Aon at The Top: Interviewing Executives on their Paths to the C-Suite and Boardroom

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Coco Brown, founder and CEO of Athena Alliance, and discuss corporate governance, board composition, and what separates high-functioning boards from those just meeting their obligations. We talk about why most boards are operating from an outdated playbook, how AI is creating a step-function shift that governance structures aren't prepared for, an...

Gabie Boko joins Aon At The Top to discuss her journey from aspiring lawyer in Alaska to Chief Marketing Officer at NetApp, where she leads global marketing strategy for one of the world's most trusted intelligent data infrastructure companies. She reveals why she treats herself as a perpetual intern to the industry, how printing the wrong 800 number early in her career taught her that owning mist...

Greg Henry joins Aon at the Top to discuss his journey from Milwaukee to becoming CFO of 1Password, one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity companies. We dive into the "million dollar experiences" that shaped his career, from an FDA consent decree that shut down his first CFO role to the 2018 moment at Couchbase when he and the CEO were "staring over the abyss," facing the possibility of running...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Rachana Kumar, a trailblazing global CTO, product executive, and board director with more than two decades of experience shaping the future of technology and scaling hypergrowth organizations. We dive into what it means to lead through a business turnaround, how to balance data with intuition, and why the best career advice she ever received was "...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Caroline Tsay, a tech leader, builder, and public company board director who has scaled businesses, launched startups, and guided major companies strategically and operationally. Caroline has done everything from leading teams at Yahoo and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to co-founding and running her own company to serving on some of America's most hi...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Yasmin Saeed Coffey, Chief Legal Officer and GM of Distribution at TuneIn, one of the world's largest audio streaming platforms. Yasmin's career spans entertainment powerhouses like Paramount Pictures, litigation across multiple industries, and now leading global licensing strategy in the fast-moving world of digital media. We dive into why saying...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Derrick Alesevich, a C-suite executive who's spent two decades building unicorn technology companies in Silicon Valley, to uncover what it really takes to lead legal teams through hyper-growth, billion-dollar acquisitions, and the chaos of early-stage startups. We dive into the stark choice every in-house attorney faces that determines their enti...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Shanti Ariker, Chief Legal Officer at JFrog, to explore her unconventional journey from witnessing her parents' custody battle as a child to leading global legal strategy for one of the world's most trusted DevOps platforms. We dive into why taking six years off work became pivotal to her career, how she transformed legal departments from "the dep...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Yvonne Wassenaar, accomplished board director and former CEO, to explore her remarkable journey from Accenture partner to leading technology companies through transformation. We dive into the three distinct phases of her career, the personal tragedy that reshaped her life at 36, and the critical leadership lessons she learned about vulnerability,...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Helen Riley, COO and CFO at Google X (the moonshot factory), to explore her unconventional journey from studying philosophy at Oxford to leading one of the world's most ambitious innovation engines. We dive into how disciplined financial rigor enables radical experimentation, why most moonshots fail (and why that's the point), and the leadership l...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, host Nicole Ward sits down with Elias Nader to dig into what it truly means to lead from a place of purpose, resilience, and vision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Dana Hollinger, board member at Apollo Private Markets and former CalPERS trustee, to explore her remarkable journey from working in her father's optometry practice to overseeing $500+ billion in pension assets. We dive into the early experiences that shaped her leadership philosophy, the mentorship that transformed her thinking about value creati...

Carolyn Herzog joins us on AON at the Top to explore her inspiring journey—from leading nonprofit initiatives to redefining business impact through data-driven strategies and inclusive leadership. In this episode, Carolyn shares how she harnessed analytics to transform organizational culture, scale social impact, and unify diverse teams around bold missions. Along the way, we dive into her “three...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Dave Chun, co-founder and CEO of Equilar, to explore his remarkable journey from Korean immigrant to pioneering entrepreneur in executive intelligence. We dive into how early experiences with discrimination built his resilience, the story behind founding Equilar during the dot-com crash, and his company's evolution from SEC data mining to becoming...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Arthi Chakravarthy, EVP, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary at Enovix, to explore her unique journey from private practice to the executive suite. Arthi shares the pivotal moments that shaped her career, what it means to lead with authenticity and courage in high-stakes environments, and how her background in law informs her approach to...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, Nicole Ward sits down with powerhouse CEO and venture capitalist Laurel Mintz, founder of Elevate My Brand and General Partner at Fabric VC. Together, they explore her unconventional journey from aspiring lawyer to agency founder, the pivotal moment when she had to completely rebuild her team culture, and her transition into venture capital. From navigating the c...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, Nicole Ward sits down with powerhouse CFO and board member Brenda Morris, a dynamic finance executive with over 35 years of experience across retail, wellness, manufacturing, and technology. Currently serving on the boards of Boot Barn, Xponential Fitness, and iHerb, Brenda shares her unconventional journey from aspiring flight attendant to C-suite executive. Tog...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, Nicole Ward sits down with powerhouse CFO, board member, and transformational leader Shannon Nash. As the CFO of Wing (an Alphabet company), Shannon brings a unique blend of financial acumen, legal expertise, and bold leadership to the table. Together, they explore her unconventional path to the C-suite, the lessons she's learned from scaling innovation, and how...

In this episode of Aon at the Top, Nicole Wad sits down with powerhouse CEO and board director, Chelsea Grayson-Known for leading iconic turnarounds at American Apparel, True Religion, and Delta Dental, and for her bold presence in the boardroom. Chelsea opens up about the leadership decisions that defined her journey, how she built her career on conviction and courage, and what it really takes to...

In this episode of Aon at The Top, host Nicole Ward engages with Lauren Silvernail, a distinguished senior executive and public company board member in the life sciences sector. Lauren delves into her inspiring journey from modest beginnings to ascending the ranks of leadership in renowned public life science companies. She emphasizes the pivotal role of integrity, encapsulating the philosophy of...

This week, I had the honor of sitting down with Kim Vogel-CFO, public company board member, fintech entrepreneur, and one of the most influential women in business. Kim’s story is a powerful example of what’s possible when you balance long-term vision with the courage to seize unexpected opportunities. We talked about: ✅ Navigating career pivots (including a layoff that led to Harvard Business Sc...

Welcome to AON at the Top with host Nicole Ward, Senior Vice President of Sales at AON. On the podcast, we interview distinguished executives, C-suite and board members about their journeys and paths to success with the mission to help businesses make better decisions by transforming risk into resilience. On today's episode, Nicole is joined by Dr. Jackie Kosekoff, a highly experienced executive a...