Ep 59: Breaking Through the Noise:
Sally Susman on the Art of Being Heard
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What if the most powerful force in business is not capital, technology or strategy, but the simple human act of one person truly reaching another?
In this episode of Money Majlis, Suvo Sarkar is joined by Sally Susman – advisor, advocate and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of “Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts and Change the World” - for a masterclass in how leaders can use words to move people, build trust and change outcomes in a world that is increasingly sceptical of institutions. For 18 years, Sally served as Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer, guiding three CEOs through proxy battles, leadership transitions, political firestorms and the most scrutinised vaccine launch in modern history, after senior roles at American Express, Estée Lauder and in the Clinton administration.
Together, Suvo and Sally explore why communication is not a “soft skill” but a rock hard competency that multiplies every other leadership skill, and why so many boards still underestimate its strategic value. Sally explains what separates game changing CEOs from the merely competent, how she built enduring partnerships with leaders like Albert Bourla, and what it really takes for a Chief Communications Officer to have the courage for candour while always serving the institution, not the individual ego.
The conversation dives into the global trust deficit, the collapse of traditional media and the rise of hyperlocal, creator driven influence. Drawing on the COVID 19 vaccine rollout, Sally shares what she learned about communicating under radical uncertainty, why facts alone rarely shift behaviour, and how barbers, grandmothers and college students sometimes move public opinion more than politicians or celebrities. She is frank about the temptations of silence, “greenhushing” and performative authenticity – and why all three are dead ends for modern leaders.
In the final stretch, the episode becomes more intimate and reflective. Sally talks about the personal values that have guided her – courage, curiosity, empathy and a deep belief in equality – and how coming out to her family shaped a lifetime commitment to living and leading authentically. She reflects on the importance of humour, ritual and friendship in sustaining a high pressure career, her love of art, ideas and public life, and why, in her “Act III,” she is focused less on titles and more on mentoring, giving back and leaving the campsite better than she found it.
This is not just a conversation about corporate communication; it is a conversation about how to live, work and speak in a way that feels true.
Produced by : Poddster
Giving partner : Goodworld
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