The Key to Finding Passion in Retirement w/Giles Stewart EP 12

2021/3/23

Passion Struck with John R. Miles

Frequently requested episodes will be transcribed first

Shownotes Transcript

You have a fulfilling career and now step into your next chapter. But, What is the key to finding passion in retirement. In this episode, John R. Miles interviews Giles Stewart about his career, it's biggest moments, and how he is leading his best life as he enjoys retirement.

Ever wondered how giant companies like Dell and Lowe’s face and overcome some of their biggest challenges? On today’s show, we interview Giles Stewart), a former Fortune 500 Executive who shares with us his wisdom on culture, empowerment, passion, retirement, and how future leaders can bring about positive change.

Giles first came in touch with John when they joined forces to help Lowe’s recover from the worst cybersecurity attack in the history of the retail industry. You will learn how John, Giles, and the entire IT department at Lowe’s worked in a collaborative manner to create a new state-of-the-art command center.

In this segment of the show, you will get some important lessons in execution, empowerment, and creating a long-term vision.

In 2013, Giles moved on to another iconic company, Dell. Here, Giles shares how working at Dell was a totally different experience compared to the more structured operations at Lowe’s.

While Giles was employed at Dell, the company grew at a blistering pace via the acquisitions route as it evolved from a hardware company to a software and services company. You will get a peek into the acquisition’s playbook used by large organizations and learn how they overcome their cultural differences upon assimilation.

Feeling the need to make a bigger impact, Giles left Dell to work in a smaller organization, Acelity. When Giles joined, his team was in complete shambles, and morale was at an all-time low. You will learn how Giles helped create his team’s new identity using an honest, no-bullshit, and refreshingly fresh approach.

Having retired from professional life, Giles has found his passion once again as he spends his day’s rowing and blogging.

Questions That I Ask In This Show

Could you share your experience at Lowe’s and how you helped deal with the largest cybersecurity hack in the history of the retail industry?
What were some of the cultural differences between Lowe’s and Dell?
Why did you decide to leave Dell to work for Acelity?
How did you turnaround the reputation of your team at Acelity?
What is your advice for smaller companies that are being acquired by a larger company?
After retirement, what was the key turning point that re-ignited your fire?