Heather Mulligan joins Dr. Wayne Pernell for a rich, far-reaching conversation about leadership, public policy, global perspective, and shaping the economic future of New York State. As President and CEO of the Business Council of New York State, Heather has become one of the state’s most influential voices for business growth, workforce development, and smart economic policy.

Drawing on a life that began in Tunisia, a fast-tracked academic journey, and a career spanning public defense, legislative work, and executive leadership, Heather offers deep insight into what it means to advocate, adapt, and lead boldly in today’s polarized climate.

✨ Key Topics & Insights
• From Tunisia to New York: A Global Lens on Leadership Heather shares her early years as one of the first Peace Corps babies, her return to Tunisia as a teen, and how global exposure shaped her worldview and sense of fairness.

• Accelerating Through Academics & Pivoting to Law A skipped grade, entrance into college at 16, the dream of becoming a veterinarian, and the unexpected events that led her toward political science, law school, and ultimately a career in advocacy.

• Advocacy at the Core: From Public Defender to CEO Heather discusses her passion for being “the voice for the unpopular,” from defending clients who couldn’t afford representation to representing businesses statewide.

• Business Climate Realities in New York State High taxes, regulatory pressures, the exodus of corporate headquarters, and what New York must do to stay competitive. Heather breaks down the economic ripple effects of policy decisions.

• AI’s Transformational Impact on Workforce & Economy Heather and Dr. P explore AI not as a job-stealing villain, but as a necessary tool for productivity amid shrinking labor pools and demographic shifts.

• Overcoming Partisanship & Embracing Context The danger of sound-bite culture, the importance of understanding “the rest of the story,” and how leaders must resist painting any group with a broad brush.

• Leadership During Crisis: Inside the Pandemic Response Heather shares how her team became the information hub for businesses during COVID shutdowns — while managing burnout, remote-work disruption, and cultural shifts inside the organization.

• The Power of Listening & Asking the Right Questions A deep dive into leadership essentials: creating psychological safety, seeking input, and giving people permission to disagree.

🎥 Watch the full episode now on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/_LfSgFxdLSU

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with Tariq Malik, the “Reluctant CPA” whose career path spans engineering, chartered accountancy, international finance, and now fractional CFO leadership. Tariq shares his journey from Pakistan to England, Canada, the Middle East, and the U.S.—and the lessons learned while helping organizations navigate financial strategy, succession planning, and sustainable growth.

Tariq reveals why most business owners underestimate what they don’t know, the dangers of being too owner-dependent, and why bringing in outside expertise (from CFO services to leadership coaching) is essential for scaling. This conversation offers a blend of global perspective, business acumen, and meaningful leadership insight.

🔍 Key Topics & Highlights
• Becoming the “Reluctant CPA” Tariq’s early journey from engineering in Pakistan to studying chartered accountancy in England—mostly because it paid during training—and why he avoided the stereotypical CPA path.

• A Global Career of Service How his CPA credential became a “passport,” taking him to Canada, the UAE, the Middle East, South America, and beyond. He shares the unique cultural dynamic of training successors who later became his bosses—and why it worked.

• Fractional CFO Services Explained Why small and mid-size businesses don’t need a full-time CFO, but do need strategic financial guidance, future forecasting, and infrastructure planning.

• Owner Dependency: The Silent Business Killer Tariq discusses turning around a struggling restaurant chain—from long hours, poor operations, and inefficiencies to a 30-location success story.

• Succession & Multi-Generational Planning Why over 90% of children decline taking over their parents’ businesses — and how families can avoid regret through early, honest conversation.

• Leadership Lessons & Letting Go From operational delegation to brand consistency, Wayne and Tariq highlight the core mindset shift leaders must make:

“Experiment. Stay curious. Assume you’re missing something.” 🧭

Connect with Tariq Malik
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tariq-s-malik-cfo
• Company: FocusCFO.com
Free consultation available; fractional services typically best suited for businesses at $2M+ in revenue.

📺 Watch the full episode now on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/jlWiSUdf_MU

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, Dr. Wayne Purnell sits down with Michael Roth, serial entrepreneur and Chief Revenue Officer at InvestCloud, to explore leadership, culture transformation, personal values, and the power of consistency in creating success.

Michael shares his unexpected journey from startup founder to CRO, lessons learned from major organizational transitions, and how empathy—and not IQ alone—is becoming the defining leadership skill in an AI-driven world.

He also reveals deeply personal stories from his upbringing as a pastor’s kid, his mother’s remarkable resilience through cancer, and how those early lessons shaped his leadership philosophy and decision-making. This conversation is a masterclass in authentic leadership, psychological safety, and intentional living.

Michael Roth is the Chief Revenue Officer at InvestCloud, a global financial technology company. A former derivatives trader turned entrepreneur, he co-founded and led a retirement-technology startup before it was acquired by InvestCloud. Known for his thoughtful leadership, cultural insight, and empathy-driven approach to business, Michael writes extensively about leadership on LinkedIn and speaks frequently about character, consistency, and intentional living.

In this episode, Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with Dr. Subhan Ali, Silicon Valley–based co-founder of Gekit, a next-generation data + AI infrastructure company. Subhan shares his unconventional journey from structural engineering into data science, product management, and ultimately entrepreneurship.

The conversation explores:
  • How data infrastructure underpins all modern AI
  • Why context is the secret weapon of LLM performance
  • How to make bold, non-linear career transitions
  • The mindset required to leave “safe paths” to create something new
  • The importance of conviction, constant learning, and self-belief in leadership

In this episode, Dr. P sits down with Amber Shepherd — a leader whose journey from rural Florida to international consulting to regional economic development shows what’s possible when you listen to the “whispers” and commit to excellence.  

Amber shares how she transformed workforce programs, worked with the Korean government on global expansion projects, and now leads major economic initiatives in Northeast Florida — including a $400M aerospace R&D hub and a $125M renewable energy facility.  

Together, they explore faith-driven leadership, navigating doubt, converting naysayers, and why relationship-building is the true engine of economic growth.  

A powerful conversation about purpose, persistence, and creating significance through service.  

💡 Key Themes & Takeaways 
1. Listen to the Whisper — Leadership Begins Internally Amber shares a pivotal life moment (including a literal fall from a horse) that taught her the importance of recognizing intuitive guidance. Leadership requires tuning in, not tuning out.  

2. Excellence Is a Daily Commitment Success isn’t about perfection — it’s about refusing to let “good enough” become the standard. Small compromises lead to big unravelings.  

3. Naysayers Are a Gift, Not an Obstacle Amber reframes criticism as fuel, not friction. When skeptics convert into supporters, they often become your strongest advocates.  

4. Your Path Is Never Linear — and That’s the Point From accounting to career services to global consulting to regional economic development, Amber’s journey is a masterclass in leveraging your unique strengths while staying open to reinvention.  

5. Economic Development Is Relationship Development Big deals and big dreams aren’t built overnight — they’re built through consistent follow-up, trust, and long-term vision.  

6. Personal History Can Become Professional Power Amber’s upbringing and early life experiences give her deep empathy and unique insight into the people she serves today.

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with global finance and operations leader Alexander J. Freeman, whose journey spans continents, cultures, and some of the world’s most influential companies.

Born in a country that no longer exists, Alex moved from Odessa → Italy → Texas → Moscow → New York → Austin — building a remarkable career with Citigroup, Visa, Dell, American Express, HID Global, and more. His story is rich with insight about leadership, resilience, risk-taking, and the power of leaning into discomfort.

If you’re a leader, an aspiring leader, or someone who knows they’re meant for more, this conversation will inspire you to stretch, grow, and rethink what’s possible.

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

In this episode, Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with Bill Dunnion, CISO at Mitel, to explore the winding path that took him from engineering to operations to leading global cybersecurity efforts. Bill shares candid insights on leadership, decision-making, project success, and navigating pressure in a world where cyber threats never take a day off.  

You’ll hear stories about early career pivots, how to build credibility with executives, why delegation is a superpower, and the best advice Bill ever received from his dad — wisdom that applies to leadership, career moves, and even card games.  

Key Themes & Topics 
   ●  Bill’s surprising route from engineering to a global leadership role 
   ●  What people misunderstand about cybersecurity 
   ●  Translating technical data into business outcomes  
   ●  Why only 17% of projects succeed — and what to do about it  
   ●  Managing priorities when everything feels urgent  
   ●  Small-team leadership vs. big-organization leadership  
   ●  The hidden role of communication in security  
   ●  How Mitel supports enterprise communication around the globe  
   ●  The mindset behind good delegation  
   ●  Decision-making that leaves doors open, not shut

Grateful, but Ambitious — Leadership Lessons with Kapil Agrawal

In this powerful episode of One Sharp Sword, host Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with Kapil Agrawal, a strategic leader whose career spans top companies like Uber, Capital One, and SnapLogic. From his small-town beginnings in India to Silicon Valley boardrooms, Kapil’s story is a masterclass in balancing gratitude with ambition — and leading with confidence and empathy.

Together, they unpack what it means to be “grateful, but ambitious,” embracing discomfort as a signal of growth and learning how humility, optimism, and authenticity fuel long-term success.

🎯 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

💬 Key Takeaway:
True leadership isn’t about perfection — it’s about progress. Gratitude grounds you. Ambition drives you. And empathy connects you.

From Law to Leadership: Building a Culture of Growth with Mark Schwartz  

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, host Dr. Wayne Pernell sits down with Mark Schwartz, CFO, attorney, and transformation leader, to explore how authentic leadership and curiosity create lasting organizational growth.  

Mark’s career journey spans finance, corporate law, and large-scale manufacturing and supply chain transformation — leading companies from single-site operations to billion-dollar enterprises. Now, as CFO of a private equity–backed machine learning company in the retail supply chain space, he’s helping consumer brands recover lost revenue and drive efficiency through transparency and trust.  

In This Episode, You’ll Learn: 
     ●   How to lead through complex change and transformation  
     ●   Why culture always wins over blame 
     ●   The power of perspective in leadership communication  
     ●   Lessons from scaling manufacturing operations to global success  
     ●   How curiosity, clarity, and collaboration redefine high-performance leadership  

Key Takeaway: True leadership isn’t about having all the answers — it’s about creating alignment, learning from mistakes, and inspiring your team to grow.

In this episode of One Sharp Sword, Dr. Wayne Pernell welcomes Elena Leonova, a global product executive and entrepreneur whose work in platform product management bridges technology and humanity. Elena reminds us that even in the most technical roles, “there’s a human side to everything we do — that matters.” Her approach brings people and purpose into spaces often dominated by systems and code.

Dr. Pernell highlights Elena’s rare enthusiasm for coaching — a leader who doesn’t just endorse it, but embodies its transformative impact. Elena shares how coaching helped her “become more of herself,” a shift that reshaped her leadership and deepened her connection to her work and team.

Born and raised in Ukraine, Elena’s journey took her from studying math and physics to leading major global tech initiatives at eBay and beyond. Her story captures courage, curiosity, and the power of self-reinvention. Today, she’s building OneRank.io and writing a book on Platform Product Management, offering insights into how scalable ecosystems are built — and how true leadership always starts with people first, then process, then product.