Today on the Servant Leadership Podcast, we welcome Mark Whitacre—whose life inspired the Matt Damon film The Informant! At 32, Mark was a divisional president and corporate VP at ADM, groomed for the top. When a global price-fixing scheme came to light, he wore a wire for the FBI—ten hours a day, for three years. The fallout cost him his career and his freedom, but it also led to mentors who helped him trade pride for purpose.
Today, Mark serves at Coca-Cola Consolidated, advancing servant leadership throughout Coca-Cola and beyond. Join us as we talk about pressure, integrity, redemption—and how servant leadership transforms both people and performance.
Timestamps:
00:00 Mark Whitacre's Intro
00:46 Welcome, Mark Whitacre
01:06 Mark's life story - "The Informant"
07:24 The Emotional Impact Of Being An Informant
08:48 Hollywood Production Background
09:40 Immunity Versus Prosecution
15:55 Decision To Reject Plea Agreement - Fight Prosecution
17:43 Personal Prison Journey - With Chuck Colson
21:47 Career After Coming Out Of Prison
24:13 Coca-Cola Bottling Company - Culture And Care
26:57 A Culture Of Servant Leadership
29:21 "t-factor" - Transformation Factor
30:32 "t-factor" Seminars
31:47 L.E.A.D.S. (Listen, Empathy, Advocate, Develop, Self-reflection)32:39 Being Salt And Light
34:32 Making Other Companies' Workplaces Better
36:10 Ten Rapid-Fire Questions
40:26 Closing
Learn more about Mark Whitacre:
https://www.markwhitacre.com/https://t-factor.com/
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