Episodes

In our conversation with Patrick Vanbrabandt, CEO of the Carya Group, he shares his journey from a self-described "extreme nerd" to a leader deeply focused on understanding and empowering people. Patrick reflects on his early passion for technology and how it evolved into a fascination with how people work together and achieve success. This shift in focus led him to realize that technology should serve people, not the other way around. Over time, this perspective became central to his leadership...

This episode features Deborah Reuben, CEO of TomorrowZone, as she shares her experiences leading transformative change in the commercial equipment finance and leasing industry, an area often resistant to innovation. Deborah emphasizes the importance of a human-centered approach to innovation. She explains that while technology plays a crucial role, the success of any transformation depends on bringing people along in the process. Deborah believes that considering the human side of change is esse...

In this insightful episode, Alexis Haass, former Chief Sustainability Officer at Arcadis and a seasoned leader in sustainability, shares her journey and lessons learned about driving transformative change in large organizations. Reflecting on her time at Adidas, Alexis highlights the importance of having strong allies. Building relationships with leaders who share your vision can drive significant change, such as adopting 100% recycled polyester. Allies not only provide support but also help pus...

In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome Susie Coelho, a best-selling author, television personality, lifestyle expert, and entrepreneur, who is currently the founder and CEO of Susie Coelho Enterprises. Susie’s journey, marked by her incredible drive and resilience, showcases her ability to reinvent herself and succeed in diverse fields. Susie emphasizes that hard work and necessity are critical drivers of success. She never borrowed money from anyone, relying solely on her ability to genera...

In this episode, we sit down with Scott Kirsner, CEO of Innolead. Scott shares his journey from his early days being a Catalyst at the Boston Globe, where he helped build the newspaper’s first website, to founding Innolead in 2013. Since launching InnoLead, Scott has had his finger on the pulse of the latest trends and insights about corporate innovation. In this conversation, Scott shares some key takeaways from their latest research,"The Future of the Innovation Team" including innovators' top...

In our latest episode, we feature Ashley Alebiosu, Manager of CxO Experiences at Salesforce and recipient of the 2024 Salesforce SWN Women of Impact Award. Ashley is renowned for her relentless drive to achieve and her exceptional ability to get things done, even when it feels like she's doing "too much." Her journey highlights the importance of balancing high-impact action with moments of reflection to see the bigger picture. Ashley shares her experiences and strategies for maintaining this bal...

In our latest episode, we talk with Marianthe Evangelidis, Director of Sustainable Finance & Investment at LSEG (London Stock Exchange Group), where we discuss how knowing yourself and your values can help you evaluate opportunities, make decisions and lead you to your most fulfilled life. Marianthe shares the courageous decision to embark on a two-year sabbatical with her husband, sailing from the UK to New Zealand, which was driven by their shared values of adventure, learning and sustainabili...

In our latest episode, we chat with Renee Henze, the Chief Sustainability Officer at IFF (International Flavors and Fragrances). Renee highlights the powerful intersection of work and personal passion. She describes her journey into sustainability as an unexpected opportunity to combine her professional expertise with her deep commitment to the environment. For example, she recounted her role at DuPont, where she was involved in creating sustainable practices for salmon farming. This role allowe...

In our latest episode, we chat with Jackye Clayton, VP of Talent Acquisition and DEIB at Textio, and Katee Van Horn, Chief People Officer at Web Pros – who are the acclaimed hosts of the Inclusive AF podcast. Jackye and Katee discuss their journeys as Catalysts for change in DEIB, highlighting the importance of transparency, resilience, and meeting people where they are to overcome resistance and drive meaningful transformation in organizations. They emphasized creating inclusive environments an...

In our latest episode, we sit down with Marti Grimminck, a global business executive, social entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and futurist designer. As the founder and CEO of International Connector, Marti shares her journey, highlighting her Catalyst nature and her passion for driving change through innovative solutions and projects. Marti discusses her transition from entertainment production to founding International Connector, emphasizing the importance of seeing the interconnectedness in dive...

In our latest episode, we sit down with Melora Zaner, the Chief Design Officer at TIAA, who integrates her punk rock roots with a strategic design vision to lead transformative change. Starting her journey as a songwriter and lead singer in a punk band, Melora learned the power of creating meaningful connections through art, storytelling, and design. This foundation has shaped her professional ethos of being “firm in intention but flexible in form”, guiding her through diverse roles in her caree...

In our latest episode, we sit down with Jason Fraser, a seasoned Product and Design Leader with a mission to save the world. Jason believes one of his Catalyst superpowers is helping people shift their view a little bit, gain insight and then make forward progress. He shares the application of his superpowers with early-stage founders, as well as his work with government clients, especially his role in helping the Air Force establish its first software innovation lab for the Department of Defens...

In our latest episode, we chat with Franck Cormier, the Lead Partner and President of Smarttasking Inc. He shares insights from his extensive career, having held roles at AT&T, Orange Business Services, Ciena, and Vodafone, focusing on driving innovation and transformation. Franck shares a leadership philosophy grounded in three key principles that were born from a client complaint that led to a strategic pricing review. First, there is the need to "think the future from the future," which invol...

In our latest episode, we chat with Ian Wright, Founder and CEO of the Disruptive Innovators Network. Known for his innovative leadership, Ian shares his journey from the public sector to building a community of innovators. During the conversation, Ian discusses lessons from his early career, emphasizing that change often fails when people don’t stop to understand the problem they’re trying to fix. This realization led him to adopt a more thoughtful approach, focusing on understanding the proble...

We loved our engaging chat with Lenin Oyuga, Head of Telco Digital Partnerships MEA at Mastercard. With his extensive background in technology strategy and business leadership, Lenin is renowned for making cutting-edge technology applicable and influential across continents, including Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. In this episode, Lenin shares his approach to being a Catalyst for change within large organizations. He discusses the crucial roles of innovative thinking and strategic executi...

We jump into chat with an outstanding guest from the world of commerce, Sharon Gee, the Senior Vice President of Sales and Partnerships at Feedonomics. Known for her energetic leadership and innovative approach to business, Sharon brings a ton of experience from global companies like Big Commerce, Scuba, and more. During the episode, Sharon shares her philosophy on driving transformation within large organizations and the crucial role of catalysts in sparking growth and innovation. She dives ...

In our latest episode, we chat with Christina Rapsomanikis, the Global Vice President of Digital & e-Commerce at Mars. Known for her dynamic leadership and transformative vision, Christina takes us through her journey from fast-paced innovation to embracing a more intentional and tranquil approach. Christina opens up about a turning point when her health forced her to slow down. Initially resistant, she discovered that this shift allowed her to work more mindfully, enhancing both her impact and ...

In our latest episode, we're thrilled to have Dr. Frederik G. Pferdt, Google's first Chief Innovation Evangelist and the creative mind behind Google's Innovation Lab. Listen as Dr. Frederik shares his journey through one of the tech world's most legendary creative cultures. Frederik dives deep into his philosophies on innovation and creativity, nurtured over a decade through his pioneering work at Google and teaching at Stanford’s d.School. He talks about the concept of being a Catalyst in envir...

Maria Giudice (Founder at Hot Studio) wrote the book Changemakers: How Leaders Can Design Change in an Insanely Complex World because she wished it was the book she had when she stepped into the catalytic and challenging VP of Design roles at Facebook, then Autodesk. She shares how she learned the hard way about the importance of humility and relationship building with those most resistant to change. In addition we discuss the critical role that mentors and peers have as guiding lights. As an Ex...

We were lucky to have time with Tim Sackett, CEO of HRUTech.com, author of The Talent Fix Volume 2: A Leader's Guide to Recruiting Great Talent, who was named a Top Global HR & Recruitment Influencer by HR Executive, about the intersection of companies needing Catalysts and the current state of Talent Acquisition. From Tim’s personal philosophy of saying ‘yes’ to his advice that Catalyst executives surround themselves with executors, to why the “soft skills” of Catalysts are essential - we know ...

We dive into an engaging chat with the dynamic Louis Gump, President of Cambian Solutions and a beacon of innovation in the business world. Known for his impactful leadership and forward-thinking strategies, Louis brings a rich history of transforming major companies like The Weather Channel and CNN through technology and innovation. In this episode, Louis unpacks his philosophy on making big changes within large organizations and the essential role of catalysts in driving growth and sparking in...

In this episode, Shannon Lucas, co-CEO of Catalyst Constellations, speaks with corporate punk rocker, Greg Larkin, known as the "Anthony Bourdain of Business" and founder and CEO of Punks and Pinstripes. Like Anthony Bourdain, Greg keeps it real as he authentically shares his story about moving up the career ladder while worrying about losing his true punk rock self. Greg talks about his belief in the importance of "business punks" in driving change, especially during crucial moments of disrupti...

In this episode, we hear from Ritu Kapur, Head of Digital Biomarkers at Verily. The theme throughout our conversation is about the need, skills, and support required to bring people along on the journey to manifest our vision. She shares, It's ont about the technology or innovation, creating change is all about people. Her advice to up and coming Catalyst? "It's not all about you!" Early on in our careers, especially for women in more technical industries, Catalysts have the feeling that we have...

In this episode, Amy Kaufman (Senior Advisor, Talent Strategies, CEO Leadership Alliance Orange County - CLAOC) talks about the profound impact of embracing one's role as a Catalyst in leadership and transformation efforts. Amy discusses how she applied her understanding of the core elements of fire – that she was exposed to from her husband Mike, a retired firefighter – to her understanding of being a Catalyst. She explains how Catalyst can embody the elements needed to sustain a fire - f...