How to Lead Through Change in Big Tech with Lidiane Jones

Lidiane Jones shares the leadership playbook most tech leaders ignore.

From growing up in São Paulo to working in Silicon Valley, Lidiane built her career on one thing: adaptability. In this conversation, she breaks down how to scale products globally, why senior leaders need to actually use their own product, and what the future of AI means for human creativity.

Lidiane Jones is a longtime tech leader who has spent her career building and scaling digital products at some of the world's best known companies. She's held senior roles at Microsoft, Sonos, and Salesforce, and served as CEO of both Slack and Bumble. Today she works as an adviser and board member, bringing a human-centered perspective to how companies grow, adapt, and lead.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

🌍 How growing up in Brazil shaped her approach to building products for a billion global users

📉 Why the innovator's dilemma nearly stalled Microsoft Office's move to the cloud

🎵 The Sonos principle "don't stop the music" that changed how she leads every team since

🤝 How she used her immigrant story to unite Slack and Salesforce employees after acquisition

🧠 Why senior leaders who don't use their own product are making a critical mistake

⚡ What AI should actually unlock for businesses (hint: it's not just productivity)

About the Guest:

Lidiane Jones is a Brazilian-American technology executive, investor, adviser, and board director. She has served as CEO of both Slack and Bumble, and held senior leadership roles at Salesforce, Sonos, and Microsoft over a career spanning more than two decades. She holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Michigan.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lidianejones/

Silversmith Capital Partners: https://www.silversmith.com/senior-advisors/lidiane-jones

About the Host:

Paula Caligiuri is a Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business and co-host of International Business Today. Her research focuses on cultural agility, global leadership, and workforce development.

Northeastern: https://damore-mckim.northeastern.edu/people/paula-caligiuri/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulacaligiuri

🎬 Watch this episode: https://youtu.be/YLHWcYSGknY

International Business Today Podcast:

📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@InternationalBusinessToday

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2y21XexVdXEiTBdZQIuSyf

🍎 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/international-business-today/id1665009512

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-business-today-by-northeastern-university/

🌐 https://damore-mckim.northeastern.edu/podcasts/international-business-today/

🎓 Want to lead through change like Lidiane? Explore Northeastern's online business programs → https://online.northeastern.edu/

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