Partnerships AND Prosperity with Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite

Ilham Kadri: I am excited to be here today with Jean Oelwang, who is one of the most inspiring leaders of our time. Jean is the president and founding CEO of Virgin Unite, which houses all the philanthropies of the Virgin company and has incubated some of the most effective partnerships. Such as the elders, the B team, the Branson Center for Entrepreneurship, and much more.

Jean is probably the foremost expert on partnerships. After spending three decades helping companies put the wellbeing of the people and the planet at their core, she's the perfect person to discuss how we can create sustainable and profitable businesses. I can't wait to hear what she has to say. Jean, thank you so much for being here.

Jean Oelwang: Thank you so much, Ilham, for having me here. You've been a massive inspiration to all of us.

Inspiration from her dad 

Ilham Kadri: Thank you Jean. And I'd like to always start the show by finding out where it all began for you, what inspired your passion for philanthropy and partnerships? Was it something from your early life? I know you grew up in Boston in the US and I've heard you say that your father is your hero and that he taught you so much. Did your dad influence you or did that interest come later?

Jean Oelwang: My dad was an amazing human being. He came from very humble beginnings and, he worked really hard, to work his way up a retail store called Sears and Roebuck. And, he definitely was one of the people that put the fire in my belly for business as a force for good, because I remember where he thought of his teams when he became store manager. He thought of his teams, not of just, teams, he thought of them as an extension of our family. So he used to bring them over for dinners, for events for, he was someone that, his purpose was really to bring joy in every person's life that he touched. And he made me realize the power of business.

And I'll never forget when he was failing in his later years, when he was in his nineties, he was in ICU and, I'll never forget, he came, he was in a coma and he, woke up and I was lucky enough to be there with him and he had this smile and he said, he said, you know, I wanna spend the next 100 years of my life making a difference in people's lives. Which was very funny 'cause he was in his nineties. But, and we got this beautiful conversation about how, when he was in business, he often felt that he was torn about wanting to do work in the community, but wanting to make sure the business is a success. And it made me smile 'cause I had found this big brown, beautiful book in his boxes a few months before that was from the team that he was store manager of a store in Burlington, Massachusetts in 1968. And, I opened this book and the front of it said, you know, a retail store is just bricks and mortar until human beings breathe life into it. And they thanked my dad for breathing life into their store, and they called him their guide rather than their boss.

But I think Ilham, the most significant thing to me was page after page. It was things like, thanks Bob for giving me a chance after I had an alcohol problem. Thanks Bob, for never forgetting Mother's Day and giving us all plans. And it went on and on like that. And it just, it reminded me that the success of business is obviously all about people, but he was someone that realized that that's what ultimately business is. It's people and, and making sure that your people are happy and that they have joy and purpose when they come into work every day.

Disruptive detours

Ilham Kadri: Wow, what sense of belonging? So, I want now Jean to hear more about your career and how you ended up founding Virgin Unite. And when we were together, I heard you say, and I love this, that you took many disruptive detours in your career and that people always told you not to take these paths. We have that in common, but you did it anyway and you have such an interesting career. I know you started in telecoms and spent 17 years, starting a lead in mobile phone companies in South Africa, Colombia, Bulgaria, Singapore, Hong Kong, and I could go on Australia even. And after that you joined Virgin Mobile Australia, and that eventually led you to Virgin Unite. So here we are from a corporation type of career to philanthropic. So can you tell us about some of these disruptive detours in your life and why? I mean, were there moments of hesitation? Why this path rather than another one? It doesn't look very linear like many of us. And how did you have the courage to follow your heart when people were telling you to be more cautious?

Jean Oelwang:  I think like you, I just, I didn't follow a linear path and I remember I was on this trajectory in telecommunications and, you know, I was moving up really quickly and then I decided I wanted to take a disruptive detour and become in what they call in the United States a Vista volunteer and work in a local community. And so I pivoted and worked in a homeless shelter for teenagers in Center City, Chicago, and worked with refugees as well there. And I think Ilham, it was like the first moment that I realized how broken our society was and how we built silos between government and not-for-profits and business. And how what was happening then is these teenagers, these 12, 17, you know, 18 year olds were falling through the cracks.

And ending up on the streets. And it was a real wake up call from me about how we needed to change that interaction between systems and the kind of underlying systems. And I later took another disruptive detour and decided, I went back into Telco, but I decided to go international. And I moved to South Africa in 1995 when Mandela came into power, which was amazing time. And we launched. Of the world's first prepaid services, and we literally made our annual sales target within a year. And, we went into the townships and it was this amazing display of entrepreneurship because you had people like making briefcase phones and selling calls from the briefcases. You had them setting up trailer phones, you, it was just this extraordinary sense of this tool. And I think that disruptive detour really led me to realize the importance of business and scaling the response to the issues in the world and how it's, I think, an underutilized platform, to solve some of our interconnected issues.

And, and I guess the, the last disruptive detour I did is I went back into the not-for-profit sector in Australia and, and, worked with the national, wildlife and Parks program. And, I got a call from Virgin saying, would you help us start a mobile phone company? So I pivoted, went back there for a little bit, but then I overheard Richard in the car talking about my boss Richard, talking about wanting to do more philanthropically across the Virgin Group. And so, I went home that night and wrote out a plan and sent it to him and that it was 20 years ago when we started Virgin Unite, which is the impact arm of the Virgin Group.

The impact of Virgin Unite

Ilham Kadri: Wow. And this is where actually I knew of you, but I met you during one of the gatherings of Virgin Unite with Richard Branson, and this is one of those disruptive detours, and you just heard it. You took the opportunity to put it down and send it. So can you tell our listeners and audience what makes Virginia Unite so unique and so impactful?

Jean Oelwang: Yeah, I think it's, it's people like you that make it so impactful, I have to say, because one of the things we focus on is building these collectors of leaders that then drive larger scale systemic change in the world. And I think the things that have made us unique over the years is we're not a typical foundation. We're like this tiny little impact engine that's an entrepreneurial engine that really changes unacceptable systems and issues for good. And one of the things we believe in is we never go it alone. We always bring in partners, so, and we really believe that bringing collectives of leaders together and their voices collectively can have so much more power than having them as individuals.

So over the years, we've incubated about 22 of these leadership collectives, as you mentioned, some of them like the Elders, the B team, and we've always done it with incredible partners. And they're always independent so that they can work what we call working on behalf of the universe rather than no other agenda. And they work to drive longer term systemic change. And I think the other thing that makes us unique is we also really focus on tackling unacceptable issues that no one else will go near, like we do a lot of work on criminal justice reform, we do a lot of work on ending the death penalty globally. We do a lot of work on L-G-B-T-Q rights and the list goes on, and I feel really honored that I'm working with a brand and a family that's willing to stand up and take risks like that and continue to take risks in an ever changing environment right now.

Partnering

Ilham Kadri: And I could witness it, you know, firsthand when I was in your gathering. And what is it, you know, really unique as well, is these partnerships. I mean, you say it again and again. We cannot do it, do it alone. And you have met some of the most extraordinary people through your work, and you found that none of them did it alone, right? They all were involved in incredible partnership that's helped them achieve amazing things. And, you've written a wonderful book called Partnering Forging the Deep Connections That Make Great Things Happen and in the book you focus on 60 incredible partnerships and you identify exactly what made them also special.

And you also found that they all have several things in common, which you call the six degrees of connection. And this is such an important, I found this work and really inspiring, required reading for any business leader, I feel, because understanding what makes a good partnership will help you in all your customer relationships and in every interaction you have. So can you tell us more? What, what's the recipe for that effective and successful partnership?

Jean Oelwang: You're spot on that, you know, it's interesting 'cause all of these partnerships all had the secret power about ability to build these deep connections and what's interesting, Ilham like almost from the time we're in kindergarten, we're actually taught to go the other direction and be a superhero and be the one that saves the day. And I think when I was watching the elders, this group of global leaders that we shaped with Mandela and Grassa, I was trying to figure out how they became who they were and what was really clear is they. They became who they were through each other and through their relationships and their deep connections.

And it's also what builds great businesses. You know, it was interesting 'cause when I first started the journey on the book, it was gonna be about romantic partnerships. So it was gonna be about President Rosalyn Carter. And then I interviewed Ben and Jerry and the entire shape of the book changed, because you could see that the reason they were successful was because of their friendship, their partnership, and you know, the six degrees, I'll just give an example with Ben and Jerry because they articulated so beautiful. So, you know, they weren't building an ice cream company. They were building a company that was gonna change the world.

And they had that, what we called the first degree, which is something bigger right from the beginning in their heart. And it evolved over time. And it was funny 'cause I asked them, I said, how did you make Ben and Jerry's a success? Like how did you do this? And they just giggled and laughed and they talked about how they were all in for each other and that became the second degree. Because it's that ability to a hundred percent have each other's backs. And it doesn't mean you're gonna have a perfect partnership, but you're gonna be there for each other through the ups and the downs, and a hundred percent know that that person will be there

Ilham Kadri: Yeah.

Jean Oelwang: The third degree was this beautiful ecosystem of virtues, and that was, there was six virtues that were common throughout all. But like if you take Ben and Jerry again as an example, you know, trust and respect were at the center and they talked about those being like the foundations and the centerpiece, the backbone of their relationship. And they had these wonderful things. We ended up calling magnetic moments, which all the partnerships had them. These moments where they connected like rituals and daily practices, and they were all, like Ben and Jerry had, you know, every Friday they would leave with their little coolers of ice cream and they would go and they rented a boat together and they'd spend the weekend on that boat. Or they had this thing with their team where they had the ice cream graveyard, where flavors that didn't work, they had rituals where they actually had a funeral for those.

So that they made, they made failure okay. In their company. And then the fifth degree was around celebrating friction. And these two really had that down. Like they had something, that they called a veto card, where if they were in a disagreement they had the ability to raise that veto card and so that they would just move on and not, not go forward with that. So that they saved the friendship. And they said they used it very rarely, but rarely. But when they did, it saved their friendship.

Dyslexic thinking 

Ilham Kadri: Yeah, this is one of my favorite parts of your book, is that celebrating the friction, right? Because it's not walking the park, I mean, it's like any relationship is like any partnership and you encourage people, to lean into the conflict and see it as an opportunity to learn and to come closer rather than, you know,  just, you know, being in dispute. And I think this is really important because partnership always comes with some conflicts and how you work those conflicts, it's what makes all the difference. Right? 

So let me now switch gears, Jean it's also maybe about mindset. Right? I was so, so interested when we met each other last summer to learn that you are also dyslexic like me.

And of course Richard Brunson is very open about his own dyslexia. And would be interested, for our audience. And we are in a campaign in Syensqo. I launched a campaign saying I'm dyslexic and I'm CEO and we have just many people coming out of many of our employees. Because there are a lots of invisible handicaps, but I call them superpower rather than handicaps out there and people are shy or, or sometimes shamed or, or parents who are suffering because of their kids, et cetera, who are really coming, you know, across now and talking about it openly and would be interested to hear more about it.

Because, you know, in my case, it was extremely difficult growing up because teachers and peers assumed you were just a slow learner. And that could be frustrating. But I learned to go slow to go fast and to embrace the ways I thought differently. And a loved some of the things you were telling us. And you've said about how dyslexic thinking approaches problems in a totally different way. Can you elaborate on that for our listener and how you manage it through?

Jean Oelwang: And like you, I really, you know, I really believe that dyslexic thinking is probably some of the most important thinking in the time that we live in right now because we live in such a complex world and interconnected world, and dyslexic thinkers tend to be people that are not linear. And so they're connecting dots. They're constantly looking at patterns and looking at opportunities where often people that are linear thinkers will get stuck in the muck and they won't be able to creatively figure out how they can get out again. And, as you said, my boss, Richard Branson, you know, he's very, he's severe dyslexic and he is such an original thinker where he always is coming at something from a different angle and he is always thinking of it as a world of possibility where nothing is impossible. because like you and like myself and like him, you know, had difficulty throughout our lives at different moments with expressing ourselves, because of dyslexic thinking. Like, I still get heart palpitations when anyone asks me to write on a flip chart 'cause I know. Spell things wrong. So, you know, you kind of figure out, and one of the ways you get around those things is that you know, you need other people. And so I find that dyslexic people are much better collaborators because they know that they have to partner with someone where they can use their strengths, and have the other person who may be a more linear thinker use their strengths.

And so they tend to be more openhearted and more willing to embrace collaboration I think as well. But I feel like this moment in time that we're in where the complexity of the issues is so significant, dyslexic thinking is gonna be critical so that people can, again, think creatively about different types of solutions rather than continue on the path that we’re on.

And I think, you know, we are gonna have to collaborate at a scale we cannot even begin to imagine across sectors. And again, I think dyslexic thinkers are gonna be more open to that collaboration. And we just, we actually just had 60 dyslexic high performing thinkers together. And it was amazing to see the energy and the ideas and the creative thinking that came out of that group. And, and so I'm super excited about dyslexic thinking going forward, and I really do believe that people think of it as a superpower. 

Planetary Gardens

Ilham Kadri: Yeah, absolutely. It's a superpower, and as you said, we are probably resourceful because we need, you know, support and we need people around us. So now Virgin Unite has accomplished so much, and I'd love to hear more about some of the projects you are working on, Jean, particularly one which obviously is linked to the scope of this podcast, profitable and sustainable is the Planetary Gardens, which brings together major environmental leaders and others to take a holistic look at the planet's health and get people to understand the planetary emergency, which is, I would say, really a big issue these days. Can you tell us more about their work?

Jean Oelwang: This really, this work emerged from a group of scientists, 28 scientists. And they created these nine boundaries that we need to stay within a safe operating space. And so it's of course climate, but it's also things like biodiversity, water use, chemical pollution, and the list goes on.

And I think the beautiful part about this for a business is it allows you to look at your company and look across all nine boundaries to see where you're gonna have the most impact and where you should be prioritizing. And we just built a tool with a consultancy called Systemic that allows a company to look at, okay, if I switch my supply chain to a new geographic area, how will it impact the nine boundaries? But as importantly, how will it impact my bottom line from a profitability perspective? So it allows you to connect the importance of protecting the planet alongside your profitability as a company. And I also feel like this boundary model is important for businesses because it's a risk model. You know, all of our companies right now have high levels of risk with what's happening with the deterioration of the planet.

You know, if you just, at biodiversity we've breached that boundary land use, we've breached that boundary. And so it allows you as an agriculture company to understand, you know, what, where you need to be focusing. Is it, is it water use? Is it biodiversity? Is it land use? And then it helps you create solutions to help with your business to make sure that you stay in that green, safe operating space and can thrive going forward.

So I think it's a beautiful, effective tool for companies, for also governments. and it allows as a consumer for us to understand where some of those issues lie too, and what we, what we can do about them practically. But I think Ilham, one of the things I love about it most is also a huge story of hope, because the ozone layer was about to be breached back in, you know, in 1974 is really when, Sherwood, Roland and Mario Molina proved that there was damage.

And, they effectively mobilized, you know, all kinds of sectors. Business sector not-for-profit companies worked together to figure out new solutions that would replace CFCs at the time. And it's a massive success story where now NASA's predicting that by 2065, the ozone layer will be largely healed.

So I think it's also a good example of where companies can work together with citizens, with business, with science, and when we collectively come together, we can find better solutions.

Ilham Kadri: Absolutely. And, it's music to my ears. We, we've been, you know, we've been exposed to the Planetary Gardens as part of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, and frankly, in my company, former company, and now Syensqo, we've been using this one planet approach, using the Planetary gardens type of, you know, scope for climate to resources like water biodiversity and obviously people as well. And we could prove, you know, that we can do it. We cut our emissions twice, Paris accords, while we became more profitable, we almost doubled our returns between 2019 and 2023 before the split of the company. 

So, yeah, no, it's amazing. And I agree with you. This is the message for hope that if I can do it, everybody can do it. And if we do it together, it's even better. For the planet and for the pocket. 

The B Team

Ilham Kadri: So now, Virgin Unite also founded the B Team. I love this, the name, you know, the B team, which I'm proud to be part of it. For our listeners who may not know, the B team is a group for business leaders who advocate for business practices that are good for the people, planet and profits. And on that point, this podcast actually is about the power of the AND, and how we can make businesses sustainable and profitable.

Can you tell us, Jean, can you tell our listeners a bit more about what the B team has accomplished and what do you think business leaders need to do to make their companies both sustainable and profitable?

Jean Oelwang: I think just to hear your story just now, Ilham, what we need to do is. Start celebrating companies like yours that have, or that are showing that this is not about sacrifice within boundaries. This is about a better future for everyone. And how do we create that vision that we wanna run towards, and how do we celebrate and spotlight companies that are doing that right now?

And I don't think we do enough of that right now. And those stories, because you're right, if you can create products and services within the boundaries that create a healthy environment, plus make a successful business. That's a win on all fronts, and that's what we need to be doing more of. And with the B team, that's really what we wanted to show too, is bringing together this collective of leaders who are doing that, who are walking the talk, who are trying to make those changes in their businesses, who are sharing when there's challenges, but sharing, you know, also when things work and so that people can see those beacons around the world, but they call themselves the B team on purpose. Because I wanted to come from this, from a place of humility, and be a group that was always learning from each other, from others, always listening and figuring out how we move business to be this incredible force for good in the world right now. and there's a number of things that they've done over the years, some of them have been linked to planetary issues, like they were very, very, very instrumental in the early years of net zero. So, at the time, Paul Pullman was at the helm of Unilever. And he stepped up like, and said, we're, we're gonna do this as a company. And, you know, then other companies stepped up and followed and Virgin signed up to it as well.

And, and so it was that momentum and it was, again, not the B team that created the idea. It was a bunch of partners that we then helped lift their work. and that's one of the things I think the B team is really good at, is helping shine a spotlight on things that can really move the needle. And I remember at the, with the Paris Agreement, Christiana Figueres was an incredible force driving that. And she had all of us as B Team, you know, businesses, she had all the Elders as well. She had everyone synced up what role they could play in the lead up to the Paris Agreement. And I think those are the kinds of things we need to be doing now, is how do we come together as this powerful collective voice.

And the B team has also done amazing things like, they started something called a hundred percent human at work to bring humanity back into the workplace. And I know as a, as there's 500 companies in that network now, all piloting different ways to bring humanity back into the workplace. And I know we've adopted many things from that network. Like, we started to put in place, maternity leave for a year for either parent, and the list goes on. We had, ended up with, holiday time that was a free holiday, you could take it whenever you wanted. And we just trusted our team members and many other things. Some of them will work in some companies, some of them won't, but they definitely worked for Virgin in different places. So I think that's the other beauty of the B team is just learning from one another and constantly iterating around what's working and what's not.

Ilham Kadri: Absolutely. And sharing those best practices. Right. And you're right. At science school, we have the 16 weeks co-parenting leave for both parents regardless of, the orientation, the background. And people thought at the beginning, oh, you know, fathers are not gonna take paternity leave. Well, I guess what, since 2021, we launched the program, we have now more than 950 babies who enjoyed their fathers, you know, so, and, and you know, it's supporting women, you know, to also climb the ladder. Right? So, it's amazing. And, and you, you, you gave us, you know, some names like Paul Pullman and others. You have met some of the most incredible people through your work, Jean from Nelson Mandela to Desmond Tutu, to some of the top CEOs, environmental leaders, invisible heroes. When I was last summer, again, when I met you, it was just amazing. There were some young, talented, inspirational leaders in the group. 

What leaders inspire her

Ilham Kadri: So out of all of these amazing people you have met and worked with, who inspires you most? Probably, it's too hard. You're gonna say to choose, but nobody will be jealous.

Jean Oelwang: And as you said, there's so many and that's the beauty of, of life and how we need to start lifting those people that are these beacons. And often they don't get talked about. Often we just talk about the negative stories. So, I think tthat's a mission in life we have to have is how we lift them.

But, it's super hard to choose. I feel like there's a couple that have made probably a huge impact on my personal life, and that's, one of them has to be Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland. As a female role model, she's been able to stay authentic to who she is. My God, she's a force out there. Like she has this incredible gentle power that just drives through and makes stuff happen. And I've never in my life seen someone work so tirelessly for people on the planet. So humbly, so tirelessly. And I think two other people that I just, have been life-changing to me. One of them is this chap named, Anthony Ray Hinton, who was imprisoned in Alabama on death row in a five by eight foot cell for a crime he didn't commit. And he was in prison for 30 years and Brian Stevenson, worked tirelessly, this lawyer in America. And Ray was freed, you know, after 30 years of an innocent man. And, two things that I'll say about him, what I've learned from him. One is just my gosh, you know, most people would've come out of that experience bitter and angry, and he is just so filled with joy and love, and he spends every waking moment trying to end the death penalty now, and he is just given me such inspiration for who he is, as a human and willing to cross divides and having conversations that are really difficult. And, one of the things I loved and I learned from him was his beautiful friendship and partnership with the chap named Lester Bailey, who was his best friend from grade school. And when Ray was imprisoned, you know, Lester drove 250 miles each way to the prison every single week to visit him for 30 years.

And, when Ray Ray got out of prison, he built a house for Lester right next door and they have a little church in the middle. And, when I go out there and stay with them, it's just this amazing friendship. And, you know, I remember one time we were walking outta the church and Ray turned to me and he said, you know, my, what I wish for the entire world is that they had a Lester, a friend like Lester in their life. Just again, goes back to that friendship and these deep connections that we build around us that make us who we are.

Ilham Kadri: I love it. Find your Lester. Right? It's so important in a life that han bonding, you know, and the bonding at very, very, you know, human level. 

Advice to young leaders

Ilham Kadri: Jean, there are many young business leaders, tuning in today and listening to us. What would you say to anyone who is inspired by you and who wants to follow in your footsteps to make a difference in a world? How can they have an impact?

Jean Oelwang: I'll answer that question in a second, but just to follow on from what you just said about, I think it's really important for CEOs right now to build these circles of deep connections around them, because I think for resilience is such an important, you know, I think often people don't think of the CEO as a human being, and, and it's hard for them to have conversations.,

Ilham Kadri: It’s a great one. Let's pause. I mean, you know, CEOs and dealers, there are moments of loneliness, right? And. And that's why in those moments where we feel lowly, we feel a bit trapped, and the macros are what they are, but indeed we're in a very disruptive moment. Right, this is the time where you go into finding the resources, the support, the friendship, the mentors, you know, to speak with you and to support you and to guide you. So thank you, Jean, for posing and having that moment of inspiration. We need that. We need that specifically in these moments of time. Tell us about the youth. How, how can you know, follow your footsteps?

Jean Oelwang: Yes. And I have to also shout out that often I'm learning more from the youth than I think they'll learn from me. Like this amazing woman, another woman that you get, everyone that's listening needs to check out is Shiia Besta from Chile and Mexico. Unbelievable human being. graceful. But what I've learned from others, I think, and I would say to pass on would probably be three things.

I think go out and find that fire in your belly that or that bonfire in your belly, like what is your intoxicating purpose? And it doesn't have to be perfect. I think sometimes we get ourselves in this pickle where we [00:32:00] think it has to be perfect. It just has to be something that'll evolve, that you stand for in your life, that you, something that you're so passionate about.

And I think second, you know, to all young people, find that circle of deep connections early in life and find the people that are going to lift you up and make you the best version of yourself, but also find the people that will challenge you, and challenge your thinking and unsettle you so that you also have those connections. So you're constantly thinking, not just in one way, but again, taking other people's perspectives and listening and building those deep connections around you. 

And I think the third thing is, I think comfort is a great enemy in the world right now. So I would say a sense of urgency. Never lose that sense of urgency 'cause it's super easy for everyone in the world just to step back into their comfort zone and not step out and see that, the world desperately needs everyone right now coming together. So those are probably the three things that I would say.

Ilham Kadri: I love it. So we need to be comfortable with the discomfort indeed. Thank you, Jean, thank you so much. Thank you for being here. You're just amazing. You're an inspirational leader. You are a role model for many of us. You have taught us so many incredible, leadership lessons from taking disruptive detours to celebrating friction, to showing us the way forging effective partnership and not staying lonely, as you said, and you are truly one of the most inspiring leaders I've ever met, and I'm so happy we could have this conversation. 

Thank you, Jean.

Jean Oelwang: Thank you, Ilham. Thank you for having me on.