Session #11 | Leadership Without All The Answers: Anna Bertona on Judgement, Complexity and Building Teams

<p>In the first episode of Season 2 of <em>Speciality Sessions</em>, Natasha speaks to Anna Bertona, CEO of Azelis.</p><p>From entering the chemicals industry without a traditional background, to leading one of the world’s top distribution businesses, Anna shares a candid view on leadership, decision-making, and what it really takes to operate in a complex, high-performance environment.</p><p>This conversation goes beyond the headlines - into how leaders actually think, hire, and make decisions when the stakes are high.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Chapters</strong></p><p>00:00 - Introduction &amp; About Azelis</p><p>02:00 - Breaking Misconceptions in Chemical Distribution</p><p>03:45 - What Makes the Distribution Model So Powerful</p><p>05:00 - Manufacturing vs Distribution: Why Transitions Are Hard</p><p>06:45 - Leadership Style: Empowerment vs Accountability</p><p>08:20 - How Leadership Evolves Over Time</p><p>09:10 - The Behaviours That Destroy High-Performing Teams</p><p>10:05 - Scaling Culture in a Global Business</p><p>11:50 - Hiring for ‘Why’, Not Just Job Specs</p><p>12:50 - Consulting vs Industry Thinking<br>14:40 - Decision-Making Without Perfect Information</p><p>16:00 - Women in Leadership &amp; Industry Progress</p><p>19:40 - The Real Challenge: Retaining Talent</p><p>21:00 - What Makes a Great Leadership Team</p><p>23:00 - The Toughest Career Moments</p><p>24:15 - Letting Go of the ‘Super Specialist’ Mindset</p><p>25:20 - Advice for First-Time Senior Leaders</p><p>26:30 - Navigating a Challenging Market</p><p>29:40 - What Anna Changed Her Mind About<br></p>