What can you learn from someone who scaled LinkedIn’s EMEA business from 1 office to 9, 20 people to 1,000, and revenue from millions to nearly a billion?

On this week’s People & Pioneers podcast, Ariel Eckstein shares his career journey:

From consulting → driving market entry at AOL Europe & Asia → scaling LinkedIn EMEA as MD → leading Global Clients as VP → now coaching, teaching MBA at Colgate Darden, and investing in future leaders.

We dive into:

•  Lessons from blitzscaling and smart market entry

• Why there are “no shortcuts in hiring” when building high-performance teams

• The underestimated power of listening skills in leadership

• How to prepare for an AI-driven future

• Why investing in relationships and networks pays off most in the long run

Thank you, Ariel.  I came away reminded that leadership isn’t only about scaling numbers, it’s about scaling trust, listening, and clarity of purpose.