Leaders with Ambition

​“Timing is everything,” or so goes the old adage. But, as Nicky Acuna Ocana’s guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition amply demonstrates, our choices also have everything to do with creating good luck!

As Chief Executive Officer at Wilkin Chapman Solicitors, Robin Simmonds has brought intentionality to every stage of his career development – which isn’t to say that he hasn’t also had the benefit of fortunate timing on his side!

He moved into the legal services realm (from his prior experience with corporate media) at a time when law firms were recognizing and poised to embrace the critical role that business management has to play.

Having secured an MBA degree, Robin was perfectly positioned to bring new strategies and practices to huge global operations like DLA Piper, where he was Head of Operations, and Baker McKenzie, where he was COO and Director of Operations for Africa.

You’ll learn on this episode about lessons learned along the way, including how it’s essential to network (even when you don’t feel like it!) and why emotional intelligence is a key ingredient when it comes to bringing teams along and cultivating healthy workplace cultures.

Robin shares career highlights, challenges and guiding principles applicable at every stage of your professional development. “A good chunk of luck is always required along the way,” says our guest. “But you can make your own luck if you put yourself out there, challenge yourself and add new strings to your bow.”  

​A thought leader in the human resources space, Kevin Hogarth reflects on today’s evolving workplace cultural landscape on this episode of Leaders With Ambition.

His most recent role, as a Partner at Strengths Unleashed, is the culmination of a myriad of high-profile roles at major global professional and financial services firms such as Ernst & Young, Capital One, Norton Rose and Freshfields.

In this episode, you'll learn about the defining values that have driven Kevin’s enormously successful career trajectory (a commitment to fairness is at the top of the list). Kevin’s approach to HR has long focused on helping executives and teams reach their potential through enlightened management – with undeniably positive results.

But it’s Kevin’s work at the forefront of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – where he has been challenging and expanding the conversation for more than a decade – that will be his legacy.

He has made inroads by documenting both qualitative and quantitative data points that support not only the business case for promoting EDI but also the ethical imperative that is changing the way organisations operate.

This in-depth discussion takes a candid look at everything from white male privilege to the mental health and business challenges that arose overnight as a result of Covid-19.

You won’t want to miss Kevin’s words of wisdom or his stories about the very setbacks and challenges that have propelled him into the position he enjoys today – as a trailblazer, mentor and authoritative voice advancing best practices for workplace cultures in these transformational times.

📌 Link to blog: https://bit.ly/3r94D1d

​Strong, healthy workplace cultures start with intentionality and, as we learn on this episode of Leaders With Ambition, clearly defined core values are the bedrock.

Nick Waterworth, co-founder and Executive Chair at the Ambition Group, shares with host Nicky Acuna Ocana the forward-thinking global recruitment company’s origin story, from its inception in 1999 to the bright post-pandemic future now taking shape.

You’ll learn about the ethos that shaped what Nick and his co-founder Paul Lyons envisioned as their mission right from its outset, including both a focus on a personalised customer experience and a global approach that has made Ambition an innovative industry leader across the UK, Asia, Australia and the U.S.

Even as Ambition has navigated steady growth through the decades, its corporate ethic and personality have remained the same: Intimate, values-driven and rooted in well-established networks, deep relationships and industry knowledge.

This lively conversation covers the entire journey, from Nick’s career highlights to the inevitable bumps along the way to a host of exciting new projects hitting their stride.

He also offers advice about the importance of engaging mentorship and gives us a glimpse into his leadership priorities in the face of a global pandemic. (Hint: Nick emphasised transparency, communication and empathy – a formula that resulted in his team emerging from Covid-19 stronger than ever.)

The episode concludes with words of wisdom from Nick, who shares a bit of the secret sauce behind Ambition’s special alchemy: A close-knit culture, shared purpose and honesty.

​Professional success stories often focus on skill, confidence and good luck. But in this episode of Leaders With Ambition we are hearing from a corporate warrior whose superpower was in many ways born of vulnerability. Tammy Bessinger, FS UK Markets Finance Lead with a Big 4, has built an enormously successful consulting career in part due to key skills learned as the result of medical and emotional challenges; skills like resiliency, empathy and authenticity. As she shares with Host, Nicky Acuna Ocana, Tammy did not come to her corporate success and trusted advisory position without first navigating trauma – and acquiring insights that have made her not only a richer resource for senior leaders but also a more intuitive and compassionate leader of teams. You’ll learn about the tools Tammy, a native of South Africa, has learned and why she believes we should embrace – rather than marginalize – the fact that we are all human and subject to hardship. It’s okay not to be okay! Tammy’s insights about taking a pause to reflect and paying it forward for others going through … life … provide a thought-provoking perspective. Find out why it’s possible to balance just getting on with it (as Tammy has done) with self-awareness (which has given her the ability to relate both to the busy leaders with whom she consults and the colleagues who help her deliver successful solutions). Tammy’s story of trial and triumphs is your invitation to examine vulnerability – and its gifts – from a new perspective.

If you enjoyed this discussion, please click here to find previous episodes of Leaders with Ambition.

We see it again and again, professionals at the top of their game are invariably clear about the importance of keeping things in perspective. Or, as our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition simply put it “Take your job seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously!”.

Erin Lawler, Head of Marketing & Business Development, Americas, at Hogan Lovells, explains to Host Nicky Acuna Ocana how she has found her way into exactly the right role in exactly the right environment. It wasn’t a mere coincidence. By playing to her strengths and embracing authenticity, Erin has evolved into a role model as well as a leading voice at one of the world’s premier law firms, cultivating and strengthening its workplace culture and global profile.

Erin takes us on her journey from the notion of becoming an Attorney (one she quickly cast aside) to finding within a legal context the perfect niche for her extroverted personality and aptitude for sales. All along the way, through a series of increasingly high-profile roles at a variety of firms, she has focused foremost on relationships. Whether as a mentor, leader or team member, Erin emphasizes the contributions everyone has to make and ways in which healthy, productive workplaces are built on a strong sense of community.

She reflects on the lessons of Covid, her approach to integrating (rather than balancing) work-life commitments and both highs and lows in a career she has loved. You’ll learn about the secret to longevity in the professional services sector and top tips for developing strong, resilient teams… while having fun! Finally, you will come away with a clear mandate: Have that next conversation. Take that unexpected opportunity – even if the timing is inopportune or it’s out of your comfort zone!

If you enjoyed this discussion, please click here to find previous episodes of Leaders with Ambition.

​It’s okay not to know! That’s the message from Maureen Penfold, Managing Partner at Moore Kingston Smith and Nicky Acuna Ocana’s guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition. Her career reflects a unique mix of authenticity and confidence – including the ability to seek the counsel of others.

Navigating a traditionally male-dominated professional services firm has required clarity and communication, says Maureen, whose steady hand guided Moore Kingston Smith’s evolution through the pandemic. But in the end, above all else, “it’s really about those relationships and the people around you that make you successful.”

You’ll learn about how this mother of two adult sons has balanced personal and professional demands (having a supportive partner is key) and why inclusivity and mentorship are so important – especially in today’s fast-paced, global workplace environment.

Maureen ticks off some of the challenges currently faced by large accounting firms (such as managing technological advances and regulatory requirements) and she also shares words of wisdom for anyone just getting started on their professional path; “Nobody knows everything. Just because you don’t know doesn’t mean the world is going to fall apart. You can learn!” says Maureen. “Authenticity is realising that you can learn from others.”

Paying it forward is an investment – one made happily by Mike Mellor, who followed his passion as a Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer for the New York-based law firm of Pryor Cashman LLP.

In this episode, Mike shares words of wisdom as well as important career and life perspectives with Host Nicky Acuna Ocana. You’ll learn how Mike came to work in legal services, what it’s like to support busy Attorneys and why it’s so important to secure their buy-in.

By constantly staying conscious of the need to bring maximum value-add with minimal interference, Mike keeps his marketing function relevant and demonstrably positive for the bottom line.

You can go ahead and call it sales, because in his opinion everything is – which is one of many reasons Mike believes networking and mentoring – along with curiosity above all else – are such important components of the marketer’s portfolio. Homework and preparation are also key!

Enjoy this lively conversation with a CMO at the top of his game when it comes to making bottom-line contributions for his firm.

Chris Hinze, our guest on this episode of the Leaders With Ambition podcast, has found at Steptoe & Johnson LLP the perfect platform to showcase a collection of skill sets developed over the course of a uniquely varied, challenging and successful career.

As the Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer, he brings to the mix a deep understanding of global communications, brand messaging, team building, strategic sales and, most recently, research and information.

He tells host Nicky Acuna Ocana: “I really enjoy the intellectual challenge and rigour of working with smart professionals and bringing my particular skill sets to the table.”

Chris shares thoughts on what it’s like to navigate through a massively complex (and seamlessly executed) professional services merger, the catastrophic collapse of a legal network and even the painful loss of an associate caught in a terrorist attack.

In this podcast you’ll learn how Chris uncovered his gift for communications and the ability to read people and situations, starting as a young student at Oxford and continuing to this day in his work building cultural bridges between Partners and staff in London and Washington, DC, where he currently resides.

The show wraps up with important words of wisdom that will resonate, most especially amongst legal marketing or comms specialists negotiating a path forward with the ultimate negotiators: Lawyers. Enjoy!

​The travel bug – with its freedom, independence and insights into cultures of all kinds – attracted Lee Curtis from an early age. As he shares on this episode of Leaders With Ambition, his father’s decision to launch the family on a two-year sailing adventure maps directly to a peripatetic, entrepreneurial career that has led to Lee, from Nottingham, becoming Head of Global Sales at Simmons & Simmons.

Having developed business and marketing teams across three continents (Australia, Asia and UK), Lee brings all the skills, passion and curiosity that make him an intrepid traveller in his role selling legal services. He explains to Host Nicky Acuna Ocana the trajectory of his career development and how he has arrived at the forefront of Fintech, taking Simmons & Simmons’ innovative suite of tech tools to clients with tremendous success. “I’m passionate about the application of supporting technology to enable efficiency in the way we deliver legal services,” says Lee, “That’s what I do on a daily basis.”

He’s also challenging the status quo by demonstrating that BD and marketing functions are critical to promoting legal services in today’s fluid, competitive marketplace.

With his engaging personality and great ability to form connections, Lee’s career highlights will come as no surprise. But he also talks about some of the hurdles he faces day to day as a non-lawyer working among the brilliant legal minds.

The episode closes with three pieces of advice that anyone working in the corporate world won’t want to miss. “Five years ago at Simmons, we were still talking about sales as a dirty word,” says Lee. Find out why that’s not the case anymore and how more and more law firms are getting onboard with business development and marketing as being essential to global growth and success! 

If you enjoyed this discussion, please clickhere to find previous episodes of Leaders with Ambition.

​Being bold may not always come naturally to Jess Gowar, who is Nicky Acuna Ocana’s guest on this episode of Leaders with Ambition. But she has cultivated her capacity for clear, straightforward communication and in doing so, has risen to become Partner for Markets & Clients at BDO UK.

Originally from Canada, Jess is a dynamic marketing professional who has evolved from a new arrival in London (when she literally got lost at the airport) to becoming a leader, mentor and exemplary industry networker. In this episode, Jess shares her career journey, philosophy about branding, thoughts on the value of data-driven marketing approaches and the constant work-life juggle.

Variety and challenge are the elements, Jess says, that bring the fun! This conversation serves as a reminder of the importance of connecting with authenticity and candour, even for those of us who are introverts by nature. The work that Jess has done to carve out a place for marketing at the leadership table is incredible.

The episode wraps up with Jess’s thoughts on career lessons, highlights and challenges – as well as this advice to keep in mind; “I don’t like being wrong, but when I make mistakes I want to learn from them,” she says. “I think making mistakes is more valuable than not making them and that challenges me to be bold in ways that I might not naturally be.”

If you enjoyed this discussion, please click here to find previous episodes of Leaders with Ambition.