stefano shares how the team framed the strategic rationale, worked through internal resistance, and designed a model that protected brand equity while building long-term presence in a new region.If you look at the project today, it is still working. People continue to visit, and the brand is even better understood thanks to richer content and experiential storytelling, which resonates strongly with younger generations.A few ideas from our conversation that will resonate with senior leaders:☑️ Brand extension only works when it strengthens the core, not when it distracts from it☑️ Experience has become a central currency of luxury☑️ In a heritage business, credibility is earned through rigour and risk design☑️ Sometimes the most practical move is to license the execution while owning the meaningChapters:00:00 - Intro - Stephano’s career across sport and luxury brands01:34 - The Context & Problem - Why Ferrari needed a new brand experience in the Middle East05:17 - Strategic Rationale & Business Case - Building legacy and desire through experiential luxury08:49 - Constraints & Execution Approach - Winning internal buy-in and de-risking via licensing12:36 - Delivery & Outcomes - Designing the park experience and strengthening brand equity15:25 - Strategic Thinking Lessons - Innovate first, then work within constraints

Why Capabilities Deliver a Compelling Value Story with Jon Waters, Global Workforce Solutions and Commercial Leader

In this episode of the Strategy Thinkers Podcast, I speak with Jon Waters. Jon is a solutions, business development and commercial leader in workforce/B2B enterprise services. He has spent nearly twenty years helping public and private organisations blend people, process and technology so they have the right resource in the right place at the right time, at the right cost. In his capacity as a strategic business leader for workforce solutions providers, we spoke about what happens when an organisation emerges from a period of intense demand and delivery and has to decide what comes next. Not in theory, but in practice, with real constraints, real people and real accountability.  Jon shared how a five-year plan was built to reconnect ambition, capability and execution, while staying adaptable in a changing environment. Our discussion explores:  ☑️ Strategy starts by clarifying what the organisation is truly capable of  ☑️ Plans work when they create options, not rigid commitments  ☑️ Capabilities help people understand both where to focus and where to stop  ☑️ Execution improves when people can see themselves in the story If you lead strategy, commercial or workforce transformation, this episode offers a practical lens on planning under uncertainty.

Good Strategy Starts by Asking “Why?” with Rich Cashin, CFO at AVON Technologies plc

In this episode of Strategy Thinkers, I am joined by Rich Cashin, Chief Financial Officer at AVON Technologies plc and former President - Strategy and Business Development at Ultra Electronics.Rich’s career spans Rolls-Royce, UBS Global Asset Management, Meggitt, and Ultra. He brings a rare combination of investor discipline, operational pragmatism, and strategic judgement.In our conversation, we focus on a real case from Rich’s time at Ultra Electronics. Despite being a high-technology business with a strong market position, growth had become stagnant. The turning point came when Rich and the team challenged the “rules” people had absorbed as fact.You’ll learn:☑️ How “folklore” forms inside organisations and how it quietly narrows strategy☑️ The shift from capex dependence to models that support recurring revenue☑️ Why empowerment is a strategic lever, not a cultural slogan☑️ How questions can become the most powerful strategic toolThis episode is a masterclass in what happens when leaders replace inherited assumptions with open dialogue and disciplined action.

Building strategic momentum with Dan Figueiredo, Director Global Technology Strategy at Microsoft

How do you keep strategy relevant when the world moves faster than your plan? I put that question to Dan Figueiredo, Director, Global Technology Strategy at Microsoft. Dan has spent more than twenty years at the intersection of business and technology, guiding partners and enterprises through AI-enabled transformation while keeping people, outcomes and capability at the centre. We spoke about what it means to build strategy around outcomes, how to sustain direction without over-fixating on targets, and why true change depends on people, not platforms. Key lessons from our discussion: ☑️ Treating technology as capability blocks and keeping outcomes in charge ☑️ Using a North Star and quick wins to build confidence and momentum ☑️ Converting AI hype into operating value through skills and process ☑️ Creating real partnership language and dealing with resistance constructively For senior leaders driving transformation, scale or technology-enabled growth, this discussion brings strategy back to outcomes — and to the people who make them real.

Owning the Strategy, Not the Slide Deck with Jonathan Chocqueel-Mangan, CSTO at BSI

What does it take to make strategy work inside large incumbents under digital threat? In this episode, I speak with Jonathan Chocqueel-Mangan, Chief Strategy & Transformation Officer at BSI and former CSO at Pearson and Kantar. Jonathan bridges the worlds of engineering, consulting and academia and brings rare depth to the question of how strategy becomes a capability, and not just a document. We spoke about how incumbents can stay adaptive and how to make strategy truly inclusive and emergent, You’ll hear how he: ☑️ Builds strategy as a capability across hundreds of leaders through large-scale scenario planning ☑️ Turns strategic ownership from the “few” to the “many,” creating curiosity and engagement across the organisation ☑️ Aligns strategy, change and innovation so that plans, budgets and people move together ☑️ Measures success not by delivering a plan, but by building organisations that learn and adapt For senior leaders working on transformation, digital adaptation or inclusive strategy, this is a conversation worth your time!