Unless you’ve somehow avoided all technology for the past three decades, you’ve likely used Microsoft products. The company has been a global technology leader since the start of the Digital Revolution and has positioned itself to grow even further as a leader in the future of computing and artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT.     In this special two-part episode of Redefiners, we’re joined by Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, who in his 30 years with the company has had a front row seat to not only how much the tech industry has changed, but also in how much it’s changed business and society in a relatively short timeframe. In fact, The New York Times has called this redefining leader “a de facto ambassador for the technology industry at large.”   We’ll talk with Brad about the big shifts in technology and the tech industry he’s seen over the past three decades, the critical role of government and regulation when it comes to digital technology, how to find common ground in the cybersecurity threat landscape, and how he develops systems thinking with his team to “inspect the trees” while “analyzing the forest” to identify patterns and better navigate complexity. Brad also talks about Microsoft’s commitment to sustainability, which he calls “…the issue of the decade, if not the century.” He likens where we are with sustainability now to where the United States was in 1961 after committing to go to the moon – we may not fully understand the problems we need to solve and we clearly don’t have all the answers, but it’s critical that we figure it out.    We’ll also hear from <a href="https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/people/consultant-directory/maneesh-dube">Maneesh Dube</a>, an Executive Director in our New York office, who explains why finding leaders who are tech-savvy is crucial to the success of your organization.  Be sure to check back for part two of our conversation with Brad in two weeks, where we’ll dig into artificial intelligence (AI), productivity, and his thoughts on the need for the tech sector to assume more responsibility and governments to move faster to address the challenges that new technologies are creating.    To learn more about Brad’s book, Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age, visit  <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/tools-and-weapons/">https://news.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/tools-and-weapons/.</a>  If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like these Redefiners episodes: 
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/insights/podcasts/daring-to-build-a-more-sustainable-world-with-kate-brandt-and-sophia-mendelsohn-re-release">Daring to Build a More Sustainable World with Kate Brandt and Sophia Mendelsohn</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/insights/podcasts/doing-well-by-doing-good-feike-sijbesma">Doing Well by Doing Good: Feike Sijbesma, CEO Emeritus of Royal DSM, on the Power of Bold Change</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://www.russellreynolds.com/en/insights/podcasts/how-the-barely-possible-can-overcome-the-barely-solvable">How the Barely Possible Can Overcome the Barely Solvable with First Mode’s Chris Voorhees</a> </li>
</ul>

A Front Row Seat to the Digital Revolution with Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith – Part 1

Redefiners

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Call them changemakers. Call them rule breakers. We call them Redefiners. And in this provocative podcast, we explore how daring leaders from across industries and around the globe are redefining their organizations—and themselves—to create extraordinary impact in today’s rapidly changing world.In each episode, Russell Reynolds Associates Leadership Advisor Hoda Tahoun and former CEO Clarke Murphy host engaging, purposeful conversations with leaders in and out of the business world who share their insights and perspectives on how they lead, boldly. You’ll come away with fresh ideas and tangible takeaways on how you can redefine your own leadership trajectory – no matter where you are on your journey.&nbsp; &nbsp; Our Hosts:Clarke Murphy&nbsp; Clarke Murphy is the former Chief Executive Officer of Russell Reynolds Associates and serves on the Board of Directors. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was the Global Leader of the firm's CEO/Board Services Practice.​ While at Russell Reynolds Associate​s, Clarke has conducted a number of significant projects in the industry, including Fortune 100 board searches and CEO successions. In addition, he has led notable searches in​​ the private equity industry including searches ​for the Carlyle Group and Warburg Pincus. Hoda TahounAs a leadership advisor and leader of the global Leisure &amp; Hospitality Practice at RRA, Hoda Tahoun identifies, assesses, and develops dynamic C-suite leaders for global hospitality, travel, and leisure companies. Based in Miami, Hoda helps clients solve their most pressing leadership issues at the CEO, C-suite, and other executive-levels. She also advises clients on customer-centric, go-to-market leadership roles such as chief marketing officers and chief experience officers. Hoda is committed to reshaping the hospitality and leisure landscape to ensure it is an industry that leads with purpose, value, and wellbeing and continues to attract and retain talent across all facets of diversity. Hoda spent more than seven years working for a boutique executive search firm, rising to the title of principal where she worked closely with hotel management companies, cruise lines and private equity firms. Previously, Hoda was an assistant vice president at SHUAA Capital in Dubai where she led the firm’s investment banking efforts. She has also worked at American Express, Bank of America and Citi.