CEO: Behind the Scenes

Karla Congson, CEO and CTO of Agentiiv, believes most professionals spend nearly 30 percent of their time on work they never wanted to do. The real opportunity of AI, she argues, lies in eliminating cognitively numbing tasks so people can focus on what they do best. In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Congson shares how she built AI digital twins of the top experts inside her organization,...

AI is transforming every industry – but healthcare may be where its impact is most profound. In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Naveen Jain, Founder and CEO of Viome Life Sciences, explains why advances in data collection, molecular biology and AI have finally converged to make personalized health possible at scale. He unpacks how AI can move healthcare from reactive treatment to pr...

A business collapse. A last-minute wire transfer. A billion-dollar ambition. In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Mark Moses, Founding Partner and Executive Chairman of CEO Coaching International and bestselling author of Make BIG Happen and Making BIG Happen , explains why thinking bigger is no longer optional – especially in the age of AI.Moses reflects on rebuilding after coming wi...

What does it take to turn a single project into a multibillion-dollar business that’s built to last? In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Ron Bakir, Founder and CEO of Homecorp, shares the mindset and principles that shaped his journey to lead one of the most impactful property groups in the industry.  Bakir discusses the power of doing the right thing, building with legacy in mi...

Many leaders still approach efficiency through cost reduction, but that mindset may be quietly undermining performance, trust and long-term growth. In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Toru Takahashi, Global Chief Strategy Officer at GLOBIS Corporation, explains why treating people as expenses rather than assets creates hidden leadership costs that traditional ROI metrics fail to capture. D...

Conversations about work are often dominated by talk of burnout, but what would happen if leaders took a different approach? In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Imamu ‘Mu’ Tomlinson, CEO of Vituity, explains why fulfillment, not burnout, is the metric leaders should actually be paying attention to. Drawing on decades on the clinical front line, Tomlinson shares how purpose...

Most leaders see sustainability as a necessary expense, but Alexander Hauser, CEO of TTSP HWP, believes that mindset is holding businesses back. In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Hauser draws on decades of experience designing and developing data centers across Europe to explain how energy grid constraints, often framed as roadblocks, can actually unlock innovation, efficiency and long-t...

AI is everywhere, but most companies are building on shaky ground. In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Marc Potter, CEO of Actian, reveals why chasing AI cost savings is a trap and why the real competitive edge starts with a rock solid data foundation. He digs into the hidden consequences of poor data quality, the illusions that fuel bad AI decisions and the simple principles leaders overl...

AI is reshaping industries, yet many leaders still struggle with effective adoption. In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Optimal Blue CEO Joe Tyrrell explains why AI initiatives often fail in complex, high-stakes environments and what it takes to make them succeed. Tyrrell shares how to overcome operational resistance, why outdated processes cannot simply be automated and how AI can reduce...

Innovative ideas have the power to solve global challenges, yet many never reach the people who could bring them to life. In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Maximilian Werner, Founder and CEO of INSPIRED, reveals why visibility is often a greater barrier for innovators than funding itself. He explains that transformative solutions routinely disappear long before they have a chance to make...

What happens when a CEO reimagines the dentist’s chair as a powerful gateway to whole-person health? In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Sarah Chavarria, CEO and President of Delta Dental of California, shares how her bold leadership is reshaping access to care for millions of people. Chavarria reflects on the future of preventative care and the creation of an innovation clinic that...

What does it mean for leaders to truly invest in their people? In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Finseca CEO Marc Cadin shares how responsibility, mentorship and meaningful relationships shape effective leadership. Cadin breaks down the lessons that guided his leadership journey, the importance of listening and how he unified eight nonprofits into one mission-driven organization. He also...

Most leaders think company culture is about values on walls and team-building events, but what if they're missing the most important element? In this episode, Amaysim Vice President Virinder Nath reveals the single transformation that turns struggling teams into self-managing powerhouses and why execution beats perfect strategy every time. From his journey leading 20,000-plus team members in India...

Great leaders aren’t driven by popularity – they’re defined by purpose, clarity and the courage to stand for something real. In this episode of CEO: Behind the Scenes , Anthony De Fazio, CEO of BankVic, shares how choosing respect over approval reshaped his leadership and strengthened the organization at every level. De Fazio explains how returning to foundational identity transf...

Scaling a business exposes pressures most founders never see coming. In this episode, Marcus Zeltzer, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Yellow Canary, reveals the unfiltered truth about hiring, culture and the tough decisions that ultimately shape a company’s future. Zeltzer shares how Yellow Canary went from early-stage chaos and financial strain to rapid, industry-shaping growth. He open...

When Michelle Aquilina became CEO of MoleMap Australia and New Zealand, the company was in financial distress and lacked a clear identity. Today, it's a global leader in skin cancer detection, combining clinical expertise with proprietary AI technology that achieves 95 percent accuracy. In this episode, Aquilina discusses the boldness required to take the first steps with AI technology, why human...

Most property investors wait for the perfect moment that never comes. In this episode, Lloyd Edge, Founder and Managing Director of Aus Property Professionals, reveals why getting started matters more than perfect timing – and how he built a portfolio that generated passive income equal to his teaching salary in just 10 years. Edge discusses the misconception that you need to be wealthy to i...

As the banking industry grapples with the complexity of a digital, global market, one question remains: do community banks still matter? In this episode, Tim Crane, Wintrust Financial Corporation President and CEO, shares how local banks are quietly fueling America’s economic resilience by keeping relationships at the heart of finance. Crane explains why proximity and trust still give commun...

Is ESG just another corporate buzzword – or the key to long-term success? In this episode, Francesco Di Ciommo, President and CEO of FDC Consulting Digital ESG, reveals how sustainability has evolved from a compliance checkbox into a true driver of profitability and innovation. Di Ciommo shares how he transformed his own company by embedding ESG principles into its business model, proving that res...

Water security is the crisis hiding in plain sight – and most of us don't realize how close we are to the edge. In this episode, Francois Gouws, Managing Director of TRILITY, reveals why major cities are heading into another drought, how 100-year-old underground infrastructure is quietly failing beneath our feet and why the water we take for granted could become our scarcest resource. Gouws discus...

Many believe manufacturing can't compete in high-cost markets like Australia, but Greg Stack, CEO of Nexans, proves otherwise. In this episode, Stack reveals how his company maintains profitable manufacturing operations despite higher labor and energy costs and why the ‘Made in Australia’ advantage is more valuable than ever. Stack discusses the E3 operating model that balances economic, environme...

Most leaders spend their energy defining goals and aligning teams, but Martin U Ripple, Group CEO of ANCA, reveals why the real work begins after that. In this episode, Ripple introduces the DAAD framework and explains why defending your strategy against distractions is where 80 percent of leadership energy should go. Ripple discusses why the best engineers often make poor managers, how to build a...

What if the key to scaling isn’t doing more, but doing less, and doing it better? In this episode, Matthew Wilkins, Founder and CEO of Venergy Solar Australia, reveals how discipline, focus and long-term thinking turned a small solar startup into a national leader in renewable energy. Wilkins shares how battery storage and smart software are reshaping the grid, the hard lessons behind saying no to...

What does it really take to build a business that lasts? In this episode, Verne Harnish, Founder and CEO of Scaling Up, breaks down the truths most founders miss about growth. From pricing power and compensation models to curiosity-led leadership and culture, Harnish shares how great CEOs build companies that scale without losing their soul. He reveals how to identify your company’s true constrain...

What if one of your most effective brand levers isn’t a campaign – it’s what your people wear every day? In this episode, Pamela Jabbour, Founder and CEO of Total Image Group (TIG), breaks down how intentional uniform design boosts confidence, signals values and delivers real ROI.  Jabbour shares the hard lessons behind her ‘no client over five percent’ rule, how B Corp certification reshaped oper...