She helped deliver Australia's COVID vaccine to every state in the country. Now she's building something this country has never built before.

Dr Bev Menner, CEO of Cell Therapies, on the pressure nobody sees, the trust nobody hands you, and the hardest calls she's made when there was no playbook to follow.Dr Bev Menner is the CEO of Cell Therapies, Australia's only commercial-scale facility for manufacturing living cell and gene therapies.

She spent the first half of her career as a cancer researcher at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, before moving into commercial alliance management at CSL, where she ran the CSL-AstraZeneca partnership that manufactured and delivered Australia's COVID-19 vaccine.

She became CEO of Cell Therapies in 2023, is currently taking the business into partnerships across Japan and Korea, and was a 2025 national finalist for EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

In this episode, she explains:

◼ What it actually felt like leading the AstraZeneca vaccine partnership under national scrutiny

◼ How she built trust and got people moving through the most high-stakes change of her career

◼ What it takes to hire for a role that has never existed in this country before

◼ Why the Peter Principle might be the biggest hidden risk in executive promotion

◼ What years of constant travel actually do to your health, and how she protects hers

◼ What she'd tell a younger version of herself, right at the start

The views expressed are those of the guest, and this conversation is intended for general informational purposes only. It should not be taken as medical, legal, or financial advice.

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SPONSORSThis episode is brought to you by:

Espresso Displays the portable monitor built for executives who work on the road. https://au.espres.so/

Prosci Change Management - the world's leading change management research and training company, and the sponsor behind our recurring segment, The People Side of Change. https://www.prosci.com/about/australia-new-zealand

Boyd & Moore Executive Search - a leading executive search firm working across the Asia-Pacific region. https://www.bmes.com/

What do elite athletes, instant coffee, and transparent leadership have in common?

In the Season 1 finale of The Executive Espresso, Verge Das Neves sits down with Anna Livingston, former Chief People Officer at Tennis Australia and now senior people leader at AIA, for a raw and refreshingly honest conversation about what really drives high-performing teams.

Topics covered:

- Building trust in the workplace through radical transparency

- Why “walking the floor” still matters in modern leadership

- Lessons from elite sports and corporate change

- How to hire for character (not just credentials)

- Managing energy as an introverted leader

This episode is a warm, real-world reflection on leadership, culture, and human connection.

This marks the end of Season 1. Thank you for listening, watching, sharing, and supporting the show.

__________________

Who should watch this:

HR leaders, executives, aspiring people managers, and anyone tired of leadership “fluff” and hungry for authenticity.

📌 Don’t forget to:👍 Like💬 Comment: What was your favourite insight from Anna?

🔔 Subscribe for new episodes coming in Season 2

📣 Share with a colleague who’s navigating change

—🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your leadership fuel.

#LeadershipPodcast #ExecutiveEspresso #AnnaLivingston #AuthenticLeadership #TrustInTeams #ExecutiveSearch #CPO #SeasonFinale #CoffeeAndLeadership #EspressoLeadership

In this episode of The Executive Espresso, Sean Curtain, Executive Director of People and Culture at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, shares leadership strategies from inside one of Australia’s top healthcare institutions.

With a career spanning Alfred Health, AIA Australia, and the University of Melbourne, Sean brings deep cross-sector HR expertise to the table. He discusses leading high-performing teams, managing staff wellbeing in emotionally intense environments, and transitioning from corporate HR to public healthcare.

Key topics include:

• People and culture strategy in healthcare

• Leadership during complexity and crisis

• Building high-trust workplace culture

• Mental health and staff wellbeing programs

• Lessons from feedback, career growth, and emotional intelligence

Whether you're a healthcare executive, HR leader, or people-first CEO, this conversation offers practical, real-world leadership insights.

☕ Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your leadership inspiration.

Ruby Yadav didn’t follow the traditional path to the top - and she didn’t pretend to fit in once she got there either.

From studying zoology to becoming CEO of Mercer, Ruby shares her unfiltered journey through executive leadership, risk, and resilience. She opens up about the pressure of being a migrant woman of colour in the C-suite, the career-defining moments that nearly derailed her, and why choosing kindness is a radical leadership strategy.

If you’re navigating leadership in complex, high-stakes environments - this one’s for you.

In this episode:

• Why being the “unconventional choice” is often the most powerful position

• The balance between telling the truth and being heard

• What to do when integrity comes at a cost

• Building safe, high-trust teams in environments that aren’t always safe

• Mentorship, blind spots, and calling BS with love

Ruby’s message? Be good at what you do. Be kind to others. And don’t forget to be kind to yourself too.

—

Subscribe to The Executive Espresso for more short, sharp, caffeinated conversations with Australia’s top leaders.

#Leadership #ExecutiveWomen #Kindness #CorporateCulture #Authenticity #RubyYadav #TheExecutiveEspresso

What separates a good manager from a truly great leader?

In this episode, we sit down with a respected people leader whose career spans professional services, global banking, and more. He shares candid insights into:

• Why emotional intelligence (EQ) is the most underrated leadership trait

• How being authentic and human drives real team success

• The importance of mentorship and self-reflection

• Where creative and strategic thinking really comes from (spoiler: it’s not at your desk)

This is the episode for any aspiring leader, mid-career executive, or seasoned manager who knows that leadership is about more than KPIs—it’s about people.

🔔 Follow and rate us on Apple and Spotify so you never miss powerful conversations with inspiring leaders.

#Leadership #PeopleFirst #ExecutiveInsights #EmotionalIntelligence #AuthenticLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #Mentorship #EQ #LeadershipPodcast

The Executive Espresso Podcast: Interview with Darren Lonsdale from Prosci ANZ - Insights on Leadership

In this exclusive episode, we sit down with Darren Lonsdale from Prosci Change Management ANZ to discuss the critical role of leaders in today's dynamic business environment.

Darren shares invaluable life lessons on the importance of authenticity in leadership and offers his unique insights on people management.

Key Takeaways:

• How experiences shape leadership skills.
• Building rapport and fostering strong relationships.
• Focusing on self-care even when time is limited.
• Darren's leadership style and its impact on his career.
• Applying lessons from sports leadership to business.

👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more insights on leadership, productivity, and work-life balance!

#headhunters #executivesearch #careertips #jobsearch #theexecutiveespresso

Executive Espresso | Sharp Insights for Senior Leaders

In this episode of The Executive Espresso, we sit down with Thinus Keeve, a seasoned business leader who has driven large-scale transformation, led high-performing teams, and managed billion-dollar portfolios across global organisations.

In this episode, we dive into:

✅ What it means to be a vulnerable leader

✅ What up and coming leaders should focus on

✅ Why leaders should always continue learning and,

✅ why its ok to make mistakes.

If you're a CEO, senior leader, or ambitious executive, this episode is packed with insights to help you stay ahead in today’s fast-changing business world.

🎧 Listen now and fuel your leadership journey!

#EspressoExecutive #LeadershipPodcast #BusinessStrategy #ExecutiveInsights

Episode Title:Leading with Integrity: Jarrod Frazer on Leadership, Team Success & Mindset

Episode Description:What does it take to lead a team of 600 people successfully? In this episode of The Executive Espresso, Verge Das Neves, sits down with Jarrod Frazer, Executive Managing Director at CBRE Victoria, to discuss the key principles of leadership, the importance of putting people first, and the mindset required to build a winning culture.

Jarrod shares his personal leadership philosophy, insights on navigating challenges, and how he supports his team of 9 direct reports to thrive in a competitive market.

Plus, we explore the mental fortitude of elite athletes like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan - and what leaders can learn from their approach to high-pressure situations.

Tune in for a compelling conversation on leadership, growth, and the power of prioritising people.

And don’t forget to follow Executive Espresso for more conversations with top executives coming soon!

Enjoying the episode? Leave a review and share your thoughts!