LeaderbookAI

Private equity portco CEO Jeremy Jones uses cultural alignment for due diligence in private equity — not financials — as the first filter in every acquisition. The result: Frazier & Deeter has grown from 530 to 850 people in seven months through three deals, with a fourth closing next week. Jones walks through the three-year decision process behind the firm's partnership with General Atlantic, why...

Tina Murphy, CEO at GHX, breaks down why talent is her top three priorities — not strategy, not capital — how GHX restructured its entire organization to get closer to customers and move faster, what she's looking for in leaders today that she wasn't three years ago, and why the companies that fail the AI transition won't fail loudly. They'll fail silently, quarter by quarter, until the gap become...

Private equity has had it easy for forty years. Cheap money, expanding multiples, and a rising S&P produced returns almost regardless of what firms did with the assets they bought. That era just ended — and Lee McCabe, Partner at Claymore Partners, argues most firms haven't adjusted to what replaces it. Lee spent years inside eBay, Expedia, Facebook, and Alibaba before joining a New York PE firm a...

Robin Goad, AWS executive, has been in the AI space since 2014—long before it was a boardroom priority. As Global Public Sector Industry Solutions GM at AWS, she's watched the hype cycles repeat, the barriers shift, and the use cases mature. Her read on where AI actually creates value for leaders is sharper—and more honest—than most of what you're hearing right now. Chapters: 00:00 Technical Diffi...

What do you mean, "I'm a CEO... and now I'm coding?" Georg Ell, CEO of Phrase, hadn't written code since he was 15. Then his CFO demoed a custom-built app — and Georg felt "utterly inadequate." That evening he downloaded Claude. Six weeks later: 200,000 lines committed, 8 apps built, and a radically different understanding of what leadership means in the AI era. Chapters: 00:00 The Awakening: Real...

Spencer Penn evacuated his engineer from Ukraine the day before Russia invaded. What he did next — and why it worked — reveals more about leadership trust than most books on the subject. Penn is CEO and co-founder of LightSource, a procurement AI company that grew from two people in a garage to 64 employees. In this episode, he traces the company's origin to a $30 billion problem he watched firsth...

How do top venture capitalists find AI unicorns early? In our 100th episode 1-hour special, Marina Davidova, Managing Partner at Silicon Valley's DVC, shares how her team uses AI agents, community-driven diligence, and sharp founder pattern recognition to identify breakout startups before the market catches up. From repeat founders and engineering mindset to distribution, adaptability, and founder...

What does it really take to lead a successful AI transformation inside an organization? Many companies focus on implementing AI tools. But according to Glenn Mathis, Former CEO of Integris, the real challenge isn’t technology — it’s trust, clarity, and culture.

What’s the biggest mistake revenue leaders make with AI? Companies everywhere are racing to automate sales—research, outreach, forecasting, and pipeline management. But according to JD Miller, many organizations are about to make a critical mistake: automating processes that were already broken. JD Miller, CRO Operating Partner in Residence at Rothschild & Co. / Five Arrows Capital, shares how pri...

Can AI learn love—or at least empathy? Cory Lopes-Warfield, CEO of Lovings, shares his unconventional founder journey from homelessness and hospitality to building Lovings AI. We discuss Nova, an AI agent trained to respond from a “love” framework, and what empathetic AI really means in practice. Cory explains the real risks of AI, how agents are reshaping entrepreneurship, and why the future may...

How do leaders turn a struggling organization into a winning culture? Tom Braun, President & COO of the LA Galaxy, shares the leadership decisions behind rebuilding one of MLS’s most iconic clubs. He explains how trust, authenticity, and small operational wins helped restore momentum with players, staff, and fans. This episode explores what sports leadership can teach CEOs about culture, alignment...

AI automation and leadership that creates value. Join Felicia Shakiba on LeaderbookAI (formerly CPO PLAYBOOK) for candid conversations with CEOs, executives, investors, and innovators who are making the decisions that matter. From timeless leadership principles and decision-making frameworks to cutting-edge AI automation strategies—this podcast gives you the insights you need to lead with confiden...

What does real alignment look like—when leadership, strategy, and execution finally match? In this bonus episode, Felicia Shakiba shares an important update: CPO PLAYBOOK is becoming LeaderbookAI. This isn’t just a podcast name change—it reflects the evolution of the entire business. Episode 95 explored the cost of misalignment inside organizations. Here, we practice what we preach. LeaderbookAI r...

What if your growth problem isn’t your product, pricing, or team—but misalignment? We’re joined by Dr. Philippe Bouissou—Apple alum, bestselling author of Aligning the Dots, and the mind behind the A4 Precision Alignment™ methodology that’s fueling faster, more sustainable revenue growth for companies around the world. With a PhD in chaos theory and a resume that includes scaling Apple’s eCommerce...

What do you do when the world changes faster than your workforce can adapt? Carlee Wolfe, AVP, Leader Development and Organizational Effectiveness, Hyatt Hotels, shares how she’s helping over 125,000 employees stay ahead—by building leadership capabilities that thrive in uncertainty and unlock transformation. Carlee reveals how Hyatt diagnoses leadership gaps, drives behavior change at scale, and...

What does it mean to be an AI-native employee—and why will they win? Thibault Imbert, Chief Product and Growth Officer at The Brief, joins Felicia Shakiba to break down what it truly means to work, think, and create in an AI-first world. From conversational AI to real-time prototyping with voice and visual tools, Thibault explains how AI-native employees are redefining productivity, creativity, an...

What does it take to build a biotech company without burning billions—or losing your conviction? Felicia Shakiba sits down with Dr. Shalabh Gupta, Founder & CEO of Unicycive Therapeutics, to unpack what real leadership discipline looks like in one of the most capital-intensive industries in the world. A physician turned Wall Street analyst, Dr. Gupta shares how he raised over $150M in public marke...

Can financial education turn athletes into powerful investors? Danny Cortenraede joins Felicia Shakiba to share how he’s helping athletes and early-stage founders build long-term wealth through financial education, mentorship, and hands-on investing. Drawing from his experience scaling multiple companies, Danny explains how athletes can move beyond endorsements and develop the leadership mindset r...

How do you take a healthcare innovation from lab to market—without losing your shot at impact? Sasha Schrode, CEO of FEMSelect, joins Felicia Shakiba to share her founder journey—from licensing IP out of the University of Pennsylvania to raising venture capital, securing FDA approval, and successfully exiting her first healthcare company. Now leading FEMSelect, Sasha breaks down what it really tak...

What happens when you bet on people instead of acquisitions? Pia Ostos, EVP and Chief Performance Officer at Inmar Intelligence, joins Felicia Shakiba to share how prioritizing leadership development—rather than acquisitions—became a powerful engine for growth. Pia explains how embedding clear leadership standards into performance reviews transformed leadership from a “soft” capability into a meas...

How do you share equity to truly motivate employees—especially in private equity environments? Adam Coffey, private equity CEO and seasoned operator, joins Felicia Shakiba to unpack how incentive equity—not just stock options or bonuses—can transform employees into real value creators. Drawing on decades of experience leading companies through acquisitions, integrations, and exits, Adam explains w...

Can culture survive when 10 companies collide under one roof—and what does leadership have to do with it? Tim Ringel, CEO and founder of Meet the People, joins Felicia Shakiba to share how trust, creativity, and authentic leadership helped unite 10 companies into one cohesive organization. Drawing on real-world M&A experience, Tim explains why cultural integration—not financial modeling—is often t...

How do you turn science fiction into science fact—and convince the world to fund it? Roman Axelrod, founder and CEO of Xpanceo, joins Felicia Shakiba to share the bold vision behind raising nearly $300M to build smart contact lenses designed to expand human capability. Operating at the frontier of deep tech, Roman opens up about what it really takes to move breakthrough ideas from prototype to rea...

Felicia Shakiba looks back at how far the podcast has come—and sets the stage for an even bolder season ahead. In this special episode, she teases the power-packed stories coming in Season 4, spotlights what leadership really means today, and unveils new tools designed to help leaders rise, adapt, and thrive.

What does it take to lead transformation when everything—including identity—must change? Yaky Yanay, CEO of Pluri, joins Felicia Shakiba for a powerful Season 3 finale conversation on leading transformation through trust, transparency, and bold vision. Yaky shares how he redefined Pluri’s identity—from a traditional pharma company to a cell-based technology innovator—while building a culture that...