Authenticity & Trust: The Past, Present, and Future of Transformation and Leadership

“We have to leave behind the fear of what might go wrong and replace that with the opportunity of what happens if it goes right.”

In a disruptive world, sometimes it’s the small steps forward that make all the difference. And that’s what makes our next guest, Terry O’Connor (OBE), stand out. With his personal slogan, “Action cures fear,” Terry has spent over 20 years transforming businesses and teams for the better.

From pioneering click-and-collect to experimenting with avatars back in 1999, Terry and the teams he has led, have always been ahead of their time. His fearless approach and growth mindset have driven real change in the retail and eCommerce industries and what a story he has to tell!

He was the CEO at Courts Asia and Matahari, authored the book Why Not? The Story of a Retail Maverick and Courts, and was honored with the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Her Majesty The Queen in 2010, as well as an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Stirling in 2014.

In this episode, we’ll explore:

• Lessons from Transforming Global Businesses
• The Importance of Asking for Feedback and Learning from Mistakes
• The Future of Retail in Southeast Asia
• Red Flags in Digital Strategies
• Tech Vendor Partnerships: Moving Beyond the Pitch
• How to Break Down Internal Silos
• The Opportunities and Threats of AI
• What Brands Should Embrace Moving Forward
• What CEOs Should Leave Behind
• The Essence of Effective Leadershi

If you’d like to skip along to key moments that work best for you – here you go:

Episode Breakdown:

• 01:00 OBE: Honors
• 02:45 Future of Leadership, Retail
• 04:01 Balancing Life’s Aspects
• 06:12 Career: Start to Finish
• 08:52 Action Overcomes Fear
• 10:37 Strategy: Curiosity, Collaboration
• 13:11 Decision-Making: Doors Analogy
• 15:38 eCommerce and Retail Challenges
• 17:06 Adapting Communication
• 21:11 Building Trust: New Offerings
• 26:57 AI: Power and Threats
• 30:46 What is Technology for? Improving Lives?
• 31:00 AI Chatbots: Helpful or a Hindrance?
• 32:15 Change Management with Technology & Enhancing Data Literacy
• 32:48 What Does Good Execution Mean?
• 33:18 Vendor Reliance Issues
• 34:48 Agile Tech Partnerships
• 37:08 Marketing in Tech Decisions
• 38:45 Team Involvement in Projects
• 40:16 Future of Retail
• 43:19 Sustainability Focus
• 45:10 CEO Qualities Explored

About The Forward Podcast: In a world where technology intertwines with every aspect of our lives, how do industry experts and leaders plan to navigate forward? Explore bold moves and strategies for success amid constant disruption. Learn the ideas, behaviours, tools, and trends they’ll leave behind, and those they’ll carry forward to shape the future of work, life, and leadership.