Discover insights from top production industry CEOs and founders. Learn how they built successful manufacturing companies and their strategies for growth and innovation.

24 interviews
Explore interviews with founders and CEOs in the production industry. Learn about their journeys, challenges, and strategies for success.

President & CEO
In this interview, Sasol president and CEO Simon Baloyi discusses the operational turnaround of the global integrated chemicals and energy company. Baloyi details cross-functional collaboration between mining and the Secunda synfuels complex, the commissioning of the destoning plant to restore coal feedstock quality, and debt reduction toward three billion USD. He also outlines cost optimization targets, international chemical margins, and long-term corporate resilience.

Co-Founder & CEO
In this interview, Ather Energy co-founder and CEO Tarun Mehta discusses the evolution of India's electric two-wheeler market and the unveiling of the EL platform scooter, the Konaq. Mehta explains the engineering rationale behind introducing a comfortable, metal-bodied family scooter to convert traditional internal combustion engine buyers, details manufacturing capacity expansions across Hosur and Aurangabad, and shares insights on market expansion, export opportunities, and potential electric motorcycle developments.

Founder & CEO
In this interview, Rocket Lab founder and CEO Sir Peter Beck discusses the company's evolution from a rocket launch startup into an integrated space systems ecosystem. Beck shares details about their strategic acquisitions, explains the moats of launch capabilities and spacecraft components, and outlines the design choices behind the Neutron vehicle. He also discusses national security contracts, the Space Force, and the future of space exploration.

Chairman & CEO
In this interview, Bentley Motors Chairman and CEO Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser discusses the engineering, craftsmanship, and design philosophy behind high-performance luxury cars. Walliser explains why Bentley maintains manual clay modeling and hand sketching over artificial intelligence, details the aerodynamics and physics behind lap records, and outlines the complex processes of paint development and door sound engineering. He also shares insights on luxury brand identity, global ambassador partnerships, and career sacrifices.

Co-founder & Board Chair
In this interview, Spin Master co-founder Ronnen Harary discusses building a global toy empire, the power of entrepreneurship, and overcoming learning disabilities. Harary shares the stories behind iconic products like Earth Buddy, Sky Shark, and Bakugan, detailing how naivety acts as a strategic asset. He reflects on his biggest business regrets, including turning down a Universal movie deal, and explains why asking for help from industry leaders is a crucial driver of early growth.

CEO
Warwick Smith is the CEO of American Pacific Mining, a U.S.-focused copper and gold exploration company. With over 25 years in the mining industry, he is known for strategic transactions, disciplined capital management, and building shareholder value through high-potential resource projects.

Co-founder and CEO, Anduril Industries
In this interview, Brian Schimpf discusses how Anduril Industries is transforming defense through autonomy, software, and rapid innovation. He shares lessons from scaling the company to thousands of employees while maintaining accountability, talent density, and execution speed. Schimpf explains why modern defense requires faster development cycles, resilient production systems, and leaders who can build organizations capable of adapting to the evolving demands of future warfare.

Founder, Dyson
In this interview, James Dyson discusses how relentless experimentation and thousands of prototypes shaped the success of Dyson. He explains why engineering excellence, intellectual property, and manufacturing control create lasting competitive advantages. Dyson also shares lessons on innovation, product development, and scaling into new categories, emphasizing that sustainable growth comes from solving meaningful customer problems rather than following market trends.

CEO, Warner Music Group
In this interview, Robert Kyncl discusses how Warner Music Group is navigating a rapidly evolving music industry shaped by streaming, pricing power, and artificial intelligence. He explains why scale, strong intellectual property, and trusted brands are becoming increasingly important for artists and rights holders. Kyncl also shares leadership insights on managing change, leveraging technology, and building long-term value in a highly competitive and dynamic market.

Founder and CEO, SERHANT.
In this interview, Ryan Serhant discusses how SERHANT. combines real estate, media, education, and technology to create a scalable growth platform. He explains how delegation, artificial intelligence, and systems-driven operations help remove administrative friction and increase productivity. Serhant also shares candid leadership lessons on handling pressure, overcoming the fear of unrealized potential, and building a business large enough to remain resilient through market cycles and uncertainty.

President & CEO, The Marcus Corporation
In this interview, Greg Marcus discusses leading The Marcus Corporation through industry disruption, changing consumer behavior, and generational transition. He shares insights on preserving a long-term family business, investing in customer experience, and maintaining financial discipline through uncertain times. The conversation highlights leadership, community engagement, real estate ownership, innovation in entertainment and hospitality, and how enduring values can help traditional businesses remain relevant in a rapidly evolving world.

Chairman Emeritus, Former CEO & Founder of The Learning Moment
In this interview, Garry Ridge discusses how he transformed WD-40 Company into a globally recognized brand by building a culture centered on servant leadership, trust, and continuous learning. He shares insights on employee engagement, creating psychologically safe workplaces, and replacing fear of failure with learning moments. The conversation highlights purpose-driven leadership, organizational culture, humility, and how investing in people can drive sustainable business growth and long-term success.

Founder & CEO
In this interview, Krishna Rangasayee discusses the rise of physical AI and the opportunities created by bringing intelligent decision-making directly to edge devices. He shares insights on building energy-efficient AI infrastructure, balancing hardware and software trade-offs, and enabling multimodal AI workloads on a single platform. The conversation highlights focus, product strategy, security, and how advances in reasoning models, edge computing, and real-world automation are reshaping the future of intelligent machines.

Founder & CEO
In this interview, Dhanush Radhakrishnan discusses the mission behind Clone Robotics and the pursuit of human-level robotics through musculoskeletal androids powered by artificial muscles. He shares insights on biomimicry, simulation-first development, vertical integration, and building teams focused on ambitious technical goals. The conversation highlights the advantages of copying nature’s designs, the challenges of achieving human-like dexterity and movement, and how advances in AI and robotics are accelerating the path toward scalable, real-world humanoid systems.

Co-founder & CEO
In this interview, Rishi Das discusses his entrepreneurial journey from building CareerNet to co-founding IndiQube, a flexible workspace company focused on India's evolving business landscape. He shares insights on identifying market gaps, scaling through frugal innovation, creating employee-centric workplaces, and expanding into emerging cities. The conversation highlights sustainable growth, long-term thinking, operational discipline, and the opportunities created by the rise of GCCs and hybrid work models.

CEO & Founder
In this interview, Christine Hutter discusses her journey of reviving Moritz Grossmann and building it into one of Germany’s most respected independent watch manufacturers. She shares insights on preserving traditional craftsmanship while embracing purposeful innovation, producing components in-house, and maintaining independence in a competitive luxury market. The conversation highlights patience, long-term vision, quality-focused growth, and the importance of staying true to a brand’s heritage while continuously improving its products.

Founder & CEO
In this interview, Goyaz founder and CEO Priyanka Vemuluri shares how she built one of India's fastest-growing silver jewellery retail brands from a single store to 19 locations across five states. She discusses entrepreneurship, women's leadership, scaling a retail business, customer-driven innovation, team building, and the importance of adaptability, speed, and consistency in achieving long-term growth.

Founder & CEO
In this wide-ranging conversation, Steve Rinella reflects on the journey from magazine writer to founder of MeatEater, sharing lessons on storytelling, entrepreneurship, family life, and raising children with curiosity and resilience. He discusses the importance of following opportunities that naturally make sense rather than chasing dramatic career pivots, the value of persistence in creative work, and why people often become too attached to a single idea instead of exploring new possibilities. The interview also explores parenting, outdoor experiences, media authenticity, and the role enthusiasm plays in shaping a meaningful life.

Former CEO
In this interview, former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi shares the leadership principles that guided her rise from India to leading one of the world's largest companies. She discusses the importance of understanding a business from the ground up, making bold career decisions, developing future leaders, navigating corporate politics, balancing ambition with family responsibilities, and why great leadership requires both performance and purpose.

Founder & CEO
In this interview, the founder of a YouTube marketing agency shares how he built the business from scratch and grew it into a team of 15 through SEO and content marketing. He discusses client acquisition, scaling a service-based business, building systems, hiring the right people, and the strategies that helped generate consistent growth in a competitive digital landscape.

Founder & CEO
In this interview, entrepreneur Eman Gadzhi shares how he built a business empire before the age of 25, growing from a challenging upbringing in South London to becoming a successful investor and business owner. He discusses entrepreneurship, personal branding, digital products, relationships, wealth creation, mental health, and the lessons he learned from overcoming adversity. Eman also explains why purpose, discipline, and helping others have played a major role in his success.

Co-founder & Former CMO
In this thought-provoking conversation, entrepreneur and investor Tom Bilyeu discusses the power of personal responsibility, the role of mindset in shaping success, and the importance of building a belief system that is both truthful and optimistic. He shares personal experiences with anxiety, self-doubt, relationships, ambition, and fulfillment, while explaining why acquiring skills and taking ownership of one's life can transform the future. The discussion also explores social media, mental health, resilience, leadership, and the challenges facing modern society.

Former CEO of 7-Eleven and Blockbuster
This conversation features Jim Keyes, who shares lessons from leading two iconic companies through major transformations and financial crises. He explains why debt—not Netflix—ultimately caused Blockbuster's downfall, reflects on growing up in poverty, discusses innovation at 7-Eleven, and shares his philosophy on learning, resilience, leadership, and overcoming fear. The discussion also covers entrepreneurship, franchising, AI, education, social media, and personal growth.

CEO of Diageo
This interview features Debra Crew in conversation with Nicolai Tangen. They discuss trends in the global beverage alcohol industry, changing consumer behavior, premiumization, brand building, acquisitions, leadership, company culture, data-driven marketing, and career development. The conversation explores how Diageo adapts to moderation trends, the rise of premium spirits, and the importance of resilience, experimentation, and leadership in a changing market.