Leading with Perspective – with Stefan Biel

Leading with Perspective – with Stefan Biel

From Phenomena by ReD Associates

March 27, 2025 · 19 min · Season 3 · Episode 6

About this episode

Stefan Biel discusses turning cultural insights into impactful products and the importance of deep consumer understanding in innovation.

How do you turn cultural insights into products that make a difference in people’s lives? In this episode, we are joined by Stefan Biel, a scientist turned innovator who for over 25 years has looked to uncover unexplored opportunities and translate them into meaningful products. Having worked for various large players across the consumer goods industry, he now finds himself at Tesa, the global adhesive manufacturer, as their Head of Technical Foresight & Product Development. In conversation with ReD Partner Sandra Cariglio, Stefan shares his insights on building high-performing innovation teams, taking accountability as a leader, and how to balance corporate legacy with future-focused evolution. He also discusses the critical role of deep consumer understanding in innovation, and how to translate weak signals from out in the world into products that actually make a difference in people's lives by anticipating changing social realities.

People in this episode

Guest: Stefan Biel

Topics covered

  • cultural insights
  • innovation
  • leadership
  • consumer understanding
  • product development

Keywords

  • high-performing teams
  • corporate legacy
  • social realities

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Tesa

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