For our 50th conversation, we wanted to speak to someone who embodies much of what our Unorthodox Blend project stands for - honesty, reflection, creativity and courage. So it felt only right to invite one of our most inspirational and respected collaborators Drieke Leenknegt.

Drieke is one of those rare leaders who doesn’t separate intuition from intellect. Her approach to brands, culture and team building is grounded not in performance metrics or surface-level positioning, but in a deep commitment to truth. Throughout her career she consistently brings presence, care and conviction to everything she does.

Her 20+ years of experience leading end-to-end brand, product and enterprise transformations across the U.S., China and Europe is just the start - she is recognised for building culturally resonant brands, steering organisations through complex change and unlocking sustainable growth at speed.

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In this 50th episode of Unorthodox Blend Conversations, we went deep on the essentials of contemporary brand building and transformational leadership in a global economy. A key theme we discussed is the crucial role of empathy as the most important leadership skill. Drieke argues that true leadership and business strength come from fostering cross-functional and cross-regional experiences, which builds empathy and curiosity for diverse cultures and job roles.

This perspective of bringing together the “art and science” of business ensures that leaders understand and champion the non-negotiables for both financial success and long-term brand health without sacrificing one for the other. The discussion frequently returned to the idea of tension as a necessary and positive force for growth and innovation. Specifically, Drieke highlighted the critical tension between chasing short-term business metrics (like P&L and margins) and protecting long-term brand elevation, which requires consistent investment.

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Drieke reminds us what leadership looks like when it’s rooted in depth, not just short term metrics. Her thinking blends strategic clarity with an emotional intelligence, but what makes it so compelling is the way she lives that balance - not as a theory, but as a daily practice. She doesn’t frame tension as a problem to be resolved, but as a creative space to be inhabited - where brand, business and humanity can all be present in bucket loads.

There’s a clarity to how she sees things - a way of cutting through complexity without oversimplifying it. Her ability to hold space for opposing forces - performance and purpose, intuition and rigour, now and next - feels increasingly rare in the fast-paced world we find ourselves in, and feels more necessary than ever before.

In a landscape full of noise, she speaks with calm conviction (and everyone with any sense listens!). Her ideas and beliefs about what we need to do reminds us of what’s possible when you lead with curiosity and build from a place of care. We know full well that journey won’t be made easy for us but if we’re prepared to be our best selves every day then the end result will be worth it.

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A big thank you goes out to Drieke for joining us on our 50th podcast episode, when we started we weren’t sure we would get this far but we’re glad we did. Hopefully you’ve learned as much as we have over the last 2 years of conversations, and will continue to join us as we speak to more wonderful people.

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UBC050 - Drieke Leenknegt