Rephonic
Artwork for Executive Decisions

Executive Decisions with Steve Sedgwick

CNBC
Siemens Energy
Climate Change
Leadership
Crisis Management
Christian Bruch
Germany
Work-Life Balance
Renewable Energy
Pinterest
Synthesia
Schneider Electric
Julia Hoggett
Gas
Diversity
Immigration
Public Service
Jo Malone
Olivier Blum
Sports
Aviva

‘Executive Decisions’ is a CNBC podcast offering a rare window into the minds of top decision-makers. Hosted by seasoned financial journalist Steve Sedgwick, each episode explores the pivotal choices that shape the careers and legacies of influential business leaders and policymakers. Through candid conversations about risk, doubt and conviction, the series reminds us that even the most powerful f... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes24Founded9 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ManagementCareersBusiness

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Executive Decisions

Latest Episodes

After 25 years at Dow, Ester Baiget left a business she loved to take on the top job at Novozymes — now Novonesis. It was not a move driven by ego, or a lifelong plan to become CEO. Baiget says she did not need the title. What drew her in was purpose... more

After 26 years at Goldman Sachs, Robin Vince made a decision few senior Wall Street executives would make: he walked away without another job lined up. At 48, he chose to take what he called a “gap year,” turning down an immediate approach from BNY s... more

Stéphane Boujnah, the CEO of Euronext, reflects on a pivotal decision to block a major merger, the origins of his conviction and the emotional weight of leading against the consensus.

See Privacy Policy at art19.com/privacy and California P... more

James Reed reflects on the decision that defined his career — taking the risk of joining the family business. The Reed CEO discusses failure, purpose and why standing still is the worst decision of all.

See Privacy Policy at art19.com/priva... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Story of Money
The Story of MoneyFinancial Times
The Business
The BusinessThe Times
FT News Briefing
FT News BriefingFinancial Times
The Economics Show
The Economics ShowFinancial Times

Recent Guests

Robin Vince
CEO of Bank of New York Mellon (BNY Mellon); former Goldman Sachs executive
BNY Mellon
Episode: Leave Without a Plan: BNY CEO Robin Vince
Stéphane Boujnah
CEO of Euronext, former socialist activist and policymaker
Euronext
Episode: Be Willing to Stand Alone: Euronext CEO Stéphane Boujnah
James Reed
CEO of Reed Group
Reed Group
Episode: Don’t Stop Trying Things: Reed CEO James Reed
Lloyd Blankfein
Former CEO of Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
Episode: Stop Trying to Fit In: Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein
Amanda Blanc
CEO, Aviva (interview guest)
Aviva
Episode: If It’s Not Right, Leave: Aviva CEO Amanda Blanc
Vas Narasimhan
CEO of Novartis
Novartis
Episode: Own the Role You Have: Novartis CEO Vas Narasimhan
Roy Jakobs
CEO of Philips, focused on healthcare and technology innovations
Philips
Episode: Lead Through Discomfort: Philips CEO Roy Jakobs
Bill Ready
CEO of Pinterest
Pinterest
Episode: Protect the User: Pinterest CEO Bill Ready
Victor Riparbelli
CEO and co-founder of Synthesia, a generative AI startup.
Synthesia
Episode: Think for Yourself: Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli

Host

Steve Sedgwick
Host of Executive Decisions, CNBC (Executive Decisions)

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 37 ratings
  • One of the best British finance podcasts

    Great guests, conversations and range of current and future business and markets trends

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Natasha Poole
    Australia7 months ago
  • CEOs are human too

    At CNBC, we spend a lot of time talking about the outcomes of business decisions, examining how they move markets and shape the world.

    But we don’t often talk about how those decisions are made.

    I’ve always found this fascinating. These are people making decisions that affect thousands of livelihoods and all of our investments.

    ➡️ How do they arrive at those pivotal, news-making decisions?

    ➡️ What moments earlier in their lives shaped the way they lead?

    ➡️ Is decision-making a talent, a muscl... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Cristy Garratt
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • Insightful Leadership

    What makes a leader and how do they make key decisions? This series is giving me a fascinating window into how business leaders build their careers.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JulieBBRH10
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • Brian A

    Really seeing a different side of these business leaders. Useful to learn from their big choices.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mr BrianA0703
    United Kingdom7 months ago
  • Amazing Insight

    Loving the candid insight into the C Suite leaders. Too often we know little about the men and women behind the title. Good to see how human and honest they can be.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jackie0401
    United Kingdom7 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great for sponsorships that target senior business audiences; credible and insightful.
Strong mix of finance, tech, and industrial leadership perspectives.
Polished host with a calm interview style that draws out candor from guests.
Thoughtful, human-centered leadership stories that reveal how decisions get made.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Leave Without a Plan: BNY CEO Robin Vince
Q: What prompted the break before moving to BNY Mellon?
He felt a strong urge to reset, explore what he truly wanted to do, and ensure his next move aligned with his passions and long-term goals.
Leave Without a Plan: BNY CEO Robin Vince
Q: Why did you stay at Goldman Sachs for 26 years and one month?
He stayed to continuously learn and grow within a single firm, taking on diverse roles and leadership opportunities, which made the long tenure feel like several distinct careers in one place.
Don’t Stop Trying Things: Reed CEO James Reed
Q: As CEO of Reed, what are the biggest, most pivotal decisions you have made?
Taking the company private in 2003 was a defining move, as it better aligned with our business model and reduced the pressures of public markets, enabling more patient, long-term decisions and a clearer focus on building a values-led, philanthropic business.
Stop Trying to Fit In: Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein
Q: What sparked your decision to leave law and pursue a trading career at Goldman?
The lure of finance in New York, the environment at J. Aaron, and Goldman's acquisition of it created an opportunity that aligned with my instincts for a more dynamic, hands-on role in markets.
Stop Trying to Fit In: Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein
Q: Did you feel like an outsider growing up and in your early years at Harvard and beyond?
Yes, I felt like an outsider, which pushed me to work harder and use that perspective to grow, but I also learned to channel that feeling into resilience and drive rather than letting it hold me back.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Executive Decisions

What is Executive Decisions about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A conversation-driven show that pulls back the curtain on how top executives and policymakers make pivotal decisions. Across episodes, guests discuss risk, doubt, conviction, and the trade-offs behind private sector strategy, leadership transitions, and crisis management. Notable throughlines include ethical leadership, long-term impact, and the human side of high-stakes business, with recurring emphasis on learning from mistakes, resilience, and purpose-driven leadership. The format tends to feature candid, behind-the-scenes stories from CEOs and other senior leaders, offering actionable takeaways for listeners aiming to improve decision-making in business or governance.

Where can I find podcast stats for Executive Decisions?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Executive Decisions. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Executive Decisions and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Executive Decisions get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Executive Decisions, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Executive Decisions?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Executive Decisions, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Executive Decisions have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Executive Decisions has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Executive Decisions?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Executive Decisions:

1. The Story of Money
2. Leaders with Francine Lacqua
3. The Business
4. FT News Briefing
5. The Economics Show

How many episodes of Executive Decisions are there?

Executive Decisions launched 9 months ago and published 24 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Executive Decisions?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Executive Decisions?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Executive Decisions from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Executive Decisions?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Executive Decisions. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Executive Decisions?

Recent guests on Executive Decisions include:

1. Robin Vince
2. Stéphane Boujnah
3. James Reed
4. Lloyd Blankfein
5. Amanda Blanc
6. Vas Narasimhan
7. Roy Jakobs
8. Bill Ready

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days