Debunking burnout culture: Arianna Huffington inaugurates KPMG’s new podcast series

KPMG International launches its new podcast series Global Perspectives today — 08 August 2022 — with an inaugural interview with author and businesswoman Arianna Huffington who makes a powerful case for why global leaders must tackle burnout culture and focus on the connection between well-being and performance.
The series focuses on the issues that are keeping CEOs up at night — supply chain disruption, economic and geopolitical uncertainty, and climate crisis — and offers leading insight and opinion.
Global executives will help uncover the secrets of some of the most successful businesses and spotlight how CEOs are overcoming these obstacles and thriving in today’s competitive market.
In this first episode, the founder and CEO of Thrive Global and co-founder of The Huffington Post talks about how CEOs must steer businesses in taking well-being seriously. Arianna discusses her collapse from sleep deprivation and exhaustion in 2007, and the actions that leaders can take today to manage work-life integration. Since founding Thrive Global – a leading behavior change technology company enabling individuals and organizations to improve wellbeing, performance and mental resilience – Arianna has worked with leading scientists and experts to debunk the myth that burnout is the price we have to pay for success.

I believe that we need to redefine success beyond just money and power, and add a third metric of well-being, wisdom, wonder, and the power of giving back. When CEOs model well-being by taking care of themselves, they’re able to become more creative, emphatic, and productive — all the qualities that are needed during times of uncertainty and instability

Arianna Huffington

Co-founder of The Huffington Post, and founder and CEO of

Thrive Global

The world is changing fast, and that pace has put tremendous pressure on entire workforces. From hybrid working forcing dramatic shifts in corporate culture to the crush of world events accelerating professional exhaustion, leaders must navigate these issues while also taking care of their own health. I am grateful that Arianna was able to share her own experiences to inaugurate our new podcast, making a powerful case that tackling burnout culture starts at the top.

Bill Thomas

Global Chairman & CEO

KPMG International

Speaking of her own professional challenges, Arianna explains how she has managed and overcome feelings of burnout and exhaustion. Building on her work at Thrive Global, Arianna reveals how rest and recovery are essential for leadership, and how because of the pandemic we have seen a cultural shift in our approach to work-life balance. With trust in media and government eroding, Arianna believes that companies have now become the de facto sources for employees around health and wellbeing.

With much uncertainty prevailing across the business world, there’s now even greater opportunity for businesses to change their direction. That’s why we’re launching Global Perspectives—a place for corporate leaders to learn from each other.

Bill Thomas

Global Chairman & CEO

KPMG International

Available today, you can listen to Arianna Huffington in the first episode of the new series on the KPMG International Global Perspectives podcast series homepage and on all major podcast streaming services. Episodes are available every fortnight.

In this new podcast series, we hope to provide listeners with unique insights into the issues that are keeping world leaders up at night. We’ll be speaking to many more standout and visionary individuals about how they’re trying to change the world for the better.

Bill Thomas

Global Chairman & CEO

KPMG International

For media queries, please contact:

Brian O’Neill,
Senior Manager,
Global External Communications

T: +44 7823 668689
E: Brian.O’Neill@kpmg.co.uk

About KPMG International

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