In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, hostThomas Dove interviews Ian Wells, former CFO at Hoya Vision Care, whose leadership approach redefines what finance leadership can be.

Ian reveals himself as "a business-focused andpeople-focused person" rather than just a numbers specialist, sharing how this mindset helped him build teams with zero attrition over five years.

His journey from KPMG to the mining industry and finally to life sciences showcases how finding purpose in each role shaped his leadership style.

Ian's philosophy of "eliminating the pedestal" in hierarchical structures and his commitment to being "a good human being" have created remarkable business results. With insights on empowerment through his "RA" framework - resource, authority, responsibility, and accountability - Ian demonstrates how modern CFOs can drive transformation through human connection.

Key Takeaways

• Discover the three key ingredients for leadership success according to Ian Wells: purpose, passion and vision; empowering teams to succeed; and being a good human being who is approachable and open.
• Learn how empowering teams directly impact financial results through increased engagement, better performance, and remarkably lower attrition - Ian experienced zero direct report turnover in five years.
• Explore the concept of "eliminating the pedestal" in leadership by asking "stupid questions," giving credit to team members with frontline knowledge, and creating a more flat organisational structure.
• Take away a practical framework for resource management using Ian's "RA" approach - providing the right resources and authority that allow teams to execute their responsibilities and be accountable for results.
• Understand how purpose-driven leadership transcends industry boundaries. Ian shows how finding meaning in mining and life sciences helped him connect teams to larger societal impacts beyond profit.
• Uncover strategies for building high-performing finance teams by defining the right structure, bringing in the right people, setting up regular touchpoints, and defining multi-year development paths.
• Gain insight into Ian's "traffic light" leadership style, where leaders primarily direct, support, and remove barriers for their teams rather than do the tactical work themselves.
• Learn why healthy leadership practices focusing on physical and mental well-being create better leaders. Ian shares his journey toward health-conscious leadership without becoming preachy.

Snippets

• “Give a man a fish or teach them how to fish. I’d rather teach people how to fish.”
• “Bad leadership is a Lesson to make every leader better”.
• I'm not a finance-focused person. I'm a business-focused person and a people-focused person."
• "Without a doubt, you cannot be a modern leader if you're not empowering teams because, without the team's success, you as a leader will not be successful."
• "Bad leadership is just a lesson to make every leader better. Good leaders drive engagement. They have passion. They drive psychological safety, which is one of my non-negotiables of a workplace."

Timestamps & Topics

• 00:15:13 - Three key ingredients of successful leadership
• 00:31:32 - Becoming CFO and COVID challenges
• 00:36:30 - Eliminating the pedestal in leadership
• 00:44:33 - Building teams with zero attrition
• 00:50:20 - Healthy leadership and wellbeing
• 01:00:59 - The future of leadership

Resources

• Follow Ian Wells on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianwells-globalcfo/
• Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/

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Feedback?

Have questions or feedback about the podcast or want to feature as a guest? Email us at activeingredients@fraserdove.com

In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Kenneth Lee, EVP and Head of Biopharma at Impact Global.

Kenneth shares his unconventional career journey across Eastern and Western business cultures, from his beginnings as an introverted researcher to becoming a commercial leader.

The conversation explores his formula for balancing precise metrics with genuine human connection, his experiences adapting leadership styles between Korea's intensive work culture and America's remote teams, and how taking calculated risks shaped his success.

Throughout the episode, Kenneth reveals practical approaches to leadership that combine structured systems with the freedom for teams to excel independently.

Key Takeaways

• Discover how genuine care transforms leadership effectiveness by dedicating meaningful time to team member. Kenneth follows a "70/30 rule" where 30% of his time is set aside for his team beyond task-focused interactions.

• Take away Kenneth's strategy for building credibility within your team by taking a challenging, high-impact project off their shoulders, demonstrating you're in the trenches with them.
• Understand how quantifiable, measurable metrics create freedom in remote and hybrid work environments, allowing team members to be rewarded for efficiency rather than hours worked.
• Explore the power of breaking down KPIs across the business cycle, measuring effort throughout the process rather than focusing solely on end financial results.

• Gain insight into the transformative impact of thinking in other people's shoes, a principle Kenneth applies to leadership, relationships, and business negotiations.

• Uncover how cultural transitions can catalyse personal growth. Kenneth shares his journey from being an introverted student in Korea to becoming an extroverted business leader after moving to the United States.

Snippets

• "Think in other people's shoes. If you do that, you will be successful as a leader, as a husband, as a friend, whether it be your career, your life, you will be liked and respected."
• "I had a personal motto at the time, challenge over stability, happiness over money. And that was when I was in my 20s, I set that motto and I completely followed that rule of my life."

• "It's not the work hour. It's about people's happiness, people's incentive, and a measurable and very well-defined KPI that drives people naturally."

Timestamps & Topics

• 00:00 - Introduction: Thomas introduces Kenneth Lee and his unique leadership journey
• 06:09 - Kenneth's three key ingredients of successful leadership
• 07:07 - Genuine care and the 70/30 rule for leadership attention
• 08:42 - Smart but "lazy" leadership: creating systems that run themselves
• 09:42 - Taking on tough projects to demonstrate capability and build trust
• 12:00 - Early life and transformation from introvert to extrovert
• 14:25 - Career transition: from researcher to business development leader
• 17:28 - Choosing passion over finances: cutting salary in half for opportunity
• 19:23 - First leadership role and early misconceptions about leadership
• 21:51 - The most important leadership principle: thinking in others' shoes
• 24:02 - Moving back to the US to lead commercial operations
• 28:15 - Contrast between Korean and US work cultures
• 34:04 - Kenneth's commercial leadership formula and comprehensive KPI approach
• 36:32 - Creating structure that provides freedom: Kenneth's meeting framework
• 44:04 - Reflections on risk-taking and career development

Resources

• Follow Kenneth Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scholarken/
• Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/

Don’t Miss an Episode

Remember to tune into our next episode for more inspiring insights. You can also subscribe to the Active Ingredients podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other leading podcast platforms.

Feedback?

Have questions or feedback about the podcast or want to feature as a guest? Email us at activeingredients@fraserdove.com

In this episode of the Active Ingredients podcast, host Thomas Dove interviews Alexandre Montague, a purpose-driven CEO in the vision care space whose leadership philosophy centres on integrity, transparency, and empathy.

Alexandre's journey takes us from launching businesses in Japan with just "a desk and a phone" to leading global organisations with over 20,000 employees. His career path began with a teacher's comment about Japan that sparked a lifelong passion and shaped his entire trajectory.

With a mission focused on helping people see better and preventing childhood myopia, Alexandre shows how purpose drives business growth. He shares insights about building teams by empowering experts and then "being as lazy as possible" – stepping back to let them excel in ways he couldn't himself.

This episode reveals how serendipity and the courage to take chances have built Alexandre's career across continents. From eye care camps in Africa to strategies for the global myopia epidemic, his story demonstrates leadership that combines commercial success with meaningful social impact.

Key Takeaways

• Embrace Alexandre's three leadership essentials: integrity to build trust, transparency to create clarity, and empathy to connect with and support your team's needs.
• Discover how chance moments can reshape your path, as a single comment about Japan in school sparked a passion that defined Alexandre's entire career trajectory.
• Shift from "taking risks" to "taking chances" — a mindset focused on opportunities rather than downsides when making bold career moves.
• Use purpose as a business accelerator that drives team engagement while creating market differentiation and opportunities for growth.
• Practice "lazy leadership" by hiring experts, providing clear direction, then stepping back to let them excel in ways you never could yourself.
• Welcome "stupid questions" that challenge assumptions and reveal the blind spots that inevitably come with industry experience.
• Create boundaries between work and life, following Alexandre's example of strict disconnection from Friday evening to Monday morning.

Snippets

• "I like to use the word risk. I like to use taking chances. Chances come, they come with risks. But it's about taking chances. And no one is looking actively for risk. But people are looking for opportunities."
• "I think it's leaders who believed in me that drove my career. It's all about people."
• "The only thing that I know is that I don't know anything. And I think that's a very powerful statement. And I think we should all try to keep at the back of our mind."
• "When you have a mentor leader who is supportive, who helps you and says, go for it. We'll support you. Whatever happens."

Timestamps & Topics

• 00:17:50 - Intro: Overview of Alexandre Montague and his leadership philosophy
• 00:19:49 - The Three Key Ingredients: Integrity, transparency, and empathy
• 00:21:57 - Early Life: Education and the teacher who sparked interest in Japan
• 00:30:47 - First Steps into Life Sciences: A serendipitous career beginning
• 00:40:50 - Leadership Development: Influential mentors and taking chances
• 00:54:54 - Purpose-Driven Leadership: Using vision care to impact communities
• 01:00:26 - The "Lazy" Leadership Style: Empowering experts and stepping back
• 01:10:39 - Future of Leadership: The importance of empathy and transparency
• 01:18:49 - Work-Life Balance: The importance of disconnecting and "wine time"

Resources

• The Blue Line Imperative by Kevin Kaiser - Book mentioned by Alexandre about building trust in organisations
• Follow Alexandre Montague on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/medtechchiefexecutiveofficer/
• Follow Thomas Dove on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lifesciencesexecutivesearch/

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