The Impact Exchange

The demand for post-acute care is rising rapidly, but the workforce needed to support it is not.

In our latest episode, John Frehse and Ankura Healthcare Transformation expert Christine Ishak discuss one of healthcare's most pressing challenges: how organisations can prepare for growing demand without losing the human element that sits at the heart of care.

Because this isn't just a healthcare issue. It's a workforce, operational and leadership challenge that will affect all of us.

Listen now.

What if the only permission you need is your own?

In this episode, serial entrepreneur Bridget Wilson joins John Frehse to explore why the most rewarding opportunities rarely arrive with an invitation.

From launching a children's fashion brand to designing some of America's most celebrated gardens, Bridget shares how curiosity, discipline and a willingness to embrace the unknown helped her build successful ventures across multiple industries.

Her message is simple: master what inspires you, trust your vision, and start before you're ready.

Listen to the full episode.

Consumers are still spending. The problem is they're increasingly spending tomorrow's money today. 

Household debt is rising, savings are shrinking, and more consumers are relying on credit to fund everyday spending. Yet retail sales remain resilient. What happens when that balance breaks? 

In the latest episode of The Impact Exchange, Ankura's Retail and Performance Improvement expert Keith Jelinek explores why businesses should be paying close attention to the growing debt burden facing consumers, how purchasing behavior is changing, and what retailers can do now to prepare for a more cautious, value-driven customer. 

For leaders planning for 2027 and beyond, understanding what is happening beneath the headline economic data may be just as important as tracking the headlines themselves.

Learn more about the retail implications of GLP-1-driven consumer trends in Ankura's latest thought leadership article as mentioned by Keith: Sizing is the New Fault Line

What if strategy isn’t the problem, execution is?

In this episode, Kevin Ertell, former Nike and Tower Records executive, and author of ‘The Strategy Trap’ exposes a critical leadership blind spot: great ideas don’t fail on paper. They fail in delivery.

In conversation with John Frehse, Kevin outlines how leaders turn intent into impact. And his message is simple; strategies don’t collapse, they stall.

If your strategy isn’t delivering, it’s time to look beyond the idea and focus on how it’s executed.

Listen to the full episode.

What if the real threat to growth right now isn’t the market — but the response to it?

Matt Sgrignari, Ankura Performance Improvement expert, unpacks how organizations can drive sustainable revenue in today’s turbulent financial climate.

From private equity backed roll‑ups to underperforming assets, Matt explains why ‘growth at all costs’ no longer works, how leaders can effectively align marketing activity to revenue, and why understanding what’s working (and what isn’t) is critical.

This conversation moves past short‑term fixes to focus on what actually compounds value over time: strong products, disciplined experimentation, and the patience to build growth engines that last.

If you’re an PE operator, investor or business leader, this episode offers a practical, experience‑led view on driving sustainable growth in volatile markets.

In a market where private equity is searching for its next growth engine, where does real value actually come from?

The answer may surprise you.

In this episode, Jesse Lehman, a retail expert with deep experience across retail, supply chain and operational transformation unpacks where value is really being created today and why it's often hiding in plain sight.

From pet grooming and dental practices to mid‑market manufacturing, Jesse explains why fragmented, founder‑led businesses are emerging as some of the most compelling opportunities and why scale doesn’t have to mean standardization.

This episode cuts through the hype to focus on what truly drives valuation.

If you’re an investor, operator, or leader navigating a challenging cycle, this conversation offers a grounded, experience‑led view on how value is unlocked when conditions are tough.

If your leadership team can’t reach consensus, innovation stalls.

Disagreement isn’t the enemy—but unresolved conflict is. In this episode, Holly McClung, Senior Managing Director, The Leader Behind the Leaders, challenges a common leadership failure: mistaking strong opinions for progress. Consensus, she argues, isn’t about harmony or compromise. It’s the enabler that allows teams to move beyond ego, binary thinking, and win‑lose debates—unlocking better ideas and sustainable growth.

And the question every leader should sit with: Do you want to be right, or do you want to be effective?

Listen to the full conversation now.

What if culture and performance weren’t shaped by whether leaders say 'thank you,' but how they do it?
 
In this episode, Tom Schurman, founder of Clarity Amplified, joins John Frehse to explore the power of thank you and why authentic employee recognition is a critical leadership discipline.
 
Drawing on real‑world experience in high‑turnover environments, Tom challenges why generic praise misses the mark, and explains how thoughtful, proportional, timely, and personal acknowledgment delivered through visible leadership and genuine care can become a powerful lever for employee engagement, retention, and sustained performance.
  
If you’re a leader focused on building resilient cultures and driving results and want to learn how to effectively recognize the people in your organisation — then this is one for you.

The Supreme Court just proved Kate Kalutkiewicz right.

Tariffs are a defining trade story of this administration — and then, after we stopped recording, the Supreme Court struck them down.

That timing makes this episode of The Impact Exchange even more essential listening.

In this conversation, Kate Kalutkiewicz, Trade Practice leader at McLarty Associates, explains why tariffs were never a short‑term tactic, why their legal foundation always mattered, and why volatility — not certainty — was the most likely outcome. Kate walked through the constitutional risks, the economic trade‑offs, and the unintended consequences businesses and consumers are now facing in real time.

As Kate explains, tariffs raised costs, strained supply chains, and forced companies into challenging choices — leaving open the question of who actually benefits if tariffs are unwound. The Supreme Court’s decision doesn’t end the tariff story. It complicates it.

This episode explores:

- Why tariffs were deployed so aggressively — even against allies
- What happens if tariffs are ruled unconstitutional 
- Who gets refunded if tariffs are struck down — and who doesn’t 
- Why businesses hoping for certainty may get more chaos instead

If you want to understand why this moment was coming and what comes next after the Court’s decision — then this is an episode not to miss. 

If you’re responsible for outcomes and culture, this conversation will sharpen how you think about both.

Why do so many roll-ups fail — even when the strategy is solid?

In this episode, Sara Huddleston, People & Transformation Leader and Founder of Align Coaching Solutions, joins John Frehse for a candid conversation on what really makes or breaks organizational change. They explore why roll‑ups and integrations break down, what healthy conflict actually looks like, and why trust, transparency, and intentional listening matter more than another playbook or mandate workplace.

If you’re leading growth, integration, or culture change, this conversation will challenge how you think about execution—and why compliance is not the same as commitment.

Listen to learn how leaders can drive performance by putting people back at the center of transformation.