The Epicenter with Ronen Mense

What if the biggest obstacle to transformation is the leader driving it?

In this clip from The Epicenter with Ronen Mense, Friska Wirya shares a hard truth about leadership, change management, and why many transformation initiatives fail before they even begin.

Friska has spent more than a decade leading change and transformation programs across mining, engineering, and technology organizations. Today, she helps leaders and organizations build the capability to navigate change and emerge stronger on the other side.

Connect with Friska Wirya

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/friska/

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https://www.youtube.com/@UClZfLdfOiaFSERgnnZOckJA

#Leadership #ChangeManagement #Transformation #BusinessLeadership #DigitalTransformation #AI #TheEpicenter

Most leadership teams don’t fail from bad strategy they fail from avoided conversations, eroding trust, and “alignment” that really means silence. In this episode, Ronen Mense sits down with Bill Randall (Senior Partner at Korn Ferry) to unpack what high-performing leadership teams actually do when things get messy and how leaders can stop getting in their own way. 🧠

Key takeaways

- Why “alignment” should look more like healthy disagreement (not polite agreement)

- How trust breaks (and how to rebuild it with clearer intent + credibility)

- The “maintenance cycle” that keeps teams stuck in avoidance and survival mode

- How great teams focus on decision-making process — not just lagging results

- The simple feedback loop leaders can use to spot performance cracks early

Chapters

00:00 – Why “alignment” is a lie

06:10 – Trust, avoided conversations, and the maintenance cycle

17:10 – Leader self-awareness: hold up the mirror first

20:00 – Performance: behaviors vs. lagging results

40:50 – When a group becomes a real team (and what stays unsaid)

Connect with Bill Randall

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-randall-60834b25/

- Korn Ferry profile: https://www.kornferry.com/about-us/consultants/bill-randall

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#Leadership #Management #ExecutiveLeadership #TeamPerformance #AppMarketing 🚀

In this episode, we separate signal from hype with Shoeb Syed, CEO and co-founder of Throughput. From “is blockchain a solution looking for a problem?” to the real-world moments it quietly powers, Shoeb lays out a simple litmus test for enterprise adoption: trust, ownership, and transparency - if your use case doesn’t need all three, you probably don’t need blockchain.

Shoeb’s path is anything but typical - mechanical engineering grad turned marketer who stumbled into ICO research, then exchanges, then founding Throughput, an infra layer that helps builders spin up the right chain with the right performance (think “AWS for blockchains”). Now based between Riyadh and Dubai, he offers a front-row view of MENA’s surging tech scene.

Key Takeaways:

•⁠ ⁠Where blockchain fits: financial services, gaming assets, real-estate/RWA, and supply-chain authenticity; where it doesn’t: gimmicks and token-for-resume schemes.

•⁠ ⁠Web3 in plain English: Web2 is renting; Web3 is owning your data, your assets, your history.

•⁠ ⁠AI + blockchain: AI can predict capacity needs and optimize consensus useful when TPS spikes.

•⁠ ⁠Adoption blocker: UX. When users don’t know they’re on-chain, Web3 wins.

•⁠ ⁠Pragmatic checklist: trust, ownership, transparency—pass all three before you build.

What if the biggest risk is never taking one?

In this episode of The Epicenter with Ronen Mense, entrepreneur and investor Simon Squibb, founder of HelpBnk, shares how he went from being homeless at 15 to selling his company to PwC, and why the real path to success isn’t a salary. It’s starting before you’re ready.

You’ll hear how to start a business with no money, use AI tools to build faster and smarter, and overcome the fear that keeps most people stuck in the 9-to-5. Whether you’re planning a big leap or stuck at square one, this episode is your blueprint for starting over on your terms.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to overcome fear of failure and survival-mode thinking

• Why job security is a myth, and what real freedom looks like

In Episode 42 of The Epicenter, we’re joined by Galit Galperin, an AI product advisor helping organizations and their leaders adopt AI, to discuss why AI literacy is no longer optional for professionals and leaders. From mastering the art of prompting to reshaping workflows, Galit shares her expertise on how AI is transforming corporate ecosystems.

Key Highlights:

Tune in for practical advice and fresh perspectives on the AI revolution.

In this episode of The Epicenter, we’re joined by Som Puangladda, a seasoned fractional CMO and advocate for women in tech. Som breaks down the power of fractional leadership—combining high-impact strategy with flexibility—and shares how businesses can leverage it to build stronger alignment between marketing and sales.

Ronen and Som cover crucial topics like sales-led marketing, data visualization, and the need to focus on customer happiness beyond lead generation. Som also compares the US and Southeast Asia tech scenes, offering practical tips for navigating both ecosystems rooted in understanding key behavioral nuances. 

Som reflects on her journey as a woman in technology, offering advice on breaking barriers and creating impact. Whether you’re a marketer, founder, or tech enthusiast, this episode delivers fresh insights on leadership, alignment, and thriving in today’s AI-first landscape.

“AI heavily depends on how organizations have structured their data.” 

“AI is about adoption, not just execution.”

In this special episode of Ronen’s Epicenter, Dr. Ayesha Khanna, one of Asia’s top tech voices, dives into the “operationalization” of AI. She emphasizes AI’s real value in enhancing everyday processes over flashy innovations. This 45-minute remote episode, filmed in Singapore, also explores the ethical dimensions of big tech, the essence of modern data architecture, and how AI can create economic opportunities for all.

AI or Die

with Shelly Palmer, CEO of The Palmer Group

"AI is a Skills Amplifier, Not a Skills Democratizer."

In this special episode of Ronen’s Epicenter, Shelly Palmer, a renowned AI authority and media visionary, makes his Asia audience debut. From his journey as an award-winning composer to a Fortune 500 consultant, Shelly, in conversation with Ronen Mense, explores how creativity, analytical skills, and expertise intersect in the AI-driven world.

This 60+ minute episode dives deep into topics like entrepreneurship, government regulation, China,"data elite," social media, and personal productivity—making it a must-listen for anyone navigating the AI landscape.

“There’s too much $ in Climate Tech but not enough entrepreneurs with ideas.”

We welcome Djoann Fal, co-founder of GetLinks, Asia's premier tech talent network. Through Atlas Capital, he is currently focused on funding vital sustainability tech innovations in the region. 

Featured in Forbes' 30 Under 30, Djoann is a pioneer in linking tech professionals with prime opportunities. With a background in engineering and consulting, he has expanded GetLinks across multiple countries, achieving unprecedented scale for that industry.

In an intimate conversation with Ronen, Djoann shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, the challenges of building a tech startup, and Asia’s promising potential in climate tech. He also discusses working with conglomerates to shift towards green projects, dealing with “carbon credit bros,” and his efforts to help Asian cities adapt to climate change.

This episode pairs perfectly with Djoann’s Substack, The Adaptive Economy.

How to Get “FUNDABLE”

with Sephi Shapira, Tech Entrepreneur, Founder and Mentor 

Sephi Shapira has spent over twenty years as a tech entrepreneur, founding multiple start-ups. Since 2010, he has mentored over 100 tech CEOs as they secured over $1 billion in financing at various growth stages. 

In an intimate conversation with longtime friend Ronen Mense, Sephi shares the core principles of getting funded, the uselessness of “company decks,” and why it’s critical to demonstrate bold leadership over obedient followership in attracting investors. 

With decades of experience as a mentor, he discusses the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship and offers solid, practical insights on resolving it.

Ronen and Sephi’s wide-ranging conversation also includes thoughts on Adam Neumann’s media savvy, differences between VCs in Asia and the West, and the direct relationship between clarity of vision and the ability to execute.  

This episode is a perfect companion to Sephi’s book FUNDABLE: Why Some Entrepreneurs Get Funded, And Others Do Not!