CXO Conversations

The impressively humble General Kevin Patrick ‘Chilli’ Chilton joins the show today to share his 34-½ years of experience in the Air Force as well as the successful transition he then navigated into corporate America.

A note to those who have not served in the Armed Forces: I will be referring to our guest as either General or by his call sign of ‘Chilli’ out of respect for his rank and his service to our country.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

General Kevin Patrick ‘Chilli’ Chilton graduated from the United States Air Force Academy and has flown pretty much every aircraft in the Air Force inventory including the RF4, F15, U2, and the B52. He attended test-pilot school, served around the world and was selected as an astronaut that included three shuttle missions. He was also the Deputy Program Manager of Operations for the International Space Station. He then returned to the Air Force for key postings such as the Commander of the Ninth Recon Wing, Commander of the Eighth Air Force, and Commander of the Air Force Space Command and the United States Strategic Command. He is currently the only astronaut to obtain the rank of 4-star General. Chilli has served on boards of the Anadarko, Orbital, Aerospace Corporation and both level three and post-merger with Centurylink today as well as with Aerojet Rocketdyne.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:50] Michael introduces General Kevin Patrick ‘Chilli’ Chilton and asks him to share an interesting tidbit about himself — Chilli is a proud family man, husband, and father to four very successful daughters — he also played in the MaxQ all-astronaut rock band!

GETTING CALLED TO THE AIR [5:21] Chilli shares the childhood exposure that shaped his interest in flight and explains how he got about getting himself some flying lessons!

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE [7:59] The General shares how he got his call sign while flying the F-15. He also touches on how the ability to stay cool under pressure, tackle problems, and exemplify leadership can be trained but requires operational terrain experience.

NASA [10:20] Chilli breaks down what qualities NASA looks for in their hires and how executives can strive for those traits even without military training. We also get a peek into the General’s space shuttle flight experience (Endeavour — with its tense and joyful maiden voyage — and Atlantis).

PICKING TEAMS [17:37] There are more astronauts than missions, Chilli shares how teams were built for missions during his service. He recalls his first call to pilot the Endeavour and how easy the ‘yes’ came.

THROWING YOUR HAT IN THE RING [19:45] The one person and the two reasons Chilli eventually applied at NASA.

MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE CAREERS? [21:33] It used to be a general Air Force policy that if you left for NASA, you didn’t come back… but in 1996 ‘Chilli’ was invited to volunteer to help the Air Force operationalize space.

LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES [24:07] The Air Force Hierarchy is built in a moving up/moving out fashion, which generates turnover and forces focus on the importance of next-generation leaders. Chilli touches on mentorship, sponsors and the value of a good boss.

COMMANDER VS CEO [30:15] The General breaks down the primary differences between civilian and military work. A commander isn’t just a boss.

ADVICE FOR CEOs [32:40] Chilli shares what he believes CEOs can learn from flag officers — listen in for advice on what strength the military can teach you — and he shares his personal advice on what CEOs should do today to properly plan for tomorrow.

POLITICS [35:22] The General makes a statement on politics in the military and offers his perspective on how and why a CEO might be more affected by politics. He also touches on how the military/political/civilian relationships need to be maintained in order to ensure smooth operations.

FIRST BOARD [39:00] Getting his first board appointment came through an acquaintance and it was a learning experience that Chilli appreciated. He shares his view on managing board members with all the individual egos and existing relationships and baggage that this entails, as well as what the role of the Chair is.

A DAY IN THE LIFE [42:35] Chilli shares a day in his life as a board member, and what best practices are important to keep in place.

The General shares what the role of a board is — and isn’t — for the benefit of an emerging executive and how to best recruit a new CEO.

[46:37] Michael closes out Part 1 of this interview with General Kevin Patrick ‘Chilli’ Chilton and invites listeners to tune into Part 2.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

Today we will discuss how to successfully transition between different verticals while continuing to move up the executive ladder. Jean Landsverk shares her best advice on writing for the job you want and planning out a future of pivots without getting dizzy!

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Jean is enjoying a remarkable career that began with a hospitality services company and transitioned industries multiple times while ascending to the C-suite. Jean graduated from Iowa State University and holds an MBA from the University of Denver. She started her career at Aramark having sold for their healthcare division, then Coca Cola, returned back to Aramark and after six years, left as the VP of Sales for the first of several industry pivots. As the VP of Sales for C2 Media, she cultivated her five accounts to 72 million dollars and then joined Western Union. While at First Data, Jean served as SVP and she joined Affiliated Computer Services for the Federal and State sector followed by healthcare-focused TriZetto Group. In 2016, Jean became the CRO of Connecture and at the time of this interview, she is the CRO for Zelis Payments.

GET IN TOUCH WITH JEAN LANDSVERK ON LINKEDIN OR AT [email protected]

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Jean Landsverk and asks her to share an interesting tidbit about herself — She grew up on a farm!

FIRST POST-COLLEGE JOB [3:30] Jean graduated in December after the market crash of 1987 and took a job in an organization that would invest in her.

BECOMING A VP [7:10] Jean details her own journey to her first VP title and both the work and the luck that played a role in getting her there.

WAIT OR VOLUNTEER? [9:32] Jean speaks to the importance of participating on special projects and gives tips on who to seek out to find them — the busiest person!

LEAVING AN INDUSTRY [11:03] Jean explains why her division being sold at Aramark led to her looking for a new opportunity. She touches on how she went about finding this new opportunity and what her first steps in a brand new industry were like— from quick growth and acquisition at C2 to a well-established brand like Western Union.

SPEED BUMPS [18:09] Building a team, hiring the right people, and growing a business come with a set of learning experiences; Jean shares her journey at Western Union growing from 20 to over 100 million.

MENTORS AND SPONSORS [20:04] Jean speaks to the important role that great mentors played in her career path. She shares some of the great advice she’s received over the years.

SVP AND CRO PREP [21:43] Jean touches on how her previous experiences prepared for her coming roles and what about going higher up attracted her. She also shares the story of what happened when Western Union was acquired by First Data.

CHALLENGES AND PERKS [29:00] Jean touches on how leaving may have been her biggest challenge! She shares what experience from First Data she now shares as a mentor.

PIVOTAL MOMENTS [30:12] Jean shares a story on finding balance that was absolutely critical in her CRO career. She explains what her role was as a CRO and what all of those responsibilities entailed and who the people were that best guided her in her capacity as Chief Revenue Officer.

FINDING ASSETS [34:08] Looking for managers and VPs as a CRO is all about finding balance.

WRITING OUT YOUR GOALS [35:34] Jean explains how she planned out her path for the future after First Data, how she formatted her CV to fit the role she was looking for and where it took her — the pivots are almost dizzying!

FROM SVP TO CRO [39:12] Jean tells the story of how she grew her health company division for acquisition from 115 to over 350 million in five years, which prompted Connecture to headhunt her for their needs. She shares what questions she should have asked and what deeper studies you should do on a company before accepting a C-level role.

ADVICE FOR ACCEPTING A JOB [41:15] Jeane shares her tips on moving into a new company:

• Study the organization
• Understand trends
• Talk to some customers
• Interview more than two to three times

PRIDE AND CHANGES [42:23] TriZetto is a point of pride for Jean; she talks about what her most notable accomplishments were in that company. She shares the story of what happened to profoundly change her life both personally and professionally — get ready for the most unlikely bucket list item you’ve ever heard!

ASPIRING CRO [49:40] Jean breaks down the important to-dos for someone aiming at a CRO position.

BEST WORST JOB JEAN EVER HAD [50:58] Jean worked in a factory in high school and it inspired her to keep aiming for more. She shares her final thoughts.

[52:33] Michael thanks Jean for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

Welcome to Part 2 of this discussion with CEO Ray Schiavone. During this episode, we dive into what drives CEO turnover, what working for PE-owned companies is like, where good ideas come from, and the importance of doing whatever it takes. Ray also shares a heap of tips for aspiring CEOs and current C-level professionals.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Ray Schiavone started his career at G.E., during the then-CEO Jack Welch’s tenure. He then moved on to act as a tech company CEO twice over and has since settled into running his own firm.

Ray is a graduate of Syracuse University and subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Maryland where he serves as a board member for the A. James Clark School of Engineering. He has been recognized for his accomplishments with numerous awards including the Michigan Venture Capital Association’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 and the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

GET IN TOUCH WITH RAY ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:50] Michael opens up Part 2 of this discussion with Ray Schiavone with a question on CEO departures.

KING-CEO [5:22] Ray speaks to working with larger-than-life people and what a company needs to build around such big personalities in order to foster the best out of their people and protect their assets.

SO YOUR FIRM’S BEEN BOUGHT? [8:51] Ray shares his experience with being bought out by a private equity firm, the first discussions he had with the new owners, the relationship before, during, and after the transaction as well as the factors that made them keep him onboard. Ray shares his advice for CEOs who may be going into this kind of situation and the type of work structure they can expect.

WHEN OUTCOMES DON’T MEET EXPECTATIONS [14:50] Admitting failure is the toughest part of life. Ray shares a professional story of failure.

LEARNING FROM JACK WELCH AND GE [17:16] Good ideas come from everywhere is what Ray remembers first, he gives a few examples and explains how he integrated what he learned from Jack into his own management style. He also speaks to the influence Jack had on corporate America.

[21:22] Ray unpacks the toolkit he inherited from GE and explains what he still uses and what he had to change.

MENTORSHIP [24:18] Ray gives tips on how to be mentored.

REWARDS, SURPRISES, AND CULTURE [26:27] Setting a company culture starts with leading by example; Ray also shares what surprised him about being in a leading position.

LEGACY [30:23] Learning and being a good human is the legacy Ray hopes he has. He shares the aspects he enjoyed the most and the least about being a CEO — they’re the same!

IS THE OLD STILL NEW? [33:11] Giving people the power to make decisions is something Ray saw at GE and still sees today. However, decentralization and the increase in remote work make it harder to stand out.

DIVERSITY [36:51] Corporate America still has a long way to go, but diversity has increased; Ray speaks to simple things that can be done to improve flexibility.

[39:30] Motivating younger generations is a challenge that Ray thinks can be tackled with empowerment, ownership, and flexibility; he details why.

MILITARY SPOUSE [40:48] Ray speaks to his wife having been on active duty in the Air Force and the challenges related to juggling two careers, a military commitment, a family, and multiple deployments and countries!

WORK HABITS [45:20] Ray breaks down his usual routine.

RAY’S ADVICE FOR HIS YOUNGER SELF [47:12] Don’t worry, it’ll all work out.

BEST WORST JOB RAY EVER HAD [48:37] Ray shares his experience working at a circus and what it taught him!

[52:47] Michael thanks Ray for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us five stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Book: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't, by Jim Collins

Six Sigma

ROTC

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

CEO Ray Schiavone comes on the podcast for a special two-part interview where he shares his thoughts, experiences, and advice on a broad range of subjects ranging from leadership and management to the importance of listening and learning, coaching and building good teams. Ray is one of the most talented and well-rounded CEOs I’ve ever met.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Ray Schiavone started his career at G.E. during the then-CEO Jack Welch’s tenure. He then moved on to act as a tech company CEO twice over and has since settled into running his own firm.

Ray is a graduate of Syracuse University and subsequently earned an MBA from the University of Maryland where he serves as a board member for the A. James Clark School of Engineering. He has been recognized for his accomplishments with numerous awards including the Michigan Venture Capital Association’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Crain’s Detroit Business 40 Under 40 and the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

GET IN TOUCH WITH RAY ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Ray Schiavone and asks him to share an interesting fact about himself — from a formal living room to a music studio: piano, drums, and guitar.

[3:31] What does Ray do now? Business is his passion and he now helps entrepreneurs move their business along towards successful exits. He touches on the start of his career.

CROSS-FUNCTIONALITY [5:40] Becoming a jack of all trades and a master of none can be scary, but on the road to CEO, it can be a blessing: every skill and insight was invaluable in higher roles. David shares the way he approaches new opportunities: always say yes and make sure to position yourself so that when the opportunity comes, you are ready for it and start by listening, learning, and then trying something new.

14 YEARS AT G.E. [11:45] In the late ’80s and early ’90s, G.E. was one of the most revered companies in the world. Why did Ray decide to change? An opportunity showed up!

THE FIRST DAY AS CEO AT ARBORTEXT [15:29] Terrifying! Ray recounts his experience from not knowing what to expect in terms of employee perspective to defaulting to himself. For Ray, that meant listening and learning. He shares the first few weeks of interviewing employees, working with them to build an assessment and getting their support.

IT SHOULD’VE BEEN ME! [20:34] Ray gives his tips on managing people who bid for but didn’t get the position you now hold. He also shares two pieces of advice on when you should engage the board on an issue:

• Bad news doesn’t get better with age
• What’s your solution

CHALLENGES [23:48] A CEO works for all the employees; in that regard, Ray shares some missteps to avoid:

• Don’t think you have all the answers — you don’t
• Don’t be a bully
• Rally the team

WHY BECOME A CEO [27:32] Ray asks why not to do it instead: power, you really don’t have as many decisional levers as you might think! Ray and I discuss leadership and management which leads to a story about what Ray’s employees had to say to his wife!

CEO INTERVIEWS [32:52] The interview process for the CEO position is mostly about assessing character and evaluating trust. Ray shares a funny anecdote on his personal experience with the interview process at Arbortext!

EXPERIENCE [35:22] Ray describes the kinds of experience you should aim to get if you are an aspiring CEO. From taking chances to making sure you are visible.

MANAGEMENT STYLE [36:35] Ray speaks to his management style of empowerment, driving and demanding excellence and his mantra: “Have fun, make a buck, and win.” He also touches on how he rewards excellence and shares the actual organizational concept and work routine he uses — quick market intelligence.

VPs AND SVPs [42:22] What does Ray look for in a VP or SVP? He explains what sets people apart that manage to break into the c-suite: how they tackle ambiguity! Can you come up with a vision without any directive?

GUT HIRES [44:57] Ray shares the story of a persistent applicant and how he hired one of his CFOs.

[47:38] Michael invites Ray Schiavone for a Part 2 and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us five stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Jack Welch

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

David McDougall joins the show to share his 20- year-plus expertise on what it takes to make a good Chief Sales Officer (CSO) and what sales management professionals need to foster in themselves in order to run better teams.

Ever wonder how big game deals pursuit prepare a future CSO? Tune in to hear some seriously insightful advice on what it takes to take on the C-Suite.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

David McDougall is Vice President, Cloud and Managed Services at ConvergeOne. His career spans over two decades and he has held the position of Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer at CSS Corporation, as well as senior positions at firms including Capgemini, T-Systems, Siemens, and Inacom Corporation.

GET IN TOUCH WITH DAVID ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

OC Executive Search: OCExecutivesearch.com

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:51] Michael introduces David McDougall and asks him to share an interesting tidbit about himself.

[3:03] David touches on the multiple ways in which sales skills translate to different roles and even transcend the professional sphere.

ON MENTORING [5:25] There are people who play a seminal role in shaping our professional futures; David shares the impact one of his superiors had on him as well as the organic nature of this mentoring relationship, as opposed to formal. He also shares what being a mentor himself has taught him.

[9:11] David and Michael discuss the importance of mentoring at the C-Level in terms of promoting company culture.

ADVICE FOR CSOs [10:11] Listening may be the one most important sales skill according to David; he breaks down the ways its consultative aspects can impact your interactions. David shares what it takes to become a Chief Sales Officer, from getting the numbers to being perceptive with your human resources — as well as some important KPIs to track performance. He opens up about the things he’s learned in his two sojourns as CSO:

• People are everything so build a great team
• Take the time to understand your organization
• Set very clear timelines and makes sure everyone is on the same page
• Don’t move away from what you know works

[21:17] David explains how the CSO leads the charge to get deals done and touches on all of the working parts that need to work together for it to happen. This means that your team has to trust you and you have to be the head cheerleader for the overall organization!

RAPID FIRE CSO QUESTIONS [23:24] The surprising, the rewarding, and the overlooked.

SALES MANAGERS [26:18] David dives deep into what teams working well together look like and the opposite while weaving in necessary attributes of a good sales manager and how they affect a team’s performance:

• Be in the trenches — don’t micromanage
• Get to know your people and keep up to date with them
• Find, palliate, and improve on your team’s weaknesses
• Showcase your team’s strengths
• Be ready and willing to make difficult decisions
• When the vibe is off, start probing your team!
• Build trust
• Ask for and be open to feedback; you can always get better

[35:51] If you’ve exhausted every possible option — repurposing, new talent, multiples — to resolve performance issues, it may be time to rebuild your team from scratch. If you’re there, you’ll want to over-communicate why you need to do this; what’s working, what’s not working, what you tried, so as to not negatively impact your recruiting process.

[38:12] How do you manage your top prima donna?! David shares his advice on this prickly beast.

CSO AND C-SUITE [41:14] The relationship you build with the CEO and the CFO is critical and it starts at the interview process. Everyone needs to be on the same page, understand the go-to-market strategy and the strategic plan to get there. David touches on the slight differences between being a newly hired CSO and a long time CSO in the company.

[45:13] David talks about what you should be doing and the skills you should be building if you aim to become a VP or a CSO. Go read! Learn!

BIG DEALS [46:34] David and Michael discuss how big game deals are unique and different from normal-sized deals and how they contribute to the ability to run a sales organization.

DAVID’S ADVICE FOR HIS YOUNGER SELF [51:34] Continue being positive, stay on your vision, work hard, be grateful and there will be setbacks.

BEST WORST JOB DAVID’S EVER HAD [52:13] David goes back to his help desk days, getting unhappy customers with problems... It taught him a few lessons!

[55:09] Michael thanks David for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please gives us five stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Leaders Eat Last, by Simon Sinek

Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done, by Larry Bossidy, Ram Charan, and Charles Burck

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, by Angela Duckworth

TEDtalks

Sales Hacker podcast

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

ABOUT YOUR HOST

For the past 20 years, Michael Mitchel, B.A., has been interviewing leaders in their fields. He started his career recruiting for United Parcel Service in Seattle, where he implemented the company's Welfare to Work program for the Washington State District. He has recruited for Federal agencies and U.S. Department of Defense contractors for classified programs internationally. He Founded OC Executive Search in 2001 to serve companies ranging from startups to Global F10.

Michael is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Navy and enjoys skiing, cycling, traveling, photography as well as hiking in the Colorado Rockies with his cattle dog, Kala the Wunderdawg.

FIND MICHAEL MITCHEL ON LINKEDIN AND ON TWITTER

Todd Siegler joins the show today to shed some light on the differences in C-suite roles depending on the organization, C-suite interactions, management of direct reports and aiming at having an impact, above all else.

Join us today for an in-depth discussion about the inner-workings of the C-suite.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Todd Siegler graduated from Princeton University and Tulane Law School — talk about a well rounded CXO! He has been a CFO, a COO, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Development Officer, General Counsel and saved the CEO title for his own company.

GET IN TOUCH WITH TODD ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCexecutivesearch.com 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Todd Siegler and asks him to share an interesting tidbit about himself.

[3:05] Todd talks about the two things his firm currently does and the one product he is poised to launch in the next quarter.

ACCIDENTALLY INTENTIONAL CAREER PATHS [3:54] Todd and Michael discuss the often convoluted paths that take you on your professional journey.

SO, WHAT’S A CAO? [6:28] Todd touches on the nature of the CAO role, from human resources to legal counsel, with a stopover on infrastructures, as well as the differences in how companies tackle this role with regards to the importance they place on HR.

Todd also shares his takeaways from nine years of experience wearing and stacking different hats from Corporate Development, General Counsel, to finance and even technology.

MULTI-BILLION TRANSACTIONS [10:25] Having been privy to 100+ mergers and acquisition deals, Todd speaks of his involvement in two major transactions and shares a war story!

PREPPING FOR CEO/COO [13:50] Todd highlights the two principal ways being a CAO prepared him for higher positions:

1. Hiring —  it offers you an opportunity to get a first-hand understanding of what it takes to build a successful team.
2. Multiple facets of business — being a CAO lets you stick your fingers in many aspects of the business; you can learn a lot.

Todd shares tips and best practices for building great teams as well as the importance of clear expectations and building good structures.

FOR INFLUENCE: CFO OR COO? [17:32] Todd speaks to the wide span of company structures, and how a variety of C-suite structures can fit into each according to their primary needs and goals. This makes it harder to determine which has the most strategic influence and overall impact since from one company to the next, their effective reach may differ.

Todd’s advice? When looking for new opportunities, you should really focus on people as opposed to title.

[21:45] Why aim for a COO position? It’s a question of impact in mentoring and growing people, as well as on the business and the strategy. Todd shares a story from his time at Marketforce that emphasizes the importance of building people — and companies — up to the point where they don’t need you.

[24:30] What’s your legacy? Is a question I like to ask prospective candidates. Todd shares his view on the importance of the impact you have

ADVICE FOR A VP [25:39] You’re aiming for C-suite? Stretch yourself. Feel uncomfortable.

C-LEVEL SURPRISES [26:41] Todd opens up about what surprised him when he made the C-suite. Impact first, but also the titles may be the same but the job is different according to the company.

This last one leads him to underscore the important questions to ask when moving into a role:

• What does it mean to be Cxx here?
• What decisions can you make?
• What role can you have?

THE REWARDS [28:01] The rewards are all about people for Todd: mentoring, seeing people grow, seeing your teams do well and having an overall positive impact on the company.

MANAGING DIRECT REPORTS [28:53] Todd discusses best practices when it comes to managing your direct reports. It’s about them.

But really, hire great people and let them do their job, and lead by example.

BOARD EXPERIENCE (IS IT A BLESSING OR A CURSE?) [31:02] Todd breaks down the steps to getting a good balance on your board — it’s really about relationships — as well as how to properly prepare for meetings.

MAKING BAD DECISIONS [34:51] You will never have perfect information; don’t be afraid to make a mistake: it’s a chance to learn. Todd can tell you every detail of the three to four bad mergers and acquisitions he was a part of, he learned.

Making mistakes is par for the course to becoming CXO.

TODD’S ADVICE FOR HIS YOUNGER SELF [37:40] Continue to push on the opportunities that deliver experience, not money. Stay you, and if it doesn’t fit with you, you can say no. Finally, live below your means.

BEST WORST JOB TODD’S EVER HAD [39:55] Todd shares his worst job but really, all his jobs have had some bad.

[42:23] Michael thanks Todd for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please gives us five stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Malcolm Gladwell

Freakonomics

Lean startup

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

This episode is Part 2 of the interview with Mary-Margaret Henke. Today we discuss her insight on aiming for and reaching the C-suite.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Mary-Margaret graduated from the University of Denver and is a Certified Public Accountant. She is a member of the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business executive advisory board. She started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC as a consultant, then CoBank followed by Janus Henderson Investors as their Chief Audit Executive. She then joined Western Union and pursued several roles including CAE.

Mary-Margaret recently served as Chair of the Audit Advisory Committee on the Supervisory Board for the Western Union International Bank out of Vienna, Austria. Mary-Margaret volunteers with the learning source and was recognized as an emergent leader by the Colorado Certified Public Accountant organization in 2014.

GET IN TOUCH WITH MARY-MARGARET ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[2:16] Michael opens up Part 2 with a question on palace intrigue as well as how Mary-Margaret’s path to the C-suite unfolded. She shares a tip about being verbal with your ambition.

RAISE YOUR HAND, SAY YES [5:57] Mary-Margaret shares specific examples of how she nurtured the relationships that propelled her along the way.

MENTORS AND SPONSORS [8:55] Mentors and sponsors are very different; Mary-Margaret details how. She touches on how to develop those relationships and shares her own experience mentoring junior executives and even further, teenagers!

REACHING THE C-LEVEL [11:55] Reaching the C-level isn’t a simple endeavor, Mary-Margaret reiterates the 80/20 rule she shared earlier but adds a caveat: is the C-suite your end-all goal?

WORK/LIFE [13:38] Balancing family and the C-level is hard, and it’s done over time. Mary-Margaret shares her advice for managing stress and getting it all done: reach out to your support systems!

INFLUENCE [17:35] Mary-Margaret shares aspects of businesses where a CAE is not required but ultimately beneficial.

SURPRISE, WE’RE ALL HUMAN! [19:44] The most surprising aspect of being at the C-level for Mary-Margaret was the deconstruction of the ideal: they’re human too!

GLOBAL INFLUENCE [21:15] The global aspect of Western-Union was the most influential in shaping Mary-Margaret as an executive; she shares why.

LINEAR OR OPPORTUNISTIC? [22:44] Mary-Margaret takes a look back at her career journey. She opens up about the three qualities that have served her best.

PRESSURE [24:22] Pressure points in head of audit roles are common; Mary-Margaret shares a personal experience to highlight how she handles them.

BANKS [28:49] The differences between farm and consumer banking?

INITIATIVE [31:33] Mary-Margaret shares an initiative she spearheaded as well as how she set it up. She also invites people who see an opportunity for solving a problem to raise their hand to solve it!

MARY-MARGARET’S ADVICE FOR HER YOUNGER SELF [34:09] When you lose, don’t lose the learning.

BEST WORST JOB MARY-MARGARET EVER HAD [35:27] Working for an unpleasant, emotionally unstable, volcanic basketcase — twice — sometimes, it’s OK to walk away.

READ, LISTEN AND GET IN TOUCH [37:17] Mary-Margaret shares her reading and listening list, find all the links below.

[38:54] Michael thanks Mary-Margaret for coming on the podcast to share her insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Book: QBQ! Be Outstanding, by John G. Miller

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly

This episode is Part 1 of 2 of a fascinating interview with Mary-Margaret Henke, a trailblazer executive with a wealth of knowledge gained from a multi-faceted career.

Today we will discuss building an internal coalition and support network for both personal and professional growth and promotions as well as managing the international responsibilities and relationships for a Fortune 500 company with 12,000 employees and 5.6 billion dollars in revenue.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Mary-Margaret graduated from the University of Denver and is a Certified Public Accountant. She is a member of the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business executive advisory board. She started her career at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC as a consultant, then CoBank followed by Janus Henderson Investors as their Chief Audit Executive. She then joined Western Union and pursued several roles including CAE.

Mary-Margaret recently served as Chair of the Audit Advisory Committee on the Supervisory Board for the Western Union International Bank out of Vienna, Austria. Mary-Margaret volunteers with the learning source and was recognized as an emergent leader by the Colorado Certified Public Accountant organization in 2014.

GET IN TOUCH WITH MARY-MARGARET ON LINKEDIN

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Podfly Productions: Podfly.net

Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org

OC Executive Search: OCExecutiveSearch.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS

[1:52] Michael introduces Mary-Margaret and asks her to share an interesting tidbit about herself — she has visited 27 different countries!

THE AUDIT WORLD [4:29] Mary-Margaret shares three surprising aspects of the audit world as it relates to executives:

1. Having access to the entire executive team
2. Having a broad view of the organization
3. Becoming skilled with uncomfortable conversations

REPORTING [7:19] The head of Audit in a public company is required to report to the board. Mary-Margaret touches on how that affects the relationship with the CEO.

WHAT IS A CAE? [10:36] What exactly does the Chief Audit Executive do? Mary-Margaret explains when the CAE is brought in: is it for corporate espionage? embezzlement? or even note-sliding under doors?

CAREER PATH [16:00] Mary-Margaret touches on how, and why, the head of audit position often leads to other CXO positions. She also dives into what her career path unfolded and how it brought her to where she is today.

200+ COUNTRIES [20:48] Mary-Margaret details her relationship with 50 direct reports across the globe, as well as how she kept abreast of different foreign news and laws.

[23:10] Mary-Margaret shares how Western Union works with law enforcement to thwart terrorism, drug cartel, and human trafficking cases.

SALES [26:29] Sales is the only part of the business the Chief Audit Executive doesn’t touch.

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS [27:24] Mary-Margaret explains why it’s so important to work on your relationships one-on-one, whether within the company, B2B, or with regulatory bodies. She shares a personal story of working with challenging personalities as well as how she turned the situation around.

FILLING A CXO CHAIR [31:24] Western Union is a $5 billion-plus company; Mary-Margaret talks about the recruiting process as well as how her position was involved.

PROFESSIONAL GROWTH [33:26] Mary-Margaret shares her three keys pieces of advice for scaling within a company:

1. Hard work (all aspects of it!)
2. Champion
3. Luck

[37:06] Michael closes out Part 1 of this interview with Mary-Margaret Henke and invites listeners to tune into Part 2.

We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please give us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Western Union

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Jalan Crossland for the music

Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search

Joseph Batty at Podfly

Corey Coates at Podfly