Leading Business Transformation through Human Magic—with Hubert Joly

Whether prepared or not, businesses will be compelled to undergo a transformation in the near future. The accelerated changes in the economy, the digital and tech space, the workforce and how business itself is conducted means every leader will have to rise to the challenge of transforming their business—or fall quickly behind.

One such leader who has seen and spearheaded transformation on this scale is Hubert Joly, the former Chairman and CEO of Best Buy, who turned the company around during one of its most pivotal inflection points. In his book, The Heart of Business – Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism, Hubert shares the practices he implemented to transform an underperforming business, putting what he calls “human magic” at the forefront. In this Roundtable, he will share his insights and lessons learned, including:
• The story of Best Buy and his role in guiding the team and employee base through a difficult transformation
• The philosophy of leading with a Noble Purpose, and why it matters
• The qualities leaders must possess to affect change
• What he attributes the company’s success to—especially in light of the tumultuous state of retail, which was suffering great losses at the time
• How diversity played a key part in transformation
• What leaders need to know about managing uncertainty and rapidly changing environment—like the one we are faced with today

About the speaker: Hubert Joly is a senior lecturer at the Harvard Business School and the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Best Buy. He is also a member of the board of directors of Johnson & Johnson and Ralph Lauren Corporation, a member of the International Advisory Board of HEC Paris, and a Trustee of the New York Public Library and the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

Hubert has been ranked as one of the top 100 CEOs in the world by the Harvard Business Review, one of the top 30 CEOs in the world by Barron’s and one of the top 10 CEOs in the U.S. by Glassdoor. He has also been recognized as one the top 50 management thinkers in the world by Thinkers50 and received the organization’s 2021 Leadership Award. In 2022, Hubert was honored by his alma mater Sciences Po with the Stanley Hoffman award given in recognition of his contributions to international affairs through business.

He is the author of the best-selling and highly acclaimed book “The Heart of Business – Leadership Principles for the Next Era of Capitalism.”