The considered C-suite executives who run Fortune 500 Europe firms, that are the area’s greatest by income, would possibly conjure adjectives like “busy” and “hardworking.”
Nevertheless it’s not all about work. The play issues simply as a lot, particularly as these prime leaders juggle high-stakes jobs with their private ambitions.
CEOs flip to hobbies to deal with the calls for of their work and assist them dedicate time to issues they like to do, no matter how tight their schedules are, the Harvard Enterprise Evaluation present in 2018. There are additionally management advantages to doing so.
Nonetheless, it’s much less widespread and definitely doesn’t dominate the narrative (until the chief is into DJ-ing or excessive sports activities, as an illustration).
We requested a couple of Fortune 500 Europe executives what they do when not at work and the way they carve time for it amid their busy schedules.
Roy Jakobs, CEO, Royal Philips: Fittest Method Ahead
Jakobs has been main the Dutch well being tech firm since 2022. The polyglot likes spending his time doing a mixture of issues, together with taking part in sports activities and spending time together with his household.
“I’m up early Saturday morning to play tennis and I run by the week, additionally once I’m touring. After a busy week, cooking with my household is a good way for us to catch up, however snowboarding collectively is the last word household time,” Jakobs advised Fortune.
“After which there’s soccer. I play each week and have been doing so since I used to be very younger. There’s nothing like staff sport, similar to working at Philips. I lately performed in a pleasant soccer match with colleagues in China. It was a number of enjoyable. Above all, I need to be shifting and doing issues with my household. Given it’s all linked to well being and happiness, I’m fairly decided each week to guard this time in my agenda.”
Joanna Value, Chief Company Affairs Officer, Heineken: Thoughts-Benders
Value was appointed within the C-suite function on the Amsterdam-based brewer final summer time. She has labored the world over in roles at Coca-Cola and Information Corp. Her favourite pass-time is fixing jigsaw puzzles, of which she owns over 40 units in numerous varieties, Value advised Fortune.
“One of many issues I really like most is how puzzles assist me keep current. Sorting by items and looking for the correct match calls for full consideration, leaving little room for distraction,” she stated.
“Whether or not it’s a difficult jigsaw puzzle or a logic-based puzzle, the exercise gives a way of order and readability that doesn’t all the time exist in my day. It’s not nearly becoming items collectively; it’s about creating an area the place I can focus, train endurance, and step away from the calls for of labor and different tasks.”
Whereas it might look like a distinct segment curiosity, Value sees puzzle-solving as greater than only a interest.
“It’s a peaceable, screen-free method to recharge, providing each a psychological exercise and a much-needed break from the tempo of every day life,” she stated.
Roland Busch, CEO, Siemens: Go Exhausting or Go Residence
Busch has spent over thirty years of his profession on the German tech firm and has been its CEO for practically 4 years. A skilled physicist, Busch has a wide selection of pursuits which have stored him sharp all through company life.
“Again within the day, I competed within the decathlon and handball, which is all about testing each your bodily endurance and psychological power. It taught me a lot about perseverance, adaptability, and staff play — expertise I nonetheless depend on at the moment,” Busch advised Fortune, including that he usually begins his day at a health studio both at Siemens or in accommodations.
Alongside the way in which, he discovered new health streams, reminiscent of high-intensity coaching (HIT) and leaping rope, which, he says, have stored him prepared for the “psychological decathlon” that his job requires.
“I’m, by nature, a curious particular person, so I went all in—I even began making my very own leaping ropes and bought fairly a couple of colleagues hooked on the interest,” Busch stated.
The Siemens chief additionally units apart time for endeavors past bodily health.
“I’ve a deep ardour for studying. I dive into matters like quantum physics, AI, local weather change, and world economics. Certainly one of my favourite books is ‘The Equipment of Life’ by David S. Goodsell. For this vacation season, I already packed ‘Homo Deus’ by Y.N. Harari and ‘Why we sleep’ by M. Walker.”
Jean-Etienne Gourgues, Chairman & CEO, Chivas Brothers: All-Spherical Well being
Gourgues served because the managing director of wine and spirits big Pernod Ricard earlier than changing into the CEO and chairman of its Scotch Whisky arm, Chivas Brothers. The manager has been bestowed the distinctive honor of the Keeper of the Quaich, a global society devoted to these serving the Scotch Whisky business.
Gourgues is likely to be steeped within the elite world of liqueur, however his interest outdoors work is all about well being and wellness.
“Staying lively is my primary precedence and is without doubt one of the methods I maintain each mentally and bodily wholesome. Train has been a focus of my life for so long as I can bear in mind and is first on my agenda every day–every part else is constructed round that,” he advised Fortune.
“My favorite types of motion are operating – for me, it is a sort of lively meditation, in addition to reformer Pilates, which is nice for construction. Prioritising this enables me to stay my life in essentially the most impactful means attainable, as a person, household man, pal and chief, unexpectedly.”
Conny Kalcher, Chief Buyer Officer, Zurich Insurance coverage: The World is your Oyster
Kalcher joined the insurer when it constructed a devoted buyer workplace division in 2019 to give attention to the corporate’s digital presence. Previous to that, she had a three-decade profession at Lego, the toymaker.
Though Kalcher has seen the world by her skilled profession, she considers touring a type of studying because it “opens my thoughts to new views while on the similar time permitting me to chill out and recharge earlier than the enterprise ultimately kicks in once more.”
“Earlier this yr, I traveled to Borneo, staying within the tropical rainforest and experiencing firsthand how Zurich is supporting the re-forestation in Sabah, bringing again indigenous crops and bushes and restoring the biodiversity,” she advised Fortune.
“This Christmas, my husband and I are touring to Taiwan, exploring the nation’s unspoiled nature, visiting the magical Solar Moon Lake, and having fun with a pure wellness expertise on the sizzling spring baths within the hills of Guguan.”
A model of this story was initially revealed on Fortune.com on December 28, 2024.
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
