I've got an outstanding one for you with my guest Vicki Phelan

Career Highlights:

• 25 plus years of consulting experience focusing on the Pharma and life sciences industry
• Role is in relationship development and customer satisfaction
• Early in her career she worked with IBM
• Founder and chairperson of KPMG's Women in SSO leadership roundtable
• Recipient of the Best 50 women in business (NJ award) and in the KPMG's Winner's circle for top 5 business development professional

Highlights

• Working at the age of 10 for .25 cents an hour
• Starting at IBM early on and the impact to her career
• Following a career that wasn't planned
• Getting chewed out was a massive learning moment
• When to change jobs and reasons to stay in a job
• Delivering on your commitements
• Humor is a part of the job 
• How smart people become successful
• The power of not being all things to all people
• Advice - Always take an interview
• Promises made to her Dad and the power of a strong marriage
• Death row meal is a shocker unless you know Vicki

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!

You are really going to enjoy my conversation with Brett Moorgas

Career

• In the ICT (Information Communications Technology) Industry since 1994
• Held key roles with HP, IDC, Telstra, Emulex and Accenture
• In 2015 Brett joined HCL where he is an associate VP of Analyst and advisory relations for Asia pacific and Middle East
• Born in South Africa Brett moved to sydney at the age of 2 months
• Brett enjoys global sports, Red wine and seeing dogs

Highlights

• Global roles can be challenging
• We are all human in the end, making connections
• Never pass up the opportunity for a conversation
• Everyone has their own bag of hammers
• Not pushing his personal agenda
• High degree of empathy  and self awareness
• Being authentic to be successful
• Getting the ex prime minister to do a keynote
• Yankee fan through an through

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!

 I've got an out the ordinary one for you today with my young, inspirational and fun guest Charlotte McDonnold

Background

• Digital Marketing Specialist with BDO in the Atlanta office. 
• Charlotte supports two national teams and assists with creating social media graphics, emails, proposals, and other collateral as well as managing the firm’s website. 
• Graduated from the University of North Georgia, with a Studio Art degree focusing in photography and graphic design.

Highlights

• Receptionist that taught her more than she bargained for
• Internship after many rejections based on a fateful Starbucks meeting with Dad and a friend
• It's not what you know but who you know on display
• Getting on the phone for small talk
• Big observer
• Exiting an internship with feedback and then getting a great role based on this feedback
• Her friends sometimes get "bored" whereas Charlotte does everything to avoid getting stale in her job
• Advice to "Never Settle"
• Asking for bigger and better projects
• Getting on the phone to "hear" things
• Learning how to use the phone and hold a conversation
• Learning leadership skills and being patient
• Treating everyone the same regardless of their level
• The power of observation, how photography has helped with her business career
• What to do with $100, it's a good one for this age group

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!

You are going to enjoy my conversation  a dear friend and former mentee Bronson Quon.

 Bronson and I first worked together while I was with Arthur Andersen and he was interning at Disney. 

 You will hear his story of going from intern to Partner.  Bronson has had audit roles with Arthur Andersen, Deloitte and has held positions as Corporate Controller, VP of Finance, CEO and now his current Partner role with Keystone advanced solutions, a firm that specializes in subscription based bookkeeping and Executive level technical accounting support.

Some highlights from our conversation are:

• When he needed some skin in the game
• The importance of Grinding and working hard
• The stable influences in his life
• When to listen and when to speak up
• Courage of asking why
• Karate Kid / Kobe Quon

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!

 I've got a great international success story with my guest Vicki Fan.

Career:

• Currently CEO at Mercer in Hong Kong
• Over 20 years of experience with business growth, client centricity and people focus
• Big 4 experience at a Partner level
• Proficient at Global large scale strategic change programs
• Originally from Taiwan and work experience in New York and hong kong

 Highlights

• Born in Taiwan, Moved to New York early on college and work in NYC
• No clear career path, however consulting was the right fit
• Facing off to the C levels in her 20's while consulting
• Consulting naturally encourages teamwork which is essential to success
• Younger team members are more collaborative and adaptable to change
• Starting in China with a 3 week to 2 year gap in expectations
• Seeing the exponential growth in the china market
• Staying in Asia to be where the growth was
• How work life balance is evolving over time
• When your mentor becomes your peer
• Great perspective on expanding your network
• No comparing NYC and HK, totally different environments
• Loved her take on favorite meal (different)

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!

I've got a good friend and someone with international finance experience Mario Boccalero

Career

• Living in Switzerland working for DXC Technology as a Finance & Account Delivery Lead
• Head of Global Business Services in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai for LLX Brands (Bally and Jimmy Choo)
• Stated off with Avon in Italy
• Great career working in the UK, Italy, Switzerland, HK, SH and Tokyo

Highlights

• Growing up in Lake Como area of Italy
• Learning to drive as a benefit of his first job
• Started in the fashion industry with Avon and then Bally 
• Talk of GBS / Shared Service Center etc
• Hong Kong opportunity announcement and being taken by surprise
• Trying something out and knowing you can always come home
• 1st year abroad is always tough
• Trying to fit into the culture
• The pressures of providing a service
• Can't please all the people all the time
• Plan the work and work the plan
• Asking an Italian his favorite meal
• What do you think an Italian has drink \while enjoying a pizza

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!

I've got interesting one for you today with Rich Pierle, interesting because:

• My first face to face 
• At a Las Vegas casino

Career overview:

• Paperboy to CIO
• Rose to executive levels in Industry (Becton Dickinson) and Consulting Equaterra / TPI
• Focused on Shared service, Big Data, automation and machine learning
• Currently the Managing Partner and CEO of Pier digital
• Throughout his career supported by his wife Stephanie and his two daughters

Highlights

• Running into the law on his first job
• Great advice on dealing with consultants
• Being a Hammer looking for a nail
• Managerial courage
• Have the courage to take risks, especially at a young age
• Learning to Read the Room, Watching their eyes and knowing your audience
• Take snippets from those you admire
• Making sure you are connected to the politics of the organization
• You never stop being a work in progress
• Taking 360 degree feedback and doing some sole searching to see if you really want to change.

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!

I've got an fun international one for you with my guest Duha Zaatar

Career Highlights

• Deep financial background in:
  • Strategic & Commercial Partnerships 
  • Financial Planning and analysis
  • Leadership and team management globally
• Duha has worked for Zurich Insurance, Johnson Controls, McDonalds
• Currently CFO with Honeywell in Dubai UAE

 Highlights

• Global background living in Dubai, US, Australia, Egypt, Syria and Kuwait
• Sales pitch for Dubai, you might want to move there
• Leadership qualities
• Thinking objectively is key advice received
• Bouncing back stronger
• It's not always about you
• Time boxing emotions
• Strong advice given these days and a great analogy about career expectations
• You can short cut technical skills but not your soft skills
• Mentoring - bring an agenda
• Planning her career to increase knowledge and fill a COO role
• Loving transformational roles
• Differentiating accomplishments vs proud moments 
• Avoiding the "What if" issue
• Good car discussion and what makes a great car
• People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!

I've got an Out of the ordinary one for you today with my guest Brian young.  Out of the ordinary in the sense that Brian is from the Art World, not the business world.

 Background

• Currently the Director of the Baum Gallery at the University of Central Arkansas
• Lecturer in the Art department
• Held curator positions at
  •  Arkansas Arts Center  
  • Johns Hopkins medical center 
  • University of Maryland University College
  •  Academy Art museum
  •  Cranbrook Academy of Art
• Faculty at 3 separate universities
• Also has a 
  • Taught art history @ University of Maryland
  • BA from Michigan in Art History
  • Masters of art from The Ohio State University

 Highlights from our discussion

• Switching majors in your first semester @ UofM
• When your mentors become your friends
• Brian's perception on art
• His favorite artist who happens to be a murderer as well
• Latitude for life changes other than their career
• Interesting use of MAGA hats at the museum
• Philosophy around buying artwork
• Meeting Bill Clinton

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!

I've got a super enjoyable one for you today Susie Distefano, her personality lit up this podcast

Some career highlights for Susie:

• Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital a 340-bed care quaternary children’s hospital
• The Pediatric Heart Institute was founded under Distefano’s leadership
• Senior vice president of patient care services and Chief Nursing Officer at Texas Children’s Hospital. 
• Board chair for DePelchin Children’s Services, and is a board member of the Children’s Hospital Association, and the March of Dimes Houston Chapter

Susie's DNA

• Committed to improving health for children and women
• Addressing the physical, psychological and emotional needs of these special populations 

Some highlights:

• Command and control didn't work at age 12 and it didn't work later in her career either
• Moving from being right to getting it right
• Life flight nurse in her 20's
• Setting up Covid command centers
• Great advice early on about intimidation
• Having the confidence to turn down a promotion
• Susies definition of privlidge 
• Being the social pariah
• Kale salad, ugh

Want to be a guest? Email me at [email protected]!