Episode 075 – Richard Edelman, Edelman & Tom Wilson, Allstate
In this episode of the Executives’ Exchange, which was recorded in front of a live audience on January 30th, 2025, we feature Richard Edelman, President & CEO of Edelman, along with Tom Wilson, Chair, President, & CEO of Allstate, and our gracious guest moderator, Isis Almeida, Chicago Bureau Chief at Bloomberg. This year’s trust barometer touches on the rise of income-based trust inequality, rapidly polarizing trust disparity among younger generations, and what leaders can do to regain public trust across companies and government.
00:00 – Intro
00:58 – 25-year Overview on Rising Distrust
02:20 – 4 Important Developments Contributing to Distrust
03:50 – Trust Research Deep-Dive
09:10 – Businesses Role in a Time of High Grievance
11:25 – 5 Things Employees are Asking of Their Company
13:05 – 3 Actionable Steps for Recovering Trust
14:58 – Shure Ad Break
16:35 – How We Got to a High Level of Public Distrust
19:27 – 2 Responses to Addressing Organizational Distress
20:42 – How Executives Should Prepare for Trump Administration
24:15 – Perspectives on DEI Initiatives
27:20 – The Public Perception of Wealth
31:31 – AI’s Impact on Employment
37:34 – Wilson’s 2 Steps on Rebuilding Trust
40:16 – How Young Generations Absorb Information
43:03 – Whose Responsibility Is It to Reskill People?
45:10 – Getting Beyond the Anger Stage
47:43 – NGOs Role In Rebuilding Trust
49:35 – Merging Necessary Changes with Shareholder Value
51:09 – Outro
Episode Link: 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer | Allstate | Bloomberg
Guest Host: Isis Almeida, Chicago Bureau Chief, Bloomberg
Producer: Eva Penar, Chief Content & Communications Officer, The Executives’ Club of Chicago
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