185: Todd Brock on Building Sustainability in Our Careers and Organizations
Overview
What if Sustainable Ambition is about designing work and careers in a way that allows us to keep doing what matters?
In this episode, I’m joined by my longtime friend and former colleague Todd Brock. I have always admired both his leadership and the way he has navigated his career with intention, curiosity, and a willingness to keep learning.
Our conversation gets into how leaders can create the conditions for people to do meaningful, ambitious work, sustainably.
Todd makes a compelling case that team sustainability is designed, never accidental. That means being clear about strategy and priorities, designing jobs and systems so the work can actually get done within a reasonable amount of time, and paying attention when people are consistently overwhelmed.
We also talk about the agency we have in shaping our careers, how ambition evolves over time, navigating complexity and change, and what it means to build something that can thrive beyond you.
Listen below or on your favorite podcast player.
More About Our Guest
Todd Brock is a global FMCG chief executive and board leader with over three decades of experience leading large, complex businesses across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and ANZ. He’s run $600‑million‑plus portfolios, led major M&A and digital transformations, and championed sustainability as a growth driver—not a trade‑off.
Listen to the full episode to hear:
How sustainable organizations start from a foundation of clear strategy and values
Why consistent overwork is symptomatic of a problem, not a badge of honor
Why leaders need to create the systems and structures that allow their teams to succeed
How to think about career agency and the choices we make about where and for whom we work
Todd’s approach to navigating complexity, crisis, and change without losing sight of what matters
Thanks for Listening!
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