SEASON FOUR: In this episode of Talent First, I speak to Melinda Stallings, Founder of The Positive Consultant and another fabulous woman who is securing Texas through her leadership and positivity consultancy. We talk about what makes a good leader, how to deal with conflict and how leaders can be empathetic and benevolent without being a pushover.

About Our Guest:

Melinda Stallings is an internationally recognized organizational development psychologist, CEO of The Positive Consultant®, and best-selling author of The Power of Positive Conflict Resolution. With over 25 years of experience, Melinda is a trusted authority in leadership development, conflict resolution, and positive psychology.

As a global keynote speaker and thought leader, Melinda has delivered transformative insights to audiences across Europe, Asia, and Australia, and has graced the stages of Harvard, Carnegie Hall, NASDAQ, and New York’s World Trade Center. She has been featured on major media networks and in leading business and niche-specific publications, sharing her expertise in organizational strategy, women’s leadership, and her proprietary POSITIVE Approach© to Conflict Resolution.

Her latest program, The Positive Approach to Personal Leadership and Conflict Resolution, empowers leaders and employees alike to develop shared language and skills for conflict resolution, communication, and personal growth.

Her mission is clear: to positively impact the world, one individual at a time, by helping clients uncover their greatness and model leadership that inspires others.

Season Four - In this episode of Talent First, I talk cybersecurity leadership with Sonja Hammond, ORBIE finalist and CISO at National Veterinary Associates. Sonja offers fantastic advice on how to build a cohesive security team and the rewards and challenges of doing this remotely, as well as how to resolve conflicts between team members. We also talk interviewing for fit, and how to identify the right time to move into management.

About Our Guest:

Sonja Hammond is the Chief Information Security Officer and Vice President of IT Architecture and Engineering at National Veterinary Associates (NVA). With 16 years in risk and cybersecurity, Sonja recently expanded her role to include architecture and engineering. A strong advocate of "defense in depth," she is passionate about safeguarding companies from cyber threats. Sonja has held key infrastructure, security and privacy positions at EssilorLuxottica (maker of Ray-Ban and Oakley), Hewlett-Packard, and Callaway Golf Company. Sonja is one of the authors in The CISO Mentor and is a board member of several Dallas area CISO groups.

Season Four - In this first episode of our new season of Talent First, I chat to Susanne Senoff, CISO for PROS about her views of the issue of allyship. We focus on allyship between women in corporate America, how we can support each other and the benefits of mentorship. We also have a quick chat about CISO/Board relationships, so this is an episode not to be missed!

About Our Guest:

Susanne Senoff is the CISO at PROS, an AI-powered revenue and profit optimization platform. Prior to PROS, she served in various roles in risk management and cybersecurity for over 20 years, including serving as Deputy CISO at McAfee and Director level positions at Arm, Microsoft and Morgan Stanley. Susanne is a business partner integrating and aligning security strategy and practice with business objectives and process. She builds high performing teams who have fun while delivering innovative, effective solutions. 

Susanne graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and received a Masters degree from Columbia University. She currently lives in Austin with her husband, 2 daughters, ages 7 and 14 and 2 dogs. In her spare time, Susanne enjoys swimming, reading science fiction and watching movies. 

In this episode of Talent First, I return to the EdTech theme with my guest Martin Saunders, CEO and Co-Founder of EdShed.

We discuss the fantastic range of products and services that EdShed offers Primary-aged children to support their learning and their wellbeing and sense of achievement.

We discuss a range of topics including neurodiversity in schools, how the system is potentially failing pupils, and the possible solutions.

Bio:

Martin is co-founder and CEO at EdShed, a leading UK based provider of primary education resources and technology products. EdShed is a team of around 50 including regular contractors and the online games are enjoyed by approximately 2.5 million children a month across ~180 countries.

Martin started in the tech world, running a couple of digital agencies and working as a freelance app developer. Within that, he built a wide range of MVPs for startups and worked with investors to support potential and existing portfolio companies. Martin has been chair of governors at a primary school for ~12 years but found himself enjoying the school environment more so retrained as a primary school teacher. Those two things came together in the Spelling Shed game, which later became EdShed and has rapidly escalated since!

Martin also has a PhD in medicine (hyperpolarised NMR spectroscopy) and runs a BJJ / Muay Thai gym.

In this week's episode, I chat to Christophe Foulon, vCISO at Quisitive and Adjunct Professor at Bellevue University.

We discuss a range of current issues in cybersecurity, from the so called talent gap to what entry level really means, and we chat about Chris's career journey so far. His work with Whole Human Cyber Initiative and his books on nailing the cybersecurity interview will be of huge interest to all of those looking for advice from someone who is really in the know.

In this episode I speak to Professor Sarah Jones, Pro Vice Chancellor for Education at Solent University. We talk about passions that we share - how to enhance learning and teaching through technology, digital equity and accessibility and the future of education.

We also discuss Sarah's work on AI literacy and her development of AI literacy frameworks for Higher Education students with a key focus on bias, privacy, verification, transparency and ownership.

A definite listen for anyone concerned about our young people and their future in this increasingly digital world.

In this episode of Talent First, we return to those leading the way in education technology - and this week I talk to Estelle Lloyd, Co-Founder and COO of Macademia, an edutainment platform whose mission is to help parents raise exceptional humans with their focus on being kinder, smarter and with a keen sense of social values.

I loved this chat with Estelle - her views on digital literacy, accessibility and how we keep our young people safe whilst preparing them for the digitial world aligns with our thoughts here at Talent First.

In this episode, I talk cybersecurity awareness training with the fantastic Jemma Davis, Founder of Culture Gem.

Jemma shares her incredible personal story and professional journey into cyber and we discuss how to get away from boring security awareness training, what Culture Gem offers their clients, and what a true security culture looks like.

BIO:

Jemma Davis is a leading Cyber Behaviour and Culture Transformation Consultant and the CEO of Culture Gem. Her journey into cybersecurity began during the global WannaCry attack, which deeply impacted thousands across the UK and sparked her dedication to protecting people from cyber threats.

With a foundation in direct response marketing, Jemma combines her creative ingenuity and conversion acumen to pioneer advancements in cybersecurity. She leverages direct response marketing techniques to drive transformative behavioural changes in the digital sphere, fostering safer online practices.

Jemma’s mission is to empower people to navigate the digital world safely and to help companies build a robust security culture. She is committed to creating a community of cyber-aware individuals equipped to tackle cyber threats and scams. Collaborating with various organisations, she enhances their cybersecurity strategies and simplifies complex cyber issues, making them understandable and actionable for all. Jemma believes that fostering good cybersecurity habits personally can lead to a more secure interconnected world.

Join Jemma in her mission to create a safer digital future. Together, we can build a more secure and resilient cyber environment for everyone.

This week's episode of Talent First is a remaster of a fantastic discussion with David Pugh-Jones, Board Trustee and Founding Executive Charity Member for Neurodiversity in Business.

NiB is an industry forum that seeks to improve the inclusion of neurodivergent people in the workforce and that is why I wanted to include this chat with David here - because at the core of their work and when we speak about DEI, it's about education.

David and I talk about the benefits of diversity, how to create a safe workplace and his advice to companies looking to improve equitable hiring and inclusion practices not just as tick box exercise but for their commercial benefit.

BIO:

David Pugh-Jones is a renowned marketer and business strategist with a distinguished career in leading digital transformation and technology-driven strategies across a range of industries, including technology, research and development, Web3, and AI. With over 25 years of experience, inclusive of spending a decade as the Global Creative Strategy Director for Microsoft, David has consistently delivered award-winning, multi-market content experiences for global blue-chip giants, scale-ups, and innovative startups. His expertise lies in utilising data-driven insights to craft culturally nuanced marketing and partnership programs that resonate across diverse markets.

Beyond the boardroom, David is an enthusiastic advocate for evolutionary and positive change, particularly in championing neurodiversity. As a Trustee, Interim Chairman, and Founding Executive Member of Neurodiversity in Business, David has been instrumental in promoting neurodivergent recruitment, retention, and empowerment. From its inception and launch in UK Parliament three years ago, he has proudly supported this pioneering charity, now boasting over one thousand corporate members, including the likes of Google, Amazon, IBM, JP Morgan, Unilever, Rolls Royce, and Sage, positioning neurodiversity as a competitive advantage in the modern business landscape. David believes that prioritising the unique neurological traits and skills of individuals can transform workplace culture, drive innovation, and achieve superior business outcomes in today’s digital economy.

Throughout his career, David has taken pride in not just leading but sculpting diverse and talented teams across multiple business divisions. Whether managing, mentoring, or coaching, he has honed the skills of teams with varied expertise, including globally remote teams. Remote and hybrid working leadership is not just a necessity but a forte for David, who is committed to creating, leading, and empowering diverse and collaborative teams evolving the business landscape and the preparing for the future of work. He firmly believes that this is the key to achieving long-term success for visionary brands, as well as making an enduring impact on the industry and personal growth.

David’s passion for branding, marketing, and cutting-edge technologies is matched by his dedication to positive social impact, making him a pivotal figure in both the corporate business and charitable sectors.

David Pugh-Jones | LinkedIn

David Pugh-Jones (@davidpj) / X

This week's episode of Talent First sees a return to a focus on EdTech innovators with a fantastic chat with Fadl Al Tarzi, Founder and CEO of Nexford University.

Nexford University offers students a range of online courses with an innovative approach to learning and teaching and to assessment which is a real passion of mine - and his focus on affordability and relevance of education (and how it prepares students for future careers) is what makes Nexford really stand out as a choice for students globally.