High polarity: former Dyson CEO weighs in on the future of cars and getting to the South Pole solo

There is a job description from 1907 that reads: small wages, brutal cold, constant darkness, great risk to life and limb, and a small chance of fame if you survive. That was Ernest Shackleton recruiting for Antarctic exploration. A century later, our guest answered a version of that same call, twice, while also running some of the world’s biggest automotive and technology companies.

In this episode of TransportBT, a podcast of BT Correspondents, Derryn Wong sits down with Roland Krueger, former CEO of Dyson and a veteran of leadership roles at BMW, Nissan and Infiniti, who also happens to be the first German to ski solo to the South Pole. Last year Krueger charted a route through Antarctica’s Queen Maud Mountains that had never been attempted before. 

Why listen

• What a tear in a tent during a polar expedition taught him about accountability Krueger describes a moment that was genuinely life-threatening and explains why it shaped how he leads teams to this day.

• Why Dyson’s decision to abandon its electric car project was not a failure at all  The prototype had a 1,000-kilometre range and was running. Krueger explains the conscious capital allocation decision behind walking away, and why it served the company well.

• What legacy automakers like BMW and Nissan need to do to survive industry disruption Krueger’s advice is not about chasing every trend but about identifying and doubling down on core strengths before taking bold decisions.

• Why a teammate had to eat two pizzas, a mountain of spaghetti and half a litre of vanilla ice cream topped with mayonnaise before a South Pole expedition  Yes, this is real, and yes, Krueger explains exactly why.

This conversation moves between adventure and challenge against a backdrop of corporate strategy and actual human survival while dispensing so much leadership wisdom, you might need to listen to it twice. Listen now.

Discover more episodes at bt.sg/podcasts. Got feedback? Email us at btpodcasts@sph.com.sg.

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Written and hosted by: Derryn Wong (derrynwong@sph.com.sg)

With Roland Krueger, former CEO of Dyson

Edited by: Howie Lim & Claressa Monteiro

Produced by: Derryn Wong, Howie Lim & Chai Pei Chieh

A podcast by BT Podcasts, The Business Times, SPH Media

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