The Future Is Bright Podcast

"With hard work and determination, you can really accomplish a lot" explains Meredith Ritchie, SVP GC, Chief Ethics & Government Affairs Officer. Starting her career as a paralegal, Meredith has developed an exciting career portfolio. Today, she shares the upcoming projects she has ahead and her dedication to volunteerism.

Through her position at Alliant Credit Union, Meredith has had an instrumental part in spearheading their foundation. Through their work, Meredith can help promote financial literacy, a cause dear to her heart. By focusing her talents on uplifting others around her, Meredith has had a fulfilling career and helped numerous people in the process.

Throughout your career, you can do extraordinary things. Learn more about Meredith's rich career history, her role at Alliant, and why hiring the right candidates is essential.

Quotes

• "I do enjoy sharing my opinion. But more than that, I like helping other people and trying to help them realize their goals." (8:55-9:03 | Meredith)
• "Word of mouth and referrals are always the best thing in the world, no matter what." (12:10-12:15 | Meredith)
• "I do feel that everybody in the world has untapped potential. We use so little of it, but the sky's the limit." (27:47-27:59 | Meredith)
• "With hard work and determination, you can really accomplish a lot." (30:39-30:44 | Meredith)
• "I get a great deal of enjoyment in knowing that I'm helping to shape the future of the academic success of kids for forward to future generations." (31:57-32:10 | Meredith)

Links

Connect with Meredith Ritchie:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredith-emerson-ritchie-41256912/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"If you want to learn about an industry, the best thing to do is jump into it in some way, shape, or form," explains Donna Rolf, Investor of New Era ADR. Today, Donna shares her legal career leap to the real estate industry and her critical executive role at an alternative energy company. Reflecting upon her experiences, Donna recognizes that she is hard-wired for risk, adventure, and as a result, success.

Donna has never let fear stop her from trying new things. Starting her career as a litigator, she was able to use her skills and expertise to pivot into various other roles, including serving boards in the start-up space and investing. Always willing to search for exciting new opportunities, Donna has organically utilized her network to find work she loves.

No matter what we do in life, we shouldn't be afraid to take a risk. Learn more about Donna's professional journey, transitioning to different industries, and her advice to others wanting a change.

Quotes

• "If you want to learn about an industry, the best thing to do is jump into it in some way, shape, or form." (4:48-4:54) | Donna)
• "It's just about managing people and building a good team. I think you can do anything if you can build a good team." (10:27-10:36) | Donna)
• "Be positive and continue to be on the lookout for new opportunities. There are a lot out there." (16:54-17:02) | Donna)
• "Take that leap. Don't be afraid of taking the risk of making a change." (17:36-17:40) |Donna)
• "I'm very grateful for all those folks who take the risk to come up with the technology and develop the ideas we need to move forward." (21:41-21:51) | Donna)

Links

Connect with Donna Rolf:

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/donna-rolf-b07a829/

Website | https://www.neweraadr.com/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

“We'll have to see many low-cost energy options for people who cannot afford a Tesla to get out there and use those products,” explains Brady Long, EVP & General Counsel of Transocean. With an extensive career in the legal industry, Brady first became interested in the law because he was passionate about fairness and solving abstract issues. Today, Brady shares his impressive career journey and why he’s proud to work for Transocean.

As an energy company, Transocean is always looking for ways to improve bringing energy to the world. Although Brady believes there are ways to step away from oil and gas through solar and wind, he understands that we will always use hydrocarbons. Ultimately, he believes that hydrocarbons are too valuable to leave behind but knows that energy expansion is key to the balance we sorely need.

At the end of the day, the energy business is providing a meaningful service. Learn more about Brady’s transition into Transocean, the importance of team-building, and how the price of gas will factor into the midterms.

Quote:
“People in the developing world have every right to expect the same modern conveniences that we enjoy in the developed world.”

Click on the following links to subscribe to The Future is Bright Podcast and to watch or listen to the entire episode:

ChrisBatz.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOXp7nOM9oj-BDHxwn2OAQ/featured

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-future-is-bright-podcast/id1645884673

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ljmN2aMnlMGeJ90HYD5jg

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iNTNkNGUyOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

“In this work, if it's not real and specific, it will not be able to advance the dialogue,” explains returning guest Lloyd Johnson, CEO of Chief Legal Executive. In part two of this two part-series, Lloyd and Chris discuss Lloyd’s exciting project, The Roadmap to Inclusion. Devoted to the DEI conversation inside corporate law departments, Lloyd reveals this project's scope and what is still missing from diversity discussions.

As one of the pioneering champions of DEI practices, Lloyd has seen our progress and how far we need to go. Although he acknowledges that our actual progress depends on who you ask, he celebrates that this is the golden age for Black general counsel. We can praise this as a success metric with 58 to 62 Black men and women on general counsel in billion-dollar companies. Although we should see this as a win, we still have much to do to solidify and expand these positive changes.

We can create more legal spaces with diversity and inclusion with the right tactics. Learn more about the details of the Roadmap to Inclusion project, Lloyd’s DEI best practices research, and protecting the progress that has been made.

Quote:
“We've identified five competencies: courageous leadership, intentionality, accountability, innovation/creativity, and tactical execution. And I think that in this report, you will find a degree of granularity about specific tactics and some specifics around processes that you normally don't see.”

Click on the following links to subscribe to The Future is Bright Podcast and to watch or listen to the entire episode:

ChrisBatz.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOXp7nOM9oj-BDHxwn2OAQ/featured

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-future-is-bright-podcast/id1645884673

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ljmN2aMnlMGeJ90HYD5jg

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iNTNkNGUyOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

"I think about the term "generalist" professionally as someone willing to go outside their core area," explains Brian Salmo, Managing Director at Hermann Companies. Before joining Hermann, Brian started his career as a corporate attorney before transitioning into other roles, including VP of Human Resources and Business Unit Leader at LMI Aerospace. Now focusing on sourcing, underwriting, and supporting direct investments at Hermann, Brian shares his unique career journey and how his experiences led him to where he is today.

Brian recognizes that much of his success comes from being available to whatever his company needs and volunteering to take on additional responsibilities. If you are willing to go above and beyond, you will be able to build good relationships with your team and stand out to your bosses. Ultimately, you must maintain positive working relationships because you never know what opportunities could be available.

In the professional world, building meaningful relationships is critical. Learn more about Brian's decision to attend law school, how to stick out at work, and the benefits of being a generalist.

Quotes

• "Whatever I'm getting paid to do, I tend to ensure I nail it. I don't typically raise my hand until that's well under control." (13:45-13:56) | Brian)
• "Develop more emotional muscles because if you don't do that in your home, life gets too out of balance and affects you at work. It's not work-life balance. It's work-life integration." (15:57-16:09) | Brian)
• "Get to know people doing interesting things and keep those relationships up. And who knows how the dots connect going forward." (19:30-19:36 | Brian)
• "Be methodical, talk to a lot of people, and be honest with your motivations." (25:02-25:07 | Brian)
• "I think about the term "generalist" professionally as someone willing to go outside their core area." (28:06-28:12 | Brian)

Connect with Brian Salmo:

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansalmo/

Website | https://hermcos.com

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

Join Chris Batz on his second episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he welcomes guest speaker Lloyd Johnson to learn more about how he has taken the hardships in life and turned them into motivation to be a legal industry leader, influencer, and advocate for women and attorneys of color.

Chris Batz spends this week’s episode talking to Lloyd Johnson, born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA, an all-American track and field athlete turned legal industry convener and influencer. Johnson speaks about his life being raised within a black-owned janitorial business and how the events he saw and the people he surrounded himself with motivated him to turn to the legal profession. His legal career started as Deputy District Attorney in San Francisco and in-house counsel for IBM and Hewlett-Packard. He was then founder and Executive Director for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Women In-House Counsel Leadership Association. He conducted numerous in-house counsel leadership development workshops and events. He also was the publisher of the Inside Counsel Magazine and created the Diversity and Bar Magazine. From there, Johnson founded Chief Legal Executive, where he continues his legacy of programs and career development initiatives for women and attorneys of color. Lloyd created the first DE&I best practices research for corporate legal departments back in 1999/2000. This September he is releasing an updated and new report bringing visibility and insights to the execution of DE&I within corporate legal departments.

Quote:
“The morale of the story is your most complex problems are going to be solved by your relationships with people not because you are smart.”

Click on the following links to subscribe to The Future is Bright Podcast and to watch or listen to the entire episode:

ChrisBatz.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOXp7nOM9oj-BDHxwn2OAQ/featured

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-future-is-bright-podcast/id1645884673

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ljmN2aMnlMGeJ90HYD5jg

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iNTNkNGUyOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

Join Chris Batz for the inaugural first episode of The Future is Bright Podcast as he brings on guest Dara Redler to learn about her legal career success at iconic brands and her passion for
transformation, authentic leadership, and giving back.

Chris Batz speaks to Dara Redler, born and raised in Pennsylvania and now resides in Atlanta, where she works remotely. She is the Chief Legal Officer at H&R Block, but before she got there, she had many other jobs that led her to this position. Redler reminisces that her love for learning and being challenged has helped open doors in her legal career. Her start began in Biglaw at Alston & Bird in Atlanta but quickly transitioned in-house to Coca-Cola for 17 years, where she held many leadership positions in its legal division. From there, Redler landed the chief legal role for Tilray, Inc., a leading global cannabis business. As she is now in H&R Block, Redler is excited to share her stories, successes, and contributions to these iconic corporate brands and the communities around her.

Quote:

“The morale of the story is your most complex problems are going to be solved by your relationships with people not because you are smart.”

To Subscribe to The Future is Bright Podcast and watch or listen to the entire episode, click on the following links:

ChrisBatz.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOXp7nOM9oj-BDHxwn2OAQ/featured

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-future-is-bright-podcast/id1645884673

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ljmN2aMnlMGeJ90HYD5jg

Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy9iNTNkNGUyOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw

"Everything that you do as a leader you're doing through other people. You've got to make sure that you believe in them so they will trust you and do what needs to be done," shares Francois Henriquez, EVP, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Today, Francois brings his 25 years of leadership experience to the table to discuss the role of leadership in financial institutions.

After being mesmerized by the Watergate hearings, Francois knew he wanted to be a lawyer. As he moved through his career and began to step into leadership roles, he learned that his true calling was to help bridge the gap between the lawyers and their clients. His unique experience made him the perfect person to help everything run smoothly because he was able to explain the law to the businessmen and explain the business imperatives to the lawyers. Francois has realized that being a leader doesn't necessarily mean being the smartest person in the room, but rather having the ability to connect with others and build trust.

The most successful leaders are people who can earn the respect and trust of their team. Because once that is established, people will do what needs to be done. Tune into today's episode of The Future is Bright to learn more about the importance of leadership and the role it plays in the organization of financial institutions.

Quotes

• "Sometimes it's easier to achieve things if you don't know that they're unattainable." (5:20-5:25 | Francois)
• "I learned that no matter how dark it seems, there is always a way to get to the other side. It may be very, very painful. But there's life on the other side." (15:14-15:28 | Francois)
• "Everything that you do as a leader you're doing through other people. So you've got to make sure that you believe in them and they know that you've got their back. And so they will believe in you and trust you and do what needs to be done." (16:26-16:42 | Francois)

Connect with Francois Henriquez:

LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoishenriquez/

Connect with Chris Batz:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbatz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theliongroupkc

Instagram: @theliongroupllc

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"We'll have to see many low-cost energy options for people who cannot afford a Tesla to get out there and use those products," explains Brady Long, EVP & General Counsel of Transocean. With an extensive career in the legal industry, Brady first became interested in the law because he was passionate about fairness and solving abstract issues. Today, Brady shares his impressive career journey and why he's proud to work for Transocean.

As an energy company, Transocean is always looking for ways to improve bringing energy to the world. Although Brady believes there are ways to step away from oil and gas through solar and wind, he understands that we will always use hydrocarbons. Ultimately, he believes that hydrocarbons are too valuable to leave behind but knows that energy expansion is key to the balance we sorely need.

At the end of the day, the energy business is providing a meaningful service. Learn more about Brady's transition into Transocean, the importance of team-building, and how the price of gas will factor into the midterms.

Quotes

"You just try to accumulate good relationships, and see the jobs as less of a transactional endeavor and more of a relationship building endeavor." (8:35-8:47 | Brady)

"Leadership is a partnership. It's identifying the ways that you can serve others and that they can serve you. And collectively, you can move forward to advance the objectives of your organization." (11:13-11:30 | Brady)

"There's nothing wrong with Transocean that couldn't be fixed with what's right about Transocean. They had great people, a great history, a great new management team, and some new board members. So, collectively, that made it a no-brainer." (18:10-18:24 | Brady)

"We're never going to be able to completely leave hydrocarbons behind. Because they're simply too valuable, they're simply too useful. But you know, how can we expand, you know, energy into other areas, whether it's wind, solar, or nuclear? And those are things that our company is evaluating right now. And it's great to be on the leadership team as we're evaluating those opportunities. While at the same time recognizing, you know, at our heart, in our core, we are an offshore drilling company. And we're proud to do that. And we think that people should be comfortable with that, we do it the right way. And we do a great service for the world and bringing these resources to consumers." (20:04-20:48 | Brady)

"People in the developing world have every right to expect the same modern conveniences that we enjoy in the developed world." (25:45-24:54 | Brady)

"We'll have to see many low-cost energy options for people who cannot afford a Tesla to get out there and use those products." (25:56-26:12 | Brady)

Connect with Brady Long:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brady-long-830b893/

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm

"In this work, if it's not real and specific, it will not be able to advance the dialogue," explains returning guest Lloyd Johnson, CEO of Chief Legal Executive. In part two of this two part-series, Lloyd and Chris discuss Lloyd's exciting project, The Roadmap to Inclusion. Devoted to the DEI conversation inside corporate law departments, Lloyd reveals this project's scope and what is still missing from diversity discussions.

As one of the pioneering champions of DEI practices, Lloyd has seen our progress and how far we need to go. Although he acknowledges that our actual progress depends on who you ask, he celebrates that this is the golden age for Black general counsel. We can praise this as a success metric with 58 to 62 Black men and women on general counsel in billion-dollar companies. Although we should see this as a win, we still have much to do to solidify and expand these positive changes.

We can create more legal spaces with diversity and inclusion with the right tactics. Learn more about the details of the Roadmap to Inclusion project, Lloyd's DEI best practices research, and protecting the progress that has been made.

Quotes

"We've identified five competencies: courageous leadership, intentionality, accountability, innovation/creativity, and tactical execution. And I think that in this report, you will find a degree of granularity about specific tactics and some specifics around processes that you normally don't see." (6:46-7:13| Lloyd)

"In this work, if it's not real and specific, it will not be able to advance the dialogue." (7:32-7:39| Lloyd)

"When you look at the money and time spent as it relates to advancing diversity, especially as it relates to people of color and law firms to have that level of investment and somewhat of a flatline, that demonstrates that there's a lot of progress to go." (19:01-19:34| Lloyd)

"If people are very intentional and focused over the next two to three years, the gains that have been made throughout the last decades; we can not only protect them, we can grow them." (19:48-20:05| Lloyd)

"Probably the most critical part of DEI work is change management, which has nothing to do with race, gender, or any of the other attributes of diversity." (21:16-21:30| Lloyd)

Links

Chief Legal aExecutive

Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm