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In today's episode, we continue our conversation about the implications of AI from an OD perspective. The challenge is that we're trying to make sense of a technology evolving so quickly that even the people creating it disagree about where it's taking us. Rather than pretending we know, we argue that embracing the not knowing may be exactly the right place to start. Not knowing can provoke curiosity, inquiry, and learning—the very things OD practitioners will need if we are going to help our organizations navigate what's ahead. The stakes are high. AI has the potential to fundamentally reshape how organizations operate, how work gets done, how performance is measured, and what leadership looks like. So how knowledgeable do we need to become—and where do we begin? We offer some practical first steps for moving beyond uncertainty: getting curious, asking better questions, experimenting, and educating ourselves about what AI is today and what it might become. We don't have the answers. But perhaps our willingness to enter the unknown is the first step toward finding them.
The following article of the Finance & Fintech industry is: “Mexico's New C-Suite Map: Leadership as a Strategic Asset” by Mauricio L´Estrange, Co Founder & CEO, High Flow. (AA2691)
James Patrick Rooney is the author of “For the Love of Money: Four Dizzying Decades Riding the Merrill Lynch Bull”, a sharp-eyed, often irreverent memoir of a career spent inside the most transformational era in American financial services history. Drawing on 34 years at Merrill Lynch in the Palm Beach market, where he retired in 2017 as First Vice President and Senior Wealth Management Advisor, Rooney chronicles the boom-and-bust cycles, the political ruling class and corporate executive blunders, and the global fallout he witnessed from the inside. Along the way, he found personal and spiritual support helping him not only survive but eventually thrive in a famously demanding industry. A veteran wealth advisor turned author, Rooney brings four decades of insider perspective and pairs it with the candor and humor of someone with nothing left to prove.
This episode explores the challenges successful executives can face when transitioning from being consistently recruited to proactively managing their own careers. Maureen and Maddie discuss career governance, exit planning, executive positioning, and the self-doubt that can arise when the market doesn't immediately respond, emphasizing the importance of understanding your unique capabilities, building a strategic target market, and communicating your value beyond titles, degrees, or pedigree.Westgate Executive BrandingFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramFollow us on YouTube
Most leaders are promoted because they're excellent at strategy, operations, or delivering results. But very few are ever taught how to lead people or give feedback. And that's where things fall apart.Rebecca Dhrimaj is on a mission to redefine what leadership looks like in the C-suite and beyond. As a Chief Empathy Officer of The Empathy Collective, Rebecca empowers leaders to coach teams and give honest feedback through change, one conversation at a time.Rebecca shares how she “stumbled into” her business model through lived experience and hard-earned insight. She walks us through a powerful case study of her work with a large customer excellence team, where leadership training directly mapped to measurable improvements in employee engagement and change readiness scores. This isn't theory—it's tangible impact.We also talk about why leaders often rise because of their technical and business acumen, but are rarely equipped with the skills to navigate human emotion. Rebecca explains why starting with a WHY of genuine care and understanding your team's collective strengths can transform even the most disruptive change into momentum instead of burnout.To access the episode transcript, go to www.TheEmpathyEdge.com and search by episode title.Listen in for…Rebecca's Three Phases of Change Readiness ModelCreating more effective one-on-ones that include proactive career conversationsWhy you have to do the inner work as a leader to best lift your team and organizationHow to build honest two-way feedback with your team "You don't necessarily have to always be on the lookout for things, but if you're asking the right questions in your one-on-ones with your people, floodgates will open, and they will talk, and they will share." — Rebecca DhrimajEpisode References: Rebecca's Action Learning Coaching Guide: https://bit.ly/4rG0LPmThe Middle Matters: A Toolkit for Middle Managers by Jeff SigalArticle in Change Conversations newsletter referencing Meet Your Inner Team cardsThe Empathy Edge podcast:Rebecca Geshuri: When Good Moms Feel Bad and Why Supporting Them is a Leadership ImperativeJamie Greenwood: Why Empathy for Others Starts with Compassion for YourselfAbout Rebecca Dhrimaj, Chief Empathy Officer, The Empathy Collective:As Chief Empathy Officer, Rebecca's mission is to redefine the role of the C-Suite by empowering leaders to coach people through change, one conversation at a time. After leading change management for an organizational restructuring, she noticed there was a lack of tools available to leaders dealing with the human side of change: the emotions, the fear, the resistance. She discovered that when leaders start with a WHY of caring and an intimate understanding of their team's collective strengths, any change is possible. When she is not preparing teams for change, she laces up her running shoes and tunes into an audiobook. Fun fact: she has lived in the US, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France and always has a secret stash of Belgian chocolate.Connect with Rebecca:The Empathy Collective and Resilient Change Leader™ course: theempathycollective.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rebeccadhrimaj Podcast - Return on Empathy: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/return-on-empathy/id1750060452 From Our Sponsor:Get$500 off with code EDGE500 at checkout: retreat.therisingmastermind.comConnect with Maria:Get Maria's books: Red-Slice.com/booksHire Maria to speak: Red-Slice.com/Speaker-Maria-RossTake the LinkedIn Learning Courses! Leading with Empathy and Balancing Empathy, Accountability, and Results as a Leader LinkedIn: Maria RossInstagram: @redslicemariaFacebook: Red SliceAre You Overpaying for Employee Benefits Without Knowing It? Take the free 10-minute benefits audit at https://findbetterbenefits.org/ Join Maria at The Rising Executive Women's Retreat, Nov. 4-7. Use code "Edge500" to get $500.00 off! Slots are going fast. https://retreat.therisingmastermind.com/
Trust + Communication + Authentic Action are the oxygen for great cultures. How we communicate either builds trust or deteriorates it. For full show notes visit: https://www.jasonvbarger.com/podcast/how-cultures-impact-communication/ Jason breaks down why communication is the ultimate driver of organizational health, revealing the daily habits needed to build high-trust, high-performing cultures. Please rate and review the podcast to help amplify these messages to others! Summary: With global employee engagement plummeting and 57% of workers citing distrust in leadership as a reason to leave their jobs, organizations face a critical communication crisis. In this solo episode of The Thermostat, Jason V. Barger unpacks the direct correlation between how leaders communicate and the overall health of their corporate culture. If communication is the oxygen that fuels performance, top-down, command-and-control methods are the toxic air suffocating modern teams. This conversation moves past surface-level communication tips to address the core mechanics of establishing psychological safety in the workplace. Jason explores his foundational maxim, "what we allow lingers and what we teach triggers," illustrating how ignoring toxic communication automatically defaults it to standard culture. Relying on Harvard's three primary drivers of trust—logic, empathy, and authenticity—Jason outlines a proactive framework for replacing one-way corporate spin with authentic, two-way dialogue. Essential listening for C-Suite executives, HR directors, and team leaders committed to shaping compelling cultures, this episode offers actionable insights on mastering the art of listening, leveraging value-driven storytelling, and finding the courage to address the unspoken issues limiting your team's success. Episode Notes & Timestamps: Intro: Jason sets the stage for a critical discussion on how communication serves as the oxygen for every great culture. A Call for Authentic Reviews: Jason thanks the OGs and new listeners, reminding the audience how authentic reviews help combat AI noise and amplify positive messages. Thermostat Cultures Live 2026: An exciting preview of the upcoming 10th-anniversary hybrid event featuring thought leaders like Owen Fitzpatrick and Rebecca Hinds. The Engagement Crisis: A look at recent workplace studies revealing staggering levels of distrust and why poor communication is the primary culprit. Allow Lingers, Teach Triggers: Deconstructing how toxic leadership behaviors fester when ignored, and how intentional communication sets a new temperature. The Three Drivers of Trust: Breaking down Harvard's research on why logic, empathy, and authenticity must filter every organizational message. Confronting Conflict: Why avoiding difficult conversations deteriorates trust, and how to make the "mentionable manageable." Habit 1: The Best Communicators Listen: Why taking a posture of curiosity and asking questions is a leader's ultimate superpower. Habits 2, 3 & 4: The necessity of clear repetition, the power of value-driven stories, and having the courage to address the unspoken organizational sharks. Questions to Ponder: Jason challenges listeners to evaluate where trust is currently being lost in their culture due to communication breakdowns. Key Takeaways for Leaders: Filter Your Message: Ensure every communication is driven by logic (explaining the why), empathy (creating a two-way street), and authenticity (eliminating corporate spin). Address the Unspoken: Trust cannot grow in an environment of avoidance. Leaders must have the courage to address the difficult topics and conflict dragging the team down. Listen Before Leading: Command-and-control communication creates disengagement. Shift your approach to active listening to trigger positive, collaborative habits across your ecosystem. Listen to the full episode and access show notes at: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/how-cultures-and-trust-are-impacted-by-communication/ Bio: Jason Barger is a husband, father, speaker, and author who is passionate about business leadership and corporate culture. He believes that corporate culture is the "thermostat" of an organization, and that it can be used to drive performance, innovation, and engagement. The show features interviews with business leaders from a variety of industries, as well as solo episodes where Barger shares his own insights and advice. Connect: Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonVBarger Make Your 2026 Effective! Book Jason with your team at https://www.jasonvbarger.com Like or Follow Jason
A CMO Confidential Interview with Bob Liodice, the long-time CEO of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). Bob shares thoughts on the rapidly evolving marketing landscape, why AI won't necessarily translate to growth, the challenges of the CMO position, and the importance of lifelong learning and curiosity to successful careers. Key topics include:- Why you need to rip up your playbook every year- The need to value brands from a financial perspective- The idea of getting comfortable enough with all of the tools, data and media to make informed decisions- The evolution of cross media measurement including the Aquila model being pioneered by the ANA and a number of companies and associationsTune in to hear how he grew the ANA from 188 member companies to 1,600 (representing over 20,000 brands) and a story about media waste and transparency. ⏱️ Chapters1:08 - State of Marketing and Industry Evolution8:54 - AI, Consumer Discovery, and Funnels11:41 - The Complex Job of the CMO17:44 - B2B and B2C Marketing Convergence21:18 - Solving Cross Media MeasurementThis episode is sponsored by NOAN - the company that builds a fact layer for your brand, creating a single source of truth for your team, both human and agent. Learn more: getnoan.com/cmo.Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.#CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentricSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. In this episode, Justin interviews Mark Romig about a wide variety of topics, including International Podcast Day, September 30th, Mark's journey as an NFL announcer for the New Orleans Saints, having picked it up from his father Jerry, who announced for 44 years without missing a game, and facts about the great City of New Orleans and its deep and rich history, including Cajun culture and cuisine. RISKWORLD 2027 will be held in April in New Orleans. Mark shares tips on food to enjoy and culture to experience in the city. Mark offers his opinions about the ISO 31000 risk framework and its adaptability and flexibility across industries. He shares his insights on hosting a podcast and letting guests tell their stories. Listen for Mark's observations on what makes a great risk manager. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. This is our special International Podcast Day episode. We are delighted to be joined by Mr. Mark Romig. [:38] Mark calls the games for the New Orleans Saints and is the host of The Mark Romig Show, which you can find on the Love NOLATV channel on YouTube. [:47] Ahead of RISKWORLD 2027, being held in his hometown of New Orleans, we will discuss local cuisine, why New Orleans is such a great place for RISKWORLD, and his ERM philosophies. But first… [:59] Webinars: On October 1st, Brown and Brown make their RIMS Webinars debut by discussing "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Think about Now." [1:12] Global Risk Consultants will return on October 8th to present "The 2027 Risk Agenda: 10 Engineering Priorities Risk Leaders Should Act on Now." [1:22] On Oct. 15, Verisk Maplecroft will lead the session "Beyond the Horizon: Turning External Risk Into Decision-Ready Insight." [1:31] On Oct. 22, Zurich returns to tell us all about "Cybercrime, Fraud and AI: Real-World Threats and Practical Defenses for Business Leaders." [1:42] Origami Risk returns on October 29th to present "Managing Insurance Programs at Scale: What Complex Portfolios Require." [1:51] On Nov. 5th, Riskonnect returns to deliver the session "Signal Over Noise: Smarter Risk Analytics." Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to register. [2:01] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:19] RISKWORLD 2027 will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 18th through the 21st. Registration opens on November 4th. Visit RIMS.org/RISKWORLD to register. [2:32] Our guest today is one of the top ambassadors of New Orleans. I'm talking about Mark Romig, best known as the announcer for the New Orleans Saints. He does the play-by-play, and as you will hear from this International Podcasting Day episode, he's got the broadcasting voice. [2:51] We will discuss why New Orleans is a perfect location for RISKWORLD 2027 and how RISKWORLD attendees should prepare for such a fantastic destination. We will discuss Mark's broadcasting legacy and what it takes to host his show, and his interview style and methods. [3:12] We're going to learn about his risk management philosophies. It's all going to be in this episode of RIMScast. Justin explains that this episode was recorded at lunch at Louisiana Joe's, in Oceanside, New York, dining Cajun to get into the spirit of RISKWORLD 2027. [3:45] First, Mark has a special thank you: "I want to thank the great folks at Louisiana Joe's for hosting Justin today, and I'll have to put my order in. Do you all do take-out?" [4:00] Interview! Live from Oceanside, New York, Mark Romig. Welcome to RIMScast! [4:16] Justin is recording from his favorite restaurant, Louisiana Joe's, in Oceanside, New York. He has the St. Charles Chicken Sandwich. Mark would like to reach through the screen and take some to New Orleans. Justin says this is a hopping place. It's great! [5:03] Mark says he will be at RISKWORLD 2027 in New Orleans. Mark suggests meeting Justin there at one of the many New Orleans restaurants. [5:37] Mark's father, Jerry Romig, was in broadcasting for many years. He became well known in the community by being the Saints announcer for 44 years inside the Superdome and before that at the Tulane Stadium. He never missed a game for 446 consecutive games. [6:21] Mark picked it up after his father retired in 2013, so this is his 14th season with the Saints in the Superdome. There has been a Romig voice in the stadium for 58 years. Jerry and Mark both have a deviated septum that gives them the same tonal quality. [6:54] Mark emulates Jerry's first-down calls. That's his homage to his Dad, to keep that same call going. [7:54] Mark says there are many aspects of New Orleans that appeal to everyone. He believes that it is the center of culture in this part of the world for history, music, food, and architecture. New Orleans is very walkable. Everything is concentrated. You don't need to take long bus rides. [8:34] Mark says, once you're in the central core of New Orleans, everything is within walking distance. The Morial Convention Center, where RISKWORLD will be, is right along the Great Mississippi Riverfront. [8:51] Mark says New Orleans has hundreds of great restaurants and over 40 museums, including the National World War II Museum. People come for important meetings like RISKWORLD or just to come on vacation. [9:30] Mark says the Morial Center has recently completed upgrades and renovations for over $600 million. It is one of the larger meeting facilities in the U.S. [9:49] We keep saying, "New Orleans is built to host. We have all the technology. We have all the services. We have all the things that make a meeting complete in one place. It's very much a walkable city." [10:18] Mark says New Orleans is charming. It's very hospitable. It's not uncommon to be walking down the street, and you may not know the person walking toward you, but that person's going to say, "How's your Mama?" or "How are you doing?" or "Good morning." [10:31] Mark says we just enter into conversations with strangers because we're a very welcoming type of community. Everyone is welcome here. [11:03] Mark talks about what you should be looking for on a menu in New Orleans. Red beans and rice is a staple, with sausage or ham, and the spices that go into it. [11:25] Look for Creole foods like shrimp etouffee, crawfish etouffee, fresh seafood like trout, redfish, or any one of the great delicacies coming out of the Gulf, boiled, baked, sauteed, or fried. We have oyster soup, fried oysters, and charbroiled oysters. [12:05] Mark says, "I'm making myself hungry now, watching you eat and thinking about food! As soon as this interview is over, I'm going out to have lunch." Justin says he's never had Louisiana-style oysters, but he will. [12:34] Justin says RISKWORLD has a lot of international attendees, and RIMS has a very sizeable Canadian membership. Justin asks about the connection between French-Canadian Acadians and Louisiana's Cajun culture. [12:54] Mark says a very important group of Canadians migrated down into Louisiana over 100 years ago from the Nova Scotia area and settled in the Southwest area of Louisiana. Many Louisianians take regular trips back to Canada to see family members still living there. [13:28] There are parts of Louisiana that still speak Canadian French. It's a community outside of Canada that Louisiana has become to Canada. We love our Canadian visitors, and we look forward to hosting them. [13:52] Mark says we have a strong French Consul General here. He mentions the Louisiana CODOFIL Program, which teaches students French in many Louisiana schools. [14:16] Mark says the Cajun French has its own culture and its own joie de vivre, as well as its own food creations. Louisiana is one of the most international states in the U.S. [14:52] Mark says you should not leave New Orleans without having café au lait and beignets. There are many places you can find those. [15:00] You probably will want to try them at Café du Monde, right off of Jackson Square, along the Mississippi River. Get your order and then go sit by the river and watch that river traffic. It's a magnificent way to experience the Mississippi River. [15:34] Mark says Jackson Square is the most historic part of New Orleans, with the St. Louis Cathedral, the second-oldest basilica in the U.S. [15:44] Justin has been to Café du Monde, and he suggests you will need to build in some time for standing in line. Mark says the line moves pretty fast. He also says don't wear dark-colored clothing because the powdery sugar tends to go everywhere. [16:07] A Quick Break! Many fantastic RIMS events are coming up in 2026. The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and this is a last call for registration! [16:23] Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [16:29] Save the dates: October 18th through the 21st. In Quebec City, we will be hosting the 50th Annual RIMS Canada Conference. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. [16:42] Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, with a new episode every month. [16:51] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. The agenda is live, and registration is open. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026. [17:06] Let's Return to Our Interview with the Host of the Mark Romig Show, Mark Romig! [17:21] This episode is coming out just before International Podcast Day, September 30th. Mark is a podcast host. This is the second RIMScast official International Podcast Day episode. Justin says, we're very glad that Mark is here. [17:51] Justin asks how Mark puts his own stamp on announcing sports. Mark says you develop a certain way of bringing the fans into the game by punching certain calls. In calling the Saints games in the Superdome, the NFL allows the hometown announcer to punch certain things. [18:13] Mark says he is a fan, but he has to be somewhat neutral. He took what his Dad did for 44 years, and he built on some of his calls. That was important. He has a couple of calls he developed himself. He thinks of his Dad as the GOAT, and he's keeping the seat warm. [18:48] Mark says his Dad would do the voice at home, talking about what happened at the game. He was on the local NBC affiliate for many years and developed his own tone. Mark says, even though we're from New Orleans, hearing his television voice a lot affected how we speak. [19:21] Mark says, depending on what party he's at, he might kind of drift into a New Orleans accent, but at the stadium or on his podcast, he uses the voice you hear now. [19:40] Justin says he often hosts the podcasts in the confines of his home, but when his kids hear him using the RIMScast voice, they tell him to stop doing the RIMScast voice. They hear it and think he's about to get angry. Mark leaves his voice at the Dome. [20:37] Mark is also the stadium voice for the Bayou Classic and the All-State Sugar Bowl. He has his podcast, the Mark Romig Show, on the LoveNOLATV YouTube channel. Mark has had guests Bryan Batt from Mad Men, Coach Kellen Moore from the Saints, and other personalities. [21:29] Mark says we try to keep things on the positive side and talk about current events people can participate in. He says we try to uplift in our show. Justin talks about Mark's mother appearing on the show. Justin says the show promotes goodwill. [22:22] Mark says we're doing it on a regional basis. They were picked up by the Gulf Coast Sports & Entertainment Network, reaching an audience along the Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama Gulf Coast. [22:53] Justin talks about eating lunch and says the restaurant, Louisiana Joe's, is always hopping. As far as Justin knows, it's the only Cajun sandwich shop around him. There are a couple of crab places, but they don't hold a candle to Louisiana Joe's. [23:44] Speaking of his podcast, Mark says if you bring on the right personality, you let them tell their story. Mark tries to minimize his involvement to give them time to speak about themselves and what makes them tick. He seeds a small question and lets them take it from there. [24:16] Mark says he's learning so much. It's like going back to school when he's talking to these wonderful individuals about their work and their passion for what they do, giving them the space to be who they are. [24:33] Mark looks at it as storytelling. In his tourism work, Mark tells the story. On his podcast, he enjoys his guests telling their stories. [24:50] Justin said he had to learn early on to ask an open-ended question and just hang back and let the person open up a bit. Justin doesn't ask hard-hitting questions about current events; he asks about risk management. [25:15] Mark says what RIMScast does is so important to the industry. It builds comfort so people can continue in their business and know they will be taken care of if anything should happen. [25:31] Mark says in storytelling, people can find a lot in common if they just listen to people and understand where they're coming from. If I can build bridges, that's the key. [25:45] Sponsorships! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. RIMScast is proud of its longstanding relationships with AXA XL, Global Risk Consultants, Alliant, Zurich, and more. [26:06] Links to many of these episodes are in the show notes. RIMScast sponsorships can be bundled with whitepapers and webinar sponsorships. [26:14] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! [26:27] Reach out to Ted Donovan at TDonovan@RIMS.org or reach out to Sales at Sales@RIMS.org. Let's find the best opportunity for you and your organization. [26:39] Let's Return to Our Interview with Mark Romig! [26:49] Justin turns the conversation to risk management. He asks Mark which framework he would recommend, between the COSO Enterprise Risk Management Framework, the ISO 31000 Framework, or ISO standards, generally. [27:14] Mark would lean toward ISO 31000 because of its flexibility and its applicability across different types of organizations and risk environments. [27:25] Mark says he likes that it provides the principles and a framework for integrating risk management into decision-making without being overly prescriptive about how an organization must implement it. [27:37] Mark says that adaptability is particularly valuable because effective risk management must reflect an organization's strategy, culture, and specific risk profile. [27:50] Justin says he finds that answer incredibly insightful and he had no idea Mark was so well-versed in risk management. [28:01] Mark says, "Because we love RIMS so much, I am reading up and ready." Justin suspects Mark of tearing into the RIMS whitepapers at RIMS.org/RiskKnowledge. Mark says, "Gary LaBranche is a good teacher; let me just tell you that." [28:18] Mark is friends with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche. In the 1990s, they both served on the International Board of Tau Kappa Epsilon, a collegiate fraternity founded in 1899. They served as International Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tau Kappa Epsilon [28:50] Mark and Gary remained friends. Mark saw him last month in New Orleans at the international conclave for Tau Kappa Epsilon. They toasted their friendship. [29:09] Justin says he saw Gary the night before this recording at the Spencer Funding Their Future Gala at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. [29:26] Justin asks Mark how viable ISO 31000 remains as a Framework for organizations looking to establish a consistent enterprise-wide approach to risk management. [29:41] Mark says ISO 31000 remains highly viable because it provides organizations with a common language and principles for thinking about risk but without prescribing a one-size-fits-all methodology. [29:55] Mark says its real value is in helping risk management become integrated into decision-making and organizational processes, rather than functioning as a stand-alone exercise. [30:06] Mark says the framework gives organizations a strong foundation while still allowing them to adapt their approach to their own strategy, their own culture, and their own risk environment. Justin agrees. Mark stresses adaptability and flexibility. [30:54] Mark says the strongest risk professionals need a combination of analytical skills, business acumen, and communication skills. [31:08] You have to be able to understand complex risks, then you have to translate them into language that business leaders can act on, and then build relationships across an organization so that risk management becomes part of everyday decision-making. [31:26] Mark says, most importantly, you need curiosity. You have to keep learning. The environment changes all the time. The risk landscape is constantly changing. Keep asking the questions. [32:07] Mark reads the newspaper every day. He's curious about not only what's happening in New Orleans and Louisiana, but also what's happening around the world. That allows him to communicate better when he's speaking with someone he's just met or someone in his office. [32:25] Mark reads the newspaper for his own edification. He likes being in the know. He says a good risk manager is a curious person. [32:55] Mark talks about risk management for the Saints. You start with the Senior Vice President of Finance, responsible for the safety and welfare of the business enterprise. [33:18] The General Manager, Mickey Loomis, is concerned about the risk of the entire organization, as is the President of the organization, Dennis Lauscha, and Mrs. Benson, the owner. It's her club. It's her asset, and she's always concerned about the risks that are involved. [33:38] The Assistant Equipment Manager makes sure that the equipment is in the best shape possible. And the Trainers; everyone has a role in the risk enterprise. Everyone should be aware that what they do affects the health and safety of the entire organization. [34:03] Walt Leger, President and CEO, New Orleans & Company, is the uber risk manager. A lot of people have the responsibility. It all flows up to the top person, the President and CEO. [34:29] Everyone needs to be aware of where they fit in the risk equation and do their jobs and lessen the risk. [34:42] Justin says this has been one of my favorite episodes: International Podcast Day, with Mark Romig. [34:54] Mark says about attending RISKWORLD 2027: I would ask people to do a little reading ahead. Those who have been to New Orleans know our deep history and the rich culture. If it's your first time, go to NewOrleans.com. It's a good one-stop shop for things about New Orleans. [35:24] Mark says, read up on our musicians and our history, the architecture, and know that New Orleans is looking forward to welcoming RIMS back here. It's so important to our community to have you here. It's going to be a great, great session. [35:43] Special thanks to the voice of the New Orleans Saints, Mr. Mark Romig, for joining us here on RIMScast for a very special International Podcast Day episode! I look forward to seeing him at RISKWORLD 2027. [35:58] Check out the Mark Romig Show on @LoveNOLATV on YouTube. If you happen to attend a Saints game, tell Mark that you heard him here on RIMScast. [36:07] Plug Time! Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [36:26] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [36:42] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [36:56] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [37:08] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support! Links: RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today. RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Sponsorship Opportunities Available RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Registration Now Open! | www.rims.org/ERM2026 RISKWORLD 2027 Registration RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live — Watch the new video with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Stories RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMScast on YouTube! RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute | Q2 2026 Issue Now Available Sponsor RIMScast — Sales@RIMS.org Louisiana Joe's Mark Romig Show | LoveNolaTV Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops: Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Be Thinking About Now" | Sponsored by Brown & Brown | Oct. 1, 2026 "The 2027 Risk Agenda: 10 Engineering Priorities Risk Leaders Should Act on Now" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants | Oct. 8, 2026 "Beyond the Horizon: Turning External Risk Into Decision-Ready Insight" | Sponsored by Verisk Maplecroft | Oct. 15, 2026 "Cybercrime, Fraud and AI: Real-World Threats and Practical Defenses for Business Leaders" | Sponsored by Zurich | Oct. 22, 2026 "Managing Insurance Programs at Scale: What Complex Risk Portfolios Require" | Sponsored by Origami Risk | Oct. 29, 2026 "Signal Over Noise: Smarter Risk Analytics" | Sponsored by Riskonnect | Nov. 5, 2026 "RIMS Advocacy Presents: Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and Program: An Update on Federal Developments" | Nov. 10, 2026 Related RIMScast Episodes: "Broadcasting Captive Wisdom with James Swanke" "Risk and Leadership Patterns with Super Bowl Champion Ryan Harris" "Opening Windows of Tolerance with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau" "Sports, Spotlight, and Risk Leadership with Rich Lenkov, Founder and CEO of SERMA" Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "48 Hours From a Storm: What to Do Before A Hurricane Strikes" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!) "AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against an Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla! RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information. Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org. Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About our guest: Mark Romig, Announcer, New Orleans Saints Host: The Mark Romig Show, LoveNolaTV (YouTube) Production and engineering provided by Podfly.
At the height of his success, Graham Skidmore was also at the height of his misery. Graham spent 20 years helping Quicken Loans, now Rocket Mortgage, grow from around 400 people to 20,000. He reached the C-suite, led a smaller company as CEO and earned a high six-figure income. Then, sitting in Starbucks with his CEO, Graham admitted he no longer knew who he was. In this episode of Journey to Legacy, Wayne Veldsman and Graham explore what happens when your identity becomes wrapped up in your career and performance. They discuss:• Why achievement stopped feeling good• The physical warning signs Graham ignored• How leaving corporate life shook his identity• The Vegas golf trip that changed his view of career setbacks• What eight years of therapy and coaching taught him about authenticity• Why people thrive when they understand their individual wiringThis conversation is for anyone who has reached a goal and quietly wondered why it didn't feel the way they expected.Connect with Graham:Harmony Health Institute:https://harmonyhealthinstitute.com/SathTech:https://sathtechnology.com/Graham on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/graham-skidmoreFollow Journey to Legacy:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5ObOrJ1eszDpdDfMj8618IYouTube:https://youtu.be/6VHj5BArQJQIf this episode made you think differently about success, share it with someone who needs the reminder that they are more than their title.
When Jess Smith became employee number one for the Bay Area's WNBA expansion team, the future was a blank slate. Now, the Golden State Valkyries brand is boasting a unicorn valuation in just its second season. Smith talks with host Jeff Berman about building the brand from scratch, the rise of women's professional sports, and why so many women in the C-Suite are former athletes. Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Today we take on leadership models—and ask whether we may be putting far too much faith in them. Thirty years ago, leaders watched and emulated GE CEO Jack Welch, following his leadership formula chapter and verse. His approach was studied, taught, copied, and widely held up as a model for how great organizations should be led. Today, much of what seemed like enduring leadership wisdom from that era feels remarkably dated—and some of it downright absurd. And Welch is hardly alone. Leadership history is littered with models, formulas, and “best practices” that once seemed unquestionably right, only to lose their relevance as the world around them changed. Which brings us to AI. We are entering a period of extraordinary change where none of us really knows what organizations, work, or leadership will look like even a few years from now. If the world is changing faster than our leadership models can keep up, what sense does it make to keep creating them? Maybe the answer isn't another model at all. In this episode, we push beyond the familiar leadership playbook and offer a few out-of-the-box ideas about what leadership might need to become in a world that refuses to stand still. Some may challenge what we've been teaching leaders for years. And maybe that's exactly the point.
Your CPG brand needs senior-level expertise, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need another full-time executive on payroll.In this episode I'm joined by Beth of S3 Connect, Rich of Atomos, and Rachel of Severo Consulting to break down what fractional leadership actually looks like and when it makes sense for a growing CPG brand.The three guests represent a larger informal community of cross-functional fractional CPG leaders from across the U.S. that Beth Brown has built and leads, creating a network of experienced operators who support one another and bring expertise across different areas of the business.We discuss why fractional leadership goes far beyond “strategy.” The right fractional leader might serve as an ongoing advisor to the founder, build the processes and tools needed to create foundational structure, train or develop someone internally, or help manage execution through outside resources.We also explore the economics behind bringing in senior-level help. What does it cost when you make the wrong hire? When a junior employee is operating in a role beyond their experience? When poor processes quietly eat into your margins? Or when you make a major pricing, packaging, or operational decision without the right expertise?Beth, Rich, and Rachel share practical examples of where fractional leaders can quickly uncover opportunities and help founders make better decisions.If your business is reaching the point where you know you need more experienced leadership but aren't ready to build out a full C-suite, this conversation will help you understand what fractional leadership can look like and where to start.Startup to Scale is a podcast by Foodbevy, an online community to connect emerging food, beverage, and CPG founders to great resources and partners to grow their business. Visit us at Foodbevy.com to learn about becoming a member or an industry partner today.
How can you own your career path and arrive at your 'best yes for what's next'?Today host Natalie Benamou sits down with Cindy Kent, Managing Partner, Healthcare Executive and Board Director who shares an insider look at building her career with intention. From finding a mentor early in her career to landing a public board seat, Cindy's masterful storytelling will have you listening in wanting to know more.Throughout her career, Cindy Kent continuously sought to broaden her experiences. Early on she worked in engineering, sales , HR, to later on in executive roles across the healthcare industry.Find out why Cindy feels how a sabbatical helped her be the “best leader I will ever be because I understand myself”.Tune in to the end and find out what Cindy would say differently to her ‘fearless girl'. Walk away with steps to own your narrative and know why “you can do hard things”-Cindy Kent.Keep shining your light bright. The world needs you.About Cindy Kent:Cindy Kent is a healthcare executive and corporate director whose career spans life sciences, medical technology, healthcare services and health technology—and functions from engineering and manufacturing to commercial and people leadership. She believes diverse experiences build leadership muscle memory: the pattern recognition, perspective and adaptability required to solve increasingly complex problems.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindyrkent/IG: https://www.instagram.com/i_am_cindyrkent HerCsuite® is a leadership network where women build what's next. Our members land board roles, grow businesses, lead the AI conversation, and live their best portfolio career with our programs. Join us at HerCsuite.com, or connect with host Natalie Benamou on LinkedIn.
How we show up to the work we do and the people we lead matters. Are you a generous leader? Jason Barger is joined by former Managing Partner at BCG, Joe Davis, for a compelling conversation. For full show notes visit: https://www.jasonvbarger.com/podcast/generous-leader-joe-davis/ Jason is joined by former Boston Consulting Group managing director and author, Joe Davis, for a compelling conversation on why vulnerability and connection are your greatest competitive advantages. Please rate and review the podcast to help amplify these messages to others! Summary: In a corporate environment where global engagement is at an all-time low, how do executives drive results while fostering genuine human connection? In this episode of The Thermostat, Jason V Barger sits down with Joe Davis, celebrated author and former senior partner at BCG. Joe's message of "generous leadership" challenges leaders to rethink the top-down management model and replace the corporate mask with true vulnerability. This conversation moves beyond standard business metrics to address the core mechanics of listening and developing people in the workplace. Jason and Joe explore what it means to lead with generosity—giving of yourself so others can thrive—and discuss how executives can cultivate higher productivity by simply asking questions and admitting when they don't have all the answers. They also deconstruct the traditional view of feedback, shifting it from a punitive measure to a caring tool for growth. Essential listening for C-Suite executives, HR directors, and team leaders committed to shaping compelling cultures, this episode offers actionable insights on organizational empathy, the power of active listening, and building a legacy that outlasts any corporate title. Episode Notes & Timestamps: Intro: Jason welcomes listeners and sets the stage for a conversation on bringing generosity and authenticity to leadership. Meet Joe Davis: Introduction to Joe's 37-year career at the Boston Consulting Group and his book, The Generous Leader. Setting the Temperature: Joe discusses leaving a legacy focused on family and the importance of surrounding yourself with a thriving, supported team. The Power of Listening: Unpacking how the best consultants and executives succeed not by having all the answers, but by asking questions and being incredible listeners. Listening in Action: The story of United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby prioritizing the needs of frontline technicians to drive morale and operational success. The Engagement Crisis: Jason and Joe examine the current state of the global workforce, touching on the impact of technology, isolation, and low organizational trust. Defining the Generous Leader: Moving past superficial niceties to define a leader who gives freely to help others reach their full potential. Dropping the Corporate Mask: A powerful example of a senior partner admitting "I don't know" and how vulnerability instantly sparks team creativity. The Gift of Direct Feedback: Why genuinely caring for your people means having the courage to give honest, in-the-moment coaching to help them grow. Key Takeaways for Leaders: Generous Listening: Shift your team's mindset to prioritize active inquiry; asking questions of junior members builds instant trust and engagement. Strategic Vulnerability: Strategies to ensure your organizational culture embraces authenticity, allowing leaders to drop the mask and admit when they don't have the answer. Developmental Feedback: How to use direct, courageous conversations as a tool for genuine coaching and long-term employee growth. Listen to the full episode and access show notes at: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/the-generous-leader-joe-davis/ Bio: Jason Barger is a husband, father, speaker, and author who is passionate about business leadership and corporate culture. He believes that corporate culture is the "thermostat" of an organization, and that it can be used to drive performance, innovation, and engagement. The show features interviews with business leaders from a variety of industries, as well as solo episodes where Barger shares his own insights and advice. Connect: Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonVBarger Make Your 2026 Effective! Book Jason with your team at https://www.jasonvbarger.com Like or Follow Jason
A CMO Confidential Interview with Kipp Bodnar, CMO of HubSpot and author of the newly released book, "Loop: A New Growth Model for an AI-First World." Kipp discusses why the marketing funnel is no longer useful, his belief that AI has ushered in a new era where judgement and taste provide the biggest edge, and why "great marketing has to hurt." Key topics include:- The importance of mentions and attributions- How judgement and taste can be learned- Why you should strive for "counterfactual insights"- Tips for finding top caliber employeesTune in to hear a story about the Savannah Bananas and why "You've got to be like Taylor Swift - remarkable and prolific" with your marketing. ⏱️ Chapters2:18 - The Broken Funnel and AI Disruption5:04 - Attribution Models in the AI Era7:48 - Content Quality and AI Slop10:45 - The Role of Judgment and Taste17:10 - Non-Binary Decisions and Big Bets24:49 - CMO and CIO Collaboration26:39 - Metrics, Creators, and Modern Marketing31:27 - Practical Advice and Closing ThoughtsThis episode is sponsored by NOAN - the company that builds a fact layer for your brand, creating a single source of truth for your team, both human and agent. Learn more: getnoan.com/cmo.Subscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.#CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentricSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. In this episode, Justin interviews Roy Hock about "Future-proofing" a risk program and what it means. They discuss energy awareness and its importance, especially for an energy company. Roy tells of the insurance career journey that led him to Valero. He explains some of the products Valero provides. Roy tells how his Risk team mitigates risk for Valero. He explains how he manages Valero's captive insurance company. More than ever, there are regulatory risks that need to be mitigated where possible. Roy speaks of the South Texas RIMS Chapter and its engagement programs, including a shooting event and golf events. Listen for Roy's advice for young risk professionals who want to become strategic risk leaders over the next 10 years. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. Our topics are energy awareness and future-proofing a risk program. Our guest is Roy Hock, Director of Risk Finance & Casualty Insurance at Valero. But first… [:45] RIMS-CRMP: RIMS Certification Week will be held from September 21st through the 25th. The week is a global celebration of the RIMS Certified Risk Management Professional certification. [:57] It is a virtual event for you to learn about the certification, how it can strengthen your career and organization, and to understand how the RIMS-CRMP is shaping the future of risk management. [1:07] A link to Certification Week is in this episode's show notes. You can also find it at RIMS.org/Webinars. [1:14] Webinars: There are lots more RIMS Webinars coming up. On October 1st, Brown and Brown make their RIMS Webinars debut by discussing "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Think about Now." [1:27] Global Risk Consultants will return on October 8th to present "The 2027 Risk Agenda: 10 Engineering Priorities Risk Leaders Should Act on Now". [1:37] On Oct. 15, Verisk Maplecroft will lead the session "Beyond the Horizon: Turning External Risk Into Decision-Ready Insight". [1:46] On Oct. 22, Zurich returns to tell us all about "Cybercrime, Fraud and AI: Real-World Threats and Practical Defenses for Business Leaders". [1:57] Origami Risk returns on October 29th to present "Managing Insurance Programs at Scale: What Complex Portfolios Require". [2:06] On Nov. 5th, Riskonnect returns to deliver the session "Signal Over Noise: Smarter Risk Analytics". Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to register. [2:17] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:36] On with the Show! Our guest today is Roy Hock, the Director of Risk Finance & Casualty Insurance at Valero, one of the world's largest oil refineries. We will discuss what it takes to future-proof Valero's risk program, and we will discuss Energy Awareness Month in October. [3:08] You may know Roy from his presence in the RIMS Houston Chapter. He is a former president of that chapter, and you probably saw him at the RIMS Texas Regional in 2026. [3:23] Announcement: The speaker's views are his own, and not necessarily the views of Valero. [3:29] I'm looking forward to hearing how he manages risk for Valero, so let's get to it! [3:34] Interview! Roy Hock, welcome to RIMScast! [3:48] Roy started working for an insurance company right out of school. Most of his career has been in Houston. For the last six years, he has been in San Antonio at Valero. [4:03] Roy shares his early career path: underwriting, reinsurance, broker. Then he got his ARM. One of his friends was looking for a risk manager for a startup in Houston. Roy took the opportunity. He loved it until it was sold. [4:55] Roy moved on to another job. After a couple of years, Valero approached him, looking for a risk manager with experience in the oil and gas industry, for a job in San Antonio. Roy said yes. It's a wonderful city. He was very excited to be given the opportunity. [5:21] Roy says, six years later, he's Director of Risk Finance & Casualty Insurance, and loving every minute of it. [5:52] Roy says his work days are varied. Every day is an exciting new challenge. Roy oversees captive, casualty insurance, directors and officers insurance, and all other types of insurance. He works in a large team and is often the backup when people are out. He's keeping up his skills. [6:27] Roy also oversees the Risk Information Management System. Part of his team focuses on that, and he helps support them. [6:38] Roy says it's a big organization of 10,000 people, and there's always something happening. You never know what you're going to get from day to day. [6:48] Justin says he and Roy met right after RISKWORLD for a session with Origami Risk, "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program". Justin wanted to extend the dialog with Roy with Energy Awareness Month coming up in October. [7:06] Justin asks how important Energy Awareness Month is at Valero. Roy says every minute of every day is about energy awareness. [7:24] Valero is a refiner. They buy crude and refine it into jet fuel, diesel, and unleaded gas. They also produce ethanol and renewable diesel. They have their hands in a lot of things, all geared to moving people around the world. [7:52] Valero is always looking at how to create efficiencies and keep costs down. Energy is a big piece of that. They are in Texas, where wind and solar are big. Valero is a big energy consumer. [8:10] They try to keep the energy costs down and build efficiencies within the operation, not only to keep costs down but also to be more self-sustaining so they're taking less off the grid. [8:47] Roy says a risk manager not only has to understand the insurance side and the claims side, and how they interrelate, but you have to understand them in the context of your business. [8:58] You need to know how you make money, where the risks are, the trends you see, and help the organization identify those trends and find ways to address them when possible, via a captive or an outside carrier or internally with programs to mitigate risks and keep losses down. [9:23] Roy says if you don't understand the business, you can't do that very effectively. You need to understand the business. You don't need to know all the details of how a business works, but you need to know a very strong baseline and know who does know the answers. [9:38] Roy says creating that internal network is just as important as having the external network you get in the insurance world. You need to sit in between those two. [9:50] Roy has been at Valero for six years and two months. He came from an oil and gas background, on the insurance side of the business. He knew how the flow worked and what all the pieces did. Even after six years at Valero, Roy is still learning something every day. [10:22] Roy says it took a good year or two to feel comfortable "speaking" the business. He got there by listening to executives talk to carriers, by listening to earnings calls, and by listening to businesses asking Valero for things. Roy loves being a learner. [10:51] That's how Roy has gotten a baseline comfort with the business, and he knows who to ask when there are specific questions. [11:05] Roy has four people on his team, acting as internal support on top of other things they do for the company. The broad risk management group is around 20 people, including an internal TPA and risk engineers with niche knowledge in fire, water, and protection. [12:04] Roy says most companies don't do that. It's just how Valero developed over the years. [12:21] Justin asks what future-proofing a risk program means to Roy. Roy says it's staying on the pulse of what's going on in the business and in the insurance commercial markets, and maintaining a strong network across the board. Use that information. Does this apply to Valero? [12:58] Roy says you have to look at the workforce. Some people may retire. What does that mean? What will we look like in five years? Roy says we do a five-year team outlook for the knowledge transfer. What's on the horizon? [13:27] Twenty years ago, cyber was a thing, but it wasn't a real thing. Now, it's a bigger thing. It's something we have to look at. It's been insane. Roy asks, What's this AI going to do to us? [13:47] Roy says a lot of that is coming from internal questions and resources. People from different departments bring questions. Roy says it's going to RIMS conferences and learning what's going on in the world, in the RIMS space, and in the technology space. [14:07] Roy says bringing all that together is what helps future-proof us. [14:39] Roy says he thinks all risk managers inherently do that. We're always trying to stay ahead of the ball. They want to stay at the forefront of what's going on in the world, so they can address it before it becomes a problem. That's the key. You're trying to address it. [14:59] If it is a business decision, bring to bear your business knowledge in discussions: If we do this, this is what could happen, and this is how we can mitigate it. Do you want to take the cost of that mitigation? Roy says that having those discussions helps a lot, as well. [15:21] A Quick Break! Many fantastic RIMS events are coming up in 2026. The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and registration is open. [15:38] Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [15:44] Save the dates: October 18th through the 21st. In Quebec City, we will be hosting the 50th Annual RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are open, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. [16:01] Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, with a new episode every month. [16:10] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration is open. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026. [16:23] We're already looking to RISKWORLD 2027, which will be held over four days in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 18th through the 21st! Member-only Registration will open on November 4th, and General Registration will open on December 2nd. [16:41] Get first access to the hotel block. Hotel reservations open on October 28th, ahead of public registration. Sitting this out is the real risk! The link to registration is in this episode's show notes. [16:54] Let's Return to Our Interview with Roy Hock of Valero! [17:01] Justin asks if electric vehicles (EVs) are a risk for Valero. Roy answers that Valero is a supply-and-demand organization. Futurists have predicted we would hit peak oil and we would not need oil. That has not come to pass. [17:40] Valero's philosophy is to do what is right, what makes profit for shareholders, and what's good for the world as they see it. So far, that's been doing very well for them. Valero is proud of what they've accomplished. [18:03] Roy says Valero has done things internally that people don't see to bring down its carbon footprint. Some regulatory switches have caused Valero to put those numbers forward. Roy says Valero is proud of those numbers and that their metrics are industry-leading. [19:06] Roy says Valero has a good story to tell and now they are telling it. It has been interesting. Some things they have been doing; some things have been in their plans for 20 years, as part of trying to run a good business. They've been doing all the right things, all along. [19:43] Roy says he thinks Valero's culture of humility is helping to future-proof the business. Interns and new hires seem to love Valero. Numbers are good. Retention numbers are really good. If young employees are unhappy with a company's culture, they look for something else. [20:31] Roy says, not only do we compensate them well, but also the culture keeps them engaged and wanting to work for us. Someone retired from Roy's team after 35-plus years. Roy says that is very common there. People like to work at Valero. It's a good spot. [20:53] Justin asks how geopolitical risks affect Roy's risk work at Valero. Roy says Valero has been forced to step up and participate in new ways recently. Around the world, regulations have changed. It's hard to plan a business around regulations that are here today and gone tomorrow. [21:47] Roy says they have to be at the table to try to mitigate that risk. Roy says "100%" there is more volatility on the regulatory side than when Valero started. The regulatory environment across the world swings back and forth. Valero is just trying to run a good business. [22:26] Roy says one side of the aisle doesn't like it, and the other side of the aisle doesn't like it for a completely different reason. [22:35] Valero is having to come sit at the table more often than ever to try to make sure their voice is heard and that what they're trying to do is coming across, to try to mitigate that risk as much as possible. It's not an insurance risk but a legal-type risk that Valero has to address. [23:08] Roy says that Risk has the attention of the C-Suite. In Roy's experience, even at previous companies, insurance is one of the big "spends" of a company. It's the Risk Management Group's role to mitigate risks, process claims, and make sure they stay under control. [23:43] Roy says that through Legal, or Treasury, or directly to the CFO, there's usually a line of sight to the C-Suite and the Board. Roy says sometimes you're placing insurance for the Board. Roy helps his VP get ready for the annual update to the Board and the big renewal cycles. [24:15] Roy says, in the renewal cycle, if Risk sees something on the horizon, it's easy for them, because of the networks they've built, to go to the C-Suite and communicate those risks or options to them. It's periodic. It happens all the time. [24:43] One more Quick Break! RIMS, The Foundation for Risk ManagementTM, is dedicated to shaping the future of the profession. By making a contribution, you are strengthening the global risk management community and investing in the future of the industry. [25:02] The Foundation also supports the Spencer Educational Foundation but has a different mission. The Foundation focuses on providing opportunities for those professionals who have already decided to enter risk management and are just getting started. [25:16] You can learn more about the Foundation by visiting www.RIMS.org/FRM. While you're there, be sure to check out information about the Susan Meltzer Scholarship Fund, which was established to honor Ms. Meltzer, who was RIMS President in 1999 and 2000. [25:35] Susan Meltzer was a cherished RIMS President and contributed so much to RIMS and the greater risk community. Learn more at RIMS.org/FRM. [25:44] Let's Return to Our Interview with Roy Hock of Valero! [25:50] Justin and Roy talk about Roy's membership in the South Texas RIMS Chapter. Roy is the former President of the RIMS Houston Chapter. He says the South Texas RIMS Chapter is fantastic. [26:18] Roy says there are a lot of businesses coming into Texas, which means a lot of risk functions are moving in. The different chapters are growing. Everybody is doing a good job keeping their members engaged. They keep growing and finding new avenues of engagement. [26:40] Roy says 32 years ago the South Texas RIMS Chapter led the way and started a shooting event in the Spring. Roy was a traditional golfer in Houston. Roy says the shooting event is awesome. They still do a golf event as well. Valero is a big sponsor of these types of events. [27:03] Roy says his boss, Jeremy Bergeron, is a former President of the local chapter. Jeremy reports to the Board annually. Everybody on the team is hands-on, periodically touching base with the different groups. [27:34] Roy says Valero has a long history with and a love of RIMS. Often, the South Texas RIMS Chapter gets invites to play golf with different vendors, and Valero has been very good about supporting that. [27:52] Instead of chapter members going, they'll bring in students from St. Mary's University to attend these events as the future of the risk management industry. It's important to have them get engaged in these types of events, so the chapter helps support them and brings them in. [28:12] Roy sits on the St. Mary's Risk Advisory Board. It's been a pleasure. He loves it, and he says these kids are great. He says we have great future people coming into the industry. [28:30] Roy describes managing a captive for Valero. He has always been interested in how insurance companies function and work. When Valero approached him, it was for risk management and running a captive insurance company. He said, Sign me up! [28:58] Roy says it's great. Day to day, they're doing everything an insurance company does. They talk to regulators, they have managers, they have investments, and all the different things that accompany an insurance company. [29:09] Roy says Valero's captive is a company within a company, and an insurance company within a non-insurance-company environment. They insure Valero. Roy has a CPA on staff who is very helpful. She came from Valero's Accounting side, so she knows their needs. [29:39] Roy says that's one of the unique things about a captive. You need to be able to integrate with your parent company to consolidate everything correctly. The CPA is the bridge that does that for the captive. She has been very helpful to Roy and has helped him learn about it. [29:55] Roy says he didn't have a strong finance background. He knew basic accounting, but running a company is a little bit different. You need to know a little bit more. The CPA has helped Roy get educated on that. Accounting rules evolve, and regulations change all the time. [30:21] Roy says he likes policies and insurance. Reading a policy may not be for everybody, but it is for Roy, so it has been great. He gets to generate policies, which is even more fun. He gets to interact with a lot of fun and exciting people at Valero and outside. [31:08] Roy says they've redomiciled their captive to Texas. It's a growing captive, so there are a lot of moving parts, like a startup. He has to wear many hats. Valero allows Roy the opportunity to engage in helping with the process of pushing legislation. He likes the opportunity. [32:00] Roy would advise young risk professionals coming out of schools today, already understanding policies and risk registers, to continue their education. Designations are important, including the RIMS-CRMP. Roy got the ARM before the RIMS-CRMP was available. [33:10] Roy says things are changing constantly. When Roy took the ARM, there was no cyber piece. There is a piece on cyber now. It's a dynamic and ever-changing industry. Always keep your education up. Roy also advises that you need to build your network. [33:38] Roy says in insurance and risk management, and in your organization, you need to build your network so you can do your job and learn about what other people are doing in your organization and outside your organization. [33:53] Going to conferences helps in ways you don't even understand. As an industry, risk stands out as being more personable. You have data, systems, and risks, but you layer a personal connection on top of all of it. [34:23] Roy says a lot of students come out of school without a network. Roy tells his team to introduce these students to as many people as you can. Make sure that they get to all the conferences that they can. In the industry, we have a responsibility to help them with that. [34:58] As new risk professionals join the workforce, Roy says they should know that the traditional industries are not going anywhere. They are still very valuable and have a lot of career "legs" in them. You can make a great career working at an energy or energy-related company. [35:14] Roy says new risk professionals should keep an open mind to it and see what they like. As many pieces as there are on the insurance side, there are as many on the energy side. There are all types of energy and all types of places to play. [35:35] Roy says to move around, learn about these different pieces, and see what speaks to you. If you don't like what you're doing, you're not going to do as good a job. If you like what you're doing, you're always going to push yourself to do the best job. [35:33] Special thanks again to Roy Hock for joining us here on RIMScast! I've got a link in this episode's show notes to the on-demand video of "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility," featuring Roy Hock and presented by Origami Risk. [36:10] Visit https://www.RIMS.org/Webinars and scroll down the page to find it. [36:14] Happy Energy Awareness Month! [36:16] Plug Time! Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [36:34] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [36:50] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [37:03] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [37:15] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support! Links: ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026 RIMS Certification Week: Sept. 21‒24 | Complimentary For All RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today. RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Sponsorship Opportunities Available RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Registration Now Open! | www.rims.org/ERM2026 RISKWORLD 2027 Registration RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live — Watch the new video with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Stories RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMScast on YouTube! RIMS Risk Management Magazine | Contribute | Q2 2026 Issue Now Available Sponsor RIMScast — Sales@RIMS.org "Future-Proofing Your Risk Program: Keeping Pace with Scale, Complexity, and Visibility" Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops: Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars RIMS Certification Week: Sept. 22‒24 | Complimentary For All "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Be Thinking About Now" | Sponsored by Brown & Brown | Oct. 1, 2026 "The 2027 Risk Agenda: 10 Engineering Priorities Risk Leaders Should Act on Now" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants | Oct. 8, 2026 "Beyond the Horizon: Turning External Risk Into Decision-Ready Insight" | Sponsored by Verisk Maplecroft | Oct. 15, 2026 "Cybercrime, Fraud and AI: Real-World Threats and Practical Defenses for Business Leaders" | Sponsored by Zurich | Oct. 22, 2026 "Managing Insurance Programs at Scale: What Complex Risk Portfolios Require" | Sponsored by Origami Risk | Oct. 29, 2026 "Signal Over Noise: Smarter Risk Analytics" | Sponsored by Riskonnect | Nov. 5, 2026 Related RIMScast Episodes: "From Wellhead to Burner Tip: Eric Lobser's ERM Journey" "When Geopolitics Hits the Balance Sheet with Cari Stinebower" Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "48 Hours From a Storm: What to Do Before A Hurricane Strikes" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!) "AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against an Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla! RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information. Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org. Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About our guest: Roy C. Hock, Director, Risk Finance & Casualty Insurance, Valero October is Energy Awareness Month. Production and engineering provided by Podfly.
September 18, 2026: I look at the viral LinkedIn profile of Home Depot executive Anne Marie Campbell and why her rise from cashier to senior executive says something important about effort, loyalty, and firm-specific knowledge. Then I get into the Wall Street Journal's warning that the purge of middle managers could backfire as companies underestimate coaching, sponsorship, and tacit knowledge. I also unpack how researchers used Anthropic's Claude to break into OpenAI through a bug bounty program. Finally, I break down OpenAI's recent "misalignment" example involving compaction summaries and why some of these scary AI moments may be glitches, not signs of sentience.
What does it take to keep leading when depression tells you that you can't go on? In this classic episode, I talk with Paul Greenberg, CEO of Butter Works about building a successful career while living with severe, chronic depression and suicidal thoughts. Paul shares how he kept showing up for work, why connecting with other people gave him a sense of purpose, and what happened when decades of traditional treatments failed to bring relief. We also talk about ECT, ketamine treatment, mental health stigma, and how leaders can create workplaces where people feel safer asking for help. Get ready to rethink what strength and success can look like when mental illness is part of the picture. Check out our sponsors: ElevenLabs - If you run a business or handle customer operations across support, sales, or marketing, you can start with a demo at elevenlabs.io/achiever. Granola - If meetings are eating up your day, Granola is a no-brainer. You can try it totally free - just head to granola.ai/ACHIEVER. IM8 - Go to IM8HEALTH.com/achiever RIGHT NOW or click on the link in the description and use code achiever for a Free Welcome Kit, five free travel sachets, plus ten percent off your order Monarch - Write your own money story with Monarch. Use code ACHIEVER at Monarch.com to get your first year of Monarch Core half off at just $50. Shopify - Head over to SHOPIFY.COM/anxiousachiever to start your free trial today. Upwork - Visit upwork.com right now and post your job for free. Brevo - Get started for free today—or use code ACHIEVER50 to save 50% on Starter and Standard Plans for the first three months of an annual subscription. In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 How can someone build a successful career while living with severe depression? 03:45 What does a “slog day” with severe depression actually feel like? 06:00 Can depression make you more sensitive to what other people are feeling? 08:15 How depression created a constant and destructive inner narrative. 10:45 Why achievement and responsibility can't make depression go away. 12:45 What happens when therapy and medication aren't enough? 15:00 What did it feel like to experience happiness for the first time after treatment? 17:30 How ketamine treatment offered relief when severe depression returned. 21:00 Why mental illness needs to be treated like any other medical condition. 23:45 How being open about treatment shaped the culture at Paul's company. 25:15 What should you do if your workplace doesn't support your mental health? 28:15 How leaders can help make conversations about mental health feel more normal. Resources + Links Find more about Paul Greenberg on his website https://paulgreenberg.com If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can find support through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline suicidepreventionlifeline.org If you're concerned about a young person in your life, find support and resources through the JED Foundation jedfoundation.org You can also reach out for support through the Crisis Text Line crisistextline.org Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever Watch the podcast on YouTube Find more resources on our website morraam.com Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam Follow Paul on LinkedIn: @paulgreenberg
Stocks higher, yields lower as markets digest the first Fed rate hike in three years. The CEO of Sentinelone says AI labs are engaging in “self-serving marketing.” Plus, an extended conversation with former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
You Are Not Just a Creator. You Are a COO.
In today's episode, Bob 'n Joyce take on a question that has followed us throughout our careers: Where can you do your best and boldest OD work—from inside an organization or from the outside? We've done both. And while we believe some of our most impactful work came from being inside the organization, there are real advantages—and some very real traps—to both. Internal OD practitioners have an intimacy with the business that's hard to replicate. They understand the culture, know the players, and can build credibility and trust over time. But that closeness can also get in the way. Internals can become too embedded in the system to see what needs to change—or find themselves spending too much time doing routine, low-impact work. External OD practitioners bring fresh eyes, a clearer mandate, and often the freedom to say things others won't. But distance has its costs. Externals can miss important nuances, remain at arm's length from what's really happening, or unintentionally create a dependency that leaves the organization less capable when they leave. So maybe the real issue isn't internal versus external. Maybe it's understanding the traps that come with where you sit—and refusing to let them keep you from doing the work that really matters. Join us as we wrestle with what it takes to do great OD work, wherever you sit.
Darnell Self, Executive VP of Network & Business Development at LegalShield, shares a new perspective on the five levels of leadership. Drawing from 28 years with LegalShield and experience in both corporate and field leadership, Darnell explores relationships, results, impact, character and the importance of building trust between the C-Suite and the field.
The Defense Department's Under Secretary for Research and Engineering and CTO, Emil Michael, joins Squawk on the Street as the AI pacing debate intensifies, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei doubling down at Dreamforce on the need for a slowdown. Michael leading the Pentagon's decision to blacklist Anthropic earlier this year. Plus, it's Fed decision day, with former Atlanta Fed President Dennis Lockhart discussing the outlook for rates. And one industry executive sounds the alarm over soaring fuel costs, comparing the spike to something out of a “science fiction movie.”Squawk on the Street Disclaimer Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Most AI playbooks are built for a workforce tethered to a desk, but many workers are not near a keyboard. In this episode, Beth Miles, Chief AI Officer at Advantage Solutions, breaks down how she's building an AI-ready culture across a distributed workforce of more than 60,000 teammates. She shares why AI literacy has to start with leadership, why redesigning a broken process matters more than simply automating it, and how she measures AI success well beyond adoption metrics.Key Moments:From Chief of Staff to Chief AI Officer (05:00): Beth explains how her chief of staff role gave her the cross-functional view needed to build Advantage's AI office.Hands-On Keyboards: AI Training in the C-Suite (11:00): Beth breaks down 10+ hours of executive AI training, including a CEO who sat down for a coding workshop.Inside the AI Champions Build Summit (22:00): Over 40 teammates spent five hours building AI use cases together, breaking down silos across functions.Why You Shouldn't Optimize a Bad Process (26:00): Redesigning broken processes before automating them matters more than speed.Adoption Is Step One, Not the Finish Line (31:00): Usage is only step one. Beth points to service excellence and time to complete as the metrics that matter.Key Quotes:“AI can be an accelerant, but you have to have all the mechanics and the process and the data to actually make it run really well.” - Beth Miles“It may require moving slower now to move faster later, to actually redesign and rethink work so you're not optimizing a bad process.” - Beth Miles“ To lead a change, we need to understand it.” - Beth MilesMentions:AI Transformation Requires Redesigning Work, Not Cutting RolesEast of Eden by John SteinbeckShoe Dog by Phil KnightGuest Bio:Beth Miles leads Advantage Solutions' AI strategy, enablement, and governance to drive value for the company's clients and teammates. She drives AI deployment across the enterprise, alongside the Data Office and Growth & Strategy Office. Beth joined Advantage in early 2024 and has served the last year as Chief of Staff, leading the company's AI workstreams from diagnostic through scaled execution, driving enterprise transformation initiatives, and overseeing CEO Office operations.Before Advantage, Beth spent more than a decade leading technology and corporate transformation at global software firms, including senior roles at Sage and Cerner (now Oracle Health). At Cerner, she drove the redesign of Cerner's portfolio management process for their $400m R&D investment. At Sage, she led GTM execution across new revenue streams and managed a large cloud partnership, leading cross-functional teams across governance and delivery. Hear more from Cindi Howson here. Sponsored by ThoughtSpot.
Produced in partnership with the Association for Project Management, this episode explores how organisations turn ambition into outcomes. Debbie West is joined by Professor Adam Boddison OBE, Chief Executive of APM, alongside Ana Reiley, VP and Head of Acceptance UK & Ireland at Visa, Ben Rule, Railway Operations Director at East West Rail, and Dan Caines, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at Bupa. Together they examine what the word 'project' really means to senior leaders, why strategy and execution have become inseparable, and how success is increasingly measured through benefits realisation rather than time, cost and quality alone. From knowing when to kill a project to balancing pace with 200-year infrastructure thinking, and the role of storytelling in bringing people with you, this conversation asks what every C-suite leader should rethink about projects.
The generations in today's workforce continue to evolve and have differing needs for what they want in a culture. The best cultures engage and align for the future. For Full Show Notes Visit: https://www.jasonvbarger.com/podcast/top-gen-culture-needs-2026/ Jason breaks down the shifting demographics of the modern workplace and shares targeted strategies to align Millennials, Gen X, Gen Z, and Baby Boomers into a unified, high-performing team. Please rate and review the podcast to help amplify these messages to others! Summary: In a rapidly evolving professional landscape, a one-size-fits-all approach to management is a guaranteed strategy for organizational failure. In this solo episode of The Thermostat, Jason V Barger deconstructs the current generational makeup of the workforce. With Millennials now the largest demographic and Gen Z quickly climbing the ranks, leaders must rethink how they engage, retain, and inspire a deeply diverse talent pool. This conversation moves beyond standard generational stereotypes to address the core mechanics of human connection in the workplace. Jason explores the universal cultural foundations that every employee demands—such as psychological safety, respect, and leadership congruence—before breaking down the specific operational needs of each cohort. From Gen X's desire for autonomy to Gen Z's demand for purpose and mental health support, executives will learn how to bridge the gaps and leverage the unique strengths of every age group. Essential listening for C-Suite executives, HR directors, and team leaders committed to shaping compelling cultures, this episode offers actionable insights on retaining top talent, tailoring communication styles, and building a dynamic ecosystem where every generation thrives. Episode Notes & Timestamps: Intro: Jason welcomes listeners and introduces the challenge of leading a multi-generational workforce in an ever-evolving corporate landscape. The 2026 Demographic Breakdown: A statistical look at today's workplace, highlighting Millennials (36%), Gen X (31-33%), Gen Z (18%), and Baby Boomers (15%). Culture is Dynamic: A reminder that culture is shaped moment by moment by every generation in the ecosystem, and why leaders cannot just "set it and forget it." Thermostat Cultures Live 2026: An exciting announcement and preview of the upcoming 10th-anniversary leadership event on November 6th. The Universal Foundation: Why consistent respect, psychological safety, and congruence between leadership actions and values matter to every single generation. Leading Millennials: Understanding their drive for value alignment, continuous development, and flexible work rhythms. Empowering Gen X: How to effectively manage the middle cohort by emphasizing autonomy, clear communication, and respect for their experience. Engaging Gen Z: The critical importance of authentic purpose, mental health support, and continuous feedback for the fastest-growing segment of the workforce. Honoring Baby Boomers: Strategies to leverage their deep institutional knowledge through mentorship opportunities and face-to-face communication. Questions to Ponder: Jason challenges leaders to audit their current teams and deploy intentional strategies to bridge generational divides. Key Takeaways for Leaders: Universal Trust First: Before tailoring your management style by generation, ensure your culture has a solid foundation of psychological safety and respect. Tailor Your Engagement: Recognize that while Gen X craves independence and autonomy, Gen Z demands continuous feedback and deep alignment with social purpose. Leverage Shared Wisdom: Create intentional environments where the digital fluency and purpose-driven energy of younger workers can successfully collaborate with the deep institutional knowledge of veteran employees. Listen to the full episode and access show notes at: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/top-generational-culture-needs-in-2026/ Bio: Jason Barger is a husband, father, speaker, and author who is passionate about business leadership and corporate culture. He believes that corporate culture is the "thermostat" of an organization, and that it can be used to drive performance, innovation, and engagement. The show features interviews with business leaders from a variety of industries, as well as solo episodes where Barger shares his own insights and advice. Connect: Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonVBarger Make Your 2026 Effective! Book Jason with your team at https://www.jasonvbarger.com Like or Follow Jason
What happens when the life you worked decades to build still looks successful, but no longer feels true? Jesse Hardy knows that threshold well. A former U.S. Marine and C-suite executive, Jesse Hardy spent 30 years climbing every version of the success ladder: leadership, influence, travel, money, responsibility, and the kind of career that made sense on paper. Then came the question he could no longer outrun: is this really it? In this episode of Your Passion, Purpose, and Personal Brand, Jesse joins Lisa McGuire for a candid conversation about becoming successfully stuck, a state where nothing looks broken from the outside, yet the identity that built your current life can no longer hold who you're becoming. Jesse shares what led him to walk away from the C-suite, why burnout was about far more than exhaustion, and how his search for a "brand" turned into something deeper. As he puts it: "I thought I was buying a brand. You handed me a mirror." Together, Lisa and Jesse trace the thread running through Jesse's life, from the Marine Corps and executive leadership through pastoral counseling, mental health work, coaching, and service to veterans and first responders. They unpack his Purpose and Principle Driven framework, built on four pillars: clarity, alignment, fitness, and legacy. For Jesse, legacy isn't a distant marker you leave behind someday; it's something you build daily, in the decisions right in front of you. In this episode, you'll discover: Why outward success can coexist with deep internal misalignment What "successfully stuck" actually feels like from the inside The difference between outgrowing a role and outgrowing an identity Jesse's reasons for walking away from the C-suite despite everything he'd built Creating a brand versus uncovering the truth beneath one How a season working in Alaska became unexpected identity integration for Jesse The four pillars of Purpose and Principle Driven, and how they work together Why lived experience is one of the most valuable forms of authority Where faith, purpose, leadership, and mental fitness intersect in Jesse's work What it means to shape your legacy through today's choices, not someday's If you've achieved what you were supposed to want and still feel a quiet pull toward something more, this conversation may help you name what's actually shifting. The next chapter probably won't ask you to invent a new identity. It's more likely asking you to finally recognize the one that's been there all along. Listen now, and trade the scoreboard for the mirror. CONNECT WITH JESSE Website (Company) - https://www.p2driven.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessehardy/ Website (Personal) - https://jessehardy.com/ CONNECT WITH LISA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-mcguire/ Website: https://lisamcguire.com/ Diagnostic: Successfully Stuck: The First Truth Kit: https://go.lisamcguire.com/first-truth-kit ArchitectHer Website: https://architecther.org Bonus: Mention that you heard about ArchitectHer on this podcast and receive a complimentary one-hour Identity Integration Session with Lisa upon enrollment in the ArchitectHer experience. Join me for Midlife Unleashed, beginning September 21, 2026 where I'll explore what happens when the roles that made you successful no longer fit who you've become. Register free: https://midlifeunleashedlive.com/register-26-lisam
A CMO Confidential Interview with Michael D'Esopo, CEO of Lippincott, formerly the President and Director of Brand Strategy. Michael shares research on more than 500 senior marketing leaders which highlights the pressures on CMOs to balance their focus between growth, AI, the customer experience, immediate results, and more. Key topics include:- The risk of having too much focus on short-term results- The importance of having a customer agenda- Why stakeholder alignment is one of the key things to get right- The need to translate marketing to C-Suite objectivesTune in to hear a story about adidas and why you shouldn't do market research at a wedding. ⏱️ Chapters0:19 - Introduction to Michael D'Esopo0:38 - The CMO Trust Study Findings4:19 - The Trust Trade-Off and Short-Term Pressure8:34 - Aligning Marketing with C-Suite Goals13:51 - Expansion of the CMO Remit19:37 - Impact of AI on Marketing22:58 - Alignment, Focus, and Customer Experience27:59 - Advice for Marketers and Final StoriesSubscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.#CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentricSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. In this episode, Justin interviews Sal Lifrieri, former NYPD detective and director for NYC's Office of Emergency Management during the 9/11 attacks. Sal is the author of the new book, Leading Through Chaos: What Decades in Intelligence, Crisis, and Chaos Taught Me About Leadership. As a security and counterterrorism expert, Sal Lifrieri draws on a 40-year career spanning homicide investigations, hostage negotiations, intelligence operations, emergency management, and corporate security. His experience offers timely lessons on how leaders can anticipate threats, respond decisively, and protect citizens during our most challenging and uncertain moments. Justin and Sal discuss practical, layered security for houses of worship, often involving volunteers, controlling access, and knowing who is entering the building, all while maintaining a spirit of welcome. They discuss what should happen well before a disruption to a service, what responses work if a person disrupts a service, and what roles different respondents, including law enforcement, can play. Sal points out that the best deterrent is intelligence information, and he advises how staff can get information before the service. Listen for Sal's advice on security teams, pre-planning, and having a well-defined evacuation strategy. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is Sal Lifrieri, a security and terrorism expert. We will discuss tips for how to keep houses of worship safe, especially during the High Holy Days. But first… [:45] RIMS-CRMP: RIMS Certification Week will be held from September 21st through the 25th. There is a link to the events in this episode's show notes, including three free webinars. The week is a global celebration of the RIMS Certified Risk Management Professional certification. [1:02] It is a virtual event for you to learn about the certification, how it can strengthen your career and organization, and understand how the RIMS-CRMP is shaping the future of risk management. [1:13] A link to Certification Week is in this episode's show notes. You can also find it at RIMS.org/Webinars. [1:19] Webinars: There are lots more RIMS Webinars coming up. On September 17th, AXA XL returns to present "Beyond the Loss Count: What Property Claims Reveal about Frequency, Severity, and Resilience." [1:32] On October 1st, Brown and Brown make their RIMS Webinars debut by discussing "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Think about Now." [1:42] Global Risk Consultants will return on October 8th to present "The 2027 Risk Agenda: 10 Engineering Priorities Risk Leaders Should Act on Now". [1:52] On Oct. 15, Verisk Maplecroft will lead the session "Beyond the Horizon: Turning External Risk Into Decision-Ready Insight". [2:01] On Oct. 22, Zurich returns to tell us all about "Cybercrime, Fraud and AI: Real-World Threats and Practical Defenses for Business Leaders". [2:13] Origami Risk returns on October 29th with a session that will be announced shortly. [2:19] On Nov. 5th, Riskonnect returns to deliver the session "Signal Over Noise: Smarter Risk Analytics". Visit RIMS.org/Webinars to register. [2:30] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today! [2:48] On with the Show! Our guest today has 40 years of experience leading through high-pressure situations. He is a former New York Police Department Detective 1st Grade. [3:00] He served on the department's elite Hostage Negotiation Team and later, the Protective Operations Unit within the Intelligence Division, overseeing Protective Intelligence and Threat Investigations for the Mayor of New York City. [3:14] He is the author of a new book, Leading Through Chaos: What Decades in Intelligence, Crisis and Chaos Taught Me About Leadership. He is here to discuss safety precautions and preparedness for houses of worship. [3:30] His name is Sal Lifrieri, and you may know him from his RIMS events appearances and sessions. [3:37] This is going to be a really great dialog, not just for RIMS members, but also for the public, for those individuals who may not be an official risk manager for your house of worship but have to take the lead on ensuring the security and safety of your congregants. Let's get to it! [3:58] Interview! Sal Lifrieri, welcome to RIMScast! [4:19] Sal spent 20 years with the NYPD, from Patrol to Anti-crime to the Hostage Negotiation Team, which he regards as the highlight of his career. He went to the Intelligence Division, in charge of the Russian Organized Crime Project, then moved over to Protection. [5:03] Sal says the Intelligence Division of the NYPD is modeled after the Secret Service. Half the house does Criminal and half the house does Protection. Sal moved to Protection and took over the Threat operations and Intelligence operations for the elected officials and the Mayor. [5:23] Sal's final assignment was Mayor Giuliani. He took Emergency Management away from the Police Department and created a Mayoral Agency. About seven went over from the NYPD. [5:43] Sal says they sought to create the city's planning for any crisis or disaster. At the time, that was chemical and biological terrorism. They worked on the different threats that came through the city. [6:00] In January of '01, Sal retired as a Director of Security and Intelligence Operations out of OEM and started a consulting career. 25 years later, he is still at it. [6:24] Justin says that we're recording this in Early September, and this episode is being released a week after the 25th Anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks. [6:39] Sal says this anniversary is going to be different, considering that it is 25 years, and with what's going on in the world, the different issues and the volatilities that exist, and the things that are occurring with synagogues and houses of worship across the country and the world. [7:10] Sal says also, the fact that Rosh Hashanah starts on 9/11 is significant. That confluence of many things escalates the threat profile. [7:40] Justin says, as a member of a synagogue, in the last 25 years at his temple, he has seen an armed guard outside during the High Holy Days. Justin is at a Reformed temple. For Hebrew School, a security guard checks parent IDs. [8:06] Justin says, These are things they didn't have to worry about when he was a kid. Clearly, the risk threat has heightened. Sal agrees. [8:22] Sal says the threat profile has increased, and something problematic is the availability of social media for children. Parents used to hide children from bad things in the world, but today everything is out there and open for discovery by children. Children are no longer as innocent. [8:53] Justin asks about protection at houses of worship. Sal says you need concentric circles of perimeters, starting from the outside and working your way in. The protection starts weeks and months before any of these events take place. [9:44] Start looking at inappropriate correspondence that may be coming in and things that are happening at other facilities around you. Look at the congregation. If your congregation has a high-profile individual, that person may be a target. There are several things you have to look at. [10:12] That planning has to start very early. As you go from the very wide, you start bringing it down closer and closer. It's always great to be able to have law enforcement in front of you, whether a uniformed officer or even just a vehicle. It's definitely a deterrent. [11:06] Justin says that most houses of worship do not have a dedicated risk manager. The person with that responsibility could be a facilities director, clergy, or a volunteer. He asks what people in that situation should assess first. [11:37] Sal says people look at threat assessment as Voodoo. For personnel who don't have the expertise, law enforcement credential, or background, ask the building engineer or the guard, "If you were going to do something bad to this place, how would you do it?" [12:24] Once you can convince them that you're not accusing them, it's incredible what they can tell you. Ask, "Applying common sense, what are those things that you think are problematic and worry about?" They can start developing ideas of what might work well. [13:01] One of Sal's clients is a prominent synagogue in Manhattan. They were having planning meetings before the High Holy Days. One of the people on the security committee is a volunteer usher. He asked how we could check people in faster as they come in. [13:26] Sal says you want that feedback. You want them to tell you how things are operating and what they are thinking about. Apply basic logic to what you think might be wrong and go with it. Justin suggests asking someone on the custodial staff because they know the building. [14:05] Sal says the custodians are the people who, for the most part, get overlooked. They see what's lying on the desk or in the trash, such as inappropriate correspondence that came in. They're a critical element of who should be talked to in a team approach. [14:33] Justin asks about doors or windows that don't secure properly, such as the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where the shooter entered through a closed door that was supposed to be locked. [15:03] Sal says don't rely on Security to give you the total picture. Go to the people using these things every day that can give you a good heads-up about what may be wrong. [15:19] A Quick Break! Many fantastic RIMS events are coming up in 2026. The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [15:35] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and registration is open. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [15:52] Save the dates: October 18th through the 21st. In Quebec City, we will be hosting the 50th Annual RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are open, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. [16:10] Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, with a new episode every month. [16:18] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration is open. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026. [16:31] We're already looking to RISKWORLD 2027, which will be held over four days in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 18th through the 21st! RISKWORLD 2027 Member-only Registration will open on November 4th, and General Registration will open on December 2nd. [16:49] Get first access to the hotel block. Hotel reservations open on October 28th, ahead of public registration. Sitting this out is the real risk! The link to registration is in this episode's show notes. [17:03] Let's Return to Our Interview with Security Expert Sal Lifrieri! [17:10] Justin asks about the balance of keeping a house of worship secure but also maintaining a spirit of openness, welcoming, and handicap accessibility. [17:27] Sal says that's the biggest difficulty with any house of worship. You don't want to have the armed camp, yet you want the security. Trying to balance that is difficult. It's a matter of establishing the policies and protocols. [17:50] Sal says one thing they've done at the synagogue in Manhattan is called the Trusted Traveler Program. If you're a member of the congregation, you have a ticket with a QR code and ID that you are the person on the ticket; you don't have to worry about magnetometers; you're in. [18:22] If you're unknown, or don't have a ticket, you go to a Will Call window and go through better screening. [18:32] If someone seems out of place, you can talk with them. Sal does security training programs, teaching that you can walk up to people and engage them in conversation. If they're up to no good, they will move on. If they're really lost, it becomes a great visitor interaction. [19:38] From the security side, you're able to garner more intelligence information from that interaction to make your decision as to what you want to do. If you're just watching and you're not interacting with them, you have no idea what's going on. [20:00] You want to make your determinations based on intelligence information you're going to garner. The only way you're going to get it is by interacting with that person. [20:21] Justin asks about someone becoming disruptive during a service. What should staff and volunteers be trained to recognize in those first, critical moments? Sal says you should already have met with leadership and decided: If this happens, then what? [21:09] Some rabbis have decided not to be physical. Let them say their piece and get it over with, and then ask them to leave, and hope they leave. [21:32] Sal has seen situations where multiple people will infiltrate. One will get up and start yelling and protesting, and you get that person out, and another one pops up, and then another one pops up. It continues for five or six people. [21:57] Sal says, going back to preplanning, was there any inappropriate correspondence that had come through? Was there anything on social media that indicated that there may be a problem? [22:10] A lot of times, people will see things and say, it's a nut; leave it alone. They'll hit delete, or they'll throw the letter out, never understanding that these things have a natural progression. [22:24] Sal quotes the U.S. Secret Service: Nobody just snaps. It's the slow progression of time, of failing to do things. [22:34] Before they become operational, they're going to write an email; they're going to write a letter. There may be a phone call. There may be things that are going to give you an indication that we may have a problem here. [22:47] Sal shares a case of a recent event where someone stood up, started protesting, and assaulted a congregant and a security officer. The after-action report determined he wasn't a member of the congregation, but it was an open, non-ticketed event, so he was able to get in. [23:27] Sal thinks more investigation is needed. Did he just happen to show up, or was there some indication that this was going to happen? It comes down to your planning before the event. [24:02] Sal says it comes down to organization. You can bring in a consultant like Sal, but the consultant is not going to be there all the time. You want to create a team, including IT. [24:38] If something happens during a streamed service, Sal recommends shutting the stream off so supporters of the protesting individual or group don't get to watch it. You don't want the protest to go viral. [24:57] Sal says a rabbi at one synagogue didn't want any comments to be posted. Sal wants to see the comments. If someone is posting death threats in the middle of a service, you want that intelligence information. You want to know what's going on in the background. [25:28] It's dealing with the AV team, IT, the custodians, and the rabbi ahead of time. If we have to evacuate, where's the best place to go? How do we do it most effectively? It's creating that plan. If you're trying to create the response in the middle of a crisis, you're way too late. [25:55] You have to have a plan ahead of time. You need to know the local law enforcement officers ahead of time. They need to understand you. You need to understand the rules they're under. With demonstrations, it's a very touchy situation. Demonstrators have a right to protest. [26:18] Sal says, depending on what part of the country you are in, and what cities you are in, there are rules of engagement for law enforcement to follow. Sometimes, that's in direct conflict with what the facility wants. [26:31] Those things have to be ironed out and discussed ahead of time so there's no mystery about what happens, if it happens. [26:38] Justin says the protesting can happen outside the location, not inside. Once you're inside, your right to free speech is minimized. [26:48] Sal says, you go through the process of explaining to them, especially if it's an open event; once they're in, and they've been disruptive, you're advising them they have to leave. If they don't, they violate a trespassing act and can be arrested for trespassing. [27:16] That turns into a negotiation in the middle of a protest. In NYC, it involves multiple levels of law enforcement hierarchy and then giving the protester 30 minutes to end before effecting an arrest. In the middle of a service, dealing with all of this could become highly problematic. [28:05] Sal says that what you really need to do is establish policies and protocols ahead of time. Identify what the potential risks are and the issues you may face. Overcome the hurdles of thinking it will never happen here and the budget. [29:04] What's the risk, and how much money do we have to spend on it? The two have to balance each other. [29:14] Sal is annoyed when consultants come in and identify outrageous risks with outrageous requirements that the client could never mitigate. It's a defense plan so that if anything went bad, the consultant can say they told you. [29:45] You have to modify it into a reasonable plan. What are the risks that could seriously potentially happen? What are the things we need to do to mitigate them? How do we apply a budget effectively? [30:02] Justin says these are great tips. We've got plenty of holidays coming up across all religions. This is an evergreen episode for us. [30:24] Justin says the security for any house of worship relies heavily on volunteers a lot of the time. Is there a good practice or training sequence to hand off the baton from one volunteer to the next, especially if there's frequent turnover? [30:40] Sal says, good communication, have volunteers on the security committee, and as they get their feet under them, get some practice, and do reviews after an event or High Holy Day: What did we do right, what did we do wrong, and what are the things we could do better? [31:13] Pass the baton to the next person and work with them. Sal says his experience with that has been positive. You see them talking to each other in a concerted effort to make things better. [31:44] Sal says a couple of years ago we used printed tickets, and now we deploy technology to track who's coming in and can marry that data with any inappropriate correspondence or investigations we may be incurring for people who have been identified as potential problems. [32:17] Sal says being able to marry those two technologies together is something that has been growing in the right direction. As the risks evolve and become more prominent, facilities, especially houses of worship, are starting to take risks a little more seriously. [32:38] Houses of worship are recognizing they need to step up and do things that could make them safer. At the same time, you develop an incredible sense of community when you have a bunch of people willing to get together, work towards a common goal, and learn something. [33:00] Sal says unfortunately, these risks occur, but the positive side is that it's bringing the communities together and giving them the opportunity to tighten up their security. [33:15] One more Quick Break! RIMS, The Foundation for Risk ManagementTM, is dedicated to shaping the future of the profession. By making a contribution, you are strengthening the global risk management community and investing in the future of the industry. [33:34] The Foundation also supports the Spencer Educational Foundation but has a different mission. The Foundation focuses on providing opportunities for those professionals who have already decided to enter risk management and are just getting started. [33:49] You can learn more about the Foundation by visiting www.RIMS.org/FRM. While you're there, be sure to check out information about the Susan Meltzer Scholarship Fund, which was established to honor Ms. Meltzer, who was RIMS President in 1999 and 2000. [34:07] Susan Meltzer was a cherished RIMS President and contributed so much to RIMS and the greater risk community. Learn more at RIMS.org/FRM. [34:16] Let's Return to Our Interview with Security Expert Sal Lifrieri! [34:31] Justin mentions that Sal has been a presence at RISKWORLD and local RIMS chapter events. Sal says he had the privilege to talk to a RIMS conference in Austin. It was a great experience. He also did a couple of talks for a local chapter. [35:02] Sal says the RIMS organization is picture-perfect for education, training, and leadership for people in risk management. He says, you go to give a talk and inevitably, walk away learning things yourself that you can deploy. He says it's been great and looks forward to doing it again. [35:35] Sal says when he talks at a RIMS event, the attendees are dealing with the risks; they want to hear about the risks, they want to hear about how we identify those risks, and what we do for mitigation of the risks. [36:03] Sal says everybody likes the intelligence component behind it. How do you identify that risk? How do you find a needle in a haystack? You're talking to people who are doing this on a daily basis. They have a vested interest in what you're talking about. [36:48] Justin talks about risk managers needing to hear the bad news so they can prevent it for their own organizations. Sal says they walk into the CEO's or CFO's office and have to tell them, these are the risks; these are the problems. [36:59] The General Counsel doesn't want to hear it. The CFO doesn't want to pay for it. The COO sees it as another risk to worry about. The risk manager is in an incredibly difficult position. Everybody wants to duck and cover when they see the risk manager coming. [37:25] Sal says, on the flip side, if they do the proper planning and proper mitigation, and enough resource allocation, and address all of that, then they wind up mitigating a lot of problems that could decimate a company. The message sometimes gets lost in the C-Suite. [38:00] Justin mentions sports arenas. Sal says for a sports arena, you have 50, 60, or 100,000 people showing up for an event. How do you get them in? How do you get them out? Sal recalls the shooting in Las Vegas from the hotel. What was the planning for evacuating 20,000? [38:59] Justin asks how to handle a situation that is outside. At the time of recording, they are in the pre-planning for 9/11 security. One of Sal's clients is the developer of the World Trade Center. They have four buildings on site. 100,000 people will attend the memorial service. [33:33] Sal says they are also looking at the possibility of protests. How do you deal with protests with the potential to go violent? What's the continuity-of-operations plan? One of the benefits is that it's on Friday and there is not a lot of occupancy anticipated in the buildings. [40:05] If something happens, what do you do with the people? Sal says when he was in OEM, there was a huge blizzard. The mayor decided to close everything down at 3:00 and send everybody home. [40:27] They called the head of the MTA to come to City Hall. He told him he couldn't do it; they didn't have the staffing to move hundreds of thousands of people out of the city at 3:00 p.m. They would have needed a day's planning. 60,000 people would be left at Grand Central Station. [41:09] Sal says you can make decisions and recommendations of what you want, but you have to think about secondary impacts. How do you move people? Where do you put them? You don't want a knee-jerk to one crisis to develop a second crisis. [41:29] If you do it the first time, you'll do it the second time; if you do it the second, you'll do it the third. Then before you know it, you're so far downrange you forgot what started the first crisis, and you're trying to deal with something that should have never occurred. [42:13] Sal advises on leadership in a crisis. One of the keys in his book, Leading Through Chaos, is, first, to check your ego at the door. You need the ability to stop and think. Sometimes people in leadership positions think that they have to have all the answers. That's not the case. [42:45] A lot of times, you're dealing with situations that are totally foreign to you, that you've had no experience dealing with. Be willing to stop and take a deep breath. Take a good listen to what is going on. [43:32] Everybody around you is willing to help. You have to be able to take that advice. That's what makes you a great leader: letting the people around you do what they do best. [43:27] Sal, it's been an insightful discussion. I want to thank you for joining us here on RIMScast. [43:36] Special thanks again to Sal Lifriere for joining us here on RIMScast! Remember to check out his book, Leading Through Chaos: What Decades in Intelligence, Crisis, and Chaos Taught Me About Leadership. Hopefully, we see him at another RIMS event in 2027. [43:52] Plug Time! Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [44:10] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [44:25] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [44:40] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [44:52] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support! Links: ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026 RIMS Certification Week: Sept. 21‒24 | Complimentary For All RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today. RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Sponsorship Opportunities Available RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Registration Now Open! | www.rims.org/ERM2026 RISKWORLD 2027 Registration RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live — Watch the new video with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Stories RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMScast on YouTube! RIMS Risk Management Magazine | Contribute | Q2 2026 Issue Now Available Sponsor RIMScast — Sales@RIMS.org "Leading Through Chaos: What Decades in Intelligence, Crisis, and Chaos Taught Me About Leadership" Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops: Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars "Beyond the Loss Count: What Property Claims Reveal About Frequency, Severity and Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL | Sept. 17, 2026 RIMS Certification Week: Sept. 22‒24 | Complimentary For All "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Be Thinking About Now" | Sponsored by Brown & Brown | Oct. 1, 2026 "The 2027 Risk Agenda: 10 Engineering Priorities Risk Leaders Should Act on Now" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants | Oct. 8, 2026 "Beyond the Horizon: Turning External Risk Into Decision-Ready Insight" | Sponsored by Verisk Maplecroft | Oct. 15, 2026 "Cybercrime, Fraud and AI: Real-World Threats and Practical Defenses for Business Leaders" | Sponsored by Zurich | Oct. 22, 2026 "Signal Over Noise: Smarter Risk Analytics" | Sponsored by Riskonnect | Nov. 5, 2026 Related RIMScast Episodes: "25 Years of TRIA: Janice Ochenkowski on Risk, Resilience and Advocacy" "When Geopolitics Hits the Balance Sheet with Cari Stinebower" "The Human Side of Risk with Jerome Mayne" "Reputation and Defense with Jeff McKissack" Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "48 Hours From a Storm: What to Do Before A Hurricane Strikes" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!) "AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla! RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information. Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org. Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About our guest: Sal Lifrieri, former NYPD detective and director for NYC's Office of Emergency Management. Author: Leading Through Chaos: What Decades in Intelligence, Crisis, and Chaos Taught Me About Leadership "Former NYPD Detective Talks Midtown Security." Production and engineering provided by Podfly.
She's a leader who's built a reputation for being direct, confident, and decisive. But she's recently received feedback that her communication can create tense interactions with colleagues. Host Muriel Wilkins helps her look beyond the feedback itself to understand what's driving those moments, and how she can exude confidence without the need to always be right. For further reading: The Right Way to Respond to Negative Feedback: https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-right-way-to-respond-to-negative-feedbackHow to Make Sense of Conflicting Feedback on Your Leadership: https://hbr.org/2022/01/how-to-make-sense-of-conflicting-feedback-on-your-leadershipHow Do I Stop Being Defensive?: https://hbr.org/podcast/2021/11/how-do-i-stop-being-defensive?What Leaders Get Wrong About Listening: https://hbr.org/podcast/2025/06/what-leaders-get-wrong-about-listeningLeadership Unblocked Chapter 5: LeadershipUnblocked.com Own the Room: https://us.amazon.com/Own-Room-Discover-Signature-Leadership-ebook/dp/B00BAH7PQY/ref=sr_1_2?_encoding=UTF8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.epwJb2QC4llONZO6YeARJmJmT5QGtcapVuFP9fuTNbE.N4ouJEbmhKVyJS8dDcnMA_s1Ieg-1Da9XjVKtTDekp8&dib_tag=se&keywords=B00BBJZX2O&nsdOptOutParam=true&qid=1789330493&s=digital-text&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&sr=1-2Connect with Muriel:Website: murielwilkins.comLinkedIn: @Muriel Maignan Wilkins Instagram: @CoachMurielWIlkins Join the Coaching Real Leaders Community: coachingrealleaderscommunity.comRead Muriel's book: LeadershipUnblocked.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Mental Toughness Mastery Podcast with Sheryl Kline, M.A. CHPC
http://www.sherylkline.com/blog(Note: Watch my video for a more in-depth perspective.)There's a moment that many senior woman executive eventually recognizes. It's quiet, and it's rarely announced out loud. It's the moment you realize you're not in the room where the real decisions get made... or worse, you are in the room, but your voice doesn't carry the weight it should.That moment used to be occasional. An ELT meeting that didn't feel quite right. A missed invite. Something you could justify shaking off.What if it isn't occasional anymore?As AI reshapes how business gets done (how decisions get made, how fast they get made, and who gets consulted along the way), that moment is showing up more often, and the stakes are higher. When strategy compresses into faster cycles and smaller circles, the cost of being overlooked isn't a bruised ego. It's lost influence over decisions that will define the next decade of your company, your industry, and your career, not to mention the female leaders coming behind you.Here's what hasn't changed: your wisdom, your experience, your judgment, your business acumen, and your integrity. Those aren't soft or replaceable assets.Your voice matters, now more than ever.That's the thinking behind my upcoming session at the EmpoweredCXO retreat, "Use AI Disruption to Your Advantage: A 90-Day Plan to Recruit, Reign, or Reimagine What's Next." Three phases, three shifts:Recruit means reclaim your agency. Stop softening your instincts. Start trusting what you want. Think and show up in a way AI simply cannot.Reign means deepening trust with those in power. In an AI-saturated business world, trust is the new currency, and connection is the one differentiator no algorithm can replicate. Trust isn't a soft skill anymore. It's an asset with real, measurable ROI.Reimagine means looking fear and doubt in the face, and give yourself permission to decide the impact you're going to have in your remaining role(s) and then building a plan to get there.Your wisdom, your experience, your knowledge, and your integrity don't merely deserve to be heard. In this moment, they must be. Not because it's fair (though it is), but because the organizations that fail to amplify their most capable leaders will be outpaced by the ones that do.I'll be unpacking all this live at the Empowered CXO Retreat on September 23... an interactive session for the women shaping strategy at the highest levels, on how to make your vision clear, your impact amplified, and yourself irreplaceable in the age of AI.I'm honored to help shape this retreat alongside 6sense, Claire Couch, and more than 100 of the most influential corporate women leaders in the country. The behind-the-scenes work that goes into a room like this takes months, and the bar for every speaker is high, as it should be. Looking forward to a few days that are fierce, focused, and genuinely fun.If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the frameworks, resources, and proven processes that I'll be sharing, please respond in the comments field.Cheers to finishing the year strong and being irreplaceable in the age of AI.- Sheryl
What can a transition expert writing three decades ago teach us about navigating AI's impact on work? As it turns out, quite a lot. In this episode, Bob 'n Joyce revisit William Bridges' vision of the optimal workplace and consider it through the lens of the AI transformation now underway. Bridges' work stands the test of time because, although the world of work has changed dramatically, what people need to feel connected, capable, and committed has not. Bridges uses the metaphor of a trapeze artist suspended between two bars—what was is no longer there, and what comes next has not yet arrived. With the rapid rise of AI, that is where many organizations and their people find themselves today. It is an uncomfortable and often paralyzing place, filled with uncertainty, loss, and fear. So, what can leaders and OD practitioners do to help people navigate this in-between time? Bridges points toward the kind of workplace we need—one where: • People are invested in the outcomes of their work. • Leaders and managers are committed to the highest standards. • Expectations are clear. • Employees receive reliable feedback from the customers they serve. Joyce and I build on Bridges' thinking by putting forward several practical first steps leaders and OD practitioners can take right now. We don't pretend to have all the answers, but we believe these actions can help organizations move through uncertainty with greater clarity, connection, and confidence. AI may be transforming the work, but it does not eliminate the human needs that make work meaningful. Come join us.
This is Derek Miller, Speaking on Business. Sego Leadership, formerly known as the Women's Leadership Institute, is built on one belief: Utah thrives when women lead. The organization is committed to elevating women in business and strengthening leadership across Utah. Director of Marketing and Communications, Jen Hunsaker, joins us with more. Jen Hunsaker: When women are elevated into leadership, they elevate Utah's families, businesses and communities. We do this by creating development programs for women and helping companies build workplaces where training sticks. That initiative is called Sego Certified. Utah companies commit to steps that advance women and keep them in the workforce. We work with companies to create improvements that fit its needs and size. Research shows that companies with gender-equitable leadership report higher retention and are 39% more likely to outperform competitors. Sego Certified helps businesses compete while staying true to Utah values. It works because it's practical, safe, and results-focused. Women's leadership isn't about displacing men; it's a multiplier. Companies grow stronger when men and women lead side by side. Through programs like Sego Next, Sego Rising, Sego Leading and Sego Suite, we prepare women across the pipeline, from returning to work to pursuing the C-Suite. Together, these programs help prepare Utah's workforce and companies for the future. Derek Miller: By empowering women to lead, Sego Leadership is strengthening Utah's workforce, economy and future. Learn more about their work and services at SegoLeadership.org. I'm Derek Miller, with the Salt Lake Chamber, Speaking on Business. Originally aired: 9/10/26
What does it take to sit at the right hand of three different CEOs, back to back, and make each partnership work?In this Fan Favorite episode, Cameron Herold sits down with Laurie Aaron, former Chief of Staff at AT&T and now founder of Arron Coaching, LLC, to revisit one of the show's most clarifying conversations on a role almost nobody truly understands.Laurie's path is rare: 30 years inside AT&T and three successive CEOs gave her a front-row seat to how the chief of staff role must reinvent itself with every leader. She breaks down what separates a chief of staff from a COO and an executive assistant, and why the best ones prevent problems the CEO never even sees.Whether you're wondering if you need a chief of staff, or wondering if you already are one, this conversation demystifies the role end to end. Listen now.Sponsored by:AMP - a practical, proven methodology that helps teams move from trying to do more with AI to achieving more because of it, replacing fragmented experimentation with real AI Operations capability. Through personalized training, strategy, and hands-on support, teams get a clear path to build momentum and embed AI into daily work. Learn more here.Timestamped Highlights00:00 Why the Chief of Staff Role Is So Misunderstood02:10 The Origins: From the Military to the Corporate World04:30 What Every Effective Chief of Staff Has in Common07:15 Chief of Staff vs. COO: Where the Roles Diverge10:05 My Right Hand and My Left Hand: Chief of Staff vs. Executive Assistant13:40 How Title Inflation Diluted the Role16:20 What Chiefs of Staff Are Actually Paid19:00 Writing Who Has Your Back?21:30 Can Any C-Suite Leader Have a Chief of Staff?24:15 Where the Best Chiefs of Staff Really Come From27:00 Why You Should Look Internally First30:10 Building the Interview Squad33:45 How Trust Gets Built Between a CEO and Their Chief36:20 The Handshake Meeting: Setting the Vows39:50 Knowing When and How to Challenge a CEO43:00 Coaching CEOs and Chiefs of Staff as a Team45:30 Speak Yourself Into the Room: Laurie's Advice to Her Younger SelfAbout the GuestLaurie Aaron built her expertise on the chief of staff role over 30 years at AT&T, where she served as chief of staff to three different CEOs in succession. She is now the founder and CEO of Arron Coaching, LLC, a trusted advisor and executive coach to C-Suite leaders and chiefs of staff, and the author of Who Has Your Back?: A Leader's Guide to Getting the Support You Need by the Chief of Staff You Deserve.Mentioned ResourcesWho Has Your Back?Hit The Ground RunningAT&TThe Misunderstood Role of the COOcooalliance.com/freebookImportant LinksConnect with Cameron: Website | LinkedInExplore the COO Alliance – The World's Leading Community for Seconds in CommandGet Cameron's book: Second in Command, Unleash the Power of Your COO BookClaim your FREE copy: Second in Command: Unleash the Power of Your COO BookTake his course: Invest In Your Leaders Online Course (Use promo code PODCAST10 before the end of the month for 10% off)Chat or video call with AI Cameron via Delphi
In the midst of the terror at ground zero on September 11, 2011, some heroic servant leaders ran into the chaos to serve something greater than themself. This episode is in honor of those lost and those who inspire us to serve. Jason is joined by former U.S. Marine and 9/11 first responder Jason Thomas for a gripping firsthand account of servant leadership under extreme crisis. For Full Show Notes visit https://www.jasonvbarger.com/podcast/honoring-9-11-jason-thomas/ Please rate and review the podcast to help amplify these messages to others! Summary: As the 25th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, how do we honor the sacrifices made and carry those lessons into how we lead our teams today? In this powerful episode of The Thermostat, Jason V. Barger sits down with former U.S. Marine Jason Thomas, whose heroic actions at Ground Zero served as the real-life inspiration for the film World Trade Center. Thomas shares his harrowing story of driving into Manhattan on September 11, 2001, and navigating the scorching debris to rescue two trapped Port Authority officers. This conversation moves beyond typical business anecdotes to explore the ultimate test of servant leadership. Jason and Jason discuss how deeply ingrained family values—specifically the mandate to "be your brother's keeper"—dictate our actions in times of chaos. They explore what it means to keep your word under immense pressure, the selflessness required to put your team first, and why authentic leaders never go backwards. Essential listening for C-Suite executives, HR directors, and anyone committed to shaping compelling cultures, this episode offers profound insights on resilience, honoring commitments, and building an organizational temperature grounded in unwavering support. Episode Notes & Timestamps: Intro: Jason sets the stage for an unforgettable conversation honoring the events of 9/11 and defining what servant leadership truly looks like. Meet Jason Thomas: Introduction to Jason's background, his transition from the Marine Corps to Air Force medic, and how the trauma of 9/11 shifted his career path. The Morning of 9/11: Jason recounts the surreal moments of dropping his newborn off, seeing the North Tower hit on television, and immediately throwing on his uniform. The Foundation of Culture: Exploring how Jason's mother established a powerful family temperature of "never leave your brother behind" that guided his actions that day. Into the Rubble: The daunting physical challenge of crawling over hot I-beams, shouting into the darkness, and refusing to retreat when warned by other responders. "Are You An Angel?": The chilling moment of falling 12 feet into a dark hole and discovering the trapped Port Authority officers, Will Jimeno and John McLoughlin. The Ultimate Sacrifice: Will Jimeno's selfless request to have his leg amputated with a K-bar knife to save his sergeant, highlighting true team devotion. Keeping Your Word: The emotional weight of learning that an earlier responder had promised to return but didn't, and Jason's unwavering commitment to stay. The Aftermath: The psychological toll of the rescue, driving home covered in ash, and returning to Ground Zero for 20 straight days to search for more survivors. Questions to Ponder: Jason V. Barger challenges listeners to evaluate the temperature they are setting in their own lives and organizations. Key Takeaways for Leaders: Be Your Brother's Keeper: Establish a culture where team members instinctively support one another, proving through daily action that no one will be left behind. Your Word is Your Currency: In moments of crisis, trust is the only thing that holds a team together. If you make a commitment to your people, you must fulfill it. Forward Motion: Authentic leaders do not retreat when operations become difficult; they rely on their deeply ingrained values to navigate the chaos and pull their team out of the dark. Listen to the full episode and access show notes at: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/honoring-9-11-and-servant-leadership-with-jason-thomas/ Bio: Jason Barger is a husband, father, speaker, and author who is passionate about business leadership and corporate culture. He believes that corporate culture is the "thermostat" of an organization, and that it can be used to drive performance, innovation, and engagement. The show features interviews with business leaders from a variety of industries, as well as solo episodes where Barger shares his own insights and advice. Connect: Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonVBarger Make Your 2026 Effective! Book Jason with your team at https://www.jasonvbarger.com Like or Follow Jason
With a resume spanning 30 years, from entrepreneurial ventures to all levels of corporate America, Aretos Advisory Founder & CEO, Author and Executive Advisor Eric Mahler has seen and done it all. In this engaging episode, Kathy & Chris invite Eric to share his journey from growing up in Iowa, navigating the corporate and entrepreneurial world, to calling the Twin Cities home. Eric also previews his book, "The Center of the Compass", ahead of its December release.Connect with Versique
A CMO Confidential Interview with Emily Frager, Chief Client Officer at FleishmanHillard, board member of USC Annenberg Center for PR, formerly CMO of Lennar Ventures. Em discusses why public relations has become a much more important business function, how AI has changed the game, and the need for speed in reputation management. Key topics include:- The shift from downstream reaction to upstream planning- The importance of organization and governance- Why a data-driven "ground game" matters more than ever- How to "be prepared"Tune in to hear why the fear of being wrong usually complicates and slows your reaction and why the Taylor Swift wedding NDA is a masterclass in control. ⏱️ Chapters1:42 - Communications and PR Moment9:46 - Shifting From Publicity to Engineering17:45 - Best Practices and Governance24:50 - Agency Partnerships and RFPs29:37 - Major Stories and Practical AdviceSubscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.#CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentricSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society. In this episode, Justin interviews Janice Ochenkowski about her leadership, her career path, serving in RIMS External Affairs and later as RIMS President. They discuss the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the loss of lives, and the impact the attacks had on life in the U.S. Justin and Janice talk about Janice's role in passing the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA). They also address the financial and housing crisis of 2007-2008. Janice relates her testimony before Congress on various matters over the years, and how her RIMS leadership held her in her employment. Listen for wisdom on adapting and changing with the times, and using leadership opportunities to help your business as you move your risk career forward. Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:16] About this episode of RIMScast. We will be joined by former RIMS President Janice Ochenkowski. [:35] Janice will discuss how her time on the RIMS Board and as RIMS President helped ensure the passage of TRIA, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. [:49] There will be plugs later on, and we will learn about Janice's fascinating career, but I wanted to address the fact that this episode is being released on September 8th, 2026, a few days before the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks in the U.S. [1:10] Before we get started, I'd like to welcome back RIMS's Chief Executive Officer, Gary LaBranche, to say a few words. [1:18] Message from Gary LaBranche: 2026 marks a quarter-century since terrorist attacks on the United States killed nearly 3,000 people, injured many more, and impacted the lives of millions. [1:30] This RIMScast podcast provides the opportunity to reflect on the lives lost and the lasting impact of this tragedy on survivors, families, friends, first responders, and everyone who witnessed that horrendous day and has borne its burden over the past 25 years. [1:51] The events of 9/11 also revealed the best in human nature, such as the warm, welcoming affection shown by Canadians when U.S.-bound flights were diverted to Gander, Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax, and other locations in the aftermath of 9/11, as we learn in this podcast. [2:11] RIMS played a leading role in crafting and passing the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), which established an insurance backstop in the event of a future large-scale terrorist attack on America. [2:24] RIMS is working right now on bipartisan legislation in both the U.S. House and Senate to reauthorize TRIA. As we commemorate this day, let us rededicate ourselves to the important work that risk management does to make the world safer, more secure, and more sustainable. [2:46] On with the Show! Here to provide a brief history of RIMS's collaboration with members of Congress and the global insurance and risk management community is Janice Ochenkowski. [2:59] Janice was RIMS President in 2007, and as we will learn in this episode, she had a colorful career with RIMS and with Jones Lang LaSalle, a commercial real estate property owner. [3:13] Her RIMS participation prior to her presidency was instrumental in helping her get TRIA passed by Congress, so there's a lot to learn today … Let's get to it! [3:23] Interview! Janice Ochenkowski, welcome to RIMScast! [4:04] Janice joined the Chicago Chapter of RIMS, not understanding the larger RIMS organization. She became an active member and an officer. She was President of the Chicago Chapter the year that Chicago member Art Bostwick was RIMS President. [4:55] Janice says Art was a good mentor for her. He encouraged her to follow in his footsteps to be national president. She laughed, but many years later, she did. [5:20] Janice started her risk management career in 1980; she joined the RIMS Chicago Chapter in '82 or '83. After moving through the chairs in the Chicago Chapter, she became a delegate to the RIMS Conference, started working in various committees, and moved into leadership. [5:47] Janice was elected to the Board, took on responsibilities for different chairs, and ended up in charge of Government Affairs. [6:01] Lance Ewing, the President at the time, asked the Board what roles they wanted to take. Janice said she would do anything except legislative stuff, because she didn't know anything about it. He burst out laughing, and suddenly that was her mandate. [6:31] Janice says she absolutely loved it. Jim McIntyre, who was RIMS's Washington Counsel, was a phenomenal mentor. He prepared her to testify, prepared her for meetings, and explained who she was going to meet and how it was going to work, and so on. [6:53] Janice says, from there, I went into a few other responsibilities and ended up as the President. [7:10] Janice started her career in 1980 at LaSalle Partners in real estate and financial services. There were 150 employees operating in six states. Because of Federal regulations regarding their pension work, they needed a full-time risk manager. [7:35] The legislation said they needed a risk manager but didn't explain what the risk manager needed to do. Janice had been teaching high school, and she wanted to move into business. [7:47] Janice interviewed through an employment agency with a variety of companies, and decided LaSalle Partners sounded interesting and it would be a good platform for her to get some experience and then move on. [8:02] Thirty-eight years later, she was still there, and retiring. When she retired, there were 90,000 employees in 100 countries. Janice had 17 full-time staff, globally, working for her. [8:20] Janice says LaSalle Partners started as a privately held company. Janice was one of the partners. It became a corporation and, after acquisitions, merged with Jones Lang Wootton, a UK real estate organization, and became Jones Lang LaSalle. [9:17] Janice says her career was a wild ride. She says she never could have imagined the experiences she had, the friendships she made, and the things that she learned and had opportunities to do, through her company and through RIMS. [9:36] Janice says she was able to draw links between the benefits of RIMS and the business of her business. When she went to board meetings, they asked how her RIMS work was going. She showed that being in leadership at RIMS helped her company to achieve its goals. [10:27] Janice says, when she started at RIMS, there were the local chapters, and then there were industry groups. The real estate industry group was extremely active. It was populated by very experienced real estate risk managers. They served as mentors to anyone coming on. [10:47] The group met not only during RIMS, but also in New York, in the fall, outside of the RIMS conference. Eventually, Jones Lang LaSalle supported the group's meetings and allowed them to use JLL buildings and support from technology to go forward. [11:07] Janice says, when she was going to a RIMS conference, she asked the JLL Board if there was anything they wanted her to focus on when meeting up with risk managers of their clients and vendors. [11:33] Over time, she didn't have to ask. They asked her, if you're going to your RIMS meeting, talk to this person. See if you can find out about this issue. There was connectivity between what Janice did at RIMS and supporting JLL. [12:10] Justin asks what Janice taught in high school. It was English and French. She can still speak un petit peu of French. She enjoys opportunities to speak to people in French and ordering from French menus. As a teacher, she wanted something different and moved into business. [12:42] Justin says that in over 400 RIMScast episodes, Janice might be the first guest who went from teaching and transitioned over to insurance. Janice says making lesson plans and executing them is good training for business. [13:07] Janice says she learned how to explain things. She had to translate insurance into real estate speak for JLL. She had to take real estate speak and translate it into insurance speak for underwriters and brokers. [13:22] Janice was comfortable speaking to groups because she had been speaking to unruly teenagers and getting them under control. Talking to a bunch of business people, who at least pretended to be interested, was a piece of cake. Janice says it was fun, and a good transition. [13:55] Justin brings up Janice's time as the Director of Government Affairs for RIMS. She became chair of what is now known as the RIMS External Affairs Committee. Lance Ewing nudged her into the role in the late 1990s. Then the September 11 terrorist attacks happened. [14:40] Janice says that one thing that's missing from most recollections is the immediate impact that the 9/11 terrorist attacks had. Before 9/11, there was the general perception that our borders were safe; there wasn't going to be an attack on U.S. soil. [15:15] When we saw the towers burning, when the plane went down, when the Pentagon was hit, that illusion was shattered. There was fear. We didn't know if this was the first of an aerial attack. Janice was on the 70th floor of the Aon Building, so it was a real concern for her. [15:40] Janice says, we didn't know if there was going to be an invasion or similar attacks around the country. To develop good risk management practices, the first thing you have to do is define the risk. [15:53] Janice says, we couldn't define the risk. The only thing we could do immediately was respond to the situation. She was thinking more with her Jones Lang LaSalle hat than with her RIMS hat. The entire leadership and spouses were on the West Coast doing strategic planning. [16:20] Janice says most of them operated in the Midwest and the East Coast. They had to get back, but there were no planes, no trains, and no transportation. They tried to get rental cars. So did everyone else in the world. [16:50] When they couldn't get more rental cars, they went to a used car lot and bought vans, station wagons, and whatever they could find where couples could travel together to similar places. When they got to where they were going, they sold the cars. That's how they got back. [17:15] Janice says, meanwhile, our technology folks were setting up hotlines: one hotline to figure out where people were. We had people traveling or on vacation. We didn't know where they were, and there was very limited communication. Phone lines and internet were down. [17:45] We set up a hotline. Every employee was required to call in every day for a couple of weeks, identifying where they were, whether they needed help getting back to their home, and what other resources they might need. The hotline helped them to get those resources. [18:06] The second hotline was for families. Families called that line if they were unable to reach their loved one. If the employee had called the hotline, JLL could tell the family where the employee was, how things were going, when they might get home, and take note of needs. [18:26] Janice says that's what was happening on the home front, away from the immediate needs in each of these 9/11 sites. It was only after that that you could settle back and think strategically about what it meant on a broader basis, and that's when she put her RIMS hat on. [18:49] Justin guesses that at the time, Jones Lang LaSalle had thousands of properties across the U.S., with millions of square feet. So there is the security risk at those buildings, as well. Janice agrees, absolutely. [19:04] Janice says people focus on New York and D.C., but in Kansas, Nebraska, and all around the country, everyone was in shock and preparing for the worst. [19:26] Janice says she remembers sitting on the 70th floor of the Aon Building, once they let everyone in, after a few days. There were windows all around, and her window looked out onto Lake Michigan, where all the military patrols were, over the lake. [19:52] Janice clearly remembers many times over the next several weeks sitting there and suddenly seeing a black helicopter rise into view. She could see the pilot's face, and she waved. Then it would descend. She says it was reassuring but also scary. [20:30] Justin asks about the hotlines. Janice says Jones Lang LaSalle did things collaboratively. If Technology was working on something, they brought in Risk, Legal, and HR, and they all sat down and figured it out. They were all a part of whatever strategy was needed. [20:55] Janice was involved. She was an important member of the Security Team and the Safety Team, and was involved even in the aftermath, coming up with ways in which to strengthen and protect their buildings. [21:08] People were worried about chemicals being thrown into the ventilation. So they came up with ways to protect that while still letting air into the buildings. What to do to allow people back in. All of those things had to be considered, for safety and for the practical effect on operations. [21:33] A Quick Break! Many fantastic RIMS events are coming up in 2026. The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information. [21:46] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and registration is open. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information. [22:02] Save the dates: October 18th through the 21st. In Quebec City, we will be hosting the 50th Annual RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are open, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. [22:24] Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, with a new episode every month. [22:32] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. Registration is open. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026. [22:46] We're already looking to RISKWORLD 2027, which will be held over four days in New Orleans, Louisiana, from April 18th through the 21st! RISKWORLD 2027 Registration is open to organizational, individual, and associate RIMS members. [23:04] Get first access to the hotel block. Hotel reservations open on October 28th, ahead of public registration. Sitting this out is the real risk! The link to registration is in this episode's show notes. [23:17] Let's Return to Our Interview with Former RIMS President Janice Ochenkowski! [23:41] Janice says she needed to wear her RIMS hat almost immediately. She says everyone realized that there was "innocuous" language in all policies that said terrorist acts were covered. [23:57] There were no limits, sublimits, or deductibles. It was standard coverage because no one expected it to be a real issue. Then it was. There was an immediate concern as they looked at what their total exposure was. [24:14] There was the concern about what to do for new policies. There was a moratorium on policies, as there always is after a particular crisis. When they were reissued, that language was removed. That might not seem like a problem for organizations with no real risk. [24:35] Janice says, in the risk management area, there were covenants in our client contracts, from language pulled from insurance policies, that now we couldn't satisfy that requirement. We were in violation of our contract. [24:54] Janice says the more critical issues were loan agreements and mortgages. Lenders required terrorism insurance. They weren't going to take that out after 9/11. We were faced with a terrible conundrum. We were in violation of our loan agreements. [25:16] Janice says nobody moved quickly to foreclose on any of those things, but it was hanging over our heads. Unsuccessful efforts to renegotiate were going on, all across the country. Congress was absolutely unwilling to become the Federal program for terrorism. [25:39] Janice says Congress refused to consider it being another flood insurance program because that wasn't going too well. Insurers started trying to figure things out and made some limited amounts of coverage available. [25:55] At one point, globally, there was $10 million of terrorism coverage available. $10 million didn't satisfy anybody's loan requirement. Ultimately, it went up to $25 million, but it was still a problem. [26:24] Organizations like the Real Estate Round Table, RIMS, and other groups formed coalitions. Jim McIntyre was very helpful. He had contacts in all those groups. He inserted RIMS wherever he could. [26:49] JLL saw the basic need for what Janice was doing at RIMS, so she had carte blanche to go to Washington whenever she needed to work on these matters. These groups were able to explain to Congressional aides and the business press what things meant, in plain English. [27:33] Januce says, you tell them, this building goes into foreclosure, and the guy running the coffee shop doesn't have a job anymore. Development and construction totally stop. Nothing was being built. That impacts all the trades and unions, so they joined the coalition. [27:57] Unions became activists because their members, who thought they had jobs starting over the next several months, were now sitting on their hands with nothing to do. Small businesses set up around the potential sites had nothing happening. [28:18] Janice says there was a financial impact from that decision by insurers. It wasn't a faulty decision; they had shareholders. [28:33] Ultimately, after long discussions and negotiations, Janice testified before the President's Working Group on Terrorism, and before Congress, and met with Congressional Aides who were working on various bills, and was able to assist in passing TRIA. [28:58] TRIA wasn't perfect, but what it did was bring together the three major parties who had the most skin in that game and gave each of them a relative amount of financial responsibility in what happened. [29:12] These parties were the policyholders, with huge deductibles; insurance companies, with caps and reasonable premium allocations for risks, and the Federal Government, which came in after tens of millions of dollars had been paid out and criteria were met. [29:45] The Federal Government wasn't being capricious, or taking first-dollar risk, but was a backstop, so that there wouldn't be financial ruin and we wouldn't have a lot of bankruptcies. Imperfect as TRIA was, it solved a problem. [30:06] Janice says there have been several reauthorizations, and it has been tweaked each time to meet the issues and criteria that had to be met. Justin asks about cyber and forms of terrorism that may not be physical acts of terrorism. [30:31] Janice mentions the NBCR, for Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, and Radiological threats. It raised the issue, and there were risk management processes that were able to minimize those risks. [30:49] One more Quick Break! RIMS, The Foundation for Risk ManagementTM, is dedicated to shaping the future of the profession. By making a contribution, you are strengthening the global risk management community and investing in the future of the industry. [31:09] The Foundation also supports the Spencer Educational Foundation but has a different mission. The Foundation focuses on providing opportunities for those professionals who have already decided to enter risk management and are just getting started. [31:23] You can learn more about the Foundation by visiting www.RIMS.org/FRM. While you're there, be sure to check out information about the Susan Meltzer Scholarship Fund, which was established to honor Ms. Meltzer, who was RIMS President in 1999 and 2000. [31:42] Susan Meltzer was a cherished RIMS President and contributed so much to RIMS and the greater risk community. Learn more at RIMS.org/FRM. [31:51] Let's Return to Our Interview with Former RIMS President Janice Ochenkowski. [32:12] Janice says meeting with Congressional Aides and Policymakers on Capitol Hill was intimidating the first hundred times she did it. You're walking into these buildings that you've only seen photographs of. You're going into the offices. [32:24] Jim McIntyre had explained to her that Congressional aides have a lot of power over the bills and the language in the bills. The Congresspeople they work for look to these aides to be their technical resource. [32:42] While some people were angry that they couldn't meet with the principal; they were only going to meet with the staff, but you want to meet with the staff. [32:57] The staff will take the time to sit down with language and work with you on it, and you'll have a better chance of impacting things by developing relationships with them. It worked very well. Some of the work Janice did with Jim before 9/11 really helped. [33:22] There was some insurance legislation that was going on. Aides did not understand what it meant. Janice ran a lunch program for the aides and taught them the basics of insurance. She bought pizzas for them. Now, you can't do that because you can't buy them lunch. [33:44] Janice says they were coming to learn. Many of them were thankful because it gave them an understanding of what people were talking about and why certain things mattered. We had built some groundwork before TRIA. It helped because I already knew some of the aides. [34:00] There were already relationships. They were willing to sit down and talk with us. We were the voice of the insurance buyer. Previously, when insurance matters were discussed on the Hill, insurance companies and brokers were lobbying. This time, it was the voice of the buyer. [34:29] Janice says, We were constituents. We represented industries and organizations that were in their respective districts. Our voice became an important voice, distinct from the insurance industry. It reinforced RIMS's importance and raised our visibility on the Hill. [34:58] In 2004, Janice testified before a Senate Government Affairs Subcommittee on Insurance Brokerage Regulation regarding TRIA. Janice says, walking in, she was overcome with a sense of history. The panel was people she had seen on C-SPAN. [35:26] Janice says she was terrified she would say something wrong, that it would come out backwards, and that she would embarrass RIMS, JLL, and herself. She was used to speaking in public, but this was just different. It all went well in the end. [35:55] Janice says she had a prepared statement. Then there were five-minute questions and answers. Janice says there is a clock counting down, and when it gets to one minute, it starts flashing. She says it was a little unnerving and she stuttered a few times. [36:33] Janice says they interrupt your five minutes with questions, so your time is less. You're supposed to summarize what your position is and what you're testifying for. When you're on a panel, it's not the same as when they're conducting a hearing, accusing you of wrongdoing. [37:02] Janice says the Congress Members are trying to get information and a few sound bites to send home. It's not antagonistic. They're not trying to trip you up on anything. Once you become accustomed to it, the next time is a little easier, because you're relaxed. [37:29] In 2006, Janice appeared before the House Subcommittee on Financial Services about Insurance Modernization. Janice says it was a topic that she had a lot of comfort in speaking about. She wasn't quite as nervous about getting the facts mixed up or totally blanking. [38:05] Janice says she was part of a panel of five or six people. It's for an hour or so. They might pause if somebody has to take a call. [38:36] Janice became RIMS President soon after. [38:52] In 2012, Janice returned to Capitol Hill for a hearing before the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing, and Community Opportunity of the Committee on Financial Services in the U.S. House of Representatives. [39:08] Janice says she always spoke in RIMS's capacity. JLL did not do any lobbying. JLL joins groups, like the Real Estate Round Table, RIMS, and other groups that represent their interests. [39:36] Janice says that for the 2012 visit she had a greater comfort level. It was on an issue she was comfortable with: broker compensation. It was easier to discuss. She still had the same anxieties about being in Congress, in that room, with all the history, speaking to icons. [40:23] Justin says that TRIA was eventually passed. It's been reauthorized a couple of times. It has made a difference for companies and for society, at large. Janice says it raised RIMS's profile in the eyes of the others who were participating and testifying. [40:46] Janice says RIMS got a lot of press. The Wall Street Journal and the business press, in addition to insurance publications, presented information about RIMS. On a corporate level, when Janice's name was printed in association with JLL, clients asked about it. [41:18] Janice says, with things like TRIA, or general insurance questions, clients would go to their risk managers and ask them to contact me to get information. This delighted JLL because it was a closer client relationship. JLL had an initiative to provide specialist experts for clients. [42:23] Janice says if you go before Congress, the most important thing is to do your homework. Even if you're comfortable with public speaking, don't expect you can ad-lib to a Committee. Prepare, prepare, prepare, and understand the pros and cons. Practice with potential questions. [43:06] Janice practices loudly to learn what word combinations she stumbles over. Then she removes them from her presentation. She says when you're more prepared, you're more self-confident. That makes you a better presenter. Justin says, also, rehearse in different places. [44:29] Janice takes a somewhat formal draft and then "Janicizes" it. She writes it in a way that's more conversational, as she would speak, rather than reading something formally. That makes you more comfortable, so you're a better presenter. [45:22] Janice says it seems that everybody knows when it's time to pass the baton to the next generation. She loved what she did, and she did it well; she was open to new ideas, but she was standing in the way of the next generation of leaders moving forward. She didn't want to do that. [45:55] Janice says that people with new ideas, generational ideas, who could relate to what's coming up, need to be allowed to move forward. [46:12] Janice says, think about what's happening in Washington. People need to move aside to let a new generation of leaders come in. Otherwise, you're missing that energy and enthusiasm of a new group of leaders. That's life. You move away and let the new guy in. [47:05] Webinars: On September 17th, AXA XL returns to present the session, "Beyond the Loss Count: What Property Claims Reveal About Frequency, Severity, and Resilience." [47:16] On October 1st, Brown and Brown will make their RIMS Webinar debut with "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Think About Now." [47:26] On October 8th, Global Risk Consultants will present "The 2027 Risk Agenda: 10 Engineering Priorities Risk Leaders Should Act on Now." [47:35] On October 15th, Verisk Maplecroft will lead the session, "Beyond the Horizon: Turning External Risk Into Decision-Ready Insight." [47:44] On October 22nd, Zurich will present "Cybercrime, Fraud and AI: Real-World Threats and Practical Defenses for Business Leaders." [47:53] Origami Risk will return on October 29th with a topic that will be announced soon. [47:58] On November 5th, Riskonnect returns to deliver the session, "Signal Over Noise: Smarter Risk Analytics." [48:05] RIMS Certification Week will be held from September 21st through the 25th. All three webinars are complimentary for all and are available through the Webinars Page on RIMS.org/Webinars. [48:21] Let's Conclude Our Interview with Former RIMS President Janice Ochenkowski! [48:34] Justin says Janice became RIMS President during the housing and mortgage crisis of 2007-2008. Janice says it's something risk managers need to think about. When there is a crisis, you don't step away from it; you step into it. You show leadership. [49:17] Janice says she was able to help resolve something that was one of the most critical issues at that time. At the beginning, the financial crisis focused on AIG and its vulnerability to bankruptcy, and what that meant to the entire insurance industry. [49:47] Janice says it was really difficult because AIG was a major insurer for almost every large corporation in the U.S. and globally. Suddenly, senior board members were wondering if their claims in process would be paid. Will AIG go bankrupt, and what will happen to those claims? [50:15] They wondered if they should cancel their policies mid-term and underwrite with someone else, and if so, who? What will the financial impact of that be? Boards were coming to risk managers with those questions. Janice had those questions herself. [50:35] Janice says we were totally unprepared to answer them. We didn't have any more information than you were reading in The Wall Street Journal. Janice and the phenomenal RIMS staff put together a series of podcasts, the first of which was in three weeks. [50:59] Janice says they got sponsors and speakers. They contacted experts in various areas and senior executives at the major insurers, including AIG, and insurance brokerages. They were willing to sit and talk to their clients and to be shown as thought leaders in the area. [51:20] Janice says at the time there were 1,000 talking heads saying what should be done, but there were very few facts. You can't form a good risk management response to anything until you have facts; until you have data you can rely on and move forward with. [51:50] Janice says RIMS strove to provide facts. When they did the podcasts, they did not only invite RIMS members. They sent invitations to the C-Suites of major corporations. They told The Wall Street Journal and other business publications they were running these podcasts. [52:06] There was a series of podcasts. People tuned in. They were interested. RIMS established credibility with the information they provided. RIMS gave them tools and told them what to think about and consider, and what the ramifications could be, and let them decide for themselves. [52:55] Janice says that it seemed to be a popular series, and it raised RIMS's profile within the general business community and the C-Suite, even in areas that didn't have dedicated risk managers who reported to the C-Suite. It was one of the most important things RIMS did. [53:25] Janice says, then they went to Congress and talked to them about solvency and more. Also, Janice says they kept in touch with Congressional staff between meetings. The key to relationships on the Hill is meeting with aides. Many move from one Congressperson to another. [53:49] You keep up the relationships, and that gives your organization credibility. You're there consistently. Once an aide called and asked her to help define risk management for a piece of legislation. They had no real idea. She helped them craft something reasonable but not onerous. [55:14] Justin brings up the RIMS Annual Legislative Summit. They have a presence on Capitol Hill every year. It's a two-day or two-and-a-half-day event, so members who attend can get onboarded, know their talking points, and know the issues. Janice elaborates on preparation. [56:15] Janice says the Legislative Summit brought a lot of people from local RIMS chapters into the External Affairs Committee. That was a good pipeline. [56:31] Justin says his experience in 2018, for the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program, was everything Janice mentioned. There was a small card with talking points, there was a rehearsal, coaching from professional lobbyists, and industry leadership. [57:10] Justin says it was a great experience. They met with aides, brought maps, and showed flood zones. They had the talking points down, and it was effective. It was one of the best experiences he could have had as a new RIMS staff member. It was excellent. [57:59] Justin remarks that Janice was the right person for the job. Her experience at Jones Lang LaSalle was terrific. Janice was a lifer. She retired in 2018, after 38 years. [58:46] Janice says risk management has certain basic things, but you have to evolve with the times. You can't resist change; you have to look at change as an opportunity. [59:00] If you're a smart risk manager, you're going to lean your company into that opportunity. Janice says, when people were working in her generation of RIMS, it wasn't unusual to spend a career at one or two companies. There was stability. You didn't need to leave to be promoted. [59:26] Janice became a Partner. When they were incorporated, she became an officer. When she ended her career, she was an Executive Vice President and part of the Global Operating Team, which set strategies for all JLL businesses. They reported directly to the Board. [59:51] Janice says risk management had a fairly high profile. New risk officers may not have that opportunity because the business world is demanding that you move every three to five years to get promoted. [1:00:23] Janice says whatever works for you and your organization and helps you move forward is what your personal strategy needs to be. Janice says, not only those who died in the towers, in the Pentagon, and in the field, but those who walked away with scars, visible and invisible. [1:00:40] Justin takes a moment to address and honor everyone who lost their lives during the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks, on its 25th anniversary. [1:01:04] Janice speaks of the first responders and volunteers who rushed in to help and walked away with lifelong consequences from the materials that they inhaled. [1:01:19] Janice says, We just need to spend a few minutes on 9/12 remembering them and making sure that the relevance and their sacrifices are noted. [1:01:36] Janice, you've given us so much inspiration, and told us what it took for you to be an effective RIMS President. To anyone thinking about pursuing a leadership role at RIMS, starting out now, what advantages do they have to position them for success as a RIMS leader? [1:02:06] Janice says, the most important benefit that exists today, that didn't when I was starting, is technology. Today we do Zoom calls. Getting together and communicating was much more onerous. [1:02:23] It wasn't as easy to get people from across the country together and work collaboratively. We can do that easily now. People are taking advantage of that. They're using social media to spread ideas. [1:02:41] Janice says her generation struggled with social media. She did it because that's what she had to do. You can't stagnate. You've got to move with the changes as they come and figure out how to use those changes to move yourself forward. [1:02:58] What will technology and AI mean to risk management? What will they mean to RIMS? How is RIMS going to use AI? How is RIMS leadership going to use AI to promote what the important basics of risk management are and can be? Those are things you have to consider. [1:03:18] In order to be an effective leader at RIMS, you have to get the absolute support of your organization. You've got to connect those dots. You've got to show how and why your leadership at RIMS is going to benefit your company. [1:03:42] Telling your leadership you're going to a conference is not going to convince them that there's anything important going on. [1:03:56] The way to convince them is to tell them there's a conference. These are the sessions that they're going to have. This is the speaker they will have. That speaker is someone I think will tell me information about how to address this issue. [1:04:13] This session is about an issue that we faced last year. I want to go and see how others are doing with it. The next step is to come back and write a note telling leaders what you learned in that session. Ask, Can I meet with you to talk about these things I think we can implement? [1:04:42] You're showing that you're taking the information you're learning and using it to improve risk management in your company, and more importantly, the business of the business you are working in. [1:05:00] When Janice was President, she would visit a chapter and ask everybody who's in the insurance industry to raise their hands. They would raise their hands. Then she told them, no, you use the products of the insurance industry, but you are your company's representative. [1:05:51] Janice Ochenkowski, thank you so much for all your time and your insight today. It's such a pleasure to meet you face-to-face, and I hope we get to do that in person at a future RIMS event. [1:06:06] Special thanks again to former RIMS President Janice Ochenkowski for joining us here on RIMScast! This was a lot of fun, and there are plenty of great takeaways about TRIA, RIMS, public speaking, and honoring the victims of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. [1:05:26] It was a real pleasure to meet Janice Ochenkowski, one of our most revered leaders. [1:06:30] Plug Time! Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [1:06:48] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [1:07:04] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [1:07:17] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [1:07:29] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support! Links: Spencer Educational Foundation's 2026 Funding Their Future Gala | Sept. 17, 2026 ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026 RIMS Certification Week: Sept. 21‒24 | Complimentary For All RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today. RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Sponsorship Opportunities Available RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Registration Now Open! | www.rims.org/ERM2026 RISKWORLD 2027 Registration RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live — Watch the new video with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines. RIMS Now RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan! RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS-CRMP Stories RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMScast on YouTube! RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute | Q2 2026 Issue Now Available Sponsor RIMScast — Sales@RIMS.org Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Virtual Workshops: Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars "RIMS Student Series: Classroom to Career Part 2" | Sept 9 | Complimentary for all "Beyond the Loss Count: What Property Claims Reveal About Frequency, Severity and Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL | Sept. 17, 2026 "RIMS Certification Week: Sept. 22‒24" | Complimentary for All "The Future of Captives: What Risk Managers Should Be Thinking About Now" | Sponsored by Brown & Brown | Oct. 1, 2026 "The 2027 Risk Agenda: 10 Engineering Priorities Risk Leaders Should Act on Now" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants | Oct. 8, 2026 "Beyond the Horizon: Turning External Risk Into Decision-Ready Insight" | Sponsored by Verisk Maplecroft | Oct. 15, 2026 "Cybercrime, Fraud and AI: Real-World Threats and Practical Defenses for Business Leaders" | Sponsored by Zurich | Oct. 22, 2026 "Signal Over Noise: Smarter Risk Analytics" | Sponsored by Riskonnect | Nov. 5, 2026 Related RIMScast Episodes: "Opening Windows of Tolerance with Sophie Grégoire Trudeau" "When Geopolitics Hits the Balance Sheet with Cari Stinebower" "RIMS Advocacy in 2026 with Mark Prysock" Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "48 Hours From a Storm: What to Do Before A Hurricane Strikes" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!) "AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against an Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla! RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information. Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org. Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. About our guest: Janice Ochenkowski, Former RIMS President Special introduction by RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche Production and engineering provided by Podfly.
STC183: 3 reasons September is the best time to sell to companies (with a proven sales process) In this episode, Jess Lorimer reveals why September is the most powerful month for selling to companies, provided you follow a proven sales process. The discussion covers key commercial drivers unique to Q4, the biggest employee turnover period, and strategies to secure business before companies allocate their budgets for the coming year. Jess breaks down the three commercial reasons that make September the single best buying period for anyone selling services to corporate clients, provided you're running a best practice B2B sales process alongside it. She explains why unfinished projects from the start of the year suddenly become urgent, why September triggers the biggest staff attrition period of the corporate calendar, and why companies are already planning six months ahead toward their next financial year, making now the moment to have budget conversations before funds are locked away. Jess also revisits her decision to keep The C Suite ® running rather than retire it, and shares why a proactive, proven sales process, not luck, social media, or waiting for referrals, is what actually converts September's opportunity into signed contracts. If you're a coach, consultant, trainer, speaker, or done for you service provider selling to corporate clients, this episode is your reminder to get proactive before the year ends. Timestamps 00:00 Why September is best for sales 03:21 Avoiding Shiny Object Syndrome 09:49 Transformations in Sales Confidence 12:00 Importance of September for Sales 17:25 Importance of external support in Q4 18:53 Proactive sales in busy September 22:05 September sales opportunities and employee turnover 26:15 Decision-making and budget planning 28:24 Timing sales conversations for budgeting Key Takeaways ● September only works if you're running a best practice sales process. September isn't automatically the best sales month, it only works when it's paired with a proactive, structured sales process. Without that structure, the same commercial conditions create opportunity for prepared providers but pass by unprepared ones. ● Reason one: unfinished start-of-year projects create urgent demand for external support. Returning from summer, organisations review progress against the goals they set earlier in the year, and unfinished projects, from talent retention and technology upgrades to succession planning and awareness initiatives, need delivering before year end. Internal teams rarely have the spare capacity, so companies turn to external coaches, consultants, and service providers. ● Reason two: September is the biggest staff leaving period of the year, and it creates urgent capability gaps. September is reliably the year's largest attrition period. Departing staff leave projects and deliverables behind, and recruitment can take months, so organisations lean on external providers to keep critical initiatives moving while the gap is filled. ● Reason three: companies plan roughly six months ahead, so September conversations decide who gets next year's budget. Companies typically plan around 6 months ahead of where entrepreneurs do, so by September many are already thinking about the following March or April financial year end. That means deciding how to allocate remaining budget, a genuine use it or lose it dynamic, while also starting to plan next year's spend. ● The Selling to Corporate® 5 step sales process is what actually shortens the buying cycle in September. The five stages, Clarity, Lead Generation, Business Development, Offers and Proposals, and Delivery and Upsell or Resell, run consistently rather than switched reactively, are what allow the buying cycle from cold lead to signed contract to shorten significantly in Q4. ● Chasing a new strategy every time something feels stuck usually means abandoning something that was already working. Business owners often jump between strategies, assuming whatever isn't converting must be broken, when the real issue often sits at a different stage of the process. Diagnosing where a process is genuinely stuck, rather than restarting from scratch, is a more reliable route to a strong Q4. ● Passive visibility alone won't win this business, because decision-makers are too busy to go looking. Decision-makers returning from summer still have their own day job to do, and aren't scrolling LinkedIn or websites hoping to find a supplier. A proactive approach that demonstrates commercial understanding is what wins the work, not credibility alone. Key Quotes "I talk endlessly and relentlessly about the fact that September is the best time of year to sell to corporate companies." " In the corporate space, if you don't use it, you lose it." "You must, must run a best practice sales process." Resources and Links The C Suite® Ready to leverage the September sales opportunity? Explore The C-Suite® program to implement a scalable, proven sales process that secures high-value corporate clients. Click here: https://smartleaderssell.thrivecart.com/the-c-suite-2027/ Join the B2B Sales Edit: Busyness to Business Weekly newsletter for coaches and consultants; sharing the real B2B sales techniques that have taken over 30,000 sales processes from busy to balanced and profitable. https://sellingtocorporate.beehiiv.com/subscribe?utm_source=applepodcasts&utm_medium=podcast_shownotes&utm_campaign=stc-podcast-shownotes-2026 Episode Sponsored by The Expert Services Directory Access The Expert Services Directory here: https://bit.ly/ExpertServicesDirectory A curated directory that proactively markets your services to corporate decision makers every month. Standard listings reach 1,000+ decision makers per month; Directory Plus listings reach 2,000+. Only 10 suppliers per category. Standard listing: 1,000+ decision makers per month Directory Plus listing: 2,000+ decision makers per month Application required, not all applications are accepted Related Episodes ● STC026 - Why September Is Your Best Time to Sell to Corporates https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/stc026-why-september-is-your-best-time-to-sell-to-corporates/ ● STC053 - Why September Is Your Best Time to Sell to Corporate Organisations https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/stc053-why-september-is-your-best-time-to-sell-to-corporate-organisations/ ● STC075 - How to Set Yourself Up for a Successful Q4 of B2B Sales https://sellingtocorporate.com/podcast/stc075-how-to-set-yourself-up-for-a-successful-q4-of-b2b-sales/ Content Disclaimer The information contained above is provided for information purposes only. The contents of this article, video or audio are not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article, video or audio. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article, video or audio. Jessica Lorimer disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article, video or audio.
What happens when the pace of technological change exceeds our human and organizational capacity to absorb it? In this episode, Bob 'n Joyce explore that question in the context of a convergence of technological forces unlike anything we have experienced before. Amy Webb, renowned futurist and CEO of the Future Today Institute, believes we are entering a technology “supercycle”—the coming together of AI, advanced sensors, and biotechnology in ways that could fundamentally reshape how we live, work, lead, and organize. The question isn't whether Webb has every detail of the future exactly right. It's whether leaders and organizations are prepared for the magnitude and speed of the change she sees coming. Joyce even wonders whether organizations should be hiring only people under 30 to help them prepare for what's ahead—which is a bit ironic coming from two people over 65. But perhaps that's part of the point: preparing for the future will require fresh perspectives, hard-earned wisdom, and the humility to recognize that none of us has this figured out. Join us for a provocative conversation about what this means for leaders, organizations, and especially those of us who practice OD. We help organizations prepare for change—but are we prepared to change ourselves?
Are you interested in retaining your best people on your team? It might just be a leadership and culture problem (or opportunity). For Full Show Notes Visit: https://www.jasonvbarger.com/podcast/retention-culture-problem/ Jason explores why losing your best people isn't just a market condition—it's a leadership and culture problem, and shares a proactive framework to reverse the trend. Please rate and review the podcast to help amplify these messages to others! Summary: In an era of intense competition for top talent, why are so many organizations struggling with a revolving door of their best people? In this solo episode of The Thermostat, Jason V Barger breaks down the reality that employee retention is rarely just a recruitment or compensation issue—it is a direct reflection of an organization's leadership climate. With 57% of employees reporting that a deep distrust in their leadership makes them consider leaving, Jason challenges executives to take immediate ownership of their internal ecosystem. This conversation moves beyond standard HR exit interviews to address the core mechanics of proactive culture building. Jason explores his foundational mantra: "what we allow lingers and what we teach triggers," explaining how toxic behaviors silently suffocate teams and become the default culture when left unaddressed. He then outlines six concrete strategies to transform retention from a defensive panic into a proactive, value-driving competitive advantage. Essential listening for C-Suite executives, HR directors, and team leaders committed to shaping compelling cultures, this episode offers actionable insights on conducting stay interviews, co-creating behavioral standards, and breathing much-needed oxygen into your daily operations. Episode Notes & Timestamps: Intro: Jason welcomes listeners and sets the stage for a conversation on why retention is fundamentally a leadership opportunity. A Milestone Celebration: Thanking the audience as The Thermostat reaches over 345 episodes and continues to grow. The Trust Deficit: Analyzing the staggering statistics that reveal why top talent is actively looking for the exit, including the 57% of employees who consider leaving due to leadership distrust. Allow Lingers vs. Teach Triggers: Deconstructing how toxic behaviors fester into default culture when ignored, and how teaching new habits creates a positive chain reaction. Identify and Intervene: Why the best organizations don't wait for exit interviews and instead proactively conduct "stay interviews" with their top talent. 2 & 3. Articulate and Co-Create: The necessity of clearly defining your future culture and identifying the specific daily actions and behaviors that align with it. Optimize Hiring and Onboarding: How to infuse new hires with your company's cultural DNA and expectations during their critical first 90 days. 5 & 6. Emerging Leaders and Congregation: Investing in the next generation of thermostats and utilizing regional culture summits to realign focus. Questions to Ponder: Jason leaves leaders with reflection prompts to help audit their current retention strategy and calibrate their personal thermostat. Key Takeaways for Leaders: Proactive Intervention: Don't wait for a top performer to give their two-week notice. Identify the people you need to retain right now and proactively intervene to ensure they feel valued and developed. Trigger Positive Habits: Understand that what you allow lingers. Actively address toxic environments and teach clear, expected behaviors to trigger a healthier cultural ecosystem. Continuous Calibration: Culture is not static. Use regional summits, intentional onboarding, and ongoing leadership development to continually breathe oxygen into your team. Listen to the full episode and access show notes at: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/retention-is-a-leadership-and-culture-problem/ Bio: Jason Barger is a husband, father, speaker, and author who is passionate about business leadership and corporate culture. He believes that corporate culture is the "thermostat" of an organization, and that it can be used to drive performance, innovation, and engagement. The show features interviews with business leaders from a variety of industries, as well as solo episodes where Barger shares his own insights and advice. Connect: Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonVBarger Make Your 2026 Effective! Book Jason with your team at https://www.jasonvbarger.com Like or Follow Jason
A CMO Confidential Interview with Aneesh Dhawan, the Co-Founder and CEO of Knit, an AI Native Research Firm. Aneesh shares toplines from Knit's AI Trust Survey of 150+ enterprise research leaders and details how the biggest fear has morphed from potential job loss to AI outputs without expert, human judgement. Key topics include:- The difference between data, insights and storytelling- Why research utopia may be just around the corner- Tips for vendor selection- The importance of good governance habitsTune in to hear why your research leader will eventually function like a Head Chef. ⏱️ Chapters1:30 - AI in Market Research3:06 - AI Trust Index Findings4:28 - Greatest AI Researcher Fears7:01 - Governance and Human Judgment11:31 - ROI and AI Slop14:14 - The Future of Research16:09 - Choosing AI Research Vendors18:05 - Governance and Best Practices24:26 - Addressing the Trust Gap27:03 - Advice for AI ImplementationSubscribe for weekly episodes featuring world-class marketing leaders, board members, and C-Suite executives.#CMOConfidential, #MarketingLeadership, #BrandStrategy, #CorporateActivism, #MarketingStrategy, #CMO, #AIinMarketing, #ExecutiveLeadership, #BrandReputation, #ConsumerTrust, #DigitalMarketing, #MarketingInsights, #ThoughtLeadership, #BusinessStrategy, #CustomerCentricSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
How do you stay motivated in your career after years of success - and conquering so many mountains? How do you decide if taking on people management is the right move for you? How should you respond to an ambitious employee that you think needs to be more patient? In this episode, Muriel and her producer, Mary, answer listeners' questions to help leaders of all levels navigate the challenges they are facing. For further reading: A Guide to Motivating Yourself at Work: https://hbr.org/2023/07/a-guide-to-motivating-yourself-at-workThe 7 Hidden Beliefs That Hold Leaders Back: https://www.radicalcandor.com/podcast/hidden-beliefsHow Do I Stay Motivated After Surviving Layoffs? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjy_GCrZTnQShould I Become a People Manager? https://medium.com/@fun_cuddles/should-i-become-a-people-manager-the-difficulty-of-identifying-management-potential-8fbfb534f0b1Want to stay connected? You can find Muriel here:Website: murielwilkins.comLinkedIn: @Muriel Maignan WilkinsInstagram: @CoachMurielWilkinsWant to be coached by Muriel?If you're facing a professional challenge, apply to be coached by Muriel on the Coaching Real Leaders podcast: Apply here Keep the conversation going:Join the Coaching Real Leaders Community where Muriel hosts live debriefs and Q&A sessions: coachingrealleaderscommunity.comGo deeper:Read Muriel's newest book, Leadership Unblocked: LeadershipUnblocked.comFor executive coaches:Learn more about Evolve, Muriel's immersive program for executive coaches: murielwilkins.com/evolveSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
TALK WITH A COACH How can I go from junior military officer to the C-suite? In interviews, JMOs often get asked where they see themselves in ten or twenty years. The honest answer, the one most people keep to themselves, is often: running the place. Matt Beliveau actually did it. He got there by learning a new function from the ground up, staying long enough to build real depth, and understanding the difference between a mentor and a sponsor. Twenty-five years ago, Matt left the Army and started as an Associate Human Resources Manager at General Mills. Not a VP. Not on a fast track. Learning a brand new function from the ground up. He stayed at General Mills for 13 years. Then came CHRO roles at Morton Salt, Sara Lee Frozen Bakery, and Del Monte Foods. Today he is Chief Human Resources Officer at TreeHouse Foods. We’re bringing this conversation back because the lessons in it held up. What makes the JMO transition so hard? Matt is direct about this. It isn’t just finding a job in the right city with a good paycheck. Three things change at the same time. Your identity shifts from military officer to civilian. You learn an entirely new functional role. And you have to read a company culture nobody hands you a manual for. That’s a lot to carry in year one. How did he reach the C-suite? He managed his career on purpose. He found mentors. He also found sponsors, which is a different thing, and he explains why the difference matters more than most people realize. Matt talks about leading through the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. He compared it to being on deployment. Success came down to staying agile, caring about people, and following through on commitments. Things good JMOs already know how to do. He also predicted, back then, that work was headed toward more flexibility and hybrid schedules for office roles. Five years later, he called it. Then Matt shares his leadership lessons, some of the best we’ve had on the show. Those are worth hearing in his own words. More from this episode: – Matt’s LinkedIn post on his first 20 years in Corporate America (worth three minutes of your time) – What makes Cameron-Brooks different from other transition options This episode was recorded while Matt was CHRO at Sara Lee Frozen Bakery. He has since led HR at Del Monte Foods and is now CHRO at TreeHouse Foods. At Cameron-Brooks, we help junior military officers transition from the military into rewarding business careers. Want to explore your options? See what career fields our candidates move into. Curious about your marketability? Let’s talk.
Combining her rich background and expertise in psychology and leadership development, alongside her authentic blend of energy, humor, and strategic questions, Jordana Cole enables leaders to ignite behavioral change and spark transformation that not only sticks, it spreads.As an organizational consultant, workshop facilitator and leadership coach, Jordana has designed and led talent strategy and leadership programs for thousands of individuals across all levels and roles around the globe. Prior to launching her consulting and coaching practice, Jordana led enterprise learning and development functions for a decade within technology, financial services, e-commerce, and nonprofit industries. Jordana's worked with a number of Fortune 100 companies and companies on the Best Companies to Work For list.Jordana is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania's Master of Applied Positive Psychology program and has served as an instructor for undergraduate and graduate courses related to positive organizations and human strengths & resilience. She is also certified as a PCC level coach from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and a Gallup Strengths Coach, with experience coaching more than 250 leaders worldwide. As a lead faculty member for the Center for Human Potential's Self-Actualization Coaching Program, Jordana equips cohorts of professional coaches with research-backed tools to help clients surface their needs and embrace their whole selves. Jordana believes that leadership is the most needed and most durable skillset in our changing world, and the one that AI can't replace. She's been featured on a variety of podcasts and webinars discussing the connections between leadership, well-being, AI, and organizational success. She's on a mission to help everyone lead themselves and others better through uncertainty. Her TEDx talk on this topic: "What to Do When You Don't Know What's Next" currently ranks in the top 10% of views for all TEDx talks globally.She believes that leadership coaching should create thriving leaders and teams, not just fix bad behaviors. "Leadership coaching is for everyone, not only the C-Suite," Jordana says. "My comprehensive coaching approach blends strengths, leadership development, and positive & humanistic psychology. I'm here to help you not only turn the lightbulbs on, but to actually spark personal transformation. By the end of coaching, you'll have more self-awareness, more confidence in your interactions with others, and feel energized and capable to be an impactful leader today, tomorrow, and in the future."Learn more:https://ignitedbyjordana.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordana-cole-mapp-pcc-a8445a8/
Today, we draw a line in the sand. We talk about a threat in the church so few want to name—celebrity worship. Not in Hollywood. Not in D.C. But in the church. In your pocket. In your earbuds.Candace Owens. Tucker Carlson. Names that command attention. Voices that spark outrage, controversy, clicks—voices some believers cling to tighter than Scripture. But what happens when our discernment is sold out for the dopamine hit of a viral clip?Here's the hard truth from Paul M. Neuberger: Jesus doesn't share His throne. Not with Candace. Not with Tucker. Not with me. You make an idol of any voice other than Christ, and you're on dangerous ground.Are you letting a commentator shape your soul more than the Word? What happens when your feed shouts louder than your faith?Will you tear down your idols?“You shall have no other gods before me.” — Exodus 20:3Episode Highlights13:13 - If C-Suite for Christ ever becomes about building Paul M. Neuberger's brand or Paul M. Neuberger's platform instead of Christ's kingdom, shut the door. Unfollow us. Cancel your membership. Get out of Dodge. I'm as serious as cancer when I say this. This movement is not worth existing if Jesus isn't at the center of it.43:03 - If political content is consuming more of your emotional energy than the gospel, if you're talking more about commentators than Christ, if you're spending more time forwarding clips than sharing scripture, then I believe something has quietly become disordered in your heart. The solution isn't censorship. The solution... is refusing to finance spiritual junk food. Every click is a vote. Every share is a recommendation. Every subscription is an investment.54:43 - If the C-Suite for Christ podcast ever becomes more important to you than your Bible, turn me off. I'm dead serious about that. Unsubscribe to the YouTube channel, unsubscribe to the podcast, revoke your membership in C-Suite for Christ. If we ever become your idol, get rid of us. Drop us like a bad habit.Connect with Paul M. NeubergerWebsite
The best leaders and team cultures take time to calibrate their thermostat. Join Jason Barger and other thought leaders for the 10th year of this inspiring event. For full show notes visit: https://www.jasonvbarger.com/podcast/tcl-preview-2026/ Jason provides an exclusive preview of the 10th anniversary Thermostat Cultures Live event, challenging leaders to step back, breathe, and proactively calibrate their organizations. Please rate and review the podcast to help amplify these messages to others! Summary: In an era of business that often glorifies speed at the expense of substance, how do executives break out of the daily grind to actually stimulate progress? In this solo episode of The Thermostat, Jason V Barger previews the highly anticipated 10th anniversary of the Thermostat Cultures Live event, taking place on Friday, November 6, 2026. This gathering is designed specifically for authentic leaders to pause, reflect, and intentionally set the temperature for their teams. This conversation moves beyond standard leadership advice to outline the strategic necessity of stepping back. Jason shares five essential details about the upcoming hybrid experience—featuring a VIP in-person event in Columbus, Ohio, alongside a global virtual broadcast. He also highlights the exceptional roster of thought leaders joining him on stage, including social psychologist Owen Fitzpatrick, future-of-work expert Rebecca Hinds, and former Starbucks President Howard Behar. Essential listening for C-Suite executives, HR directors, and team leaders committed to shaping compelling cultures, this episode serves as an invitation to stop reacting to daily chaos and start building actionable solutions for the road ahead. Episode Notes & Timestamps: Intro: Jason sets the stage by announcing the upcoming 10th anniversary of Thermostat Cultures Live on November 6, 2026. A Milestone Celebration: Thanking the listeners as The Thermostat is recognized as the #13 top authentic leadership podcast in the U.S. by Million Podcasts. A Decade of Impact: Reflecting on the event's history and the incredible thought leaders who have shared the stage over the past ten years. The 5 Things You Need to Know: Jason breaks down the core elements of the 2026 event, starting with its hybrid format accommodating both in-person and virtual attendees. The Strategic Pause: Why stepping back to calibrate your personal and organizational thermostat is a performance necessity, not an administrative luxury. Action and Pre-Sales: Highlighting the solutions-focused nature of the curriculum and how to secure pre-sale tickets and VIP corporate sponsorships. Meet the 2026 Voices: Previews of upcoming sessions with Owen Fitzpatrick (Inner Propaganda), Rebecca Hinds (The Future of Work and Meetings), and Howard Behar (Servant Leadership). Questions to Ponder: Jason challenges listeners to evaluate where in their schedule they are making intentional time to reflect, breathe, and grow. Key Takeaways for Leaders: The Strategic Pause: Understand that elite performance requires stepping out of the frantic daily grind to proactively calibrate your leadership approach. Action-Oriented Culture: Move beyond passive listening and focus on building tangible, solutions-based strategies to elevate your team's everyday experience. The Power of Congregation: Discover the unmatched competitive advantage of placing yourself in a room full of authentic, growth-minded leaders dedicated to shaping the future of work. Listen to the full episode and access show notes at: https://jasonvbarger.com/podcast/thermostat-cultures-live-event-preview/ Bio: Jason Barger is a husband, father, speaker, and author who is passionate about business leadership and corporate culture. He believes that corporate culture is the "thermostat" of an organization, and that it can be used to drive performance, innovation, and engagement. The show features interviews with business leaders from a variety of industries, as well as solo episodes where Barger shares his own insights and advice. Connect: Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@JasonVBarger Make Your 2026 Effective! Book Jason with your team at https://www.jasonvbarger.com Like or Follow Jason
Join host Muriel Wilkins as she unpacks last week's Coaching Real Leaders' episode, “Why Haven't I Made It To The C-Suite”, where she coached Randy - a leader who has spent years coming close to landing the most senior level executive roles, only to be passed over without clear feedback. In this special bonus and companion episode, Muriel debriefs the coaching conversation with her Coaching Real Leaders Community and provides additional context to what was really going on during the coaching session and helps listeners better understand her coaching approach. Be sure to listen to the episode we debrief: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/best-of-crl-why-havent-i-made-it-to-the-c-suite/id1545444200?i=1000783849495Want to stay connected? You can find Muriel here:Website: murielwilkins.comLinkedIn: @Muriel Maignan WilkinsInstagram: @CoachMurielWilkinsWant to be coached by Muriel?If you're facing a professional challenge, apply to be coached by Muriel on the Coaching Real Leaders podcast: Apply here Keep the conversation going:Join the Coaching Real Leaders Community where Muriel hosts live debriefs and Q&A sessions: coachingrealleaderscommunity.comGo deeper:Read Muriel's newest book, Leadership Unblocked: LeadershipUnblocked.comFor executive coaches:Learn more about Evolve, Muriel's immersive program for executive coaches: murielwilkins.com/evolveSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jean Hynes, CEO of Wellington Management, has more than 35 years of experience at the firm. But she spends most of her time looking ahead, trying to envision what the world might look like in a decade and building portfolios around nascent opportunities. In an interview with Goldman Sachs' Alison Mass on the Great Investors podcast, Hynes discusses innovation in the biopharma sector, how Wellington is using AI, and her path to the C-Suite. The opinions and views expressed herein are as of the date of publication, subject to change without notice, and may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates. The material provided is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment, legal, or tax advice, a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to take any particular action or be used as a basis for any other investment decision, or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities or financial products. Any forward-looking statements, case studies, computations or examples set forth herein are for illustrative purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or information contained herein and disclaim any liability whatsoever for reliance on such information for any purpose. Each name of a third-party organization mentioned is the property of the company to which it relates, is used here strictly for informational and identification purposes only and is not used to imply any sponsorship, affiliation, endorsement, ownership or license rights between any such company and Goldman Sachs. This material should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced in whole or in part or disclosed by any recipient to any other person without the express written consent of Goldman Sachs. A transcript is provided for convenience and may differ from the original video or audio content. Goldman Sachs is not responsible for any errors in the transcript. Date of Recording: July 20, 2026 © 2026 Goldman Sachs. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
He's spent years coming close to landing the most senior level executive roles, only to be passed over without clear feedback. Host Muriel Wilkins coaches him through what to do when you feel you've done everything "right" but still don't get the opportunity you were hoping for. For further reading: What to Do After a Final-Round Job Interview: https://hbr.org/2021/01/what-to-do-after-a-final-round-job-interviewCracking the Code That Stalls People of Color: https://hbr.org/2014/01/cracking-the-code-that-stalls-multicultural-professionalsWhat Do Black Executives Really Want?: https://hbr.org/2021/11/what-do-black-executives-really-wantConnect with Muriel:Website: murielwilkins.comLinkedIn: @Muriel Maignan Wilkins Instagram: @CoachMurielWIlkins Join the Coaching Real Leaders Community: coachingrealleaderscommunity.comRead Muriel's book: LeadershipUnblocked.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.