About this episode

John Gualtieri shares leadership lessons learned from his extensive career in retail.

In this episode of Business & Beyond, Sanjay Chari speaks with John Gualtieri, Managing Director of Officeworks Australia, about leadership, authenticity, and navigating change at scale.​ John shares reflections from a long career in retail, from his early days on the shop floor to leading major transformations. He shares lessons shaped over time — often learned by getting things wrong first — and how those experiences influenced the way he leads today.​ The conversation explores ​ why simplifying choices builds trust​ the importance of genuinely listening to frontline teams and acting on what you hear​ how leaders can stay effective even when they don’t have all the answers​ A thoughtful discussion on leadership shaped by experience, and what really matters over the long run.​ BCG maintains a professional relationship with the company represented by this episode’s guest. ​ ​Chapters: 00:00 Why diversity of thought really matters​ 00:26 Introducing John Gualtieri​ 01:00 Growing up, family, and early influences​ 04:31 First steps into retail​ 06:46 Early leadership roles and career choices​ 11:56 Joining Kmart and the journey of transformation​ 14:23 Simplifying complexity to…

People in this episode

Host: Sanjay Chari

Guest: John Gualtieri

Topics covered

• leadership
• authenticity
• navigating change
• retail transformation
• listening to teams

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Officeworks Australia, BCG, Kmart

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