Next to Lead featuring Fortune editor Ruth Umoh is a weekly vodcast series featuring a new generation of Fortune 500 leaders. Each week we talk to today’s most prominent C-suite executives who are shaping the future of business. Episodes will reveal what drives these executives, their vision for the future, and how to succeed in today’s hyper competitive landscape.

Next to Lead

Gilead Sciences moves at a pace rarely seen in pharma, delivering breakthrough COVID-19 antivirals and HIV preventatives in record time. Yet, in an industry facing a massive trust deficit, speed isn’t always enough. 

In this episode of Next to Lead, Johanna Mercier, Gilead’s Chief Commercial & Corporate Affairs Officer, joins Fortune’s Leadership Editor Ruth Umoh to discuss how the company is rewriting its narrative and balancing its patients with its shareholders. 

Big Pharma's trust gap? How Gilead is rewriting the narrative | Next to Lead

Leadership

In this episode of Next to Lead, Johanna Mercier, Gilead’s Chief Commercial & Corporate Affairs Officer, joins Fortune’s Leadership Editor Ruth Umoh to discuss how the company is rewriting its narrative and balancing its patients with its shareholders. 

Adobe built the modern creative economy, but as AI reshapes how content is made, its legacy may be its biggest risk. With a leadership shakeup and rising competition, will Adobe stay indispensable or will they'll be left behind? In a moment of transformational change, Adobe President of Customer Experience, Anil Chakravarthy, says the challenge is moving as fast as AI-- without losing sight of what their creatives, marketing professionals and businesses want. 

Can Adobe survive the AI era it helped shape? | Next to Lead

Adobe built the modern creative economy, but as AI reshapes how content is made, its legacy may be its biggest risk. With a leadership shakeup and rising competition, will Adobe stay indispensable or will they'll be left behind?

Airbnb is evolving from a hotel alternative into a full-scale travel concierge. In this episode of Next to Lead, Airbnb CFO Ellie Mertz joins Fortune’s Ruth Umoh to discuss the company’s expansion into end-to-end travel services and "white space" opportunities.

Airbnb is building a travel platform, not just rentals | Next to Lead

To close out a year of great conversations with c-suite talent who may very well be the CEOs of tomorrow, Ruth speaks with one of the most interesting CEOs of today, Red Lobster’s Damola Adamolekun. Damola was only 31 when he became CEO of P.F. Chang’s. Five years later, he was tapped to turn around Red Lobster after bankruptcy. He talks to Ruth about his perspective on leadership, how his time working in private equity sharpened his skillset, and how he makes high stakes decisions.

Red Lobster’s CEO says “organizations take on the personality of their leaders” | Next to Lead

The 2025 Next to Lead List

What makes for a great leader? I read a ton. And how do Fortune 500 companies spot their next CEO? The first thing we look for. Really is like, does this person have horsepower? Hi, I'm Ruth Ummo, editor at Fortune. I read about leadership, management, and the rising stars in corporate America. For the 2nd year in a row, I've compiled the Fortune Next to Lead list featuring 25 of the most powerful Ryzen executives in the Fortune 500. This list spotlights leaders whose influence, performance, track record, and upward trajectory. Signal that they are credible contenders for the CEOC whether within their current organization or at another major company. Over the last year, I've spoken to dozens of analysts, executive recruiters, management consultants, company insiders, and industry peers to understand the shifting power dynamics inside the C-suite and to identify which executives are truly worth featuring. This Rankin listees were evaluated across several key benchmarks such as the scale and significance of their role within a Fortune 500 company, whether they lead major divisions or organizations, their industry-wide and global influence, as well as their financial and operational performance. We have people like IBM's Rob Thomas. You only need three things to drive execution priorities, data. And you need rhythm. Wayfair's John Blattner. Having pride in your own ideas is only, it's never a good thing. And NBC Universal's Donna Langley, and I am a firm believer in the theatrical experience. We also assess these executives' capacity for visionary leadership, whether they've driven transformative strategies, made high stakes decisions, navigated volatility, and inspired. Large teams to deliver outsized results. Cultural and societal contributions, along with longevity and consistency, were equally important. Each of these executives has built a multi-year track record of leadership excellence. What this list underscores is that the Fortune 500 has many leaders who are already operating at CEO altitude, even without a chief executive title yet.

In 2016, Philip Morris International announced a bold new mission: to deliver a “smoke-free future.” Its U.S. division—Philip Morris U.S.—is now leading that charge with a portfolio of smoke-free products, including the widely known nicotine pouch brand ZYN. Yet globally, Philip Morris International continues to sell cigarettes, fueling the very addiction it says it aims to eliminate.
In this episode, Ruth Umoh sits down with Seth Kaufman, chief commercial officer of Philip Morris U.S., to discuss what success looks like for a company trying to move consumers away from cigarettes, the ethical tensions embedded in its business model, and whether a truly smoke-free future is possible.

Can a tobacco giant build a smokefree future? | Next to Lead 

How does a company founded in 1908 survive the breakneck speed of the 21st century? For Shilpan Amin, General Motors’ global chief procurement and supply chain officer, the answer has been forged through crisis leadership and quiet reinvention over nearly three decades inside one of America’s auto giants. He joins Fortune’s Ruth Umoh to reflect on how mentorship accelerated his career, what it takes to move with speed inside a massive organization, and why supply chain risk is one of the few things that still keeps him up at night.

How America’s oldest automaker is tackling tariffs, electrification, and AI | Next to Lead 

BNY’s Chief Commercial Officer, Cathinka Wahlstrom, joins Fortune’s Ruth Umoh to unpack how a centuries old institution is transforming itself for the next era of finance. Drawing on her nearly three decades at Accenture and her time at Alight, she explains how client obsession and following her gut has shaped her career. 

She discusses why today’s leaders have to be comfortable “living in paradox,” how BNY is adopting AI, and how it’s balancing tradition and innovation. 

How the bank founded by Alexander Hamilton is transforming for the future of finance | Next To Lead

From consoles to cloud, Xbox is reinventing itself for an era where players can game anywhere. Xbox president Sarah Bond sits down with Fortune to discuss the company’s sweeping transformation, her approach to leadership and innovation, and how she plays to redefine the future of gaming.

Is Xbox building the future of gaming?  | Next to Lead

As President of Winfield United and SVP at Land O’Lakes, Leah Anderson has a front-row seat to the challenges and opportunities shaping American agriculture. In conversation with Fortune’s Ruth Umoh, she discusses the macroeconomic headwinds facing farmers, how AI can strengthen the workforce, and the path that led her to the C-suite.


“Farmers are the ultimate entrepreneur,” Land O’Lakes SVP Leah Anderson  | Next to Lead 

A conversation with Land O'Lakes SVP Leah Anderson. 

In the wake of widespread layoffs, UPS is undergoing one of the largest transformations in its nearly 120-year history. Chief commercial officer Matt Guffey explains how a leaner operating model and a sharper focus on healthcare, small and midsized businesses, and international markets are positioning the company for its next era of profitable growth. 

UPS’s Matt Guffey on the company's next act: leaner operations and a sharper focus on growth

Rob Thomas has spent more than two decades at IBM, rising from consultant to SVP of software and chief commercial officer. In this conversation, he explains why real innovation starts close to the customer, why reading is a core leadership habit, and how IBM is shifting from “lightbulb” AI experiments to business-changing “motor” outcomes.

IBM's Rob Thomas on why companies fail at innovation—and how iteration fixes it

Grindr calls itself “the global gayborhood in your pocket,” and since going public in 2022, the dating app for gay men has steadily expanded its reach. Behind that leap to the public markets was CFO Vanna Krantz, who previously helped launch Disney+. She joins Ruth to reflect on being a self-described late bloomer, the joy of working with teams deeply invested in their work, and what’s next for her career.

Taking Grindr public & building a career on ‘leaps of faith’ with CFO Vanna Krantz

Resy’s CMO Hannah Kelly reflects on the brand’s journey from AmEx acquisition to post-pandemic reinvention—and how data and storytelling are guiding its next chapter.

Resy CMO Hannah Kelly on where to dine next, how trends are made, & smart leadership

Julia White has made her mark across the tech landscape. For almost two decades she rose through the ranks at Microsoft becoming Corporate Vice President. She left to be the Chief Marketing & Solutions Officer at SAP. Now, almost a year into her tenure as Chief Marketing Officer for Amazon Web Services, Julia joins Ruth to talk about why she’s “addicted to tech,” what values leaders need to succeed today, and how human creativity will become key in an AI-driven marketing world. 

AWS’s CMO Julia White says creativity will be the defining edge in the AI era

Jon Blotner, president and chief commercial officer of Wayfair, credits his climb to the C-suite to a simple formula: pursue the hardest problems, demand real ownership, and work alongside smart, humble peers. That philosophy now drives Wayfair’s next phase of growth. In 2020, when homebound consumers rushed to redecorate, the company posted its first profit after years of losses, with second-quarter revenue soaring 84% to $4.2 billion and the stock price tripling. As the world reopened, however, Wayfair weathered three straight years of net losses before delivering, in 2025, its strongest revenue growth and profitability since 2021. Blotner intends to extend that rebound by accelerating a push into physical retail, rolling out large-format stores, and expanding specialty brands.

Wayfair’s President on the Power of Humility and IRL Shopping

Aneri Jambusaria has spent her career in wealth management, inspired by immigrant parents who viewed financial planning as security for underserved families. Now leading wealth management at LPL Financial, a firm with $2 trillion in assets and serving seven million Americans, she credits her C-suite rise to a mindset shift from scarcity to abundance and a stronger appetite for risk. Jambusaria calls this the most exciting era yet, as investing once reserved for the ultra-wealthy becomes accessible to everyone.

The Power of Authentic Leadership with LPL’s Aneri Jambusaria

ServiceNow president and CFO Gina Mastantuono grew up determined never to rely on anyone. Her first career move was cautious after a friend told her accounting was “recession proof.” A series of smart and calculated leaps turned that safe start into a rapid climb.

Today Mastantuono is paid to take big swings and deliver results. Under her financial leadership ServiceNow entered the Fortune 500 in 2023 and has remained on the list ever since.

For the first episode of Next to Lead Fortune executive editor Ruth Umoh explores how Mastantuono built a career that spans industries and continents from auditing at Ernst & Young to CFO roles at tech giant Ingram Micro and now ServiceNow. She explains how to recognize the right moment to switch industries, why technical expertise remains critical in the C-suite, and what rising leaders should know about seizing their next big opportunity.

Next to Lead

Big Pharma's trust gap? How Gilead is rewriting the narrative | Next to Lead

Latest episode

Episodes (18 episodes)

Big Pharma's trust gap? How Gilead is rewriting the narrative | Next to Lead

Can Adobe survive the AI era it helped shape? | Next to Lead

Airbnb is building a travel platform, not just rentals | Next to Lead

Red Lobster’s CEO says “organizations take on the personality of their leaders” | Next to Lead

The 2025 Next to Lead List

Can a tobacco giant build a smokefree future? | Next to Lead

How America’s oldest automaker is tackling tariffs, electrification, and AI | Next to Lead

How the bank founded by Alexander Hamilton is transforming for the future of finance | Next To Lead

Is Xbox building the future of gaming? | Next to Lead

“Farmers are the ultimate entrepreneur,” Land O’Lakes SVP Leah Anderson | Next to Lead

UPS’s Matt Guffey on the company's next act: leaner operations and a sharper focus on growth

IBM's Rob Thomas on why companies fail at innovation—and how iteration fixes it

Taking Grindr public & building a career on ‘leaps of faith’ with CFO Vanna Krantz

Resy CMO Hannah Kelly on where to dine next, how trends are made, & smart leadership

AWS’s CMO Julia White says creativity will be the defining edge in the AI era

Wayfair’s President on the Power of Humility and IRL Shopping

The Power of Authentic Leadership with LPL’s Aneri Jambusaria

ServiceNow’s CFO Gina Mastantuono on Taking Leaps, Building Teams, and Betting on AI