Without Prejudice

A Memoir

De: Tidjane Thiam

Narrado por: Ben Onwukwe

In a career that has seen him face coup leaders in his native Ivory Coast and lead some of the most prestigious Western financial institutions, Tidjane Thiam has blazed a trail through African and European politics and business.

After a childhood in tumultuous west and north Africa, Thiam broke barriers in the elitist world of French higher education, becoming one of the first black consultants at McKinsey and Company before entering the Ivorian government. After a coup forced him into exile, he joined the world of finance, where his rise saw him named as CEO of Prudential in London and Credit Suisse in Zurich. Along the way, he was trained and supported by many both in the public and private sector who made his many achievements as a leader possible. However, his rise to prominence as the only African, black and Muslim boss of large Western corporations was also accompanied with disproportionate public and media scrutiny, as well as racism and xenophobia.

A blend of autobiography, business, politics, and personal philosophy, his book offers a unique vantage point on corporate and political life in Africa, Europe, the United States and Asia. In a story that spans from his father’s politically motivated imprisonment to the business principles that took Thiam to the top of global finance, he shares a personal and professional story that is equal parts inspirational and aspirational.

©2025 Tidjane Thiam (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers

Unfortunate audio voice

Terrible and unnecessary accent by the reader. Unfortunately for me, as a French speaker, the attempted French accent introduced a layer to the character’s identity that was neither accurate nor mastered. It did not resemble the English of someone educated in a French school in Rabat, then at École des Mines and Polytechnique, and who lived and worked in Paris. Instead, it came across as a parody, closer to what English speakers imagine or assume any African French speaker from an undefined West African country might sound like. Tidjane Thiam’s story already stands out on its own and needs to be heard in the clearest way possible. If I wanted a French layer, I would have preferred to wait for the French version (curious to see if they will also add an imaginary accent to Tidjane Thiam’s voice in French based on his origin and ignore totally his story). Sometimes the message truly matters, and in this case the form became a disservice.