Ranked #3 in Australia's top 50 e-commerce leaders, Nicola Clement has navigated a non-linear career across retail, aviation, fashion, and beauty—scaling online revenue from $250M to over $800M at Myer during COVID while leading 75+ direct reports. But her real expertise lies in a radical idea: building sustainable competitive advantages by thinking in decades, not quarters, and proving that human-centered leadership actually drives shareholder value.

In this conversation, we explore why fundamental business transformation takes 3–5 years to stick, how to make the business case for customer and employee-first strategies to skeptical boards, and why authenticity isn't a weakness—it's your competitive edge. Nicola shares her innovation rocket framework for solving customer problems, reveals the hidden cost of quarterly obsession, and offers brutally honest advice for startups tempted by vaporware over transparency.

• How to build durable competitive advantages and sustainable profit by planning for decades, not quarters
• How to structure a human-centered business case that convinces skeptical boards and delivers 10x ROI
• The innovation rocket framework: turning customer data into prioritized solutions through ideation, hypothesis, and testing
• Why authentic leadership inspires teams to execute hard decisions, even uncomfortable short-term pivots
• Practical guidance for startups: transparency beats vaporware; co-development wins over overselling MVPs

• The cost of short-termism: why vanity metrics and quarterly focus prevent real organizational change
• Long-term thinking in practice: the horizon framework and aligning teams around decades-long vision
• Leading through crisis: balancing 10,000 jobs during COVID while building long-term roadmaps
• From zoology to e-commerce: the non-linear career path and why curiosity beats expertise
• Human-centered design meets profitability: Tony Hsieh, customer journey mapping, and the red chair concept
• Authenticity vs. commercial effectiveness: delivering your truth with clarity, data, and emotional connection
• Building cultures where people can be themselves: why diversity of thought drives better outcomes

Nicola Clement is Chief Experience Officer and e-commerce transformation leader with 23+ years driving digital and retail innovation across airlines, fashion, outdoor retail, department stores, and beauty. Ranked #3 in Australia's Top 50 E-commerce Leaders and a global Top 50 CX Influencer. Recently completed her Executive MBA at the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School.

Connect with Nicola Clement on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaclement/

• Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
• Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh
• Radical Candor by Kim Scott
• Prime Minister (Documentary featuring Jacinda Ardern)

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Every week, your host Florian Haufe dives deep into conversations with visionary global leaders to bring you insights, inspiration, and the real stories behind success.

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