«Want to be more influential? Focus on stakeholders needs». Edwin Taborda – L’Oréal
Why the future of insights is about foresight, not hindsight
At L’Oréal, leaders are encouraged to be both poets and peasants: visionary enough to imagine the future, yet grounded enough to stay close to the realities of the business. Few people embody that philosophy better than Edwin Taborda, Global Insights & Intelligence Leader at L’Oréal.
In this episode of Insights Plaza, Edwin shares how a career spanning Procter & Gamble, Mondelez, Kimberly-Clark, Electrolux, and L’Oréal has shaped his perspective on leadership, consumer understanding, and the future of insights. From AI and foresight to storytelling and human behavior, he argues that the most valuable insights professionals will be those who can combine technological innovation with deep human empathy.
In this conversation:
- Why the future of insights is about foresight, not hindsight
- The importance of being both a “poet and a peasant” in business
- How AI is transforming research, data analysis, and decision-making
- Why human intelligence remains essential in an AI-powered world
- The role of storytelling in influencing business leaders
- Early signals vs. trends: where competitive advantage is really created
- Synthetic data, digital twins, and the limits of automation
- Edwin’s advice for the next generation of insights professionals
- Why curiosity, courage, and taking risks matter more than ever
A thoughtful conversation on leadership, innovation, and the evolving relationship between Artificial Intelligence and Anthropological Intelligence.
👉 Listen to the full episode now and join the conversation.
