{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Failure Gap ","title":"A Conversation With Alex Pregnolato, Group CFO, Liberty London","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2654,"description":"Alex Pregnolato, Group CFO of Liberty London, has built a career by staying curious, taking calculated risks, and refusing to get too comfortable. Born and raised in Italy, Alex’s finance journey has taken him from Ferrero to Prada, MCM, Versace, De Beers, and now Liberty London, with stops in New York, China, and London along the way. His experience has taught him that functional expertise is only part of leadership. To have real influence, leaders need to understand the business, connect their work to the bigger picture, and be willing to adapt when the plan meets reality.\nEpisode Takeaways\nStrategy needs execution. Organizations can spend enormous energy creating a three-year strategy, but the hard work is breaking it into clear actions, assigning accountability, and maintaining focus long enough to see results.\nDon’t confuse transformation with change. Alex argues that “transformation” has become an overused label. A turnaround, digital initiative, or new sales channel may require very different leadership, so clarity about the actual challenge matters.\nExpect the plan to change. No strategy survives exactly as written. Strong leadership teams learn, adjust, and pivot without abandoning the larger ambition every time something goes sideways.\nManage expectations with truth, not optimism. Especially with boards and investors, Alex believes leaders build credibility by being clear about what a strategy will require, how long it will take, and where investment must come before returns.\nMake the bigger picture visible. Alex keeps teams connected by explaining why the work matters, sharing broader business performance, and connecting with people as humans. People are much more likely to align around a goal when they understand the context, not just their assignment.\nAlex’s ideas reinforce a central theme of Make HOW Matter: knowing WHAT you want to accomplish and WHY it matters is insufficient without alignment around HOW leaders will deliver together. His final...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/6CTvWJAaFFjJqjlsVhxTnhES72yGR8ntDCw44sys5j4/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9lYmZk/ZDEyNzhjNTY0NjRi/MTk4NjJiNjI0Zjg4/YzcwNC5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}