Crestoria Global: The Podcast

In this episode of the Crestoria Global Podcast, Kunal Bajaj talks with Erik Fidel, Senior Director of Client Development and Advertising at CNBC. Erik has spent about 30 years in media, at Arbitron, USA Network, Turner, CNN International, The Washington Post, NBC and CNBC.

Erik explains how starting out in research and data, rather than journalism, gave him an edge. He describes how he builds lasting client relationships by putting the client's goals first, and how media brands help technology companies "humanize" their story for large audiences. He also covers what makes a big partnership work, why a large budget isn't the same as a good plan, and how to balance listening and talking in a pitch.

He's candid about his biggest career misstep, staying too long in certain places, and why he now tells people that change is a good thing. He shares his view on AI: embrace it, but human judgment still matters. For students and early-career professionals, his advice is to stay curious, build your network over coffee chats, and consider starting in tech.

In an increasingly global, diverse, and polarized world, academic excellence alone is no longer enough. The leaders of tomorrow need a deeper skill set: the ability to work effectively with people from different backgrounds, navigate complex social dynamics, and thrive in multicultural environments. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. David Livermore - a foremost expert on cultural intelligence (CQ) and global leadership, president of the Cultural Intelligence Center, and bestselling author of Leading with Cultural Intelligence.

What does success look like for an accountant? In this inspiring episode, we sit down with three accomplished finance and business leaders who each forged a unique path to the top: Sandeep Batra, CFO of Pidilite Industries; Raghav Rao, former COO of Deutsche Bank India; and S.P. Balasubramanian, CEO of Carclub.

From corporate finance and banking leadership to entrepreneurship, they share the pivotal moments that shaped their careers, the challenges they overcame, and the lessons they learned along the way. The conversation explores their professional accomplishments, leadership philosophies, and the decisions that helped them build successful careers in an ever-evolving business landscape.

Whether you're a student considering a career in accounting, a young professional looking for direction, or an experienced leader seeking fresh perspectives, this episode offers valuable insights, practical advice, and inspiration from three individuals who turned their accounting foundations into remarkable careers.