Manageable Conversations

Dannie Lynn Fountain is a passionate storyteller who helps companies focus on people. By day, she works at Google hiring the world’s most talented software engineers. By night she supports clients and brands with HR-focused diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. Dannie is a five-time author and in her latest book, Ending Checkbox Diversity, she rewrites the story of performative allyship in corporate America.

In this episode, we discuss: 

• Duality of DE&I, contrasting authentic and performative actions
• Growing people as a growth strategy
• Being CEO by night and what that means for you
• Integration of work and life as opposed to finding that elusive balance
• How she prefers feedback in writing due to autism/ADHD

Helena Gaunt is the Principal at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. She began her career as a professional oboist, before moving into academia. She then transitioned into strategic leadership roles, serving as Vice Principal and Director of Innovation at London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Here, Helena pioneered the use of coaching to boost creative output, a practice she continues to develop in her current role.

In this episode, we discuss:

• the discipline of presence
• the culture and practice of ensemble working
• why we should all be paying more attention to the ways in which we breathe

Cat Agostinho is the Co-founder of Imagen Insights, which offers organisations Gen Z insights within 72 hours. She is on a mission to support young people and provide them with opportunities regardless of their background. Cat has co-created a business and a culture that champions inclusivity, and caters for different languages, disabilities and social factors.

In this episode, we discuss:

• putting culture first
• the co-founder dynamic
• transparency within teams
• what managers have to gain from listening to a new generation of employees

Nabila is President of Revolent Group, which creates cloud talent that can thrive in niche technology markets. She's also on the Board of Tenth Revolution Group, the parent company of Frank Recruitment Group, Revolent Group and Rebura.

Nabila was recognised in Management Today's 35 Women Under 35 List 2019 and selected as Globant's Inspiring Executive UK in 2021. Under Nabila’s leadership, Revolent has won multiple awards including Diversity Employer of the Year at the Computing Women in Tech Excellence Awards for two consecutive years.

In this episode, Nabila shares her thoughts on:

• Leading and sustaining a truly diverse organisation
• Being empathetic as a leader, caring and listening to others
• Positive and negative role models
• Getting ahead through continuous learning
• Resilience as a leader

Bruce Daisley is one of the UK’s most influential voices on fixing work. His first book, The Joy of Work, was a Sunday Times number 1 bestseller, ending 2019 as the UK’s top selling business hardback of the year. Previously he spent over a decade running Twitter and YouTube in Europe (the latter at Google).

Bruce runs the Apple #1 Business Chart topping podcast Eat Sleep Work Repeat on work culture. His second book, Fortitude, about how we think about resilience incorrectly, is out in August 2022.

In this episode, Bruce shares his thoughts on:

• The value of enthusiasm and intellect over experience and seniority
• How to tackle the burnout epidemic through the lenses of scarcity and slack
• The need to challenge orthodoxies around resilience

Erich is CEO of BlueBay Asset Management, ultimately a part of RBC, which is one of the world's biggest banks by market value. Erich also oversees the Non-North American business of RBC Global Asset Management.

In this episode, he talks about:

• Countering imposter syndrome
• Transparency as part of inclusive management
• Growth mindset and learning from mistakes
• Autonomy vs micro-management
• Continuous professional development

Pia is a Non-Executive Director at BUPA, Origin Materials and MAX Burgers. She was formerly Chief Sustainability Officer at Ingka Group, the largest IKEA franchisee. IKEA is the world's leading home furnishing retailer.
 
In this episode, Pia talks about:

• Her transition from a high-profile global role at IKEA
• Driving the sustainability agenda alongside other priorities
• Leadership qualities that enable change
• Diversity and inclusion

Pia enjoys splitting her time between board, advisory and keynote speaking roles across the world. She advises several professional services and private equity firms on sustainability, and speaks on sustainability and business transformation. Pia held the position of Chief Sustainability Officer at IKEA/Ingka Group between 2017 and 2021, and worked at IKEA for 13 years. While there she developed and implemented the Ingka People & Planet Positive strategy, established measurable goals, and embedded these in business plans as well as budgeting and financial investment processes.

Charles is the founding CEO of A Blueprint for Better Business, an independent charity that acts as a catalyst for change in business. Blueprint helps businesses realise their true long term potential: to serve society, respect people, rediscover their purpose and thereby earn a fair and sustainable return for investors.

In this episode, Charles talks about:

• Moving on as CEO
• Ways in which he's improved as a leader
• What it means to be a purpose-led organisation
• How managers need to be with their teams
• Managing change using Charles Handy's S-curve

Charles initially qualified as an accountant with KPMG in London. He moved to the House of Commons as Clerk to the Trade and Industry Select Committee and subsequently worked as senior research officer at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. He went on to become assistant general secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, where he was principal advisor to the Bishops on domestic public policy issues.

Mark is CEO of Wilshire, the global investment management, advisory and data firm. He was previously the founding CEO of what has become FTSE Russell, one of the world's leading providers of financial market data.

In this episode, Mark talks about:

• breaking through as an outsider
• seeking help when you're stuck
• the power of inclusion and community
• adapting with humility
• the player-coach continuum

Inken Thomas, our Co-Founder, introduces five women CEOs who've been on the show:

• Ambre Soubiran, CEO of Kaiko
• Gillian Harrison, CEO of Whitefox Technologies
• Janthana Kaenprakhamroy, CEO of Tapoly
• Neta Meidav, CEO of Vault Platform
• Sabine VanderLinden, CEO of Alchemy Crew

They comment on how they stay sharp and effective as leaders, and they share tips for managers to get the best from their teams.