The Chord

In this week’s episode of The Chord, we explore building a meaningful career in the NGO sector with Padraic Vallely, Senior Philanthropy & Development Manager at Rethink Ireland.

Padraic brings a unique perspective shaped by diverse experience spanning political advisory work, executive leadership, and social innovation. Prior to joining Rethink Ireland (a national social-innovation fund backing social enterprises and charities across Ireland) he served as CEO of the Cork Foundation and spent ten years as a special advisor in Leinster House, developing expertise in strategy, policy, fundraising, and high-level stakeholder engagement. Based in Cork and active across regional Ireland, Padraic is deeply motivated by the idea that “working for purpose” can deliver real impact, both professionally and personally.

This episode is essential listening for CEOs, business leaders, senior HR professionals, and anyone considering a transition to purpose-driven work or leading organisational change.

Key topics discussed:

Actionable insights for leaders:

In this week’s episode of The Chord, we explore the fascinating intersection of health science and leadership performance with Joe O’Connor, a lecturer at Munster Technological University and recognised expert in the science of cognitive performance.

Joe brings a unique blend of academic research, practical coaching, and elite sport science to the world of business leadership. His doctoral research explores the drivers of cognitive performance in executives and business leaders, examining how factors like sleep, recovery, focus, and physical health directly influence our ability to lead, think clearly, and make decisions under pressure.

With experience working with high performers from Limerick GAA to Olympic athletes, Joe now translates those performance lessons to business leaders. He’s passionate about bridging the gap between performance science and the daily realities of business life—helping leaders unlock clarity, resilience, and effectiveness through simple, science-backed strategies.

Here is a link to the research Joe discussed. He would be delighted if you could find the time to participate.:

https://unioflimerick.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_74bbMxu5By9vVHw

This episode is essential listening for CEOs, business leaders, senior HR professionals, and anyone responsible for driving organisational and people change.

Guest Bio: Joe O’Connor is a lecturer at Munster Technological University specialising in cognitive performance science. His doctoral research focuses on the drivers of cognitive performance in executives and business leaders. With extensive experience working with elite athletes and high performers, Joe translates performance science insights into practical strategies for business leadership, helping leaders unlock clarity, resilience, and effectiveness through evidence-based approaches.

In this week’s episode of The Chord, we tackle one of the most pressing challenges for Irish businesses: driving innovation for sustainable growth, with insights from Dr. Ian Kierans, a growth strategist, organizational psychologist, and author of Innovative Growth: The Journey from A to B While Building C.

Dr. Kierans shares expertise from his career spanning global consulting, entrepreneurship, and academia, with a focus on helping companies foster innovation while managing change. His PhD at Cranfield School of Management explored how established businesses can renew growth—a theme central to his latest book. With practical frameworks, global case studies, and a deep understanding of organizational dynamics, Ian offers invaluable advice for business leaders navigating the complexities of innovation in today’s fast-evolving world.

This episode is essential listening for CEOs, business leaders, senior HR professionals, and anyone involved in driving organizational change.

In this week’s episode of The Chord, we delve into the concept of imposter syndrome and strategies to overcome it with Dr. Tara Halliday, PhD, an imposter syndrome specialist, bestselling author, and high-performance coach.

Tara shares insights from her unique career path, which spans a PhD in Engineering, certification in holistic therapy, and neurofeedback training. With over two decades of experience, she has dedicated herself to helping high-achievers conquer imposter syndrome, a mission embodied in her Amazon #1 bestsellers, Unmasking: The Coach’s Guide to Imposter Syndrome and Outsmart Imposter Syndrome. Through her Inner Success program, Tara has successfully guided dozens of executives to build confidence, resilience, and self-acceptance.

We explore Tara’s passion for helping leaders reach their full potential and discuss her scientific, practical approach to eliminating imposter syndrome. She shares valuable insights from her program, offering actionable strategies to help listeners identify and address self-doubt in their careers.

Through her wealth of experience and practical insights, Dr. Tara Halliday provides listeners with valuable tools to overcome imposter syndrome and thrive professionally.

The link to Dr. Tara Halliday’s quiz is here: https://bit.ly/ImpostorQuiz

In this episode of The Chord, John explores the evolving role of AI in emotional intelligence with Marie Toft, CEO and Co-founder of Emotionise.

Marie shares insights from her diverse career, including her background as a senior TV producer with RTE, BBC, and SBS Australia, to her venture into AI-driven emotional engagement. Now, with over two decades of storytelling experience and psychotherapy training, she has developed the Emotionise Process, using AI to transform content creation and communication in areas such as Employee Engagement and Customer Support.

We delve into Marie’s passion for emotional storytelling and her journey from television to launching a tech startup. She discusses how Emotionise leverages AI to help businesses craft emotionally engaging content and improve communication outcomes, and shares her vision for the future of AI in this niche space.

From her perspective as a leader in AI and communication, Marie highlights the importance of emotional intelligence in business today. She explains how Emotionise helps organizations build stronger employee and customer relationships through emotionally intelligent content, and offers advice on how leaders can embrace AI as a tool for better communication and engagement.

Through her compelling story and cutting-edge work with Emotionise, Marie offers valuable lessons on leadership, innovation, and the role of AI in shaping the future of work. Learn more about Marie Toft and her work with Emotionise here.

In this week’s episode of The Chord, we delve into the theme of resilience and overcoming adversity with Sacha Dekker, an award-winning learning and development leader and motivational speaker.

Sacha shares insights from her personal journey, spanning from her formative years in the Netherlands to her career transitions across diverse industries and her move to Ireland in 2012.

We explore Sacha’s special interest in raising disability awareness, reflecting on her own experiences and the lessons learned in recovery. Sacha also discusses the importance of building resilience and offers practical advice for individuals and organisations.

From her perspective as a resilience and mindset expert, Sacha highlights the significance of inclusive workplaces and shares strategies for creating environments that foster productivity, inclusion, and talent retention.

Through her inspiring story of defying expectations and achieving remarkable milestones despite paralysis, Sacha offers valuable lessons on resilience, determination, and the power of mindset. Learn more about Sacha Dekker and her work as a resilience and mindset expert here.

This week John is joined by Harmonics partner and organisation change consultant Neville Bourke – to explore the challenges facing middle managers in today’s rapidly evolving organisational landscape.

Neville discusses the impact of remote and hybrid work models, technological advancements, and socio-economic shifts on the “squeezed middle” layer of management.

He addresses pace of change in the workplace and offers strategies to mitigate burnout among middle managers, emphasising the need for adaptive skills development.

Neville also shares practical steps for middle managers to regain control, and highlights the transformative impact of OD tools like polarities management and the importance of self-care and time management.

Learn more about organisation change and leadership-development services offered by Harmonics by clicking here.

Neville Bourke is an organizational behavior expert with a deep understanding of the psychology of people and organisational change. With a background in business studies and a graduate diploma in safety, health, and welfare at work, Neville holds an M.Sc. in Organisational Behavior from Trinity College Dublin.

He has dedicated his career to addressing complex people issues associated with change and guiding organisations towards achievable solutions.

Neville’s extensive experience spans various sectors including Financial Services, Medical Devices, Electronics, and Social Care. Currently pursuing the Ashridge Masters in Executive Coaching at the Hult International Business School, Neville is also a registered member of the British Psychological Society.

This week we explore early career talent development with Sinéad D’Arcy, leader of the Jameson International Graduate Programme. Established over 30 years ago, the program has become a benchmark in nurturing marketing talent globally.

Drawing from her diverse background and career journey to date, Sinead has a profound commitment to shaping the future of work and offers a unique perspective on talent attraction and retention.

Discussing the strategic approach behind the Jameson International Graduate Programme, Sinéad highlights the program’s focus on sourcing top talent and creating a distinct recruitment experience. She underscores the program’s emphasis on long-term investment in graduates’ careers and delves into the evolving skill sets required for graduates in today’s digital age.

This episode provides valuable insights into onboarding and developing early career talent in today’s dynamic business landscape and offers actionable advice for managers navigating the challenges and opportunities of talent management, remote workforces, ESG in recruitment.

Learn more about the Jameson International Graduate Programme here.

If your New Year’s resolution is hanging by a thread, you’re not alone. But fear not! Dr. Robert Kelly, a renowned Consultant Cardiologist and Lifestyle Medicine Physician at the UCD Beacon Hospital joins John on the podcast today to help us understand why it’s never too late to pick up where we left off. Robert also lectures at the Royal College of Surgeons Centre for Positive Psychology and Health.

With his extensive experience and expertise in cardiology, as well as a deep commitment to lifestyle medicine, Dr. Kelly shares tips on leading a healthier and happier life. He emphasises the significant role of lifestyle (physical activity, healthy eating, sleep, stress management, substance avoidance and social connection) in preventing and reversing chronic diseases.

We also explore Dr. Kelly’s transition from traditional cardiology to lifestyle coaching and the issue of burnout and workplace health. Dr. Kelly provides insights into how leaders can better support their employees’ well-being, particularly in today’s fast-paced and often stressful work environments.

Dr. Kelly also shares number of key takeaways from his upcoming book, “Lessons from the Heart- How to Live a Long, Happy, and Healthy Life.”

You can learn more about Dr. Robert Kelly and join his community at drrobertkelly.ie

In this episode of The Chord, we converse with Matt Phelan, Co-Founder of The Happiness Index, delving into the profound topic of ‘What Drives Engagement and Happiness at Work?’

As an entrepreneur, author, and happiness expert, Matt Phelan shares his journey, starting from his early years to becoming a pivotal figure in understanding workplace happiness. His book, ‘The Happiness Index: Why Today’s Emotions Equal Tomorrow’s Business Success,’ provides a data-driven exploration of engagement and happiness across global workplaces.

Central to our discussion are the concepts of employee engagement and happiness. We explore the stagnation in global engagement scores and how The Happiness Index provides a unique approach to understanding and enhancing workplace happiness.

We also delve into the critical role of data in shaping our understanding of workplace dynamics. Matt discusses the four types of data – instinctive, emotional, rational, and reflective – and their significance in the context of employee well-being.

As our conversation with Matt concludes, he imparts key insights and takeaways, offering listeners a deeper understanding of the intricate relationship between happiness, engagement, and success in the workplace.

Learn more about The Happiness Index

Order Matt’s Book on Amazon