Thomas Leysen, Chairman of Umicore, Mediahuis & Royal DSM

Leif Johansson initially wanted to be a rock guitarist. That ambition morphed into wanting to become a professor of physics. But somewhere along the way, he was drawn into business and found an endless avenue for his curiosity.

He turned out to be quite good at business too, taking on his first leadership role at Husqvarna Motorcycles, at the age of 27. Over the decades that followed he led companies making furniture (FACIT), household appliances (Electrolux), buses, construction vehicles & trucks (Volvo), phones (Ericsson) and pharma (AstraZeneca). Along the way, he even made time to be the Chair of ERT from 2009 to 2014.

Over the course of a wide-ranging conversation, we discuss his early life, how he embarked on his career and some of the most difficult decisions he had to make. He also shares his thoughts on entrepreneurship, the challenges and joys of switching sectors, the most effective ways to introduce change in companies and the unavoidable test of work-life balance. 

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Episode 14 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Interview recorded by Jakob Herrmann.  Production by Shalini van den Langenbergh at Uitgesproken. Editing & mixing by Jordan Hudson at House of Media. Special thanks to Wouter Van Driessche. 

© ERT

 As ERT prepares to launch a new publication about innovation, we thought it could be interesting to do an episode where we discuss that very subject. So, we brought together a leader of one of Europe’s most significant industrial companies - Dr Martin Brudermüller, CEO of BASF SE - and a top drawer academic and deep tech investment expert - Dr Lars Frolund of M.I.T. and the European Innovation Council.  Over the course of this episode, we discuss why innovation matters, how Europe is faring in the global innovation race and try to find out how different the views of business and academia are on this important topic.  We also try to work out what can be done to help innovation in Europe deliver more.

Episode 13 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Interview recorded in Ludwigshafen by Matthias Stroh.  Production by  Shalini  van den Langenbergh at Uitgesproken. Editing & mixing by Jordan Hudson at House of Media. Special thanks to Wouter Van Driessche. 

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We talk with Hilde Aasheim Merete, the President and CEO of Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian aluminium and energy company, with operations worldwide.  

She talks about how her first summer job in a bakery put her on the path to working in business, the career moves that followed – at some inopportune moments – and the opportunities and challenges she has faced on her way to the top of Norsk Hydro and indeed, in that role.

Episode 12 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Interview recorded in Brussels by Ian Clement.  Production by Janne Joris,  Shalini  van den Langenbergh at Uitgesproken and Stijn Vandeputte  at House of Media. Editing & mixing by Xavier De Clercq & Jordan Hudson at House of Media. Special thanks to Wouter Van Driessche. 

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In this episode, we talk with someone is leading the transformation of one of the most recognised car companies in the world: Ola Källenius, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz Group. He has spent his entire career working in various depts of the legendary car company, culminating in his appointment to the top role in 2019 – the first non-German national to lead the company.

Over the course of our conversation, he talks openly about his early life in Sweden, his rise through Mercedes-Benz, those early months when he first became CEO and the extraordinary systemic change that the automotive industry is undergoing. 

Episode 11 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Interview recorded in Stuttgart by Sebastian Specht.  Production by Janne Joris,  Shalini  van den Langenbergh at Uitgesproken and Stijn Vandeputte  at House of Media. Editing & mixing by Xavier De Clercq & Jordan Hudson at House of Media. Special thanks to Wouter Van Driessche. 

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In this latest episode,  we talk with Sir Jonathan Symonds, the Chairman of GSK. A maven of the bridge between life sciences and finance, he spoke with us about his upbringing in the UK, his first career track in accountancy & consulting, the cultural lessons he learned working on mergers such as the one that brought Astra and Zeneca together and the challenges & joys of changing career direction numerous times. It's an episode rich in inspiration and wisdom - enjoy!

Episode 10 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Sounds Recording by David Crane. Audio Production by Janne Joris,  Shalini van den Langenbergh at Uitgesproken and Stijn Vandeputte at House of Media. Editing and mixing by Stef Lenaerts at House of Media. Special thanks to Wouter van Driessche.

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We kick off Season 2 with Jean-Paul Agon, long-standing Member of ERT and French business leader synonymous with one of France’s best known worldwide consumer brands: L’Oréal.

We talk about beginnings, perceptions of beauty, crises, corporate strategy and the challenge of succeeding a legend. 

Episode 9 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Audio Production by Tessa Torrekens at Uitgesproken and Stijn Vandeputte.  Audio Recording by Samar Grewal.  Editing & mixing by Benjamin Hertoghs at House of Media.  Music by Tom Soetaert.  Special Thanks to Wouter Van Driessche at Uitsgesproken.

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Belgian industrialist Thomas Leysen tells us about his upbringing and early interest in business, media and environmental issues. As the chairman of businesses in a range of different sectors, we also hear about the strategic decisions that informed Union Miniere’s transformation into Umicore, the expansion of Mediahuis into a significant player in the European news media sector and his experience overseeing the board of the Dutch multinational Royal DSM. He also shares his views on the European project and his golden rule for managing his time.

Episode 8 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Audio Production by Laure Balcaen and Tessa  Torrekens at Uitgesproken. Mixing & Editing by Benjamin Hertoghs at House of Media.  Music by Tom Soetaert. Special Thanks to Wouter Van Driessche at Uitsgesproken.

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Paulo Azevedo tells us about growing up in Portugal and England and the various stages of his ascent to the role of Chairman of the Portuguese conglomerate, Sonae Group.
 
We talk about what drives his belief in people and why reskilling and lifelong learning matter so much to him. He also explains how he researches new interests every few years, his fascination with biodiversity and reveals what he is planning to learn next.

Episode 7 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Audio Production, Mixing & Editing by Stijn Vandeputte, Laure Balcaen and Benjamin Hertoghs at House of Media.  Music by Tom Soetaert. Special Thanks to Wouter Van Driessche and Andy Furniere at Uitgesproken.

© ERT

Alessandro Profumo talks about his teenage passion for basketball, his early start in banking, his time in consulting and more recent move into aviation and security, as the CEO of the Italian company, Leonardo.
 
 We also discuss the pressure on aviation in a time of green transition and nascent post-COVID recovery; the promising opportunities presented by the era of big data; his view on intensifying security threats and why leaders need people with soft skills.

Episode 6 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Audio Production, Mixing & Editing by Stijn Vandeputte, Laure Balcaen and Tom Giles at House of Media. The Sound Recordist in Rome was Nicolo Temperini.  Music by Tom Soetaert. Special Thanks to Wouter Van Driessche and Andy Furniere at Uitgesproken.

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Nancy McKinstry talks about her childhood in rural Connecticut, her path from consulting into the world of publishing and the strategy she put in place at the 185 year old company Wolters Kluwers to transform it into the leading information services company it is today.

She also shares her thoughts on the importance of resilience, lifelong learning and why she has become an advocate of quotas to advance diversity in the workplace.

Episode 5 – Show Notes

21st Century Industrialists is produced by ERT and presented by Robert O'Meara. Audio Production, Mixing & Editing by Stijn Vandeputte, Laure Balcaen and Tom Giles at House of Media. The Sound Recordist in the US was Jeb Enoch.  Music by Tom Soetaert. Special Thanks to Wouter Van Driessche and Andy Furniere at Uitgesproken.

© ERT