Founder's Mentality: The CEO Sessions
What does it take to lead - and live - when the world won’t sit still? Hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen, Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership development podcast that goes beyond the boardroom. Each episode features a conversation with a prominent CEO—from the likes of Audible, Walmart, and AWS—who reflects on the lessons that reshaped their business and their personal growth. But you won’t just hear from business leaders. Jimmy brings in artists, musicians, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers who explore the same lessons through a completely different lens. These conversations surface aha moments from some of the world’s most influential leaders and thinkers. Intensely curious and open to new experiences and perspectives, they seek inspiration in unexpected places as they constantly reinvent their businesses and themselves. In turn, you’ll walk away with a fresh take on how we all grow as individuals, what we are capable of building, and the legacy we leave behind. So, whether you’re a CEO, a rising executive, or simply passionate about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you—one story at a time. About the Host: Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. James is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, James started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music. Bain & Company: Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.
Episodes
How can a hyperscaler grow at lightning speed without losing its soul?
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Pedro Arnt, CEO of dLocal and former CFO of Mercado Libre, to explore how to scale at pace while keeping culture, relevance, and energy intact. From building one of Latin America’s most successful e-commerce and fintech giants to steering a new generation of high-growth businesses, Pedro shares what it means to...
What does it take to stay connected to your customers when scale and complexity threaten to pull you away?
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with David Haines, Group CEO of Flora Food Group, to explore how leaders can keep their focus vertical - anchored in the customer and the frontline, while running global organizations. From his early days at Mars and Vodafone to leading GROHE and Flora, David shares stories of how...
How on earth can we simplify when business complexity feels inevitable?
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Stuart Gent, Partner and Co-Head of Europe Private Equity at Bain Capital, to explore how leaders can strip away noise, refocus their teams, and rediscover what truly drives performance. From defining the heart of a business to knowing which problems only the CEO can solve, Stuart shares practical lessons ...
As the year winds down, Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions takes a festive turn. In this special holiday bonus episode, host Jimmy reflects on the season’s conversations with global leaders, each sharing a lesson they bring home to their families.
This episode gathers a wreath of insights about resilience, curiosity, and gratitude. You’ll hear from CEOs who’ve learned to sweat the details, embrace hard choices, love...
Rediscover The Art of Business Building: Tanuja Randery, Managing Director EMEA, Amazon Web Services
Big companies are built to deliver, but in a world where technology shifts daily and customer needs change overnight, delivery alone isn’t enough. Business building has to become part of the culture.
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Tanuja Randery, Managing Director of Amazon Web Services in EMEA, to explore how AWS scales without becoming a bureaucracy. From codifying leadership principles to democratizing c...
How do you grow a bold idea into a global agribusiness leader… and then reimagine it all over again?
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder and CEO of Olam, to discuss how repeatable models can deliver both discipline and discovery. From sourcing cashews in Nigeria to building a business that now spans 60 countries, Sunny reflects on how differentiation, curiosity, and a willingness to em...
What does it take to ‘refound’ a company that you started, this time in the public spotlight?
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Nirav Tolia, Co-Founder and CEO of Nextdoor, to explore the art of reorientating a company without losing momentum. From balancing the pressure of quarterly results with the need to reignite innovation, to radically shifting his own leadership style, Nirav shares the hard choices, per...
What happens when a founder’s vision doesn’t just spark a company, but reshapes an entire industry?
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Don Katz, founder of Audible, to explore how a writer-turned-entrepreneur built a global brand that redefined the spoken word. From his early influences such as Ralph Ellison and his career at Rolling Stone, to commercializing the first digital audio player, Don shares how artis...
What turns a routine into a ritual that actually changes how people work?
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Christina Zhu, President and CEO of Walmart China, to explore how she builds focus and resilience while leading through one of the fastest-changing retail landscapes in the world. From creating “joyful routines” that empower frontline associates, to translating customer centricity into strategy, Christin...
Pizza may seem simple, but leading one of the world’s most iconic brands is anything but.
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Aaron Powell, Global CEO of Pizza Hut, to explore how he’s helping the company rediscover its magic in over 20,000 restaurants across 110 countries. From falling back in love with the product to celebrating the heroes of the frontline, Aaron shares how moments of joy, pride, and even a weddi...
What does it take to lead - and live - when the world won’t sit still?
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions, hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen, goes beyond the boardroom to uncover lessons in leadership and growth. Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs - from Audible, Walmart, AWS, and more - as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers.
Through cur...
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