The MACE Podcast - Hosted by Marco Macente

Welcome to the new episode of the MACE PODCAST!

Our stop are the United States with my new guest: Rob Lion!

Rob Lion is a dynamic professor of human resource development at Idaho State University and the co-founder of Black River Performance Management, where his motto is "Work should fuel the spirit, not drain it." With over 20 years of experience in leadership, organizational development, and performance improvement, Rob is renowned for his innovative, people-first approach.

Holding a PhD in Training and Performance Improvement, he specializes in creating human-centric systems that drive growth and success within organizations. Rob leverages his deep understanding of human behavior and workplace psychology to simplify leadership complexities, equipping clients with science-backed strategies to enhance organizational culture and strengthen teams.

As a captivating speaker, Rob brings complex ideas to life with relatable stories, humor, and infectious energy. He has been featured on numerous podcasts, authored several academic papers, and is celebrated for bridging research with real-world practice. 

We are going to touch base on amazing topics such as:

- Leadership: which are the most critical skills to be a better leader in this workplace?

- Working environments: Hybrid vs in Person vs proximity. Which model can help leaders to adapt to the changes our workplace is bringing to us?

- AI and the the power of connection vs the human touch as differentiator 

- Business speed after, during and before the pandemic: the busyness and its consequences

Link to Black River PM: https://blackriverpm.com/

Stay tuned!

Welcome to this new episode of the MACE PODCAST!

This is a special episode with a special guest: Bonnie Low-Kramen from the USA.

We continue the pathway started last month in the second season of the MACE PODCSAT which ethos is that thousands are the stories but there is #OneHeart beating in the MACE PODCAST.

I dedicated this episode to a celebration occuring this month and that brought me two years ago, when Bonnie Low Kramen joint me in February 2023 to release the episode for her book launch, STAFF MATTERS.

Two years later, I catch up with Bonnie on the trends and updates we've seen and we focus on 4 key topics:

- Leadership: Which is the role that Leaders play when building the new workplace? Data show that lack of leadership is still of the main issue and concern from the staff, all over the world

- People: the Staff is the backbone of the companies but why people leave or stay in an organization? Which are the drivers that move the people taking those decisions? Bonnie made a TedTalk on this matter, the link is below for reference.

- The Sweet Spot: The ideal place where people would like to be and feel

- 2025 Trends: AI (Artificial Intelligence), Technology and the people: Humans matter and that's what data show when talking to people dealing with the technology

Enjoy our conversation and stay tuned!

Link of the former episode made with Bonnie in February 2023: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7B5BohIfPVFGADtRjBApgU?si=0QRp12miSE-my4PM8QHkng

TedxTalk by Bonnie Low Kramen: "The real reasons people Quit" - https://youtu.be/UHdoxXtOLss?si=uPu5uMK92fo_gP0f

Welcome to this new episode for of the MACE PODCAST!

So excited to kick off the new season with a new, fresh LOGO that the MACE PODCAST has from this year. A new LOGO but same ethos: Many stories but #OneHeart beating in the MACE PODCAST, the heart that is passionate about the stories, the experiences and the insights shared by all the guests.

And how exciting starting January 2025 with this episode where I invited the amazing Joan Burge, from the USA.

Joan dedicated herself to inspiring excellence and encouraging administrative professionals to reach for the stars! Her company, Office Dynamics International, is a global industry leader that offers a broad range of solutions and provides high-performance, sophisticated executive and administrative assistant training and coaching

We will discuss interesting topics such as:

- Business partnership: how can the partnership be strategic for admin professional when working with Leaders and Executives?

- Communication in Style.. with Style: Which are the communication styles we need to encounter when being effective interacting with others?

- AI and Technology: Which is the role AI is taking in our workplace?

- Reset, refocus, recenter: A process to set things right. What is this all about?

Stay tuned!

Joan Burge website (Office Dynamics International) :

https://officedynamics.com/

Communication in Style, with Style article:

https://officedynamics.com/communicating-in-style-with-style-post/

I am excited to invite for a second time Chiara Invernizzi, from Italy!

I made a former episode with Chiara earlier this year and we discussed Site Contracting and the trends we were seeing in 2023 and beyond at that time.

Now we are catching up with what we'd left to explore what's new and what's has changed.

- What are the trends and the updates in 2024 and beyond in the pharma industry from SSU and Site contracting point of view?

- Which is the so called "Site Centricity" when approaching sites in SSU? Which is the role that networks and partnerships play in the clinical trials dynamics and progress?

- Payments: how we can make them seamless for sites across the studies?

- AI and Technology: which is the impact they have in the SSU and Site contracting?

Enjoy our conversation and stay tuned!

MM.

This episode is entirely focused on Talent Acquisition and HR and I am happy to welcome, again, my guest: Mariusz Stokowacki from UK.

Mariusz was born in Poland and he moved to UK where he was able to build his career as talent acquisition professional, with more than 20 years of professional work experience that includes 15 years in pharmaceutical recruitment and sales environment.

He Worked with leading staffing firms within life sciences, at world’s leading CROs supporting stakeholders across all levels . Also, he is a qualified Professional Performance Coach supporting those who want to make a change in their career or develop personally.

We explore the new trends on TA from what we've left in 2023 and what we've seen in 2024 and beyond.

- How can companies retain the talents within their organizations? Which are the trends and what can be done better?

- How can young talents enter into the pharma industry and which steps they can take to make this step seamless?

- Which is the role of Technology and AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the TA world in 2024 and beyond?

Enjoy our conversation and check the former episode in the MACE PODCAST library!

MM.

Welcome to this new episode of the MACE PODCAST!

This is a very special episode as I recorded this live in Milan with Bonnie Low Kramen!

Bonnie is a leader training instructor of workshops for Admin Professionals and Executives and she is the author of the book titled "Staff Matters", launced in February 2023.

Bonnie travels the world to share her experiences and insights and in 2024 she is visiting Europe to present her book.

I was honored to invite Bonnie to record the episode at Accademia Fiera Milano, the place in Milan where the episode was hosted, collaborating with Carla Stefanut to make this event happen.

Accademia Fiera Milano is the training center of Fondazione Fiera Milano. Its aim is to create new professional figures for the exhibition, congress, and event industry and it has pursued for over twenty years through its master’s courses for young talents.

- Which is the role that Admin professionals play in the new workplace?

- Which are the trends in the post-pandemic world and how Admin professionals can face them?

- Which is the perception of the role around the world and why we see a paradox behind it?

- How can Admin professionals - but also ALL OF US - challenge the status quo and build the ultimate workplace?

Enjoy our conversation, happened live with an audience attending made up by Top Assistants and HR Professionals working in Milan!

Bonnie's Articles

- Forbes Cover story

- Harvard Business review article

- TEDx talk: "The Real Reasons people quit" with Bonnie Low Kramen

About Accademia Fiera Milano

The third edition of the Master of Arts in Event and Exhibition Design will start in January 2025. In collaboration with Scuola Politecnica di Design and Teesside University, MEED teaches the design thinking approach to understand and translate the needs of clients and stakeholders into innovative exhibition and event formats.

Accademia Home - Accademia Fiera Milano

MEED Event management & Design Course - Master Meed

... Did you know that amazing pathways cross always TWICE?

That's true, and that is why I am meeting again the wonderful Diana Brandl!

Diana is an international key note speaker, she is a trainer and she spends her time teaching admin professionals to be strategic business partners when working with Managers and Leaders across companies and organizations.

She has more than 15 years of experience as Admin professional and now she runs her own business, delivering training sessions and programs for multinational companies to educate and train admins and staff to work strategically and effectively in hybrid working environments.

She published different articles in Germany and abroad, focusing on Leadership, Personal Branding, Technology, Communication, Digital Skills, themes that we covered also during our conversation.

I met already Diana last year and our former episode is available in the MACE PODCAST library.

Check it out and listen to our new one where we catch up on amazing topics such us the trends we see across the Admin professional field in 2024 and beyond, AI, Technology, Leadership and how to grow in remote and hybrid workplace!

Enjoy our conversation!

MM.

Welcome to this episode of the MACE PODCAST!

This is a special episode as I have two guests joining me at the same time: Angela Lane and Sergey Gorbatov!

Angela Lane and Sergey Gorbatov work and write about the complex science of human performance, while making it simple. Both are practicing senior executives in talent management, leveraging Fortune 500 experience and gained across four continents.

Angela and Sergey equip leaders with practical tools for success. They are researchers, regular contributors to leading publications and the authors of influential books: 'Fair Talk: Three Steps to Powerful Feedback' and 'Move Up or Move On: 10 Secrets to Develop Your Career.' (Link: https://www.amazon.com/Move-Up-Secrets-Develop-Career/dp/1292730307).

They own the Leverage Point Podcast where they share episodes focused on Career Management: https://theleveragepoint.podbean.com/

They are also founding members of the Center for Feedback Culture at the VU University Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

In this episode we will focus entirely on Career Management. Career advancement and Success, sharing amazing insights and suggestions on how you can own your career, navigate the change and explore new horizons in the career landscape we see after the pandemic.

- How can we deal with career advancement, breaks, changes, uncertainty?

- How should we future proof our careers through continues self-development and learning?

- What determines career success in the business worlds where careers and advancement are not linear anymore?

Stay tuned!

MM

Welcome to this new episode of the MACE PODCAST.

Our next stop are the United States with my new guests, Jeffrey Emile.

Jeff is the Founder and CEO of Lynk, a platform created to enhance the human and digital experience for companies and organizations, aiming to foster the DE&I and ERG culture in the new workplace.

- How the DE&I culture is important for companies and organizations nowadays and which is the connection with the ERGs?

- How ERGs can make the difference in the workplace?

- Which are the trends for 2024 and beyod for DE&I and the ERG landscape?

These are the questions we address in our conversation.

Stay tuned!

See you soon

M.

*** A Special (Audio) Letter to... ***

Happy anniversary My dear PODCAST!

Yes, the MACE PODCAST is 2 years old right now, and I am so happy to celebrate this anniversary with all of you, the special audience, the network and the guests who have contributed to make this podcast so valuable.

Many are stories, but only One is the Heart: that’s the ethos of the MACE PODCAST, the stories that you bring and the unique heart that beats for us and in us, for what matters.

So let’s keep on getting together, let’s keep on finding our WHY, let’s keep on sharing what is ok and what is not, as is within the network the power we need to face the new challenges we have.

PEOPLE WHO SHINE FROM WITHIN DO NOT NEED THE SPOTLIGHT.

 The WHY is our light: keep shining from within, as we may be the future lighthouse that people

Yours truly,
Marco