Outside In with Charles Trevail

You don’t have to be a die-hard fan of The White Lotus or a jet-setting Instagram influencer to know how profoundly travel shapes who we are. It deepens our understanding of different cultures, people, and ways of life. It exposes us to new experiences and broadens our perspective. Most of all, it helps us discover more about ourselves. But during the pandemic, that was all lost...at least in the short term. Fueled by pent-up wanderlust and the desire to (finally!) explore and connect in person, the travel and hospitality industry has rebounded quickly and is poised for continued growth. Nobody is more optimistic about the future of travel than Anthony Capuano, CEO at Marriott International, the world’s largest and most iconic hospitality company. With nearly 8,200 hotels across 31 brands in 138 countries and territories, Marriott consistently makes “world’s most innovative companies” lists and has played -- and continues to play -- an integral part in travel around the world. Anthony joins the podcast to discuss why he's so optimistic about the long-term future of travel and hospitality. He delves into the recovery trends, as well as the macro trends accelerated by the pandemic, that he's seeing across the Marriott portfolio of brands. Finally, he shares how innovations in customer loyalty, technology, and sustainability initiatives will reshape both the guest and employee experience in the coming years. Listen to this episode to learn: •How the blending of business and leisure, along with the desire for experiences, is opening new areas of growth and innovation in hospitality •What “innovation” means at Marriott (think: a new state-of-the-art Innovation Lab, prototype rooms where real guests stay and provide feedback, tech platforms for employee and guest experiences, and more) •How Marriott Bonvoy -- one of the largest loyalty programs in the world, with 173M+ members -- maintains and nurtures an emotional relationship with members, rather than a transactional one •Is it really valuable to have so many brands under one company umbrella? (Yes, as long as you have a distinct, well-articulated brand positioning for each one.) •The growing importance of sustainability to guests, employees, owners/franchisees, and shareholders -- and the goals Marriott has committed to in order to achieve net zero by 2050 •Why institutional knowledge and a strong culture are invaluable assets for any CEO and can get any company through the most difficult times •What Italy can teach us about “the nobility of jobs in service”

When Corie Barry took over as CEO of Best Buy in the summer of 2019, she -- nor any of us -- could have foreseen what would soon come next. Now, nearly two years into leading one of the world’s largest consumer electronics retailers through a global pandemic, Corie says the experience has only reinforced her leadership philosophy: “I am here to create the conditions for other amazing leaders to be successful.” Corie joins the podcast to give an inside look at how she became CEO of Best Buy and what she’s learned about the role along the way. She also talks about how Best Buy’s purpose of “enriching lives through technology” has come into sharp focus, driving and uniting the organization in innovative ways -- and leading to exciting changes in how the company serves both its customers and its employees now and in the future. Listen to this episode to learn: • How a Midwestern work ethic, artist parents, and a drive to make the world a better place helped shape Corie into the leader she is today • Why retailers can’t force customer behavior, but rather need to “get out of the way” and focus on delivering a frictionless experience • The value of communication in any large organization with so many stakeholders in times of “stacked crises” • How tailoring employee benefits for working parents and caregivers creates a “scaffolding” that helps them succeed at work and in life • The reason and strategy behind why Best Buy is entering the health space • How sustainability and being a part of the circular consumer electronics economy is a competitive advantage for a retailer like Best Buy • Advice for young people aspiring to one day become a CEO

Great leaders are made, not born. Harvard Business School professor and historian Nancy Koehn shares lessons in leadership from her new book, Forged in Crisis: The Power of Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times. Listen to this episode to learn: • How leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Howard Schultz, and Ernest Shackleton have overcome great adversity to succeed • The characteristics and behaviors that all successful leaders share • Guidance for all who aspire to be great leaders

For decades, market research was considered an “auditing function” -- a department inside the business that looks backwards at an ad campaign or a product, and identifies all the reasons why it performed either well or poorly. But as organic growth became more important to a company’s success, market research transformed into a forward-looking insights function. “You can't have organic growth unless you understand your customers,” says Ravi Dhar, professor at Yale School of Management and Director of Yale’s Center for Customer Insights. He joins the podcast to talk about the evolution and role of insights and how to fix the tension that exists between insights departments and the C-suite. Listen to this podcast to learn: • The four stages of insights, based on Ravi’s research with Boston Consulting Group • Why insights leaders should be in the room when strategic decisions are being made • Changes in consumer behavior during the pandemic, and which new behaviors might persist • The effects that two concepts -- “out of sight, out of mind” and “absence makes the heart grow fonder” -- could have on consumer demand after the pandemic subsides • The inherent risk in looking to “consumers as scientists” • Why insights require a collaboration of analytics, anthropology, and psychology • The skills you need to become a successful insights professional now and in the future For more information: https://som.yale.edu/faculty/ravi-dhar

Ali Velshi, MSNBC Anchor and Business Correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC, joins the podcast to talk about the big issues of our time: fake news, the global decline in trust, corporate responsibility, wealth inequality, and Donald Trump. It’s all on the table. Listen to this episode to learn: • Why we all have to “triangulate” our news from a variety of sources • What’s contributing to society’s rapid decline in trust, and what we can do about it • The consequences of wealth inequality and globalism • Why Donald Trump might be a “brilliant” communicator