Podcasts about Chief operating officer

Story of the Week (DR):JP Morgan's news weekThe Lurid Lawsuit, Salami Scandal and Trash-Can Thief Vexing JPMorgan's PR Department AND Meme of 'JPMorgan's HR Department in 2026' Has People in Stitches Amid Sex Scandal and Knicks Bin IncidentShe Stole a Knicks Trash Can Off the Street and Lost Her Job at JPMorganThe Trash Bin That Cost Her Career: Who Is Angie Báez? JPMorgan DEI Executive Fired After Viral Knicks Parade VideoThe Trash-Can Thief: Angie Báez, an Executive Director of Community and Industry Engagement at the bank, was captured on a viral video during the New York Knicks championship parade emptying a public trash bin onto a Manhattan sidewalk so she could steal the limited-edition, blue-and-orange Knicks-themed container.The Resolution: JPMorgan quickly terminated her employment after the video went viral. Báez eventually returned the trash bin and was issued $175 in sanitation fines.But what kinds of thing DON'T get you fired and get you fined?In 2023, JPMorgan Chase agreed to a $290 million (1,657,143x) settlement to resolve a class-action lawsuit from survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. The bank was accused of actively ignoring glaring red flags and helping bankroll Epstein's sex-trafficking operation for 15 years.Internal documents and later congressional probes revealed that the bank processed roughly 4,700 suspicious transactions totaling $1.1 billion for Epstein. They failed to file a single Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) until after his death.Who Kept Their Job? Mary Erdoes: The Head of Asset & Wealth Management was fully aware of Epstein's status as a high-risk sex offender, reviewed his account, and was directly implicated in internal communications regarding his status. She faced zero professional demotions and remains one of the top candidates to eventually succeed Jamie Dimon as CEO.In 2020, JPMorgan Chase entered a deferred prosecution agreement and agreed to pay a record $920 million (5,257,143x) to settle federal charges of market manipulation.For nearly a decade, traders on JPMorgan's precious metals and U.S. Treasuries desks engaged in "spoofing"—placing tens of thousands of fake, deceptive orders to artificially move market prices and maximize their own profits. The FBI stated that traders "openly disregarded U.S. laws."While a couple of mid-to-high-level traders (like Michael Nowak and Gregg Smith) were later criminally convicted and sentenced to prison, the executive leadership team responsible for supervising them and implementing compliance programs suffered no casualties. Top management stayed perfectly secure, chalking the multi-million dollar fraud up as the work of a few "bad apples."The Salami Scandal: Veteran wealth manager Brent Bodner was fired by JPMorgan in 2024 after he expensed a $642.50 deli platter (containing wings, sandwiches, and salads) for a Super Bowl gathering at his Beverly Hills home. The bank accused him of intentionally misclassifying a personal party as a pre-approved business meeting.Bodner counter-sued, jokingly dubbing the controversy the "salami incident." He argued that the event was a legitimate client-acquisition dinner that only two prospects ended up attending, and that the minor coding error was used as a pretext to push him out.The Resolution: A FINRA arbitration panel sided heavily with Bodner, ruling that JPMorgan acted preemptively out of paranoia that brokers were leaving for rivals. The panel ordered JPMorgan to pay Bodner $4.25 million in damages.The Lurid Lawsuit: Chirayu Rana, a former vice president on JPMorgan's leveraged finance team, leveled highly salacious allegations against his female supervisor, Executive Director Lorna Hajdini. Rana's lawsuit alleges he was subjected to a campaign of racial discrimination, severe harassment, and forced sexual relations under the threat of having his career sabotaged.The Resolution: Rana rejected a $1M settlement offer, countering with a demand for up to $22 million before escalating the fight to court. Both Hajdini and JPMorgan strongly deny the allegations as entirely fabricated, and the legal battle is moving toward a highly publicized trial.JPMorgan Chase promotes Petno, Rohrbaugh to copresidents, setting up two more successors for DimonThe Wait to Replace Jamie Dimon Keeps Getting Longer: Another potential successor, Marianne Lake, is leaving JPMorgan, as the longstanding chief executive enters his third decade atop the bank.How JPMorgan went from 3 female CEO contenders to an all-male succession raceJPMorgan named Doug Petno and Troy Rohrbaugh, current co-heads of the bank's commercial and investment bank, as co-presidents, setting them up as the frontrunners to succeed longtime CEO Jamie Dimon. Their promotions, the bank said in a press release, "are part of the Board's ongoing succession planning process."Petno and Rohrbaugh were among a handful of powerhouse candidates poised to succeed Dimon, including Jennifer Piepszak, chief operating officer, Marianne Lake, CEO of the commercial bank, and Mary Erdoes, CEO of asset and wealth management.Marianne Lake, a Potential Dimon Successor, Leaves JPMorganOne-time Retention and Continuity equity awards to the following Operating Committee members:Doug Petno, Co-President and CEO of the Commercial & Investment Bank, and Troy Rohrbaugh, Co-President and CEO of Consumer & Community Banking, in the amount of $30M each;Mary Erdoes, CEO of Asset & Wealth Management, and Jennifer Piepszak, Chief Operating Officer, in the amount of $20M each.JPMorgan Chase unveils $50 billion buyback, Goldman Sachs raises dividend after Fed stress testA 6 year study shows which CEOs are pushing RTO mandates: The ones with the biggest egosFortune 500 bosses demanding staff return to the office share one trait: narcissism, research findsA six-year study tracking corporate executives revealed that strict return-to-office (RTO) mandates are heavily driven by narcissism and executive ego, rather than actual employee productivityWharton organizational psychologist Adam Grant noted that researchers used reliable corporate proxies to quantify CEO narcissism, including the oversized scale of their compensation packages, the size of their signatures, and the prominence of their photos in company annual reports.The data showed that leaders with highly inflated self-opinions consistently coveted maximum power and status, making them the most aggressive opponents of remote work.Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan pushed hard for a 5-day-a-week return to the office. Why they're now letting employees work from homeGameStop CEO Cohen spurns $35 billion pay plan to focus on plan to buy eBayGameStop CEO on His eBay Pursuit: ‘I'm Not Going to Stop, I'm Not Going to Go Away'GameStop unveiled a compensation package worth roughly $35B for Ryan Cohen ​in January, hinging on a turnaround that requires him to lift the struggling company's market value more than tenfold and sharply boost its profit.In May, Cohen surprised Wall Street with an unsolicited offer to buy eBay for roughly $56 billion in cash and stock to ‌turn the e-commerce company into ⁠a bigger competitor to Amazon.EBay's board rejected the proposal, calling the offer "neither credible nor attractive."Cohen argued that he doesn't want the package ⁠so that GameStop's leadership can fully focus on its operating performance and the planned acquisition.SpaceX handed lowest possible ESG rating by MSCI: Triple C score puts Elon Musk's company on par with Russia after 2022 invasion of UkraineMusk 'most obvious risk' following SpaceX's lowest possible ESG rating“Board of Directors: The SPACE EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES board currently has an independent majority, which enables it to more effectively fulfill its critical function of overseeing management on behalf of shareholders. The company has failed to split the roles of CEO and chairman, which may limit the board's independence from current management interests. Split CEO and chairman roles are characteristic of 67% of companies in this market.”Welltower CFO's $167 million pay package sets new recordWelltower's Tim McHugh is the new highest-paid finance chief among the biggest U.S. companies. His $167 million pay package in 2025 not only dwarfs that of his CFO peers but also outpaces the compensation of many CEOs.McHugh's pay at Welltower, a real-estate investment trust focused on rental housing for seniors, surpasses the $139 million compensation package received by Tesla's Vaibhav Taneja in 2024. This puts him more than $135 million above Alphabet's Anat Ashkenazi, the next highest-paid CFO in 2025. And it secures him a spot in the club of executives making $100 million or more, a group that remains rare.Here's what the article DID NOT MENTION: CEO Shankh Mitra: $821MGoodliest of the Week (MM/DR):DR: Scientists Say New Method Turns Coffee Grounds Into High-Potency Renewable FuelAccording to a press release from South Korea's National Research Council of Science and Technology, a team of researchers at the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) have developed a method to convert spent coffee waste into high-quality charcoal, known as biochar.While that's a feat in and of itself, the kicker is the method's blistering speed: it takes just 90 seconds from start to finish, with no drawn-out drying process or oil separation required. According to the release, the new technique solves a major issue in extracting the latent energy potential of spent coffee beans.DR: Bill to raise minimum wage to $25 an hour will be introduced in Senate DR MMThe bill would incrementally increase the minimum wage from its current rate of $7.25, with the first jump to $12 an hour in the first year of enactment. Major corporations would have six years to work up to a $25 minimum wage, while smaller employers would have a 13-year runway. The legislation would also do away with subminimum wages for tipped workers, such as restaurant servers, youth workers and workers with disabilities. Nearly half of the American workforce makes less than $25 an hour.DR: Federal judge blocks new law aimed at ESG, DEI investing decisionsA federal judge has blocked Kansas from enforcing a new law that requires institutional investment advisers to make certain disclosures when recommending against company management on issues, including environmental, social and governance principles.U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter on Wednesday issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of law enacted last session that two major national institutional investment advisers said was unconstitutional because it discriminated based on speech.MM: MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last yearAssholiest of the Week (MM):CEO SPEED ROUND - ONE HEADLINE, ONE CEO, ONE LINERTim Cook - It's pretty sweet to quit your job and let the new guy fight the union: Apple closed America's first unionized store and blocked workers from transfers — now the union is fighting backJamie Dimon - It was easy - we just pointed to the ones with boobs and said “Not you”: How JPMorgan went from 3 female CEO contenders to an all-male succession raceZuck - The best thing about being a little man king with no accountability is I can randomly change and unchange and rechange my mind… about people's lives: Meta pauses an AI training program that tracks employees' keystrokes after an internal leakLarry Fink - Have you SEEN the size of my signature??? Fucking come to work: A 6 year study shows which CEOs are pushing RTO mandates: The ones with the biggest egos“In the six-year study, researchers collected data on Fortune 500 CEOs, using behavioral proxies—signature size, photo size in annual reports, pay gap relative to peers—to construct narcissism scores. The higher the score, the more likely a CEO was to publicly oppose remote and hybrid work and seek additional status (like a board chairmanship). In a separate experiment, CEOs whose egos were primed—by reflecting on the assertive leadership styles of Steve Jobs and Larry Ellison—showed significantly greater opposition to working from home than a control group”Andy Jassy - Now we know EXACTLY when you're wasting our time peeing in a bottle instead of working: Amazon is on a mission to optimize warehouse work. Its latest test puts wearable devices on support staff.Nikesh Arora - If you just said, “Who?”, you better pay attention because I have important things to say: Palo Alto Networks CEO: We're in 'a Darwinian moment' where employees have to prove their AI skills - BRONZE ASSHOLESatya Nadella - If I complain about how everyone TALKS about AI, does that make me sound more sympathetic?: Microsoft's CEO Takes Aim At AI Companies: 'We Have To Walk The Walk' To Convince The Public - GOLDEN ASSHOLEJeff Bezos - I mean, if I'm honest, everyone is terrible and should be laid off: Jeff Bezos Called Washington Post His Worst Investment and Staff He Laid Off ‘Terrible' People - SILVER ASSHOLEBrian Moynihan - I mean, or your kid was late to school because they forgot to make their card for teacher appreciation day, you didn't eat breakfast, and you rushed in to work from the office as fast as you could because working from home isn't allowed anymore: By 7 a.m., Bank of America's CEO has already read 5 newspapers, his email inbox, and hit the gym—he says if you're late to meetings, you're ‘selfish'Dave Ramsey - 0.0001% of Musk's worst day could end hunger ON EARTH, but sure, take away Halloween and pets from the rest of us: Dave Ramsey Says 20% of Americans' Halloween and Pet Budgets Could End Hunger: 'There'd Be No Hungry Kids'Headliniest of the WeekDR: Beloved Grandmother Was Standing in Her Own House When a Tesla, Allegedly on Autopilot, Smashed Through the Wall and Killed Her in Grandchildren's PlayroomA popular password manager was hit by a hack. What you need to know—and how to keep your data safeMM: Ryanair says it will reluctantly not charge parents to sit next to childrenMM: Elon Musk will get a billion shares of SpaceX if he can settle a million humans on MarsJust make it 10 trillion shares if he can safely land Gus who sleeps at the bus station on NeptuneWho Won the Week?DR: The MotherS(C)hIpMM: ESG RatingsPredictionsDR: Symbolically giving up your $35 billion CEO pay package becomes the new $1 salary: proxy statements will say: “Our CEO generously waived his $35 billion pay package as a gesture of sacrifice to lead by example, preserve corporate cash, and show solidarity with displaced workers and stressed stakeholders.”MM: Ryanair announces a new fee children can pay to sit AWAY from their parents

This episode recorded live at the Becker's Rural Health Leadership Summit features Dallas Killian, Chief Operating Officer, East Adams Rural Healthcare. He discusses guiding a rural hospital through financial challenges, the importance of transparency and community trust, and how empowering teams to help solve problems can create sustainable paths forward during times of uncertainty.

What does it truly take to lead five powerhouse brands… and keep every single customer and franchisee loyal? In this candid conversation, Ankin Laysha, COO of Wellbiz Brands, reveals what most COOs miss about operational scale, brand integrity, and building elite franchise teams that actually deliver.If you think brand consistency is just a checklist and that operations is paperwork, think again. From the brutal realities of breaking into the executive suite as a female leader to the battle of standardization versus brand magic, Ankin cuts through the noise on what works now.Tune in or miss the proven moves that keep 700+ franchises competitive. If you want to avoid getting left behind and hear the realities other execs won't share, this episode is your advanced playbook. Listen today and don't settle for surface-level leadership.Timestamped Highlights00:58 – Why female leadership is finally taking over the executive suite03:01 – The unexpected advantage of running five brands at once06:23 – The overlooked tools behind flawless brand consistency09:53 – Brutal truth: franchisee complaints vs. customer reality13:59 – The hard lesson on platform thinking and brand magic17:00 – The moment in-the-field leadership unlocked real innovation20:36 – What working front desk taught her about operational blind spots30:10 – How surprise and delight moments quietly crush the competition40:08 – The fast-track strategy for building trust with frontline teams53:04 – AI's real role in service businesses (and where human connection wins)About the GuestAnkin Laysha is the Chief Operating Officer of Wellbiz Brands, overseeing 700+ franchise locations across Drybar, Elements Massage, Amazing Lash Studio, Radiant Waxing, and Fitness Together. With a track record in multi-unit retail, franchise scale, and innovation, Ankin is recognized for operational rigor, brand growth, and building high-performance executive teams.

Most business leaders approach networking completely wrong—and it is costing them real revenue. They show up to events, hand out business cards, and try to sell directly to the room, wondering why nothing ever converts into sustainable growth.In this episode of Lead The Team, host Ben Fanning sits down with Dave Collins, the Chief Operating Officer of BNI.Dave oversees a staggering global network of 355,000 members across 76 countries that generated over $27 Billion in self-reported closed business over the last 12 months alone.Dave shares the exact structural behaviors and core mindset shifts required to transform casual interactions into a relentless, highly profitable referral machine. If you are relying purely on automated digital outreach or cold algorithms to scale your pipeline, this conversation will completely reframe your approach to modern leadership and business development.The "Selling Through" Mindset: Why you should never go to a room to sell to your network, but rather to teach them how to sell through them.The VCP Framework: A definitive breakdown of how deep Visibility leads to executive Credibility, which directly unlocks compounding Profitability.The Power of the Specific Ask: Why broad pitches fail and how targeting hyper-specific niche market seats transforms your sales pipeline.Human Networks vs. AI Disruption: Why face-to-face accountability is becoming a leader's ultimate defense against synthetic content, deep fakes, and automation fatigue.The 30-Day New City Playbook: Dave's exact operational strategy for leveraging an established network to seamlessly break into an entirely new market.[ABOUT THE GUEST]Dave Collins is the Chief Operating Officer of BNI, the world's largest business networking and referral organization. With over 41 years of sustained global growth, BNI helps small businesses, solopreneurs, and elite executives build powerful, long-term relationship pipelines that drive massive revenue impact.[CONNECT WITH BEN]Get vital leadership insights delivered straight to your inbox: benfanning.com/insightDiscover our 5-step Profitable Podcast Framework for your organization: BenLeads.com/schedule-----Connect with the Host, #1 bestselling author Ben FanningSpeaking and Training inquiresSubscribe to my Youtube channelLinkedInInstagramTwitter

House Agriculture Committee Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-Pa.) has announced his intention to introduce the Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act on June 30. The legislation directly addresses ongoing agricultural labor challenges through three main pillars: expanding access, controlling costs, and streamlining operations.In this episode, we explore how this legislation addresses the agricultural labor crisis by reforming the H-2A visa program. Mike Wenkel, Chief Operating Officer of the National Potato Council, breaks down the bill's three main pillars: expanding labor access, controlling Adverse Effect Wage Rate costs and streamlining federal regulations. Brett Jensen, NPC Vice President of Trade Affairs and owner of Brett Jensen Farms in Idaho Falls, Idaho, joins the conversation to share his firsthand experience running an operation that has relied on H-2A workers for 25 years.  

This is another episode recorded live at UKREiiF, the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum in Leeds. My guest is Louisa Finlay, Chief Operating Officer and Chief People Officer at contractor Kier Group. Our conversation builds on a panel session that she hosted to discuss the construction sector's digital mindset and skills needed to power up infrastructure delivery.Because the reality is that the construction sector has long been criticised as a digital laggard and remaining tethered to legacy processes. However, this narrative is rapidly shifting. We are moving on from the era of digital experimentation. Today, the use of data and digital technology is no longer an optional efficiency driver but a core commercial imperative.Tier 1 contractors and their supply chains face mounting pressures to deliver complex infrastructure under tighter regulatory and financial scrutiny. In response the modern construction landscape is being reshaped – like it or not - by cloud-based data platforms, generative AI, predictive analytics, and digital twins. Yet, the true barrier to this revolution is rarely technical. Instead, the industry is grappling with the need for cultural change, a widening skills gap, and deeply entrenched commercial structures that actively disincentivise data sharing.To unlock the value of technology, the sector must treat data not as an exhaust product of construction, but as a critical asset with its own lifecycle. So let's find out what Louisa is doing about these challengesResourcesKier GroupUKREiiFNational Highways digital strategyUK Construction Skills Mission BoardUK Infrastructure PipelineUK NISTA

In this episode of THE MENTORS RADIO, Host Dan Hesse talks with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who, in two decades as Commissioner, has built the NFL into a sports, media and cultural leader—growing the NFL to be not only America's, but the world's top sports league, with 13 of the world's 20 most valuable teams being NFL teams. Ninety-three (93) of the top 100 rated programs on American television were NFL games. Starting as an intern for Commissioner Pete Rozelle in the early ’80s, Roger became the league's first Chief Operating Officer, and he succeeded Commissioner Paul Tagliabue as Commissioner in 2006. Roger has focused on strengthening the game for players and fans alike. He prioritized improving player health and safety through new rules and better equipment, driving down concussions and other major injuries. Under his leadership, the NFL has secured consecutive, ten-year transformative collective bargaining agreements with the NFL Players Association, allowing the league to grow and thrive, enhancing pay and benefits for current and retired players and ensuring decades of labor peace. In 2021, he negotiated long-term media agreements with CBS, ESPN/ABC, FOX, NBC and Amazon, which brought Thursday Night Football to a streaming platform for the first time. He has since spearheaded groundbreaking deals with YouTube for NFL Sunday Ticket and Netflix for the NFL's Christmas games, reaching a generation of younger fans. Under Roger's leadership, an increasing number of regular-season games are played outside of the US, and he's supported the rise of flag football globally. He also moved the NFL Draft from New York to cities and fans across the country. SHOW NOTES: ROGER GOODELL: BIO: BIO: Roger Goodell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Goodell  BOOKS: Every Day is Sunday, by Ken Belson The Biography of Roger Goodell, by Christopher Mateo

We're continuing our summer series with a recap of the week's top headlines and relevant conversation from The Bulletin archive. This week, President Trump signed a short-term deal with Iran, with many saying the US got the losing end of the deal. We re-air a conversation from May in which Russell Moore, Bonnie Kristian, and Clarissa Moll discuss the difficulty of negotiating with Iran. Then, President Trump hosted his 80th birthday on the White House South Lawn complete with a UFC fight in which the winners were paid with cryptocurrency produced by a Trump family organization. The Atlantic's Tom Nichols joins to discuss why Trump is interested in cryptocurrency and why it may be concerning. The Southern Baptist Convention recently voted to ban churches who ordain women or allow women to preach. We revisit a conversation between Nicole Martin and Mike Cosper in which they discuss the issue in the context of Rick Warren's Saddleback Community Church being expelled from the SBC in 2023. Finally, Nicole Martin shares about how we as believers can collectively celebrate Juneteenth. GO DEEPER WITH THE BULLETIN: Join the conversation at our Substack. Find us on YouTube. Rate and review the show in your podcast app of choice. ABOUT THE GUESTS: Bonnie Kristian is the deputy editor at Christianity Today. She is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today. Her writing has been published at outlets including The New York Times, The Week, USA Today, CNN, Politico, and others. Tom Nichols is a staff writer at The Atlantic and an author of the Atlantic Daily newsletter. He is a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the US Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years, and an instructor at the Harvard Extension School. He has served as a legislative aide in the Massachusetts House and the US Senate. His books include The Death of Expertise and Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy. Dr. Nicole Martin serves Christianity Today as President and CEO. She has more than 25 years of nonprofit, academic, ministry leadership, and church engagement experience and has served at CT since 2023 as Chief Impact Officer and most recently Chief Operating Officer. ABOUT THE BULLETIN: The Bulletin is a twice-weekly news analysis podcast from Christianity Today, with editor-at-large Russell Moore. Each episode offers commentary on current events and headlining news with a roundtable of premier guests, and shares a Christian perspective on issues that are shaping our world The Bulletin listeners get 25% off CT. Go to https://orderct.com/THEBULLETIN to learn more. “The Bulletin” is a production of Christianity Today Host: Alexa Copeland Associate Producers: Alexa Copeland Editing and Mix: Kevin Morris Graphic Design: Rick Szuecs Music: Dan Phelps Executive Producer: Erik Petrik Senior Producer: Matt Stevens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the latest episode, Netty returns to OAE headquarters at Acland Burghley School to chat with Chief Operating Officer Edward Shaw. From studying Botany and working in the vineyards of Burgundy to teaching English in Bordeaux, Edward shares the fascinating and unconventional path that led him to the Orchestra, bringing a unique perspective to his role as COO.Edward's role spans a wide range of responsibilities from HR, governance, health and safety to supporting every department across the organisation and helping the OAE navigate whatever comes next. He reflects on the joys of being based in a school, working alongside students, watching their development and helping to inspire the next generation's discovery of the classical music world. Outside the office, Edward's passions range from wine and baking to making soup for musicians, identifying birds by their call and playing the viola.--Tea with Netty is the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment's podcast hosted by viola player Annette Isserlis (Netty). Over a cuppa (or something a little stronger…), Netty chats with a variety of conductors, players and other guests as she ‘spills the tea' on the side of classical music you don't normally hear.Available as Apple podcast, Google Podcast, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, TuneIn+Alexa

Financial market infrastructure is often invisible to investors, yet it powers every trade, settlement, and ownership record across capital markets. As technology evolves, tokenization is emerging as a new way to represent and transfer financial assets, raising questions about how markets may operate in the future.In this episode of The Bid, Oscar Pulido speaks with Rob Goldstein, Chief Operating Officer at BlackRock. They discuss what tokenization means in practice, how it differs from cryptocurrencies, and why digital assets are drawing increased attention from investors, institutions, and policymakers.The conversation explores how tokenization could improve access, efficiency, and connectivity across financial markets. Rob also shares his perspective on the coexistence of traditional financial systems and digital assets, the role of digital wallets, and the regulatory developments that could shape adoption in the years ahead.Key insights:· How tokenization creates digital representations of financial assets· Why tokenization differs from cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin· How digital wallets could expand access to capital markets· Why traditional finance and digital assets may coexist· What role blockchain technology plays in financial infrastructure· How regulation could influence the future of tokenized markets

In this Omni Talk Retail interview, recorded live from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam, Chris Walton talks with Ryan Baker, Chief Operating Officer of Bunnings Group, about customer trust, omnichannel retail, and how one of the world's most successful home improvement retailers continues to evolve in a rapidly changing market. Ryan shares his 25-year journey with Bunnings, from starting on the shop floor to leading merchandise, marketing, supply chain, retail media, and customer strategy across the business. He explains how Bunnings aligns these functions around a single goal: creating a better experience for customers. The conversation explores why Bunnings believes value extends beyond price, why home improvement retail is really about projects rather than products, and how content and inspiration help customers build confidence to take on DIY projects. Ryan also discusses Bunnings' services marketplace, faster fulfillment options, and how AI and long-term investment are helping the company adapt to changing customer expectations while maintaining the trust it has built over decades. Key Topics Covered: • Ryan Baker's 25-year journey from the shop floor to COO of Bunnings • Why Bunnings organizes merchandising, marketing, and supply chain around the customer • The role of trust in building Australia's most trusted retail brand • Why value means more than just low prices • Expanding into new categories including pet care, cleaning, and automotive • Why home improvement retail is really about projects, not products • The importance of content, inspiration, and DIY education • How Bunnings' services marketplace connects homeowners with trade professionals • Same-day delivery, Uber Eats, and the future of last-mile fulfillment • Reaching younger consumers, renters, and first-time DIY customers • How Bunnings is using AI to improve customer experiences and team productivity • Lessons from Bunnings' omnichannel transformation journey Thank you to Vusion for supporting Omni Talk Retail's live coverage from the Global DIY Summit 2026 in Amsterdam.

On this episode of Money & Wealth, John Hope Bryant sits down with Kieran Shanahan, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Walmart U.S., for a powerful conversation on leadership, humility, opportunity, and building something that lasts. Kieran shares his journey from starting at Walmart as a teenager in the UK to leading operations for one of the world’s largest companies, the lessons he learned from Sam Walton’s legacy, and why financial literacy is a key part of empowering employees and communities. From AI and the future of work to creating pathways for people to grow, this episode explores what it really takes to lead at scale while staying connected to the people you serve.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Department of Homeland Security is taking the next step toward reaching its cloud aspirations by officially bringing the first vendor onboard its Cumulus project, according to contract documents published last Friday. The agency awarded nearly $2.6 billion to Amazon Web Services via a single-award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for its cloud offerings, including Infrastructure as a Service, training and marketplace solutions. Cumulus was first introduced in January as part of procurement forecasting documents that outlined DHS's plan to increase the efficiency, flexibility and effectiveness of its cloud purchases in the hopes of unlocking “significant discounts.” At the time, DHS anticipated potential contracts would surpass $100 million, which is the ceiling for estimates on the Acquisition Planning Forecast System platform. The Cumulus project marks the first time cloud service providers have been tapped at an agencywide level, rather than by individual components. DHS plans to bring on other notable cloud providers. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure is expected to join next quarter, as is Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure. The award amounts for those contracts have not yet been disclosed. More than 2 in 5 IRS IT employees have either been separated from the agency or involuntarily reassigned to other positions during the second Trump administration, according to a watchdog report released last week. In its third workforce snapshot since President Donald Trump began his second term, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found that the IRS lost 30% of its workforce (31,273 staffers) from January 2025 through January 2026, though it also added 2,000-some positions for a net decrease of 28%. Those departures were a mix of voluntary separations, deferred resignations or other incentive-induced exits. Among the tax agency's IT staff, 42% are gone, including 29% (2,497 individuals) who departed via separation or workforce reduction efforts. The remaining 13% (1,143 employees) were reassigned to the chief operating officer's staff, per the report. “According to the IRS, restructuring the IT department allowed them to simplify and align technical work with the agency's mission and core functions,” TIGTA reported. “IRS officials stated that the reassignment was not performance-related but was done to support Chief Operating Officer responsibilities.” Those non-IT responsibilities included the oversight of integrated support functions, implementing economy-of-scale efficiencies and facilitating better business practices, tax agency officials told the watchdog. The Daily Scoop Podcast is available every Monday-Friday afternoon. If you want to hear more of the latest from Washington, subscribe to The Daily Scoop Podcast  on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Spotify and YouTube.

Access to healthcare doesn't start at the doctor's office—it starts with transportation.In this episode of Transit Unplugged, Paul Comfort sits down with Steven Feist, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Coordinated Transportation Solutions (CTS), to explore the world of Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) and its growing role in healthcare access. Steven explains how transportation brokers connect Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries with the rides they need to reach appointments, treatments, pharmacies, and other critical services.The conversation examines how NEMT has evolved over the past two decades, from paper manifests and phone-based eligibility checks to sophisticated platforms powered by GPS tracking, mobile apps, APIs, and virtual agents. Steven also shares how CTS partners with transit agencies such as SEPTA and coordinates with ADA paratransit providers to create more efficient, cost-effective transportation networks.Paul and Steven discuss:What NEMT is and why it matters The relationship between healthcare access and transportationHow transportation brokers coordinate rides across multiple modesPartnerships between NEMT providers and public transit agenciesThe role of ADA paratransit in medical transportationTechnology's impact on trip scheduling, eligibility, and customer serviceEconomies of scale in statewide and regional transportation programsThe future of autonomous vehicles and telehealth in NEMTWhy breaking down transportation silos is essential for better health outcomesWhether you work in transit, healthcare, mobility management, or public policy, this episode offers valuable insights into one of the most important—and often overlooked—segments of the transportation industry.CreditsHost and Producer: Paul ComfortExecutive Producer: Julie GatesProducer: Chris O'KeeffeEditor: Patrick EmileAssociate Producer: Cyndi RaskinBrand Design: Tina OlagundoyeTransit Unplugged is brought to you by Modaxo, passionate about moving the world's people.For more information, visit: www.Transit Unplugged.comDisclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Modaxo Inc., its affiliates or subsidiaries, or any entities they represent (“Modaxo”). This production belongs to Modaxo, and may contain information that may be subject to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights and restrictions. This production provides general information, and should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. Modaxo specifically disclaims all warranties, express or implied, and will not be liable for any losses, claims, or damages arising from the use of this presentation, from any material contained in it, or from any action or decision taken in response to it.

How do you scale a franchise brand to hundreds of locations while maintaining quality, consistency, and franchisee satisfaction? Our guest today is Jordan Levine, Chief Operating Officer of Stretch Zone with more than 425 franchise locations, and he shares with us insights about how they have put money where their mouth is.TODAY'S WIN-WIN: "Good brands put their money where their mouth is."LINKS FROM THE EPISODE:Schedule your free franchise consultation with Big Sky Franchise Team: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/. You can visit our guest's website: https://www.stretchzone.com/Listen to Episode 1 here: CLICK HERE.Attend our Franchise Sales Training Workshop:  https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/franchisesalestraining/Connect with our guests on social: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanaustinlevine/https://www.linkedin.com/company/stretch-zone/ABOUT OUR GUEST:Jordan Levine is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Stretch Zone, with more than 425 locations. He brings more than 25 years of experience building and scaling some of the most recognized franchise brands in the country. He began his career with Cold Stone Creamery, helping grow the brand from fewer than 50 locations to over 1,200 nationwide. He later joined Massage Envy, WellBiz Brands, and was previously the COO of Sola Salons, expanding the brand to 720 locations. This episode is powered by Big Sky Franchise Team. Big Sky Franchise Team is consistently recognized as one of the best franchise consulting firms in the world, helping entrepreneurs franchise their businesses through a proven 3-Step franchise process rooted in ethical principles, hands-on guidance, and customized deliverables.  If you are ready to talk about franchising your business you can schedule your free, no-obligation, franchise consultation online at: https://bigskyfranchiseteam.com/. The information provided in this podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial, legal, or professional advice. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any business decisions. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Big Sky Franchise Team, or our affiliates. Additionally, this podcast may feature sponsors or advertisers, but any mention of products or services does not constitute an endorsement. Please do your own research before making any purchasing or business decisions.

Today, let's talk about how to counter the rapidly evolving cyber threats facing the transportation industry in this episode with Jaime Lightfoot of Lightfoot Labs and Joe Ohr of the NMFTA! They share the new realities of logistical vulnerabilities, moving beyond abstract ransomware fears to reveal how everyday tools like legacy maintenance software and Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) are being weaponized as backdoors into critical transport infrastructure. They also breaks down why fleets cannot afford to play catch-up with sophisticated, state-sponsored cybercriminals who exploit software white-labeling and GPS spoofing to manipulate logbooks or orchestrate strategic cargo theft. From simple wired connections during routine garage service to complex wireless interventions while trucks are actively moving on the highway, this conversation serves as a wakeup call emphasizing that asset protection requires continuous, proactive defensive remediation and a rigorous evaluation of every digital touchpoint in your supply chain!   About Jamie Lightfoot Jaime Lightfoot is an independent security researcher, electrical engineer, and full-stack developer with over 12 years of industry experience. She specializes in embedded systems security within heavy trucking, automotive, and other critical infrastructure, helping companies assess vulnerabilities and working with their engineers to fix the gaps.    About Joe Ohr Joe Ohr has more than two decades of experience in technical operations, customer success management, customer support, and product support. Currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer for the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, Inc. (NMFTA)™, he plays a pivotal role in helping to advance the industry through digitization, classification, and cybersecurity. Prior to Ohr's role at NMFTA, he served as in numerous engineering and operations positions at Qualcomm and Eaton, and most recently held the position of Senior Vice President of Operations/Customer Experience at Omnitracs. Throughout his career, Ohr has provided strategic guidance, vision, and a roadmap for addressing long-term customer challenges. He has played a key role in accelerating revenue growth and has collaborated closely with IT, product, and engineering teams to foster stronger partnerships with strategic customers and peers. Additionally, Ohr has overseen post sales customer support and service teams, as well as operations, managing a workforce of over 400 individuals. He holds multiple certifications such as CCNA from Cisco and MCSE from Microsoft and earned his Bachelor of Science in Education from the Ohio State University. Due to his contributions to the industry, he earned a spot in the Inner Circle in 2015 and 2018 from Qualcomm and Omnitracs.  

Episode 431 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Cathy Lewenberg, CEO of Bevi. When most people think of a beverage company, they immediately think of a traditional consumer brand fighting for shelf space at the grocery store. But the real magic behind Bevi is its highly defensible B2B business model and it's brilliant. Bevi has made the old corporate water cooler cool again with its high quality platform which combines smart hardware, software, data, and customized flavors & enhancements to create a delightful experience. Oh, and its units are directly installed into your office, gym, hotel, or elsewhere. On top of their success, Bevi is also helping out our planet. The company recently hit a historic milestone, officially surpassing 1 billion single-use bottles and cans saved from ending up in landfills. Cathy stepped in as Bevi's CEO almost two years ago to lead the company's next phase of growth. As you'll hear, she is uniquely qualified to scale this business. She spent years driving digital transformation and healthy convenience initiatives at CVS Health, before serving as Chief Operating Officer and then CEO at Drizly, where she helped lead this hypergrowth company to a $1.1B acquisition by Uber. In this episode of our podcast, we cover: * Cathy's advice on joining a founder-led company as CEO. * Her background growing up in upstate New York and her competitive experience rowing crew at Princeton. * Her impactful tenure at CVS Health, where she ran the food and beverage business, led the shift toward healthy convenience retail, and helped play a key role in the decision to exit the tobacco category. * Why she joined Drizly and the dramatic “COVID moment” that triggered rocketship growth for alcohol delivery, leading all the way up to the Uber acquisition. * All the details about Bevi, what's next, and the company's culture. * The burning question: Is a residential Bevi machine coming to our homes anytime soon? * Cathy's advice to the next generation of women aspiring to step into the CEO seat. * And, so much more! Podcast Sponsor: This podcast is brought to you by one of the strongest longtime supporters of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors and $44B in loans as of Q4 2025 – SVB delivers expert guidance, specialized products and a team that knows the innovation economy inside and out. Learn more at SVB.com.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Brad Schoffstall, Vice President of Health and Compliance Programs at CGI, and Dr. James Peake, Senior Vice President and former Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Army Surgeon General. They have a wide-ranging and practical conversation about what it actually takes to modernize data infrastructure at federal health agencies. With Brad's 35 years at CGI and Dr. Peake's 16 years, this is a conversation grounded in hard-won experience rather than theory. Today's conversation is a refreshingly honest and deeply practical perspective for anyone working at the intersection of government, healthcare, and AI.  In this episode, they talk about: Federal health agencies are running some of the largest healthcare operations in the world, with the VA equivalent in size to a Fortune 5 company Data silos created by contract-by-contract procurement are the primary barrier to AI-ready infrastructure at federal agencies Federated data platforms allow data to stay in its own repositories while being discoverable, mappable, and usable across the organization Policy is often the biggest obstacle to data sharing, and changing it requires executive-level support and shared governance Technology is the third most important factor in transformation; policy and business understanding come first and second CGI improved NHS Spine performance tenfold while reducing infrastructure to a tenth of its original size, saving a million euros in annual expenses Improper payments across federal health programs run into billions of dollars annually and represent one of the highest-impact areas for AI-driven improvement AI for AI's sake is not the answer; start with the business problem and work backward to the data strategy Start small with two or three systems, demonstrate value, and build from there rather than attempting a massive all-at-once implementation A Little About Brad and James: Brad Schoffstall has wide-ranging experience, deep knowledge, and skills in information technology. He has led multiple digital transformation efforts. He has 37 years of experience with a diverse set of architectures, operating systems, languages, and technologies. His experience includes enterprise architecture, cloud migration, and hands-on development. He also has significant experience in business development and project management. He has implemented large, complex systems on platforms ranging from mainframes to Microservices. He has successfully performed many solution architecture and SDLC engagements that include characteristics like high-volume processing, DevOps, and automation. He demonstrates expertise in multiple service-based secure architectures utilizing multiple application and enterprise solution sets, e.g., Data Driven, Microservices, Cloud, etc. Dr. James Peake is an American politician and former lieutenant general who served as the sixth Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2007 to 2009. In 2004, he retired from a 38-year United States Army career, having served as the 40th Surgeon General of the United States Army. After retiring from the Army, Peake served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Project Hope,[4][5] a non-profit international health foundation operating in more than 30 countries. While at Project HOPE, he helped to orchestrate the use of civilian volunteers aboard the Navy Hospital Ship Mercy as it responded to the tsunami disaster in Indonesia and also as part of the Hurricane Katrina response aboard the Hospital Ship Comfort. Just before he was nominated Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Peake served as Chief Medical Officer and Chief Executive Officer for QTC, one of the largest private providers of government-outsourced occupational health and disability examination services in the nation. 

Michael Maroone has served as President and Chief Operating Officer of AutoNation, Inc., the world's largest automotive retailer, since 1999. Today, AutoNation represents more than 35 brands, from Porsche to Rolls Royce and Honda to Chevrolet. AutoNation has twice been ranked in Forbes magazine's annual Top 500 Companies in the United States and has received numerous awards such as Time Magazine's Quality Dealer and Fortune's America's Most Admired and and was ranked the Number One Industry Champion five out of the last six years. In 2001, Maroone, along with five other entrepreneurs, purchased the Florida Panthers hockey team from H. Wayne Huizenga, allowing the team to remain in South Florida. Michael is an active member of the community, sitting on the board of organizations such as the Dan Marino Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County, Police Athletic League, and the Children's Cancer Caring Center. He is also the chairman of the board for Take Stock in Children, a program that helps low-income children receive assistance for education.Support the show

Across the United States, industries are grappling with a skilled labor shortage. According to industry research, millions of trade jobs are expected to go unfilled in the coming years as experienced workers retire faster than new ones enter the field. At the same time, trade school enrollment has steadily increased. The conversation around skilled trades—once overlooked—is returning to center stage as industries work to rebuild the workforce that literally keeps the world running.But awareness alone isn't enough. If the next generation doesn't see the trades up close, who will carry the craft forward?That's the central question explored in this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, where host Greg Crumpton sits down with Ken Landin, Chief Operating Officer of KL Drywall. Their conversation dives into the value of mentorship, the evolving perception of trade careers, and why experienced professionals must step up to guide the next generation of craftsmen.Together, they discuss Landin's decades-long career in drywall finishing, his journey from construction sites in Queens to running his own business, and how he's now using education and social media to inspire young people to consider the trades.What you'll learn…Why generations were pushed toward college—and how skilled trades were left behind.Why mentorship—from parents, instructors, and experienced tradespeople—is critical to rebuilding the workforce.How digital platforms like YouTube can help introduce young people to hands-on trades and practical skills.Ken Landin is a longtime trade professional and business leader who has served as Chief Operating Officer of KL Drywall Inc. since 1989, leading a sheetrock and taping company with decades of hands-on industry experience. He also founded and operated Crossroads Brewing Company locations in Athens and Catskill, building production and hospitality teams through major business cycles and transitions. Today, he mentors professionals and shares trade knowledge through his online teaching platform Drywall with Kenny, where he provides practical instruction and insights on craftsmanship, leadership, and sustainable success.

Today the show is being hosted by Dan Hasty, who is the voice of the West Michigan Whitecaps. Throughout the show, Dan was joined by some of our great guests to talk about Michigan State Athletics, the NBA Finals, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, and much more. In our first hour, Jim Comparoni from SpartanMag.com joined us. He and Dan talked about the news out of East Lansing today the J. Batt will be leaving MSU for Kentucky. They gave their opinions on why he decided to leave, talked about some comments that Tom Izzo made earlier today, talked about the future of MSU Athletics, and more. In our second hour, we were joined by Omari Sankofa from the Detroit Free Press. He and Dan talked about the Pistons in the off-season, talked about what this Pistons team still needs, looked ahead to the NBA Draft, and more. We were then joined by Nate Wangler so he and Dan could talk about the World Cup. They talked about USA beating Paraguay, previewed the next match against Australia, and more. In our final hour, we were joined by Max Bultman from the Athletic. He and Dan talked about what the Red Wings need in the off-season, talked about the Dylan Larkin trade request situation, and more. We were then joined by Brad Galli from the new "Brad Galli Show." He told us about what it's been like going off on his own, told us what he thinks the biggest Detroit story is right now, and more. We wrapped up the show talking with Trey Conner who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Grand Rapids Gold. He told us about the Gold being named the G League Franchise of the Year, talked about the NBA Finals, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We were joined by Trey Conner who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Grand Rapids Gold. He told us about the Gold being named the G League Franchise of the Year, talked about the NBA Finals, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today the show is being hosted by Dan Hasty, who is the voice of the West Michigan Whitecaps. Throughout the show, Dan was joined by some of our great guests to talk about Michigan State Athletics, the NBA Finals, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, and much more. In our final hour, we were joined by Max Bultman from the Athletic. He and Dan talked about what the Red Wings need in the off-season, talked about the Dylan Larkin trade request situation, and more. We were then joined by Brad Galli from the new "Brad Galli Show." He told us about what it's been like going off on his own, told us what he thinks the biggest Detroit story is right now, and more. We wrapped up the show talking with Trey Conner who is the Chief Operating Officer of the Grand Rapids Gold. He told us about the Gold being named the G League Franchise of the Year, talked about the NBA Finals, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome to another episode of The Company Doctor! This week, we are thrilled to be joined by Fiona Richards, Group COO of the Ephelia Group. With a career spanning traditional banking giants like Deutsche Bank and HSBC, Fiona now sits at the bleeding edge of payment technologies, blockchain, and AI.The role of the Chief Operating Officer is evolving fast. It's no longer just about back-office efficiencies and controls; it's about knitting together technology, compliance, customer service, and commercial priorities to execute a founder's vision. But how do you build a culture capable of delivering that? And how do you navigate "crypto bro" stereotypes to build a genuinely diverse tech workforce?In this episode, Fiona faces the George Clode Grill, sharing her operational wisdom on everything from unlearning old banking habits to using AI to elevate (not eliminate) entry-level talent. Plus, she explains why "diversity of thought" will always be the ultimate competitive advantage.Key takeaways from this episode:The Modern COO: The role has shifted from just back-office control to managing a complex spectrum of technology, compliance, and commercial verticals. Flexibility is the name of the game.Visions aren't "Eureka" moments: A vision evolves over time. If the people executing the strategy aren't involved from the get-go, delivery becomes nearly impossible.Diversity of Thought Wins: Corporate diversity initiatives are a good start, but the real prize is diversity of thought—creating a culture where constructive challenge and asking questions are actively encouraged by the C-Suite.AI Elevates the Entry-Level: Automating the "grunt work" doesn't destroy entry-level roles; it actually gives junior talent the opportunity to take on higher-value, diverse tasks much earlier in their careers.Send us Fan MailLinks & references: https://www.thecompanydoctor.com/Gary Gamp: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garygampGeorge Clode: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeclodeGary's new book, Career Catalyst - available online now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Career-Catalyst-Secret-Skills-School-ebook/dp/B0DFYVG6XY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

On Lessons in Leadership, Steve Adubato and Mary Gamba talk with Mark D. Sparta, FACHE, President, Chief Operating Officer, Hackensack Meridian Health, for a special “Leaders in Healthcare” conversation about leading with empathy, listening to frontline staff, mentoring future leaders, and making decisions with confidence. Then, Steve and Mary are joined by Scott M. Shaw, … Continue reading Lessons in Leadership: Mark Sparta / Scott Shaw and Althea Ford

In this episode, hosts David Millili and Steve Carran sit down with Ayesha Molino, Chief Operating Officer of MGM Resorts International, to explore the evolving landscape of hospitality, entertainment, and large-scale resort operations in Las Vegas.Ayesha shares her unconventional path from law and government into hospitality leadership, and how her experience in policy shaped her approach to decision-making at one of the world's largest resort companies. The conversation dives into MGM's guest-centric operating model, the transformation of Las Vegas into an entertainment-driven destination, and how AI, data, and loyalty partnerships like Marriott Bonvoy are reshaping the future of travel.In This Episode, You'll Learn About: How growing up in San Diego and Washington, DC shaped her leadership mindset  The transformation of Las Vegas into an entertainment-first global destination  Why modernizing legacy systems and moving to the cloud is critical for innovation  How the MGM–Marriott Bonvoy partnership is reshaping loyalty in travel and gaming  Traits of successful hospitality leaders in today's data-driven environmentWatch the FULL EPISODE on YouTube: https://youtu.be/eW8xZA-XK9U Links:Ayesha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayesha-molino-a7581a84MGM Resorts International: https://www.mgmresorts.com/en.htmlFor full show notes head to: https://themodernhotelier.com/episode/285Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-..Join the conversation on today's episode on The Modern Hotelier LinkedIn pageConnect with Steve and David:Steve: https://www.linkedin.com/in/%F0%9F%8E...David: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-mil.

Umar Aziz, Partner, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel at DG Partners, joins Scott Brown to share lessons from a career that nearly took him into shipping brokerage before a major life event brought him back to law.In this episode of Lessons I Learned in Law, Umar reflects on how personal circumstances shaped the start of his legal career, including his decision to return to Clifford Chance after initially turning down his training contract. His first lesson is that there is more to life than work. Drawing on his own experiences of loss, family responsibility and high-pressure legal environments, he discusses the importance of building a full life outside the job — and why excellence matters across work, family, friendships and personal pursuits.His second lesson comes from advice he received early in his career: learn from the best bits of the lawyers around you. Umar explains why every lawyer you work with has something worth copying — and something worth leaving behind.His final lesson challenges the idea that lawyers should always try to “win” every point. Whether negotiating with clients, managing internal teams or building long-term business relationships, Umar argues that sustainable success comes from fairness, trust and mutual respect — not squeezing every last drop out of the other side.Along the way, Umar discusses moving from litigation into funds, the transition from private practice into DG Partners, his COO and GC role, and why full-contact karate helps him stay disciplined, present and switched off from work. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Wordsmith AI — the legal AI platform built specifically for in-house teams.Guest RecommendationsSport: Full-contact karate Sauce of choice: Buffalo or curry sauce Resources & Links Mentioned in This EpisodeRegister your interest in joining The Lodge In-house Legal Community: https://bit.ly/TheLodgebyHB Heriot Brown: https://heriotbrown.com/ Wordsmith AI: https://www.wordsmith.ai/ Legal Engineering Project Application form: https://wordsmith.fillout.com/legalengproject Listen to the PodcastSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/4 YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/Connect with Heriot Brownhttps://heriotbrown.com/ About Heriot Brown: At Heriot Brown, we help lawyers find fulfilment in their careers. Beyond recruitment, we foster a thriving community of in-house legal professionals who share insights, experiences, and growth opportunities.Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Lessons I Learned in Law, leave a review, and share it with someone building their career in legal leadership.Chapters: 00:00 Intro – Umar Aziz & DG Partners   03:40 Turning down Clifford Chance twice   09:28 From private practice to GC & COO   16:12 Lesson 1 – There's more to life than work   24:03 Karate, resilience & switching off   30:08 Lesson 2 – Learn from great lawyers   34:22 Lesson 3 – Winning isn't everything   39:55 Building long-term relationships   44:31 GC, COO & wearing multiple hats   56:42 Hot or Not, AI & closing thoughts   

In this episode of The Product Podcast by Product School, Carlos González de Villaumbrosia sits down with Cristina Cordova, Chief Operating Officer at Linear, the product development system built for teams and agents. Linear raised $82 million in a Series C round in June 2025 at a $1.25 billion valuation. The company has been profitable since 2021, and serves over 20,000 paid business customers, from seed-stage startups to Fortune 100 enterprises, with a team of just 140 people. Before Linear, Cristina joined Stripe as one of its first employees, and led Platform and Partnerships at Notion.What you'll learn:Why keeping headcount intentionally lean is a strategic advantageReplacing traditional interviews with paid two to five-day projectsWhy PMs are the fastest-growing power users of agentic toolsKey takeaways:A small team is not a small business. Revenue, customers, and growth rate matter more than headcount.If you fully delegate your AI thinking, you lose your native understanding of how these products actually workAgentic workflows are now the default, not a feature. The companies that treat them that way will pull ahead.Credits:Host: Carlos Gonzalez de VillaumbrosiaGuest: Cristina CordovaSocial Links:Find out more about Product School hereFollow our Podcast on TikTok hereFollow Product School on LinkedIn here

“This year is a much more radical technology shift and the most consequential, I believe, ever. But still, you need all foundations of the house to be in order,” Sebastian Steinhaeuser, Chief Operating Officer at SAP, tells Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Technology Analyst Anurag Rana. In this episode of Tech Disruptors, the pair discuss SAP's autonomous enterprise vision, the rise of Joule assistants and agents, and why AI may strengthen the case for cloud migration, data modernization, and application consolidation. Steinhaeuser explains how SAP is embedding business process context, governance, and industry-specific knowledge into its agentic layer while navigating shifts in software pricing, model strategy, and customer demand for measurable AI adoption.

What if everything you know about starting and scaling a bank is wrong?In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold uncovers the real story behind WIO Bank with former COO Jamal Al Awadhi, a leader fueling the UAE's platform banking revolution. From Abu Dhabi's government-driven vision to the ferocious war for top talent, Jamal lays out how to break tradition, lead through chaos, and unlock transformative team culture.If you skip this episode, you'll miss out on first-hand insights into word-of-mouth-driven growth, the secret sauce for hiring resilient operators, and the unfiltered truth about working with sovereign wealth funds. Listen now to tap hard-won lessons you won't find anywhere else. Your next strategic leap could depend on it.Timestamped Highlights01:13 – The immigrant mindset shaping global leadership grit06:04 – The real reason WIO Bank launched in the UAE—exposed09:09 – Unpacking painful problems traditional banking ignored14:00 – Did regulations crush or catalyze digital banking?15:42 – Competing with legacy players: a blunt take on building trust18:04 – Why word-of-mouth blew up WIO's customer growth overnight26:57 – The resilience litmus test: how to hire for hypergrowth chaos37:02 – Inside the CEO-COO dynamic that keeps a rocketship on track43:36 – Game-changing leadership lessons that rewired Jamal's styleAbout the GuestJamal Al Awadhi was the Chief Operating Officer of WIO Bank, Abu Dhabi's breakout digital platform bank. With over a decade in marketing, strategy, and operations across industries, Jamal blends international perspective with deep regional expertise to drive game-changing innovation and hypergrowth at one of the UAE's fastest-scaling financial disruptors. Currently, he is the CEO of Al Hilal Bank.

Emergency department performance is often shaped long before a patient is admitted, or discharged. This episode features a presentation from the recently held ROI-Centered Care Summit, a half-day virtual summit produced by Bright Spots Ventures in partnership with TytoCare and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA). In this episode, Robert Sumter, PhD, FACHE, EVP / Market Chief Operating Officer at Ascension Illinois, shares how his team redesigned the emergency department front door to improve patient flow, reduce waiting, and strengthen both operational and financial performance.  Rather than treating ED congestion as a staffing problem alone, Ascension focused on redesigning throughput across the full process: front-end intake, middle-care treatment, and back-end disposition and transition. The goal was not simply to move faster, but to build a more coordinated operating model that improves access, creates capacity, and supports a better experience for patients and staff alike.  You'll hear how Ascension Illinois: Uses a "pull to full" model to reduce waiting room congestion by moving patients directly into treatment areas  Combines triage nurse and provider teamwork to accelerate assessment and initiate care earlier  Deploys discharge nurses to free up clinical staff, improve transitions, and arrange PCP follow-up Uses standing order sets, bi-hourly huddles, and dedicated patient transport to reduce bottlenecks and keep patients moving  Focuses on "heads in the bed" to move admitted patients to assigned beds in under 30 minutes and preserve ED capacity  Key topics covered: Why ED throughput is about more than speed The emergency department as the true front door of the health system Reducing overcrowding, LWOT/AMA, and staff burnout through workflow redesign Connecting patient flow to consumer satisfaction and financial sustainability Building operational discipline without compromising quality of care Ascension reported an average door-to-doc time of 4 minutes and median outpatient throughput under 145 minutes, alongside a broader focus on improving patient experience, reducing overcrowding, stabilizing staffing, and increasing capacity without simply expanding footprint.  If you're a hospital operations leader, ED executive, or health system decision-maker working to improve access, throughput, and sustainability, this episode offers a practical look at what it takes to redesign the front door of care in a way that actually performs. Link to Rob Sumter's Presentation: https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Improving-Patient-Access.pdf  Bio: Robert Sumter, PhD has more than 25 years of healthcare leadership experience driving operational excellence, strategic growth, and innovation across hospitals and health systems. He currently serves as Market COO for Ascension, where he oversees operations and strategic initiatives focused on improving patient outcomes, financial performance, and care delivery. Prior to Ascension, Robert served with UnitedHealth Group as the Interim Deputy COO and Chief Operating Officer for UnitedHealthcare Community & State. His leadership experience also includes executive roles at Hawaii Pacific Health, Regional One Health in Memphis, Tennessee, and Spectrum Health, where he served as Chief Operating Officer. Throughout his career, he has consistently led initiatives that improved patient satisfaction, reduced hospital length of stay, increased operational efficiency, and enhanced financial performance. Robert is widely recognized for his ability to lead large-scale operational transformations and build high-performing teams focused on delivering quality care and sustainable growth. His expertise spans hospital operations, healthcare strategy, population health, performance improvement, and executive leadership. Thank You to Our Episode Partner, TytoCare. TytoCare enables health systems and plans to deliver high-quality remote exams anytime, anywhere. Their FDA-cleared devices and AI-powered diagnostic platform support virtual specialty care, school-based programs, and home health models, reducing unnecessary ED visits and improving patient experience. To learn more, visit tytocare.com. Schedule a Meeting with a Senior Leader at TytoCare: To explore how TytoCare can help your organization expand virtual specialty access and improve care coordination, reach out to jtenzer@brightspotsventures.com  to schedule a meeting. About Bright Spots Ventures: Bright Spots Ventures exists to help healthcare organizations accelerate the adoption of what's actually working.   Healthcare does not suffer from a lack of innovation. It suffers from slow adoption, fragmented learning, and limited trust between stakeholders. For example, one health plan or provider may solve a major operational or clinical challenge while others spend the next 5–10 years rediscovering the same answer.   We close that gap by creating trusted environments where health plans, providers, and innovators can share practical strategies, operational lessons, and scalable models that drive measurable improvement.   Through the Bright Spots in Healthcare podcast, leadership councils, executive roundtables, curated events, and strategic advisory work, we help organizations build credibility, strengthen strategic relationships, and accelerate the spread of proven ideas across healthcare.

What happens when healthcare leaders, innovators, and technology experts gather around a single mission: keeping patients at the center of every decision?At the Patient at the Center Symposium, hosted under the Straight Outta Health IT program, Christopher Kunney guided a series of conversations with healthcare leaders, innovators, and executives focused on redefining patient-centered care. The event featured Eugene Greyfer, founder and CEO of Advocaid and Chief Operating Officer at Veritas Health Services, who shared how his work in Texas Medicaid exposed a critical gap in access to diabetic supplies. He explained how Advocaid combines connected hardware and software, including a dual blood pressure and glucose monitoring device with built-in cellular connectivity, to help underserved patients transmit real-time health data to providers, fully covered through Texas's remote patient monitoring (RPM) program.The symposium then expanded into broader system-level innovation with Jeffrey Heenan-Jalil, founder and CEO of hunterAI, who entered healthcare innovation after losing his brother to cancer and now focuses on healthcare financial transparency through AI-driven spend analytics. He described how his platform analyzes millions of transactions across hospital systems to identify inefficiencies, duplicate payments, and misaligned supplier contracts, with the goal of returning value back into hospital systems for reinvestment in patient care. Mitali Paul, Administrator for the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist and board member of the Southeast Texas chapter of ACH, emphasized that patient-centered care is not a philosophy but an operational standard, reflected in her organization's nationally recognized outcomes and commitment to quality, compassion, and culturally competent care.Additional perspectives came from Ini Ekiko Thomas, Vice President at Memorial Hermann Health System and leader of its Innovation Hub, who highlighted the challenges startups face when working with large health systems, particularly around compliance, cybersecurity, vendor vetting, and aligning technology to real clinical or operational problems rather than “shiny object” solutions. Finally, event organizers Brittany Jones and Verndon Samuel of Gozio Health, alongside Josh Sol of FTI Consulting, explained that the symposium's purpose was to bridge the gap between providers, IT leaders, and innovators in a local setting where real collaboration could occur beyond large national conferences.Tune in to hear how today's healthcare leaders are turning innovation into real-world impact by putting patients at the center of everything they do! ResourcesConnect with Jeffrey Heenan-Jalil on LinkedIn here.Follow hunterAI on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.Connect with Mitali Paul on LinkedIn here.Follow Houston Methodist on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.Connect with Ini Ekiko Thomas on LinkedIn here.Follow Memorial Hermann on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.Connect with Brittany Jones on LinkedIn here.Follow Gozio Health on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.Connect with Josh Sol on LinkedIn here.Follow FTI Consulting on LinkedIn here and visit their website here.

Alan welcomes Susan Cahill, the Chief Operating Officer of Net32, to break down how the online marketplace model is fundamentally reshaping how dental practices buy supplies. Moving away from the traditional, often opaque sales rep model, Susan explains how Net32 acts as a transparent intermediary where over a hundred vendors actively compete for your practice's business. They dive into the crucial differences between a niche professional marketplace and giant consumer platforms like Amazon, how macro shifts like inflation and post-COVID operational changes have accelerated digital adoption in dentistry, and how reclaiming just 30 minutes of inventory management a week can instantly impact your bottom line. Whether you are looking to slash overhead or simply eliminate the friction of supply lists and browser tabs, this conversation offers a refreshing look at the data-driven future of dental procurement. Some links from the show: Net32 Join the Very Dental Facebook Group using one of these passwords: Timmerman, Paul, Bioclear, Hornbrook, Gary, McWethy, Papa Randy, Frank or Lipscomb!  The Very Dental Podcast network is and will remain free to download. If you'd like to support the shows you love at Very Dental then show a little love to the people that support us! We're proud to be supported by the folks at Net32! I'm a big fan of the Bioclear Method! I think you should give it a try and I've got a great offer to help you get on board! Use the exclusive Very Dental Podcast code VERYDENTAL8TON for 15% OFF your total Bioclear purchase, including Core Anterior and Posterior Four day courses, Black Triangle Certification, and all Bioclear products. Crazy Dental has everything you need from cotton rolls to equipment and everything in between and the best prices you'll find anywhere! If you head over to verydentalpodcast.com/crazy and use coupon code "VERYSHIP" you'll get free shipping on your order! Go save yourself some money and support the show all at the same time! The Wonderist Agency is basically a one stop shop for marketing your practice and your brand. From logo redesign to a full service marketing plan, the folks at Wonderist have you covered! Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/wonderist! Enova Illumination makes the very best in loupes and headlights, including their new ergonomic angled prism loupes! They also distribute loupe mounted cameras and even the amazing line of Zumax microscopes! If you want to help out the podcast while upping your magnification and headlight game, you need to head over to verydentalpodcast.com/enova to see their whole line of products! CAD-Ray offers the best service on a wide variety of digital scanners, printers, mills and even  their very own browser based design software, Clinux! CAD-Ray has been a huge supporter of the Very Dental Podcast Network and I can tell you that you'll get no better service on everything digital dentistry than the folks from CAD-Ray. Go check them out at verydentalpodcast.com/CADRay!

Today, on Karl and Crew, we wrapped up our weekly theme, “Discipleship.” Stefano Fehr joined us to share how Call of Hope is ministering in Muslim countries through practical care, discipleship, and gospel outreach among refugees and Muslim-background believers. Stefano is president of Call of Hope, a ministry among Muslims for over 120 years, and Chief Operating Officer of Evangelical Karmel Mission. Lana Silk also joined us to give an update on Iran, explaining the oppression facing women, children, and believers while sharing how Christians continue to minister with courage and hope in Christ. Lana is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Transform Iran. We then opened up the phone lines to hear from our listeners. We posed the question, “You thought you had a relationship with Jesus, but you did not. How did God convict and reach you?” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on the Karl and Crew Showcast. If you're looking to hear a particular segment from the show, look at the following time stamps:Stefano Fehr [ 36:02 ]Lana Silk [ 11:34 ]Call Segment [ 51:03 ]Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today, on Karl and Crew, we wrapped up our weekly theme, “Discipleship.” Stefano Fehr joined us to share how Call of Hope is ministering in Muslim countries through practical care, discipleship, and gospel outreach among refugees and Muslim-background believers. Stefano is president of Call of Hope, a ministry among Muslims for over 120 years, and Chief Operating Officer of Evangelical Karmel Mission. Lana Silk also joined us to give an update on Iran, explaining the oppression facing women, children, and believers while sharing how Christians continue to minister with courage and hope in Christ. Lana is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Transform Iran. We then opened up the phone lines to hear from our listeners. We posed the question, “You thought you had a relationship with Jesus, but you did not. How did God convict and reach you?” You can hear the highlights of today’s program on the Karl and Crew Showcast. If you're looking to hear a particular segment from the show, look at the following time stamps:Stefano Fehr [ 36:02 ]Lana Silk [ 11:34 ]Call Segment [ 51:03 ]Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brad Wetherall: AI Search, Agentic AI, and How Corporations Must Adapt to Digital Discovery In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden is joined by Brad Wetherall, former Director of Operations at Google and current COO of Esquire Digital, to unpack the transformative impact of AI on search engines and digital visibility.  The conversation explores how search is moving beyond traditional search engine optimization (SEO) to an era where AI agents, neural networks, and zero-click searches are redefining how brands are discovered, trusted, and chosen online.  Brad Wetherall outlines the emergence of "agentic AI" and the rise of the "frontier firm," where human expertise and AI collaborate to generate both authority and visibility in this new digital ecosystem. This episode offers actionable strategies for corporations, regulated industries, and innovators aiming to future-proof their digital presence and leverage the next chapter of AI-led search.   KEY TAKEAWAYS The traditional SEO playbook is now outdated. The critical question is no longer “How do I rank number one on Google?” but “What does AI say about my company?”  AI-generated summaries and answer engines sit at the top of results, often preventing users from ever clicking on links. To succeed, businesses—especially in highly regulated industries—must ensure their information is not just human-readable but also machine-readable, authoritative, and genuinely original. Websites should be built with both humans and AI in mind, making content easily digestible for AI agents. Content creation has become an interplay of art and science: AI values unique human perspective, expertise, and experience—simply generating generic, regurgitated answers will not suffice and may even have negative consequences, as Google's recent algorithm updates penalize unoriginal, AI-generated spam. Building trust, authority, and relevance is now an ongoing process. It's essential to invest in structured content, active reputation management, robust Google Business profiles, and credible third-party validation through PR. AI agents are becoming the intermediaries of trust, filtering which brands and content make it into these AI overviews. Organizations must become agent bosses, orchestrating both human and machine intelligence, and focusing on verifiable outcomes, not just website traffic. The early adopters who build their authority and distinct voice now will lead in this new landscape and avoid the scramble of playing catch-up.   BEST MOMENTS "The question is no longer how do I rank, but rather, what does AI say about my company?" — Sabine VanderLinden "AI is fundamentally changing the rules of digital discovery. We're seeing a once-in-a-generation shift equivalent to the disruption caused by the Internet itself." — Brad Wetherall "There is no easy button. There's no shortcut. It's not just about buying backlinks anymore—AI search requires a different blueprint." — Brad Wetherall "AI wants to know who you are. The authoritativeness and trust in your company or as an individual now matter more than ever." — Brad Wetherall "Clicks were always a flawed metric. Now, what matters is how many customers you get—not just traffic but outcome." — Brad Wetherall "The companies that do this well—who invest in website optimization, unique content, reputation, and public relations—will win the race. It's hard work, but it's how you'll stand out in an AI-driven world." — Brad Wetherall   ABOUT THE GUEST Brad Wetherall is the Chief Operating Officer at Esquire Digital and the best-selling author of AI and the Future of Search. He spent over a decade at Google, leading operations and shaping products like Google Business Profile, Google Shopping, Google Wallet, and Google Domains—helping over 100 million businesses to be discovered online.  Now at Esquire Digital, Brad applies his deep expertise to help companies adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of AI-driven search and digital visibility. His work focuses on demystifying the complex world of AI search and equipping organizations with the tools and strategies they need to remain competitive and authoritative as the digital economy transforms.   ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you're interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at hello@alchemycrew.ventures

In this episode of Healthy Wealthy & Smart, Dr. Karen Litzy sits down with Nathan White, JD, President and CEO of Cibolo Health and a nationally recognized leader in rural healthcare transformation; to explore how independent hospitals can thrive amidst industry consolidation. They uncover actionable strategies to maintain independence while collaborating effectively to improve patient outcomes and sustain financial stability.   We discuss: How high-value networks (HVNs) and clinically integrated networks (CINs) empower rural hospitals to negotiate better and stay independent The shift from fee-for-sick to value-based care and its implications for rural providers The importance of scale, data interoperability, and primary care for rural health success How collaboration, ownership, and local control challenge the traditional view of hospital consolidation Practical examples of rural value-based programs and metrics that matter The role of AI, data, and community engagement in future healthcare models Lessons in leadership mindset, policy changes, and building resilient healthcare systems   Key insights: Independence in healthcare is best achieved through strategic interdependence, not isolation Small rural hospitals need networks with ownership and governance to navigate value-based care successfully Scale provides the bargaining power and data needed for rural success, but local control preserves community relevance Data-driven, patient-centric approaches—like targeted metrics and AI—are the future of rural health Building collaborative networks requires intentionality around ownership, governance, and shared goals   Timestamps: 00:00 - The challenge of maintaining hospital independence amidst industry consolidation 00:30 - Introducing Nate White and his vision for rural healthcare transformation 01:42 - How high-value networks (HVNs) and clinically integrated networks (CINs) work 02:11 - The role of CINs in payer negotiation and healthcare cost control 03:10 - The importance of scale and shared purchasing for rural hospitals 03:25 - The shift to value-based care and its relevance for rural settings 04:05 - The limitations of fee-for-sick care and the move towards prevention and health management 05:19 - Clinical integration to reduce fragmentation and unnecessary utilization 06:11 - How rural hospitals can participate in Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) 06:45 - Challenges of attribution and achieving the 5,000 patient threshold for rural hospitals 07:15 - The need for larger patient pools and collaborative models for rural success 08:13 - Data and interoperability's role in managing patient care and engagement 09:16 - The double-edged sword of technology and resource limitations in rural hospitals 09:59 - The concept of "independence through interdependence" and collaboration over consolidation 11:07 - How legacy hub-and-spoke models can undermine rural healthcare access and community priorities 12:34 - The importance of local control in healthcare decision-making 14:02 - The unique opportunities and challenges of value-based care in rural settings 15:38 - Prioritizing primary care as the foundation of rural health strategies 16:17 - Practical rural value-based care programs and metrics 17:44 - The importance of improvement incentives and relevant metrics for rural hospitals 19:16 - Building care extenders and leveraging AI to improve screening and patient engagement 21:12 - The growing role of AI in healthcare, from outreach to decision-making 23:36 - The mission-driven motivation behind Cibolo's innovations in rural health 24:52 - Lessons for healthcare entrepreneurs on collaboration, governance, and control 27:23 - The significance of ownership and control in payer and network contracts 29:54 - The power of scale and collective revenue in competitive healthcare landscapes 31:39 - The operational challenges and initial hurdles in network development 33:49 - Long-term vision: transitioning to a future-ready payment and care model 36:02 - Key takeaway: scale combined with local autonomy is the recipe for rural healthcare resilience 38:37 - Policy reforms needed to foster competition and efficiency in rural healthcare 39:59 - Mindset shifts for healthcare leaders to succeed in network environments 40:35 - Advice to future healthcare leaders: Be present, opportunistic, and adaptable 41:57 - Connecting with Nate White and learning more about Cibolo Health 42:52 - Closing thoughts and encouragement to share insights with colleagues   Resources & Links: Cibolo Health Nate White on LinkedIn Team of Teams by Stanley McChrystal Medicare Shared Savings Program details HEDIS Metrics Overview More About Nate: Nathan White is a nationally recognized leader in rural healthcare transformation, with more than 20 years of experience in healthcare operations, strategy, and system innovation. As the founder and CEO of Cibolo Health, Nathan has pioneered the High Value Network (HVN) model, which enables independent rural hospitals to collaborate, improve outcomes, and remain financially sustainable without sacrificing local governance. Before founding Cibolo Health, Nathan served as Chief Operating Officer at Sanford Health, where he helped grow the system from $350 million to $6.5 billion in revenue, overseeing 40 hospitals nationwide. His work has been featured in Modern Healthcare and Forbes, and he is a sought-after speaker on value-based care and rural health sustainability. Nathan's leadership was recently recognized on the 2026 TIME100 Health list, which highlights the world's most influential leaders shaping the future of healthcare. A Kansas native, Nathan is passionate about ensuring rural communities have access to high-quality, locally governed care. Jane Sponsorship Information: Book a one-on-one demo here Mention the code LITZY1MO for a free month   Follow Dr. Karen Litzy on Social Media: Karen's Instagram Karen's LinkedIn   Subscribe to Healthy, Wealthy & Smart: YouTube Website Apple Podcast Spotify SoundCloud Stitcher iHeart Radio

Anne-Sophie Reinhardt is a Certified Mind-Body Eating Coach who helps women break free from diet culture and embrace self-worth through food freedom and body trust. Having recovered from eating disorders, she offers coaching and programs that empower clients to live boldly and authentically. Anne-Sophie is also the Chief Operating Officer at Hill Marketing GmbH and hosts the Escape Diet Prison podcast. In this episode… Many women leaders strive for professional excellence while privately struggling with body image, self-worth, and burnout. With society constantly scrutinizing appearance and behavior, maintaining confidence and inner peace can feel impossible. How can women overcome societal pressures and cultivate authentic leadership fueled by self-love and resilience? Having overcome eating disorders and mental health setbacks, mind-body and leadership coach Anne-Sophie Reinhardt emphasizes the value of awareness, physical movement, and emotional honesty. She encourages women to stop harmful inner dialogue, set boundaries with negative influences, and reconnect with their bodies through joyful practices. By focusing on individual joy and dismantling internalized standards, women can reclaim their voices and lead with presence and purpose. In today's episode of the Lead Like a Woman Show, Andrea Heuston chats with Anne-Sophie Reinhardt, certified mind-body eating coach, about re-defining self-worth in leadership through mind-body practices. Anne-Sophie talks about disrupting gossip culture, leading from intuition, and crafting a personal mantra.

BOOK A STRATEGY CALL In this episode of Leadership on the Links, we sit down with Joel Inman, CCM, PGA, General Manager and Chief Operating Officer at Montclair Golf Club in West Orange, New Jersey. After 14 years leading Laurel Creek Country Club, Joel recently assumed leadership of one of New Jersey's most historic and multifaceted private clubs. Joining Tyler Bloom and Meredith Otero, Joel shares insights on leadership, organizational culture, team development, and navigating transition in a new environment. The conversation explores the realities of leading a large, member-focused operation and the importance of building trust, alignment, and long-term success through people. Whether you are a club manager, golf professional, superintendent, or emerging leader, this episode offers practical perspectives on leadership in today's private club industry.     Links and Resources Joel Inman, CCM, PGA on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-inman-pga/ Montclair Golf Club: https://montclairgolfclub.org/ Bloom Golf Partners: https://bloomgolfpartners.com/ BOOK A STRATEGY CALL

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben and his guest, Joelle Vail, talk about how holistic financial wellness solutions are driving major changes for employers and employees alike. As HR and business leaders look for ways to support their teams in today's challenging environment, companies like BrightPlan are setting a new standard for financial wellbeing in the workplace. Joelle Vail is Chief Revenue Officer at BrightPlan, where she oversees direct sales, partnerships, and client success. She has extensive experience scaling organizations from startup through enterprise growth, helping early-stage companies surpass $100 million in revenue and larger enterprises grow from $100 million to more than $2 billion. Prior to BrightPlan, Joelle served as Chief Operating Officer at Capital Factory and held senior leadership roles at Paychex and Ascentis. BrightPlan is a financial wellness platform designed to help employers improve employee financial outcomes while increasing the effectiveness of their benefits programs. The platform combines AI-driven financial planning tools with access to experienced financial advisors, delivering personalized guidance across budgeting, debt management, investing, retirement, and wealth planning. By integrating directly with employer benefits, BrightPlan helps employees make more informed financial decisions and encourages greater benefits utilization. For employers, BrightPlan provides a centralized dashboard with actionable insights into workforce financial health, enabling more strategic benefits planning, stronger employee engagement, and improved retention. The company is also certified for fiduciary excellence, ensuring guidance is objective and aligned with employees' best interests. You'll hear practical strategies for finding consulting clients, running a workplace consulting business, and business growth strategies for consultants. Whether you identify as HR, workplace, L&D, OD, recruitment, or people & culture, you'll discover real stories and actionable advice to attract clients, win contracts, and grow sustainably. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why financial wellness is a rising priority for employers—and how to frame your consulting offers around their needs The role of technology and people-powered solutions in driving workplace engagement and retention Joelle Vail's lessons from partnering with HR leaders and the marketing moves that resonate with decision-makers Episode highlights: What BrightPlan does and the problems it solves for employers and employees. Defining "financial wellness" and how it goes beyond education. How BrightPlan supports employees with technology, AI, and certified financial planners. Addressing financial emergencies and the importance of building emergency savings . The limitations of traditional HR support in financial matters and closing the gap between employers and employees. Providing personalized, fiduciary financial advice without crossing HR compliance boundaries. Issues BrightPlan helps solve for employers, such as retention, productivity, and being an employer of choice. How financial stress can manifest as workplace behavioral issues. Transformational changes in HR, including the impact of COVID and AI on HR leadership and point solutions. Challenges in HR sales and how to stand out with limited HR budgets. Building trust with HR buyers through networks, pilots, and case studies. Collaborating with other vendors to enhance service and experience for employers and employees. Listening-first approach to sales, networking, and uncovering client needs. The importance of matching services to actual HR pain points. Marketing and Business Growth: Joelle Vail details BrightPlan's approach to marketing and business development: Aligning solutions with HR's most urgent needs and listening closely to buyers' challenges. Leveraging trusted HR advisory networks to gain introductions and build credibility. Offering pilot programs to demonstrate value and facilitate broader implementation. Using content marketing strategies such as webinars and white papers, often featuring CHROs and industry leaders. Prioritizing collaboration with other vendors for seamless HR solutions. Focusing on genuine, needs-based conversations at events and during networking. Resources & Links Mentioned: Company's website: https://www.brightplan.com/ Joelle's LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joelle-risolo-vail Check out this B2B podcast launch service. About The A Better HR Business Podcast The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients. Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don't miss future episodes. For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here: www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast HR BUSINESS GROWTH RESOURCES Get the new book - Grow A Successful HR Business Your Way Launch your own business podcast: B2B Podcast Agency VISIT GET MORE HR CLIENTS Want more clients for your HR-related consultancy or HR Tech business? Visit the Get More HR Clients website for articles, newsletters, podcasts, videos, resources, and more at www.getmorehrclients.com.

Celebrating 11 years of marriage this week, in this personal podcast episode, Alex Woods the Chief Operating Officer of Logistics (C.O.O.L) is on the podcast chatting with Helena on astrocartography travels, traveling solo, how to make decisions together and build trust within a relationship. If you want some motivating words from Helena on building self-love so you can better thrive in life and relationships, you'll love this personal update! Watch the youtube video of Alex and Helena in the studio: https://youtu.be/lzVk6VQzuQw ❤️Alex's website: https://movetofranceandteachenglish.com/ ❤️ Alex's Youtube channel: ⁨https://www.youtube.com/@movetofranceandteachenglish Book a consultation with Alex: http://bit.ly/3j5PKZy  

Michael R. Caplan is the Chief Operating Officer of Lowenstein Sandler, where he oversees the firm's business, financial, and administrative operations. Before joining Lowenstein, Mike served as COO at an Am Law 50 firm for nearly a decade and spent years leading legal operations at Goldman Sachs and Marsh McLennan, giving him a client-side perspective most law firm COOs simply don't have. With more than 25 years of experience across accounting, financial services, and consulting, he has worked with more than 30 general counsels on data analytics, technology implementation, and law firm relationship management. His leadership has earned him recognition as one of the Financial Times North America's top five Legal Intrapreneurs, Legal Innovator of the Year from The Changing Lawyer Awards, and a spot on NJBIZ's Law Power List for two consecutive years. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS EPISODE ABOUT HOW A CLIENT-FACING COO IS CHANGING THE BUSINESS OF LAW Law firm COOs typically manage operations and execute on what firm leadership puts forward. They respond to partners, oversee administration, and stay behind the scenes while lawyers own every client relationship. Even when clients have their own operational counterparts who would benefit from connecting with their law firm's business professionals, those introductions rarely happen. Michael Caplan has spent the last decade building a different model. At Lowenstein Sandler, he and his Business Enterprise Solutions Team work alongside lawyers in pitches, RFP negotiations, and client meetings, bringing expertise in pricing, technology, project management, and data analytics directly into the relationship. The approach requires internal trust, a firm culture that supports it, and the right people on both sides of the conversation. But when it works, clients get a partner that understands both the practice of law and the business of law, and the firm differentiates itself in ways that go beyond the legal work. In this episode of The Lawyer's Edge, Elise Holtzman talks with Michael Caplan of Lowenstein Sandler about what it looks like when business professionals are embedded in client development, how to build internal trust so lawyers bring operations leaders into client relationships, the financial discipline that separates good revenue from bad revenue, and where private equity and AI may reshape law firm operations in the years ahead. 2:43- How Mike's client-side experience at Goldman Sachs and Marsh McLennan shaped his approach 5:53 - Building the Business Enterprise Solutions Team (BEST) at Lowenstein 7:18 - Getting lawyers on board and building internal trust 8:55 - Showing wins to bring more lawyers into the model 9:27 - The financial side of the COO role and negotiating pricing with clients 12:49 - Where emerging partners need the most help on collections and client management 15:14 - What smaller and midsize firms should think about when building an operations team 20:02 - Non-lawyer ownership, private equity, and the MSO model in law firms 22:26 - AI, legal technology, and why firms that invest in business resources will be more profitable 27:22 - Why most COOs wouldn't do this podcast and what holds firms back 33:31 - What clients actually get from a firm that embeds operations into relationships 36:19 - Getting the right people in front of the right clients Mentioned in How a Client-Facing COO is Changing the Business of Law Lowenstein Sandler | LinkedIn Michael Caplan on LinkedIn Get connected with the coaching team: hello@thelawyersedge.com The Lawyer's Edge SPONSOR FOR THIS EPISODE This episode is brought to you by the coaching team at The Lawyer's Edge, a training and coaching firm that has been focused exclusively on lawyers and law firms since 2008. Each member of the team is a trained, certified, and experienced professional coach—and either a former practicing attorney or a former law firm marketing and business development professional. Whatever your professional objectives, our coaches can help you achieve your goals more quickly, more easily, and with significantly less stress. To get connected with your coach, fill out our contact form.

In this episode of NucleCast, host Manolis Priniotakis sits down with former CIA executive Maura Burns to unpack China's rapidly expanding nuclear capabilities and what they mean for global strategic stability.China is undertaking an unprecedented pace of nuclear modernization—building out its arsenal, advancing delivery systems, and investing in infrastructure that signals long-term strategic ambition. As Burns explains, Beijing's actions often speak louder than its official doctrine, raising important questions about transparency, intent, and the future of deterrence.The conversation explores the drivers behind China's nuclear buildup, including its pursuit of a more survivable and flexible nuclear triad, as well as emerging technologies such as MIRVs, hypersonic weapons, and fractional orbital bombardment systems. Burns also examines how China's nuclear growth could reshape arms control paradigms, challenge existing deterrence frameworks, and increase pressure on global strategic stability.Maura Burns is a transformational enterprise executive who served as Chief Operating Officer of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)—the agency's third-highest position—until her retirement in 2025, where she led global operations and drove strategic initiatives to modernize technology and strengthen organizational resilience. With more than 30 years of experience across nuclear energy and weapons systems, space and counterspace security, and biosecurity, she previously directed the Weapons and Counter-Proliferation Mission Center, leading a multidisciplinary team of over 500 experts to address emerging threats and advance international collaboration. Known for her transparent, collaborative leadership style, she has been a strong advocate for workforce development, succession planning, and STEM recruitment. A trusted advisor to senior leaders and policymakers, Burns has shaped complex national security decisions and earned some of the nation's highest honors, including two Presidential Rank Awards and multiple distinguished intelligence medals, reflecting her lasting impact on global security and technology strategy.Follow us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@nuclecast3665?si=h1kCO6NqUtL87w6qFollow on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/nuclecastpodcastSubscribe RSS Feed: https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/Rate: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nuclecast/id1644921278Email comments and topic/guest suggestions to Kimberly@anwadeter.org

In today's Cloud Wars Minute, I examine how Google Cloud is using AI Threat Defense to help customers fight AI-powered cyberattacks. Highlights 00:03 — If you're going to be number one on the Cloud Wars Top 10, you've got to fight to keep that position and stay ahead of the incredible and highly capable competition across the Cloud Wars Top 10. Google Cloud, I believe, has taken yet another big step in ensuring that it remains the number one company on the Cloud Wars Top 10 by launching a new cybersecurity approach. 00:57 — The person leading that is Francis deSouza, who is the Chief Operating Officer of Google Cloud, but also president of its security products. In a blog post last week outlining what this new AI Threat Defense is all about, deSouza said it's time now that business customers be able to fight AI with AI, to defend against these very powerful incursions that the bad guys are going to be making using AI. 01:58 — So, there needs to be, among customers, a big shift in how they do things. It can't be, "Let's just do a little bit more of what we've always done." There's got to be a new approach, and Google Cloud believes it's got that now with this AI Threat Defense for Google Cloud. I believe this is the latest in an ongoing series of steps they've made around cybersecurity. 02:54 — About a year ago — or several months ago — the company announced its intention to acquire Wiz, with its end-to-end threat monitoring and awareness capabilities. That deal has now been completed, and the most recent step, I believe, is the launch of this new solution called Google AI Threat Defense. 03:56 — Now, I'm not trying to read more into that than needs to be said. Maybe Google Cloud AI Threat Defense seemed overly clunky, but I wonder if, in some ways, parent company Google is riding this high now. Google Cloud itself had a growth rate of 63%, up from 48% in the prior quarter, so the company is definitely on a run here. Visit Cloud Wars for more.

Our guest today is Ra' Shann Martin Ra' Shann Martin is an accomplished, mission driven leader committed to ensuring that every person has access to safe, stable housing and the opportunity to thrive. As Executive Director of St. John Center, she leads one of Louisville's most critical frontline organizations, serving individuals experiencing homelessness through outreach, shelter, and permanent supportive housing. Since stepping into leadership, Ra' Shann has expanded access to housing and strengthened coordination across programs and community partners, helping ensure that people receive support with dignity and consistency. She has led the growth of permanent supportive housing initiatives, including the 2025 development of Sheehan Landing in partnership with LDG and St. John Center, creating 80 new units for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Prior to joining St. John Center, Ra' Shann served as Chief Operating Officer at YouthBuild Louisville, where she created pathways for young adults through education, workforce training, and housing stability programs. In addition to her executive leadership, Ra' Shann Martin is an instructor at Bellarmine University, where she is director of Interdisciplinary Studies

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Dr. Vicki Wright-Hamilton as guest to the show.   About Dr. Vicki Wright-Hamilton:   Dr. Vicki Wright Hamilton is the founder of VWH Technology, LLC and the creator of PeacefulCare, the AI-powered Caregiver Command Center. She's spent more than four decades in executive leadership, including time as a Chief Operating Officer, an Interim CIO, and a transformation strategist guiding senior leaders through the most disruptive technology shifts of their careers. Through her firm VWH Consulting, she works with executives navigating disruptive technology, with AI front and center right now, always keeping people first through change management and adoption.   Here's how PeacefulCare came to be. As Vicki worked with leader after leader, she kept hearing the same thing under the surface. They were exhausted trying to lead at work and care for someone at home at the same time. Often a parent. Sometimes a spouse, a sibling, or a child with complex needs. Nobody was talking about it, but it was costing them everything. So she started VWH Technology, LLC and built PeacefulCare for caregivers, drawing on a lifetime of caregiving experience that started in childhood when she helped her mother care for her grandmother and great aunt. Her great aunt passed away holding her hand.   She and her husband then cared for his brother for 26 years, and during a seven-year stretch she became the simultaneous primary caregiver for four additional loved ones, including one in Ohio she traveled to every three weeks. Based in Georgia, Vicki is a strategist, builder, speaker, and advocate who's lived every version of caregiving most families ever face.   About PeacefulCare.ai:   PeacefulCare is the AI-powered Caregiver Command Center for families managing the real work of care. Records, schedules, medications, documents, providers, appointments, patterns, risk signals, all in one place and intelligently connected. The platform lives under VWH Technology, LLC, the technology company founded by Dr. Vicki Wright Hamilton to bring AI-powered tools to the people who need them most. You can find it at PeacefulCare.ai.   The company was born from two things happening at once in Vicki's life. On one side, decades of caregiving. As a child, she helped her mother care for her grandmother and her great aunt, and her great aunt passed away holding her hand. As an adult, she and her husband cared for his brother for 26 years, and during a seven-year stretch she became the simultaneous primary caregiver for four additional loved ones while raising her kids and running her career. On the other side, her work through VWH Consulting, where she advises senior executives on disruptive technology and AI adoption with a people-first lens. Leader after leader kept telling her the same quiet truth.   They were trying to lead at work and care for someone at home, and the weight of doing both was breaking them. PeacefulCare was the answer to a question she kept hearing from both sides of her life. There was also one specific night that sharpened the mission. Vicki was sitting with her mother in the hospital, something shifted, she pushed, and her mother is alive today because a daughter who refused to go home saw something no system flagged and no algorithm caught. Technology can't replace the love and instinct of a caregiver. Technology should carry everything else.   What sets PeacefulCare apart is the AI analytics engine, and it's watching two people at once. The loved one and the caregiver. On the loved one's side, the platform tracks wellness patterns across medications, sleep, mood, vitals, appointments, and daily behaviors, and surfaces the small signals that usually go unnoticed until they turn into a hospital visit. Sudden changes in routine.   Missed doses stacking up. Lab values trending the wrong way. A quiet drop in mobility or engagement. PeacefulCare flags those patterns early, so families can act before the crisis instead of recovering from it. On the caregiver's side, the analytics measure caregiver load, the volume, intensity, and emotional weight of what one person is carrying, and the family gets alerted when the primary caregiver is heading toward burnout. Most platforms watch the patient. PeacefulCare watches the whole family system, because a caregiver who collapses can't care for anyone.   PeacefulCare's promise is simple and personal. You bring the love. PeacefulCare holds everything else.

What if cutting half your team could be the secret to explosive growth?In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Benjamin Surman, COO of Somewhere (formerly Support Shepherd), a company that rocketed from $1M to $25M and is still hungry for more. The conversation tackles the real-world, often-unspoken operational questions: When do you fire instead of hire? Where's the hidden margin in automation? Why are so many leaders clinging to headcount when systems could do the job faster, cheaper, and with less chaos?If you're addicted to the idea that bigger is always better, this episode will shake your assumptions. Miss it and risk drowning in legacy thinking while your competitors eat your lunch. Listen now for the strategic edge you won't hear anywhere else.Timestamped Highlights00:48 – The real reason behind a bold global rebrand02:29 – How one contractor quietly took the reins as COO08:54 – Why bootstrapping (not VC money) set the right culture11:00 – The micro-influencer lever that brings 4,000 referral partners13:25 – What no one tells you about hiring in Latin America17:41 – The $3M decision: Slashing 120 employees with zero regrets20:13 – Behind the curtain of an automated sales pipeline25:37 – The COO playbook for uncovering invisible inefficienciesAbout the GuestBenjamin Surman is the Chief Operating Officer of Somewhere, a hyper-growth headhunting agency revolutionizing global talent acquisition. With a relentless focus on automation and operational excellence, Benjamin Surman has scaled the business from $1M to over $25M in just three years.

What happens when a regulated fintech meets the wild swings of crypto and then gets acquired by a Web3 giant?In this no-fluff conversation, Cameron Herold sits face-to-face with Sung Choi, COO of CoinMe, just months after their high-stakes Polygon Labs acquisition. They get blunt about what it really takes to survive in crypto, how to lead through M&A chaos without losing your best people, and why AI is rapidly rewriting the rules of operational excellence.If you want to hear war stories and hard-earned lessons from the frontlines of scaling a volatile, regulated business, this is your episode. Don't risk missing the sharpest insights on leadership, remote culture, and how to stay relevant through uncertainty. Listen now for playbook-level takeaways you won't get anywhere else.This episode is brought to you by our Silver Sponsor, Next Level Growth.They help COOs and leadership teams build Elite Organizations through a proven, customizable framework built around the Five Obsessions of Elite Organizations.If you and your leadership team are ready to operate at the next level, take the Elite Organizations Assessment and receive a free 20-page customized report based on your answers, plus a complimentary one-hour coaching session with a Next Level Growth Partner and Business Guide to begin implementing tools that will help you build an even more elite business.Complete the assessment here to get started - nextlevelgrowth.com/cooassessmentTimestamped Highlights00:06 – The brutal reality of CoinMe's early hardware dreams11:10 – Why powering partners crushed owning infrastructure13:04 – “M&A is like polyamorous dating” and what nobody tells you17:14 – The tension of disclosure and keeping employees sane22:25 – A surprising pivot: from bitcoin hype to stablecoin utility26:29 – The regrets and rewards of abandoning office life30:26 – How “work from anywhere” delivers hidden productivity34:01 – Why AI is now their secret operating system44:23 – The one leadership skill every modern COO must masterAbout the GuestSung Choi is the Chief Operating Officer at CoinMe, a leading regulated platform for stablecoin and crypto payments. With full-stack experience in scaling teams and driving innovation, he steered CoinMe through its pivotal acquisition by Polygon Labs. Sung Choi is recognized for blending real-world grit with bleeding-edge tech in fintech.

All Home Care Matters and our host, Lance A. Slatton were honored to welcome Seth Low-Tufo as guest to the show.   About Seth Low-Tufo, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer at A Place for Mom:   As Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of A Place for Mom, Inc., Seth Low-Tufo is focused on strengthening core operating processes and identifying opportunities to grow the business profitably. He is responsible for all aspects of the company's Finance function, including strategic planning, investor relations, controllership, accounting, tax, liquidity management, and treasury operations. In addition, Seth is responsible for the company's Legal, Human Resources, and Data & Analytics functions.   Seth is an experienced leader with proven ability to drive transformational change. He joined A Place for Mom following more than a decade at GE. Most recently, Seth was CFO of GE's Onshore Wind Americas business, the leading manufacturer of wind turbines in the U.S. In this role, he rebuilt the finance function and helped drive 50% revenue growth while improving operational efficiency and accountability. Earlier in his career, Seth was the Financial Planning leader for GE Capital's $200 billion asset disposition process and head of Pricing for its $90 billion commercial lending and leasing business. Seth earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and economics from Wesleyan University.     About A Place for Mom:   A Place for Mom is the leading platform that guides families through every stage of the aging journey. We simplify the search for senior care by offering free, personalized support—and when families are ready, we refer them to partners from our network of over 15,000 senior living communities and home care agencies.   Our mission is to guide caregivers and their loved ones to a confident place, so families can focus on what matters most: their love for each other.

David Daiches: Inside INSHUR — From Manhattan Uber Rides to Insuring Autonomous Fleets In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden speaks with David Daiches, co-founder and COO of Insure, about building insurance solutions for the on-demand economy. The conversation traces Insure's origins to a simple yet powerful insight: traditional insurance models were not designed for gig workers like Uber drivers, who operate entirely on their smartphones and cannot afford downtime. David explains how Insure addressed this gap by creating flexible, usage-based insurance embedded directly into platform ecosystems. They explore the importance of “fluency over features,” emphasizing that successful insurtechs solve real operational problems rather than just showcasing technology. A central theme is that claims, not policies, define the true value of insurance, leading Insure to bring claims in-house to improve customer experience and data insights. The discussion also looks ahead to emerging challenges, including electric vehicles and autonomous mobility, where insurance must evolve to cover complex ecosystems of software, hardware, and data. Finally, David shares candid lessons on scaling, partnerships, and the growing role of AI, highlighting the need for adaptability, continuous learning, and strong teams in building resilient insurtech businesses.   KEY TAKEAWAYS What stands out most is the importance of starting with the problem, not the technology. David and his team didn't build Insure by showcasing features; they immersed themselves in the daily realities of gig workers and platform operators. That mindset shaped everything, from product design to partnerships. It reinforces my belief that fluency in a partner's business model is far more valuable than any standalone innovation. Another key insight is how insurance must adapt to changing customer behaviors. The on-demand economy is no longer a niche; it supports millions of people. Traditional annual policies simply do not fit this model. By aligning insurance coverage with actual usage, Insure has shown how to close protection gaps while improving affordability and access. What resonated deeply with me is the idea that claims are the product. Customers only truly experience insurance when something goes wrong. Investing in claims operations, empathy, and responsiveness is therefore not optional; it is the core value proposition. I was also struck by the operational lessons. Scaling too quickly, hiring without enough rigor, and taking partnerships for granted are common pitfalls. Building a strong, empowered team and maintaining close alignment with partners is essential for long-term success. Finally, the future of mobility and insurance will require entirely new thinking. Autonomous vehicles, AI, and data-driven ecosystems are reshaping risk. The winners will be those who can navigate this complexity while staying grounded in customer needs.   BEST MOMENTS “Claims is the product. Everything else just gets us to that point.” – David Daiches “We didn't just sell insurance, we solved problems in the platform's business model.” – David Daiches “People are not interested in a fancy UI when something goes wrong. They want a product that is there at the moment they need it the most.” – Sabine VanderLinden “Make yourself easy to do business with.” – David Daiches “The best insurtech founders aren't selling insurance, they are removing friction from someone else's business model.” – Sabine VanderLinden “If you're not spending time learning AI now, you risk being left behind.” – David Daiches   ABOUT THE GUEST David Daiches is the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Inshur, a digital-first managing general agent focused on the on-demand economy. With a background in technology and retail, he entered the insurance industry over 15 years ago and identified significant opportunities for digital transformation.  At Inshur, David has led the development of embedded, usage-based insurance solutions for platforms such as Uber, Amazon, and DoorDash. David is particularly focused on innovation in mobility insurance, including the future of autonomous vehicles and AI-driven claims and underwriting.   ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you're interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at hello@alchemycrew.ventures