{"podcast":{"title":"What I learned in business (that didn't kill me!)","slug":"what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944","podcast_index_feed_id":7504944,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/68c8d9069445f7a95104183c","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didnt-kill-me","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/cover/1757989586689-5ec7fadd-958d-4f32-b41a-87024b76e51a.jpeg","author":"James Stewart","episode_count":31,"summary":"Have you ever wondered why some businesses go broke and others are successful? Have you ever wondered why some leaders rise to the top in difficult situations? For 40 years I was a corporate undertaker. I buried businesses that failed and helped save those where there was still a pulse. I was parachuted into some of corporate Australia’s biggest financial crisis, insolvencies and turnaround environments. I have been in Board rooms, Court rooms and on shop floors when all seems lost (and sometimes it was). Over decades at the coal face of business (often in the most difficult circumstances), I have seen & heard stories that delighted and inspired me, as well as those which serve as a guide of the path not to take. I also spent years in leadership roles at Ferrier Hodgson and KPMG Australia where I sat on the Board and was the National Consumer and Retail leader. The purpose of What I learned about Business (that didn’t kill me!) is to share the stories behind some of the world's most interesting business situations, how they unfolded, how my guests dealt with them, and how those experiences changed them and the way they do business. I hope that my podcast entertains and engages lis…","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944"},"episode":{"title":"Anne Laure Descours: The Invisible Engine of Global Retail","slug":"anne-laure-descours-the-invisible-engine-of-global-retail","published_at":"2026-03-02T18:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944/anne-laure-descours-the-invisible-engine-of-global-retail","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944","url":"https://shows.acast.com/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didnt-kill-me/episodes/anne-laure-descours","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/68c8d9069445f7a95104183c/e/6992668cb0cb4fc2fdb1e939/media.mp3","summary":"Everyone talks about sustainable retail products and saving the planet, but who really cares? Retailers? Customers? Government? The global retail sourcing & supply chain is invisible to most consumers, yet it is one of the most complex, highly integrated and culturally nuanced business ecosystems in the world. James H Stewart sits down with Anne-Laure Descours , one of the world’s most senior and respected leaders in global sourcing and sustainable manufacturing in the footwear and apparel industry. Anne-Laure spent more than three decades in the engine room of global retail — living and working across China, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Hong Kong — and ultimately serving as Chief Sourcing Officer of PUMA , overseeing the manufacturing and supply-chain operations that power an €8+ billion global brand. Before PUMA, she held senior leadership roles at Li & Fung , the legendary Hong Kong-based sourcing powerhouse that helped shape modern global manufacturing. Since leaving PUMA in 2025, Anne-Laure has continued her work in responsible supply chains, joining the board of Gildan Activewear (owner of American Apparel) and serving as an advisor and board member to Haelixa , a Swiss innovator in DNA-based traceability solutions for fashion and textiles. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore: What global supply chains actually look like behind the scenes The realities of sustainable sourcing across Asia Cultural intelligence and leadership under pressure The role of government and regulation in driving changes to sourcing models and sustainability reporting Why end of life products are the biggest unsolved hurdle for sustainable manufacturing - and this goes to the heart of consumer demand. How DNA tracing is reshaping sourcing transparency What three decades in hig…","meta_description":"Everyone talks about sustainable retail products and saving the planet, but who really cares? Retailers? Customers? Government? The global retail sourcing…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3343,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944/episodes/anne-laure-descours-the-invisible-engine-of-global-retail/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944/anne-laure-descours-the-invisible-engine-of-global-retail.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}