6 Nations Rugby Chairman: How curiosity can make you a CEO! - Ronan Dunne
Thriving Minds with Alberto ZandiShow Notes
Ronan Dunne is one of the most influential business leaders of the past two decades.
From banking to telecoms, from CEO of O2 to leading Verizon through periods of enormous transformation, and now Chairman of Six Nations Rugby, Ronan’s career is a masterclass in leadership, adaptability, and long term thinking.
In this conversation, we go far beyond titles and success headlines. We explore how curiosity shaped his career from childhood, why he believes uncertainty is not something to fear but something to allocate, and how great leaders are not defined by having the answers but by knowing how to navigate risk.
Ronan shares rare insight into: • What it really takes to lead at scale inside global corporations • Why experience matters more than credentials or degrees • How to earn trust in environments that resist change • The difference between authority and influence • Why vulnerability and clarity are not weaknesses in leadership • How to build teams that outperform by embracing difference, not sameness
This episode is not about chasing status or titles. It is about understanding how meaningful leadership is built over time, how decisions compound across decades, and why success is measured by the impact you leave behind, not the role you occupy.
If you are navigating career transitions, leading teams, or questioning what growth should look like in the long term, this conversation will fundamentally reframe how you think about leadership.
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