It's pretty inspiring to hear from people who climb huge heights, and then go looking for even bigger challenges. And that's exactly what today's guest did.

On this episode we're sitting down with Sarah-Marie Martin, who joined Uber in 2022 as Head of M&A Investor Relations and Capital Markets, after a successful 25-year career in investment banking. At Uber, Sarah-Marie helps optimize and finance the company's portfolio of businesses. Before joining Uber, she was the first CFO of Yumi, a digitally native, organic children's food company. Previously, during her time in investment banking Sarah-Marie was a partner at Goldman Sachs, and also worked at Credit Suisse for 20 years. 

In the early days of her career, Sarah-Marie worked in the high-yield and equity capital markets groups, as well as Latin American corporate finance. She earned a BA from Stanford in Quantitative Economics, graduating with distinction. And she got her MBA from Columbia Business School, where she was valedictorian of her class.

Sarah-Marie serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of The Door, an organization that empowers disconnected youth in New York City. She's a board member of Easy Point, a pre-IPO shipping software company. And in her spare time, she's the mom of five kids.

Sarah-Marie and I had a great conversation about her fascinating career, and the exciting direction that Uber is headed.

Highlights:

• Sarah-Marie's education, how she got into investment banking, and what led her to Goldman-Sachs (3:16)
• What it was like being a woman in such a male-dominated field (6:29)
• Why Sarah-Marie decided to pivot after 25 years in banking (8:19)
• What the transition was like going from banking to Yumi (10:45)
• How she ended up at Uber (12:43)
• Sarah-Marie's priorities (14:05)
• Sarah-Marie talks about Uber's situation when she joined (15:37)
• What Uber's focus is right now (16:41)
• Diversity and inclusion at Uber (18:59)
• Sarah-Marie's experience at the World Economic Forum in January 2023 (21:34)
• Corporate employees driving for Uber (23:58)
• Tips for getting your Uber rating up (25:14)
• Sarah-Marie's top product recommendations for Uber (26:11)
• How Sarah-Marie balances her career with having 5 children (26:44)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Sarah Marie-Martin on Twitter

Sarah Marine-Martin on LinkedIn

Uber on LinkedIn

Uber Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

Renewable, sustainable energy has made strides in the last 20 years with developments in solar and wind power, but much of the field still struggles to move forward from traditional fossil fuels. Today's guest has broken new ground on a uniquely clean, and extremely effective energy technology.

Robert Piconi is Chairman and CEO of Energy Vault, developers of sustainable energy storage solutions. Prior to Energy Vault, Robert was founder and CEO of Pantheon Healthcare Group, and he also served as group at the Danaher Corporation. His earlier experience includes roles of increasing responsibility at Fortune 500 public companies, including the Diversified Energy Group at Amoco and British Petroleum, as well as executive leadership roles at Bell Labs Lucent Technologies. Robert holds a BS/BBA from Notre Dame, and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

We talk to Robert about his early career, the energy storage market, and Energy Vault's huge runway for growth. 

Highlights:

• Robert's transition from the fossil fuel market to renewables (2:51)
• Energy Vault's story and services (5:06)
• How Robert spotted a gap in the market (6:37)
• Energy Vault's growth and expansion tactics (9:02)
• The Inflation Reduction Act and impact on business (12:38)
• How the unique gravity storage method works (14:25)
• Target audience and customers (17:29)
• Robert explains the business's economic model (21:46)
• Energy Vault's leadership team (24:10)
• The future of the business and new projects (25:49)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Robert Piconi on LinkedIn

Energy Vault on Instagram

Energy Vault on LinkedIn

Energy Vault Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

In healthcare, they say the only constant is change. Medical practices and treatments are always evolving, and today's guest is on the cutting edge of an exciting development. 

Today we're sitting down with Dr. Eddie Sullivan, co-founder, President and CEO at SAB Biotherapeutics. Eddie served in biopharma leadership positions for more than 25 years, and prior to joining SAB, he was CEO of Hema Tech, where he led initiatives to develop infectious disease, cancer, and autoimmune immunotherapies. A recognized thought leader in antibodies in transgenic animals, Eddie serves on the board of directors for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, he's earned two PhDs in health science administration and reproductive physiology, and he holds an MS in reproductive physiology and molecular biology, and a BS in Animal health sciences.

On the show, we talk to Eddie about SAB's polyclonal antibody research, perceptions about this research in the biotech world, and the future of fighting diseases. 

Highlights:

• Eddie's path to the Biotherapeutics field (3:04)
• Founding SAB and the immunotherapy industry (3:41)
• How SAB uses cows for research (4:59)
• SAB's take on the COVID vaccine (8:43)
• Perceptions of monoclonals vs. polyclonals (13:27)
• Slow growth in polyclonal research (16:57)
• SAB's work on Type 1 Diabetes and other disease treatment (20:13)
• What Eddie is excited about in the future for the field (26:19)
• The biggest challenge in biotech (27:10)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Dr. Eddie Sullivan on LinkedIn

SAB Biotherapeutics on Linkedin

SAB Biotherapeutics Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

Making a decision like transitioning from a successful soda brand into a water company will certainly come with its risks, but it can also open the door for commercial expansion and innovation. Today's guest was able to make that shift seamlessly.

On this week's episode, we get to sit down with Tom Harrington, Chief Executive Officer of Primo Water, which trades under the symbol PRMW. Tom took the post in the beginning of 2019 and prior to that, he served as the CEO of Primo's North American Business Unit after the acquisition of DS Services in December of 2014. Before the acquisition, Tom served in various roles with DS Services including CEO, President and COO. Prior to joining DS services, Tom worked with Coca-Cola Enterprises in a number of roles including VP and General Manager of the New York and Chicago divisions. 

Tom and I talked about the evolution of Primo Water, and the investments they've made into developing their service-based model.

Highlights:

• Tom introduces Primo's services (3:10
• Primo's business model (3:52)
• Recurring-revenue business strategy (4:59)
• How Primo's business model has changed over time (5:56)
• E-commerce and technology (7:08)
• Investments and supply chain optimization (8:14)
• Water resourcing and environmental concern (9:51)
• New products and partnerships (10:41)
• Inflation and economic impact (11:55)
• How Primo raise their EBITDA margins (13:43)
• Benefits of being a pure-play water company (15:07)
• Primo's differentiation from competitors (16:05)
• Mergers and acquisitions (17:09)
• Primo's growth formula (18:26)
• The effect of imposing tariffs (20:40)
• How investors misjudge Primo (21:59)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Tom Harrington on LinkedIn

Primo Water Corporation on LinkedIn

Primo Water Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

As a public company, moving into a fully franchised model isn't always easy. There are lots of challenges and misconceptions, but today's guest has come through all of that with flying colors.

Matthew Doctor is President, CEO, and a Board Member of Regis Corporation, which trades under the symbol R G S. Regis is the beauty industry's global leader in salons and cosmetology education, with more than 5,500 locations worldwide operating under concepts such as Supercuts®, SmartStyle® and First Choice Haircutters® to name a few. Matt joined Regis in February of 2021, as Chief Strategy Officer, before becoming President in 2022. 

Previously, Matt was a partner and chief financial officer for Kava Restaurants, a Tim Horton's franchisee. Prior to Kava, he held several roles at Restaurant Brands International, owner of the Burger King, Tim Horton's and Popeye's Brands. There, he was head of Global Development and franchisee performance of Burger King, he led M and A in Asia for Burger King, and led development efforts for Tim Horton's. Matt started his career as an investment banker for JP Morgan in New York. 

On this week's episode, we sat down to talk about Matt's franchise career, and his incredible work with Regis during a really tricky period.

Highlights:

• Matt shares Regis' brand history (2:58)
• Services provided under the Regis brand umbrella (5:31)
• Franchise reach, audience, and customer profile (6:11)
• Matt's work in the franchise field, and his introduction to Regis (7:16)
• How Regis fits the 'franchise model' (10:13)
• Matt discusses his senior team's synergy (12:31)
• What Regis focused on for future profitability (14:23)
• Technology initiatives and industry innovation (17:07)
• Future goals for the franchise (18:22)
• Matt explains Regis' growth expansion plan (20:24)
• Common mistakes to avoid as a franchisor (22:45)
• Effectively communicating your business to investors (24:35)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Mathew Doctor on LinkedIn

Regis Corporation on LinkedIn

Regis Corporation Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

We get to hear from a lot of smart people with incredible ideas on this show, but it's extra exciting when they also have a world-changing vision, and our guest today has just that.

On this week's episode we're talking with Mei Mei Hu, CEO and Co-Founder of Vaxxinity, which trades under the symbol VAXX. Mei Mei is also a member of the Executive Committee of United Biomedical, and has overseen the launch of one of the first antibody vaccines in the world, and the successful spin out of five companies, including Vaxxinity's IPO in 2021. She currently leads an active pipeline of chronic disease immunotherapeutic candidates, including for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, migraine, hypercholesterolemia, and variant inclusive COVID booster.

Mei Mei has been named to the Time 100 Next List, Fortune 40 under 40, and is a member of the Young Global Leaders of World Economic Forum. She holds a BA from University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Harvard Law School. We recorded this episode with Mei Mei in January 2023, and talked about the fascinating science behind Vaxxinity's work, and their amazing vision for making these vaccines accessible to the world.

Highlights:
• Mei Mei breaks down what drew her to the biotech field (3:03)
• Vaxxinity's origin story (3:58)
• Mission statement and company goals (5:37)
• Vaccine technology and Vaxxinity's approach to solving health problems (6:48)
• How chronic diseases are chosen and prioritized (9:09)
• How the vaccine works against Alzheimer's (10:38)
• A vaccine for Parkinson's, and working with the Michael J. Fox Foundation (12:37)
• A vaccine for cholesterol and simplifying cholesterol medication (13:57)
• The undiscussed disability: Migraines (16:28)
• How the economics work, and the company business model (18:14)
• COVID-19 vaccine developments, and short term vaccine studies (20:57)
• Taking the business public (23:00)
• Vaxxinity's leadership strategy and characteristics for a great team (24:47)
• Biotech trends for 2023 (26:55)
• Mei Mei's predictions for the future of chronic disease management (28:09)

Links:
ICR Twitter
ICR LinkedIn
ICR Website
Mei Mei Hu
Vaxxinity on LinkedIn
Vaxxinity Website

Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]

For people navigating financial planning in these shaky times, there's a great deal of comfort in the way that insurance companies can help mitigate risk and still grow wealth. Global Atlantic is one of those companies offering innovative products and solid planning.

On today's show we're joined by Rob Arena, Co-President of Global Atlantic where he supports Chairman and CEO Allan Levine in operating the business and executing the company's growth strategy. Rob also leads the company's individual markets business, and oversees operations and technology.

Rob has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, including leadership of the Hartford's annuity business and in his role as President of Hartford Mutual Funds. Previously, he served as Senior Vice President for American Scandia Prudential Annuities.
In this episode Rob tells us about about his lengthy career, the role of insurance companies today, and the importance of safety in your portfolio.

Highlights:
• Rob describes his path to wealth management at Global Atlantic (2:51)
• The value of strong work culture (4:48)
• How the wealth management industry has changed over time (5:54)
• Rob explains his product distribution method (7:02)
• How and why annuities are so important for retirees (8:47)
• Rob's observations of recent trends in the annuity market (9:36)
• Current consumer challenges within the annuity market (10:47)
• How companies like Global Atlantic can help consumers get through market fluctuations (11:44)
• Common misconceptions from consumers (14:20)
• Rob explains how technology is integrated into the practice (16:41)
• Global Atlantic's recent partnership with KKR (19:08)
• The 'Trust Business' and how Rob ensures quality for consumers (20:45)
• Global Atlantic's Accolades (22:05)
• Rob describes his strong, strategic senior team (23:34)

Links:
ICR Twitter
ICR LinkedIn
ICR Website
Rob Arena on LinkedIn
Allan Levine on LinkedIn
Global Atlantic Financial Group on LinkedIn
Global Atlantic Financial Group Website

Disclaimer:
Annuities are issued by Forethought Life Insurance Company, 10 West Market Street, Suite 2300, Indianapolis, Indiana. Registered products are underwritten and distributed by Global Atlantic Distributors, LLC.

Life Insurance is issued by Accordia Life and Annuity Company, 215 10th St, Des Moines, Iowa.

Guarantees provided are subject to the financial strength of the issuing insurance company; not guaranteed by any bank or the FDIC.

Global Atlantic Financial Group (Global Atlantic) is the marketing name for The Global Atlantic Financial Group LLC and its subsidiaries, including Accordia Life and Annuity Company and Forethought Life Insurance Company. Each subsidiary is responsible for its own financial and contractual obligations. These subsidiaries are not authorized to do business in New York.

Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

Summary:

Digital advertising has allowed companies to be laser-focused with their audiences, and that means a super-efficient, high-impact campaign. On this episode we sit down with Mark Walker, Co-Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Direct Digital Holdings, which trades under the symbol DRCT. Direct Digital Holdings (DDH) is a digital advertising solutions holding company consisting of three subsidiaries: Colossus SSP, Orange 142, and Huddled Masses. 

DDH provides programmatic digital advertising solutions with a specialization in reaching highly sought-after multicultural audiences and under-served middle market companies across the US. The company is at the forefront of dynamic and inclusive approaches to advertising, and in February of 2022, DDH became the ninth ever black-owned US company to go public.

Mark is an expert in strategic planning, management, and revenue generation for Fortune 500 companies, private firms, and startups. Prior to co-founding DDH, he directed business development for N R G Energy and served as COO at Ebony Media. Mark serves on multiple advisory boards and has written multiple research articles and case studies for Jupyter Research, Search Engine Watch, and the IAB.

Highlights:

• Mark explains what DDH does (3:23)
• The challenges and opportunities he saw when he was starting the company (4:12)
• The meaning of end-to-end programmatic, and how their subsidiaries function together (6:16)
• Mark explains why some of these multicultural audiences have been more difficult to reach (8:47)
• The key industry verticals (10:25)
• How Mark defines the middle market (11:22)
• How DDH might benefit from the economic slow down (12:56)
• Mark discusses DDH's performance and market valuation in 2022 (14:30)
• DDH's strong client retention (15:56)
• Mark talks diversity and the management team (17:08)
• Where Mark sees growth coming from in 2023 (18:13)
• The economic power of the multicultural marketplace (19:51)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Mark Walker LinkedIn

Mark Walker bio 

Direct Digital Holdings LinkedIn

Direct Digital Holdings website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

Summary:
AI and AR technologies are rapidly becoming stable stakes for any retail experience, and today's guest is leading the way there. On this episode, we're talking to Louis Chen, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Perfect Corp, which trades under the symbol PERF. Perfect is an AI and AR-powered beauty tech solutions provider, and Louis leads the company's corporate development, strategic partnerships, and marketing efforts. He joined Perfect when it was established back in June of 2015, starting as Vice President of Business Development and Marketing.  Prior to that, Louis spent 12 years at Cyber Link, where he served as VP of Business Development and Marketing, heading Consumer Business.

Louis has a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree in computer science from National Taiwan University. He joined me from his office in Taipei to tell us about Perfect's groundbreaking technology, and how it's transforming the beauty industry.

Highlights:

• Louis explains how Perfect came about (2:56)
• The total addressable market for this technology (5:50)
• The multi-channel approach for the product (6:34)
• How Perfect fits in with the ESG goals of their customers (9:13)
• The ROI for the customer (11:17)
• Perfect's go-to-market strategy (13:48)
• Louis discusses the geographic footprint of the company (16:10)
• Growth potentials for this technology (17:40)
• The adjacencies for the technology down the road (19:44)
• The company's financial performance (21:46)
• Perfect's approach to allocating capital (23:48)
• The company's strategy on acquisitions (25:11)
• Louis' observations on consumer behavior in this space (26:05)
• What investors might not understand about the company (27:21)
• Louis talks about the importance of the company founder's insight (29:19)
• Perfect's management team (30:05)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Louis Chen LinkedIn

Perfect Corp website

Perfect Corp LinkedIn

Perfect Corp Twitter

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

Success in the restaurant industry can be tricky, but today's guest has really nurtured the built-in growth opportunities in his business, with remarkable results.

On this episode we're sitting down with Andy Wiederhorn, President and CEO of FAT Brands. FAT Brands is a global franchising company that acquires, markets and develops a range of casual and quick-service dining restaurant concepts.

Andy made his first restaurant acquisition in 2003 with Fatburger, and went on to acquire Buffalo's Cafe in 2011, and Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses in 2017. That same year, Andy took FAT Brands public. He continued FAT Brand's aggressive acquisition strategy over the next few years, striking deals with legacy brands including Johnny Rockets, Round Table Pizza, Marble Slab Creamery, and Great American Cookies, to name a few. He also struck deals with Twin Peaks, Fazoli's, and Native Grill & Wings. The FAT Brand portfolio now features 17 restaurant concepts with more than 2300 locations worldwide. 

Andy's been incredibly busy for the past 20 years, but he was able to join us to talk about the company's history, growth and their strategy for the next few years.

Highlights:

• Andy's background in finance and his first acquisition with Fatburger (3:03)
• Andy's must-haves when looking at new acquisitions (5:17)
• The portfolio's categories and how they work together (6:13)
• Andy discusses how the portfolio will look 5 years from now (7:29)
• How different concepts are doing in the current economic environment (8:15)
• Andy's perspective on supporting his franchisees (9:26)
• Co-branding with FAT Brands (10:26)
• Opportunities for new acquisitions in this market environment (11:51)
• The benefit of Andy's finance background (13:39)
• Fat Brands' manufacturing opportunities (14:35)
• The team's approach to setting up FAT Brands (15:47)
• Andy's business philosophy during COVID and how the brands handled it (17:12)
• How the chains are navigating inflation (19:24)
• What we can expect for FAT Brands in 2023 (20:37)
• Andy talks about his team (21:37)
• What investors might miss about FAT Brands (22:34)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Andy Wiederhorn LinkedIn

Andrew Wiederhorn bio FAT Brands

Andy Wiederhorn Twitter

FAT Brands website

FAT Brands Twitter

FAT Brands LinkedIn

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].