Jeremy Schwartz is the former CEO and Managing Director of well-known consumer goods and retail companies such as Coca-Cola, L’Oréal, The Body Shop and Pandora. As a business expert, he sustainably increases the performance of individuals and teams.
Jeremy Schwartz, the inventor of Coke Zero, draws on his leadership roles where he inspired teams to turnaround Pandora and Sainsburys and innovate sustainability initiatives delivering in excess of $20 billion of shareholder value. This he combines with a prediction of the future.
Schwartz’s authority and reputation on sustainability comes from his roles as Chairman of Kantar’s Sustainability and Diversity Transformation practice, CEO of The Body Shop, host of the podcast Saving Tomorrow’s Planet and over twenty years delivering environmental & social, ESG, programmes. What makes him unique are his real-life stories of how to profit from sustainability, gain competitive advantage through sustainable initiatives, overcome stakeholder resistance, innovate profitably and report without greenwashing.
Jeremy Schwartz lecture topics
In an ever-changing business landscape, companies often find themselves grappling with a myriad of complex problems. Whether it’s articulating a compelling purpose, profiting from sustainability, or mastering digital transformation, the issues are diverse yet deeply interconnected. My talks aim to takle these pressing problems head-on, offering actionable solutions derived from a wealth of real-world experience.
- Make Your Purpose Count
Are your employees disengaged, consumers sceptical, and investors distant? Lack of a well-articulated, genuine purpose may be the culprit. Without a purpose that resonates, you risk losing valuable talent, consumer trust, and investment opportunities. A hollow or unclear purpose can drain your organization’s vitality.
With insights grounded in his own CEO-level experience, Jeremy Schwartz takes you through a journey to find, articulate and live your company’s true purpose. No more bland mission statements. You’ll learn how to engage employees at an emotional level, creating a ripple effect that reaches your consumers and resonates with investors. This is not just about words on a wall; it’s about day-to-day actions, decision-making processes, and most importantly, the sustainable and spectacular business outcomes that a well-integrated purpose can achieve.
- ROI – Profit from Sustainability
Is sustainability a line-item cost for you, offering no returns? Sticking to this narrow view can cause you to miss out on profitable opportunities and risk becoming obsolete in a rapidly evolving market.
Jeremy’s unique CEO P&L perspective goes beyond just ticking the sustainability box. He challenges you to look at it as a revenue-generating opportunity that aligns with long-term goals. By integrating sustainability initiatives into your core business model, not only do you appeal to the rising tide of conscious consumers, but you also inspire employees and gain investor trust. Jeremy will walk you through case studies, offer actionable strategies, and provide the tools you need to develop new business models that are both sustainable and profitable.
- Future of Retail – Innovate to Inspire Consumers
Struggling to grow market share in a consumer landscape that changes at the speed of a scroll? Inaction or outdated methods can lead to dwindling market presence and lost revenue.
Drawing from a rich history of generating multi-billion euro innovations, Jeremy Schwartz will share proven techniques to dig deeper into consumer needs, wants, and unspoken desires. This isn’t just about market research; it’s about empathy, understanding, and most importantly, action. You’ll learn how to turn consumer insights into innovative products, captivating marketing strategies, and compelling customer experiences. The takeaway? A more robust bottom line and a stronger, more sustainable relationship with your consumers.
- Change, Focus, Realize, Win – Mindset Makes Culture
Is your company culture stagnant, making it difficult to attract and retain top talent? Poor culture can stifle innovation, reduce productivity, and ultimately compromise your competitive edge.
Jeremy Schwartz delves deep into the psychology and practices needed to cultivate an open, growth-oriented mindset, the cornerstone of a dynamic, world-class culture. Through hands-on exercises, real-world case studies, and personalized feedback, you’ll gain the practical tools needed to foster a culture that encourages innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Your employees will not only feel more engaged and satisfied, but they’ll also become active ambassadors of your organizational values, furthering your reach and impact.
- Everyone’s a Leader Now
Finding that traditional hierarchical structures are causing bottlenecks and inefficiencies? Sticking to outdated leadership models is a one-way ticket to reduced agility, lacklustre performance, and disengaged employees.
Leadership in the modern world is not restricted to C-suite executives. Jeremy introduces proven strategies to instil leadership qualities across all levels of your organization. You’ll learn how to tap into the latent potential within your team, creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to take initiative and make decisions. Through practical exercises and case studies, you’ll see how this horizontal leadership model boosts organizational agility, improves responsiveness to market changes, and fosters an inclusive environment where diverse contributions are valued.
- Digital and AI Transformation in Retail
Are you aware of the massive potential digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence could bring to your business but unsure how to implement them effectively? Have you found that your digital initiatives are misaligned with your core business objectives, leading to wasted investment and unrealized potential?
As markets evolve at breakneck speeds, a failure to adopt a comprehensive digital and AI strategy isn’t just a missed opportunity; it’s a direct threat to your company’s competitive positioning. Stakeholders are getting anxious, employees are feeling the pressure of outdated systems, and competitors are getting ahead by harnessing the power of AI and data analytics.
Jeremy Schwartz brings to the table a rich tapestry of experience in leading digital and AI initiatives at major global companies. He will show you how to transform not just your technology but your whole business model and corporate culture to become a future-ready, digital-first organization. This involves creating a digital vision that aligns with your strategic objectives, identifying opportunities for AI to solve real business problems, and fostering a culture that is agile, data-driven, and innovation-oriented. It’s not just about adopting new technologies; it’s about fundamentally transforming how you operate and deliver value to your customers. You’ll leave armed with actionable strategies and proven frameworks to kickstart your transformation journey, ensuring you stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Feedback on his presentations:
“Jeremy’s session was excellent. He nailed (and exceeded) the brief; he was very engaging and entertaining, and the content was highly insightful and actionable which is exactly what we were after. It was a great highlight to our event.” COO. US Tech company
“Jeremy’s session was absolutely awesome! Jeremy is a talented & very professional speaker, who really understood the message we wanted to convey. On top of that, it was a real pleasure to work & share insights with Jeremy in advance to prepare the final presentation.” CEO Retail. German car company
With Schwartz’s broad CEO experience, he crafts every speech to each client’s needs and his interactive approach has audiences, from tens to many thousands, actively participating and contributing during his speech.
In parallel, Jeremy is an expert on the future of leadership. Business leaders in all functions and at all levels are on a timeless quest to accelerate performance of individuals and teams. At the same time, they are under pressure to profit from sustainability, must embrace AI and be ever more competitive in the face of disrupters. Jeremy brings world class insights and actionable leadership tools to infuse throughout audiences the mindsets and behaviours of market leaders. Examples of which include empowering teams to make decisions faster, the courage to overcome self-limiting mindsets, stepping up to be accountable leaders and embracing sustainability as source of competitive advantage.
Jeremy Schwartz` vision of the future has seen him anticipate what business leaders need to embrace ahead of time. For example, Schwartz was commissioning sustainability strategies as early as 2005 and back in 2018 authored and presented the BBC program: ‘Retail’s AI Revolution’ where he subsequently incorporated AI into the Pandora transformation. He is currently publishing his book titled: Act Fast & Get Things Done. This takes learnings from turnarounds, tech companies and AI to empower business leaders and their teams to act faster.
Success as a sustainable leader is more than just high performance at work. Success is also about prioritising one’s personal life at the same time. For Jeremy this has meant always being present as a parent for his three sons and dedicating quality time to both his physical and mental health. Clients can call upon Jeremy to share his formula for self-leadership along life’s journey too. With valuable insights on making quality relationships with children as they grow up and how as an accomplished high-altitude mountaineer it made him a better, more courageous sustainable leader.