Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick

‘Executive Decisions’ is a CNBC podcast offering a rare window into the minds of top decision-makers. Hosted by seasoned financial journalist Steve Sedgwick, each episode explores the pivotal choices that shape the careers and legacies of influential business leaders and policymakers. Through candid conversations about risk, doubt and conviction, the series reminds us that even the most powerful face uncertainty and trade-offs. The first season of 'Executive Decisions’ will launch on November 11th.

Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 30 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick, a business show with 30 episodes published.

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  Episode #4

  You Can’t Engineer the Timing: Ron O’Hanley

  Sep 28, 202631 minS4

  Ron O’Hanley was on track for a successful career at McKinsey when Mellon Bank offered him the chance to leave consulting and run a business. He initially turned it down — only to reconsider the decision three months later. In this episode of Executive Decisions, the State Street CEO tells Steve Sedgwick why changing his mind turned out to be “the best thing I ever did” and shaped a career lesson he still shares with others: opportunities can be engineered, but their timing often cannot. O’Hanley also discusses the curiosity that has guided his career, navigating the global financial crisis, leaving Fidelity without another job lined up and why an unexpected move to State Street eventually led to the biggest role of his career. He also reflects on mistakes, leadership, responsibility and why even the most experienced CEOs should never believe they have everything figured out. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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  Episode #3

  Take the Reckless Path: Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters

  Sep 14, 202641 minS4

  Bill Winters planned to become a diplomat. Instead, a job at J.P. Morgan led him into banking and eventually to a pivotal early-career decision: move into the emerging derivatives business despite knowing little about it. In this episode of Executive Decisions , the Standard Chartered Group CEO tells Steve Sedgwick why that experience helped shape a career philosophy he still shares with younger colleagues: when rare opportunities arise, sometimes you should “take the reckless path.” For Winters, that doesn't mean being careless; it means being prepared to choose the less conventional route when it offers more to learn. Winters also reflects on his 26 years at J.P. Morgan, the lessons of the global financial crisis and what it was like to be fired by Jamie Dimon. He explains why he subsequently ignored advice not to join the UK's Independent Commission on Banking and why, six years after leaving J.P. Morgan, he returned to mainstream banking to become CEO of a troubled Standard Chartered. He also discusses the decisions behind Standard Chartered's turnaround, mistakes he made along the way, leadership, AI and why he believes ambition can sometimes become a curse. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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  Episode #10

  Run Toward the Hard Problems: Commerzbank CEO Bettina Orlopp

  Aug 17, 202634 minS3

  Bettina Orlopp took over as CEO of Commerzbank as the German lender was pushing ahead with a multiyear turnaround — and as UniCredit was building a stake that raised the pressure on the bank's leadership. In this episode of Executive Decisions, Orlopp explains how she has approached leading through that pressure: staying calm, speaking candidly about difficult change and relying on trusted teams to deliver the bank's strategy. Orlopp also reflects on the path that brought her there, from nearly two decades at McKinsey to taking on Commerzbank's compliance function, becoming CFO just before the Covid-19 pandemic and later stepping into the CEO role. She discusses how takeover pressure accelerated Commerzbank's strategy work, the challenges of restructuring and why she believes leaders need to be direct about what change will require. Note: This interview was recorded on May 12, 2026.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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  Episode #9

  Go Where You’ll Learn More: Thomson Reuters CEO Steve Hasker

  Aug 3, 202634 minS3

  Steve Hasker never followed a formal career plan. Instead, the Thomson Reuters CEO says his biggest decisions were guided by one question: Would he learn more by saying yes than by staying where he was? In this episode of “Executive Decisions,” Hasker reflects on the childhood experiences that taught him resilience, the mentors who shaped his leadership and why the people around you can matter more than the role itself. He discusses leaving McKinsey for Nielsen after an unexpected pitch from former GE executive Dave Calhoun, the lessons he learned from early career mistakes and why surrounding yourself with talented people can accelerate growth as a leader. Hasker also recalls becoming CEO of Thomson Reuters on the eve of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading 25,000 employees through a period of uncertainty and helping transform the company into an AI-powered technology business. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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  Episode #8

  Success Isn’t the Finish Line: DSM-Firmenich CEO Dimitri de Vreeze

  Jul 20, 202640 minS3

  After more than three decades at science-based firm DSM, Dimitri de Vreeze faced what he calls the hardest decision of his career: selling the materials business where he had grown up professionally.  In this episode of “Executive Decisions,” the DSM-Firmenich CEO reflects on why the decision made strategic sense, even as it felt deeply personal, and how it shaped his view that success is not a finish line.  De Vreeze discusses joining DSM with plans to stay only a few years, the family values and rebellious streak that shaped his leadership, and why he believes leaders should keep challenging what is already working.  He also discusses ending a half-billion-dollar biofuels project, serving as co-CEO, leading the merger that created DSM-Firmenich and why treating assumptions as facts can be one of the biggest risks in decision-making.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

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