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Historian-turned-business-professor Martin Gutmann talks to IMD’s Howard Yu....
April 17, 2025 • by David Bach, Felix Zeltner in Leaders Unplugged
This episode takes you behind the scenes of a recent gathering led by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development together with IMD, where David Bach sat down with two sustainability leaders....
Apple SpotifyLeaders Unplugged is real talk with the impactful. Candid, honest, actionable – and fresh from behind the scenes. Presented by IMD in collaboration with Remote Daily. Hosted by IMD’s president, David Bach.
Together, they explore why transformation and sustainability are inseparable.
“You don’t make the climate case with compliance — you make it with innovation”, says Stuart DeCew and claims that sustainability roles have to shift from reporting to investing, while Geraldine Matchett takes it a step further:
“If you’re truly going to lead transformation, you can’t do it with an inside view of your company. You need to be much more outward-focused. Sustainability is an essential part of your license to operate.”
They unpack the rise of “quiet activists”, organizations that stay on course on sustainability while deliberately flying under the radar, making hard choices about what matters most. As Matchett puts it: ”We officially say this matters a bit less”.
And the conversation goes beyond challenges to highlight the immense opportunities in the sustainability space — from unlocking innovation to attracting and retaining top talent.
Tune in for a fast-paced, thought-provoking journey into why sustainability isn’t a side topic any more — it’s the strategy.
Leaders Unplugged features real talk with the impactful. Candid, honest, actionable, and fresh from behind the scenes. It is presented by IMD in collaboration with Remote Daily.
President of IMD and Nestlé Professor of Strategy and Political Economy
David Bach is President of IMD and Nestlé Professor of Strategy and Political Economy. He assumed the Presidency of IMD on 1 September 2024. He is working to broaden and deepen IMD’s global impact through learning innovation, excellence in degree- and executive programs, and applied thought leadership. Recognized globally as an innovator in management education, Bach previously served as IMD’s Dean of Innovation and Programs.
Felix Zeltner is a journalist and entrepreneur. He is the founder of Remote Daily, a media company specialized in building live talk shows for organizations around the world. He hosts Wunderbar Together, the leading German-American podcast, and is the co-author of “Stadtnomaden” (2019) and “Hype” (2024). Zeltner holds a double-degree in journalism from Munich University LMU and German Journalism School, and has received several awards for his reporting (Arte, ARD, Der Spiegel). He lives in New York City with his family.
Executive Director of the Yale Center for Business and the Environment
Inaugural Chair of the GHG Protocol Steering Committee at the Greenhouse Gas Protocol
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