In this episode of Career Conversations, Richard Greenwood sits down with Carol Fitzsimons, CEO of Young Enterprise Northern Ireland.

Carol shares the experiences, decisions and lessons that have shaped a career spanning manufacturing, HR, learning and development, and leading one of Northern Ireland's best-known educational charities through a period of significant change.

The conversation explores:

🔵 Why careers are rarely a straight line

🔵 The importance of lifelong learning and continuous development

🔵 Building confidence, resilience and employability in young people

🔵 Why soft skills matter as much as qualifications

🔵 The changing expectations of today's workforce

🔵 Multi-generational teams and what different generations can learn from each other

🔵 Leadership, resilience and navigating uncertainty

🔵 Creating healthy workplace cultures and sustainable work-life balance

🔵 How businesses can attract, develop and retain young talent

One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation is that learning never stops.

Carol explains why careers are built through experiences rather than fixed plans, why employers should place greater value on curiosity, resilience and communication, and how organisations can better prepare the next generation for an evolving world of work. She also reflects on leading Young Enterprise through significant funding challenges, the importance of protecting your own wellbeing as a leader, and why giving young people opportunities to develop confidence may be one of the greatest investments businesses can make.

The conversation also explores the impact of AI and technology on future careers, the role of business in education, changing workplace expectations, and why creating opportunities for young people to take risks, learn from failure and build real-world experience has never been more important.

Career Conversations is a podcast from Verus Search, featuring honest conversations with senior leaders, CEOs and business owners across Northern Ireland and beyond.

Subscribe for future episodes and leadership conversations.

In this episode of Career Conversations, Richard Greenwood sits down with Edwina Flynn, CEO of Wood Innovations.

Edwina shares the experiences, decisions and lessons that have shaped a career spanning hospitality, property, community leadership and nearly three decades of connection with Wood Innovations.

The conversation explores:

🔵 Growing with a business over time

🔵 Moving from management into the CEO role

🔵 Building stronger leadership teams

🔵 The value of boards and non-executive directors

🔵 Learning to trust people and step back from solving every problem

🔵 Developing people through coaching and mentoring

🔵 The importance of cultural fit when hiring

🔵 Staying curious and continuing to learn throughout your career

🔵 Managing energy, wellbeing and the example leaders set for their teams

🔵 Giving back through community and voluntary leadership roles

One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation is the importance of continuing to grow as a leader.

Edwina reflects on learning to let go of the need to have every answer, creating space for her leadership team to solve problems themselves, and the value of honest feedback, coaching and putting yourself into situations that stretch you.

She also shares practical insights on building management structures, introducing greater governance into a growing family business, developing senior leaders and creating a culture where people have the confidence to take ownership.

The conversation also explores Edwina’s commitment to lifelong learning, her involvement with organisations including Newry Chamber, Inspire and Women’s Aid, and why she believes leaders benefit from surrounding themselves with people who will support and challenge them.

Career Conversations is a podcast from Verus Search featuring honest conversations with senior leaders, CEOs and business owners across Northern Ireland and beyond.

Subscribe for future episodes and leadership conversations.

n this episode of Career Conversations, Richard Greenwood sits down with Dominic Kearns, CEO and Founder of Fibrus.

Dominic shares the experiences, decisions and lessons that have shaped his journey from launching his first telecommunications business to leading one of the largest full fibre broadband providers in the UK.

The conversation explores:

🔵 Building and scaling multiple businesses

🔵 Raising investment and securing major growth opportunities

🔵 The importance of experienced leadership teams

🔵 Learning leadership through real-world experience

🔵 Moving from micromanagement to trust

🔵 Building culture during periods of rapid growth

🔵 Making difficult decisions as a business leader

🔵 The role ambition plays in entrepreneurship and leadership

One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation is how leadership evolves with experience. Dominic reflects on how his approach has changed over the years, from feeling responsible for every decision to building teams, creating accountability and giving people the freedom to deliver.

He also shares insights on entrepreneurship, attracting investment, developing senior leaders and the realities of growing businesses at pace.

Career Conversations is a podcast from Verus Search featuring honest conversations with senior leaders, CEOs and business owners across Northern Ireland and beyond.

Subscribe for future episodes and leadership conversations.

In Episode 2 of Career Conversations, Richard Greenwood sits down with Roger Johnston, CEO of Axial3D. Roger shares the experiences, decisions and lessons that have shaped a career spent building and scaling businesses across software, technology and healthcare. The conversation explores:

🔵 Scaling growth-stage companies

🔵 Building strong leadership teams

🔵 Hiring senior people and creating culture

🔵 Learning from setbacks and difficult decisions

🔵 The difference between builders and operators

🔵 Leading with purpose while growing globally

Roger also explains the work Axial3D is doing within healthcare, helping surgeons and patients use patient-specific 3D imaging to improve surgical planning and patient outcomes around the world. One of the strongest themes throughout the conversation is the role experience plays in leadership judgement. Roger speaks openly about mistakes, resilience, team dynamics, and the realities that come with growing businesses over time. Career Conversations is a podcast from Verus Search featuring honest conversations with senior leaders, CEOs and business owners across Northern Ireland and beyond. Subscribe for future episodes and leadership conversations.

What does it actually take to become a CEO?

In this episode of Career Conversations, Richard Greenwood sits down with NI Chamber CEO Suzanne Wylie to unpack the reality of leadership at the highest level, from early career uncertainty to leading large-scale organisations and navigating complex political environments.

What You’ll Listen To

🔵 Why most people misunderstand the transition from manager to leader

🔵 The mindset shift required to step into a CEO role

🔵 How to lead when you don’t have all the answers

🔵 The importance of resilience, self-awareness, and decision-making under pressure

🔵 What exceptional leaders do differently from good leaders

🔵 How to build, align, and motivate high-performing teams

Inside the Episode

Suzanne shares her journey from starting out in local government to becoming Chief Executive of Belfast City Council and later leading at the highest levels across complex organisations.

You’ll hear:

🔵 The reality of stepping into leadership without feeling ready

🔵 Why imposter syndrome can drive performance

🔵 How to lead through resistance, setbacks, and change

🔵 What it takes to drive major transformation and long-term strategy

Who This Is For

If you’re:

🔵 An aspiring leader or future CEO

🔵 A business owner building a team

🔵 A senior professional stepping into more responsibility

This episode will give you clarity on what leadership really demands.

Key Takeaways

✅ Leadership is about direction, not having all the answers

✅ Self-awareness is one of the most valuable leadership skills

✅ The best leaders build strong teams and trust them

✅ Clarity of purpose drives performance and culture

👉 Subscribe for more conversations with CEOs, founders, and senior leaders on how careers are built and organisations grow.

Career Conversations is a new podcast exploring how careers and leadership actually unfold. In Episode 1, Richard Greenwood sits down with Suzanne Wylie, CEO of Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, to talk about her journey into senior leadership and what it really takes to operate at that level.

This is the trailer. The full episode launches Thursday 2nd April.