From Transformation to Sustained Performance: Zak Brown joins The Smokeless Word podcast
PRESS RELEASE
18 DECEMBER 2025
From Transformation to Sustained Performance: Zak Brown joins The Smokeless Word podcast
- McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown joins Kingsley Wheaton on The Smokeless Word podcast to reflect on the team’s championship-winning season
- The Christmas special explores the leadership mindset and the bold decision-making required to drive transformation
- Further episodes of The Smokeless Word featuring an exciting new guest list will be released in early 2026
The leadership mindset, cultural choices and the long-term partnerships required to deliver sustained performance at the highest levels of global sport are explored in the latest episode of The Smokeless Word podcast, released today.
In a Christmas special episode, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown joins host Kingsley Wheaton for a wide-ranging discussion on the transformation that has underpinned McLaren’s return to the front of Formula 1®. Drawing on the team’s championship-winning season, the conversation reflects on how clarity of purpose, organisational culture and consistent decision-making can drive long-term success.
The episode provides insight into the strategic and cultural reset that has shaped McLaren’s recent trajectory, examining how leadership teams balance performance pressure with the need to build resilient, values-led organisations.
The discussion also touches on the role that long-standing partnerships can play in enabling innovation and progress over time, both within elite sport and across other complex, highly regulated industries.
“Zak offers a thoughtful perspective on what transformation looks like in practice: from leadership mindset to the cultural choices that support sustained performance. These are themes that resonate strongly with our own journey as we continue to evolve BAT and work towards A Smokeless World.”
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said:
“Our current success has been built on a series of long-term decisions around culture, people and partnerships. It was great to reflect on that journey and to discuss what it takes to deliver change and performance consistently over time.”
Launched in June 2025, The Smokeless Word podcast explores transformation, leadership, collaboration and the role of evidence-led decision-making in addressing some of today’s most complex societal challenges. The series forms part of BAT’s wider engagement on its vision to Build a Smokeless World.
BAT’s evidence-based platform, Omni™, launched in September 2024, supports informed dialogue among scientists, public health experts, regulators, policymakers and investors on Tobacco Harm Reduction and the transition to A Smokeless World.
The Smokeless Word is available on major streaming platforms and can be listened to here or alternatively viewed on YouTube.
Download Omni™ here.
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