Leadership Discoveries

Welcome to our special Gen Z mini-series of Leadership Discoveries! In this episode, you’ll hear Clara Bolger, Payroll Manager for Transoft Solutions in the Netherlands. Hear what leadership means to her, the leaders who inspire her, the company culture Gen Z looks for, her advice to older generations when interacting with Gen Z, and a riveting Quick-Fire round. Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Clara at TransoftSolutions.com and on LinkedIn

Jill Ellul has over 30 years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry and is the Founder & Managing Director of Mojoco, a business consultancy that offers innovation-led solutions to the Pharma, MedTech, and Biopharma sectors. Hear how to boost innovation & creativity in your organisation, how to dissolve groupthink, whether generative AI helps or hurts innovation, how to keep innovation the priority in your organisation, and whether all industries have room to be innovative. Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Jill at MeetMojoco.com and on LinkedIn

Richard Cotter is the Head of Organisation Development and Research at Allianz Ireland and is a published academic researcher who holds a PhD in Management Learning. He shares what happens at the intersection of culture & strategy, why he recruited a business anthropologist, the power of ethnography over surveys, how they turned the research into culture change, and how your organisation can have better meetings. Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Richard on LinkedIn

Dr. Emmet Oliver is an academic, journalist and broadcaster. Drawing from his recent book Irish Nation Building: Government, Business and Power (1922–1958), Emmet reflects on the lessons modern corporate leaders can learn from history — from flexibility in decision-making to naming the uncomfortable truths others avoid. Emmet uncovers lessons in courage, adaptability and the art of learning from failure every corporate leader can apply today. Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Emmet on LinkedIn

Returning guest Dean McAlister, EVP, Inizio Biotech, has spent over 35 years in Fortune 500 pharma leadership, including nearly 3 decades at AstraZeneca. Hear how to focus on your people while scaling for growth, how to balance performance and cost control, why leadership needs to happen at all levels, how to approach feedback in today’s world, and whether empathy is still relevant. Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and LinkedIn, and Dean on LinkedIn

Cameron Bray is a business consultant specializing in building high-performing teams & in leadership development. He’s been the Chief People Officer in a number of organizations, and spent a formative part of his career working for The Body Shop in the UK. Hear how to build an organization around virtual teams, how to lead in a virtual world, how to optimize productivity in hybrid work environments, the biggest challenges facing virtual leaders today, and Cameron’s career backpacking the world. Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Cameron on LinkedIn

Eimear Nolan is Associate Professor of International Business and Director of the Flexible Executive MBA at Trinity Business School. Her research interests are in expatriate adjustment, cultural agility, recruitment & retention strategies, AI (Artificial Intelligence) in education, and the healthcare sector. She also offers private cultural consultancy to organisations who wish to bridge cultural gaps & enhance global collaborations. Hear the insights from creating the Flexible Executive MBA program, how we can reduce culture shock for leaders and employees transitioning to a new country or city, why the best way to learn is by mistake, and what we should be cautious about with generative AI. Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Eimear on LinkedIn

Carol O’Kelly is regarded as one of the leading proponents of Personal Branding, Communications, and Positioning Strategy for high-level C-suite and Owner/Managers, having worked with key teams in companies such as EY, KPMG, Horizon Therapeutics, BoI Corporate Banking, and The Executive Institute. She’s the Founder & CEO of Redstorm Communications Ltd, which she established as a Strategic Marketing & Communications Agency in 2003 and still works with many of the same clients she had when she opened the doors - a fact she’s immensely proud of. Hear why your personal brand matters, how to get started developing your personal brand, why confidence can be learned & nerves are a good thing, how to speak authentically on LinkedIn & other social media platforms, and how to celebrate what makes you remarkable. Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Carol at Redstorm.ie and on LinkedIn

Tony White has deep expertise in Learning, Talent Management, and Leadership Development. With over 20 years of global experience spanning industries like Financial Services, FMCG, Healthcare, and Technology, he brings a wealth of insights drawn from his career and experience in senior Talent roles at brands such as Coca-Cola Enterprises, Allianz, and Inizio. He has shaped large-scale employee engagement programs, fostered learning culture transformations, and championed diversity and inclusion to make workplaces more equitable. Hear his leadership lessons from the military, how to create a culture of learning at your organization, how to get your team comfortable in chaos, and what we can do better at the intersection of Talent & Learning. Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Tony on LinkedIn

Ashley Cox is a strategic leader in the Life Sciences sector and female founder, who has recently founded Caledonia Life Sciences. This is a consultancy specialising in corporate strategy and business development for early-stage biotech & pharmaceutical companies. With a solid background in European business development, she has held senior roles at prominent firms like EVERSANA & SmartAnalyst. Ashley is also a dedicated advocate for women in the healthcare industry, contributing over 6 years to the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, including roles as Regional Chair of Northern Europe & President of the London Chapter. Hear how to make the jump to starting your own company, what more we can do to encourage women in STEM, what we can learn from great & terrible leaders, the value of Cultural Intelligence (CQ), and her hopes & fears for AI (Artificial Intelligence). Connect with Shirley at ShirleyKavanagh.com and on LinkedIn, and Ashley on LinkedIn