The next wave of strategy - with Inge Smidts

Putting customers at the centre of strategy to drive impact

As part of our ongoing series “The next wave of strategy”, ReD associate partner Tamara Moellenberg speaks to Inge Smidts, CEO of Liberty Caribbean, on her “the customer is your boss” approach when it comes to strategy. She also discusses why she believes talent trumps strategy, hiring for EQ (as opposed to IQ), and why getting out of the boardroom is key to developing deep insights on consumers.

Watch the video below.

---

THE NEXT WAVE OF STRATEGY

At ReD, we have been developing a new perspective on strategy in collaboration with Roger Martin, one that extends beyond economic optimisation and user-centricity. Building on these two lenses, this new approach to strategy also incorporates understanding complex social dynamics in order to sharpen a company’s perspective on the culture or “world” they’re operating in, and in turn, unlock growth. In this video series, we hear from leaders on why this is the way forward.

---

---

 “I am a big believer in talent. Often people say talent trumps strategy – I think it’s absolutely the case.”

 “How do I deepen my understanding over the years of the markets and everything? By being out there.”

“The customer is your boss. You have to bring them into the meeting room to understand how they breathe, how they think, what they want… to then be able to ask: ‘Okay, what is our role in that?’”

---