Ayna Insights

In this episode, host Connor Bradley speaks with finance expert Kelly Janzen about the modern CFO role. Ms. Janzen has held leadership roles at GE Healthcare and Blue Links Corporation. She highlights the need for CFOs to possess skills beyond finance, including operations and change management. She shares her experience in leading a strategic pivot during the pandemic, emphasizing the role of an...

Ashutosh Garg, the CEO of Eightfold discusses the transformative impact of artificial intelligence on talent management and workforce development. Ashutosh Garg offers his expertise on how AI is being utilized to not only identify skills within the workforce but also to foster an environment where learnability and career progression are prioritized. His approach is data-driven and outcome-focused,...

Guest Mark Behrman, CEO of LSB Industries, delves into the transformative realm of the chemical industry with Ayna's Nidhi Arora. The discussion focuses on the revolutionary impact of nitrogen chemicals in agriculture and industry, LSB's strategic initiatives for growth, and their pioneering role in the clean energy transition. Behrman shares insights on the potential of low-carbon ammonia product...

Ayna. AI’s Ninad Singh speaks with Andy Mattes, a seasoned CEO with a wealth of experience in leading complex organizations such as Coherent Laser and Diebold. The conversation delves into the strategies and insights that Andy has garnered over the years, touching upon the challenges of mergers and acquisitions, financial stabilization, and the importance of setting ambitious yet achievable goals....

In this episode we welcome Mike Olosky, CEO of Simpson Strong-Tie. He talks to Ninad Singh about his journey and underscores adaptability, customer relations, and comprehensive solutions as vital for success. With 14 years of global experience, Mike champions a growth mindset and people-centric culture to drive industry excellence. As CEO of Simpson Strong-Tie, Mike Olosky leads the company with a...

Ayna's CEO Guarav Batra speaks with Giulia Siccardo on the pressing issues of US infrastructure and manufacturing. Giulia is a Director at the US Department of Energy, and she sheds light on the department's strategic shift toward supporting large-scale energy technologies and their impact on the future of US manufacturing. She discusses the pivotal role played by recent legislation, like the Infl...

Renowned trade expert Kelly Ann Shaw delves into global trade complexities, exploring the shift from goods-centric to a service-oriented global economy. She analyzes the impact of national security on trade policies and discusses disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shaw also addresses the evolution of trade ideologies from the Obama administration to the 2016 campaigns, providing insights...

In this engaging episode of our Titanium Economy series, we welcome David Hunt, managing director and co-head of the industrials practice at Greenhill. He shares his rich expertise in advising industrial companies, particularly in the capital goods sector. Listen in as we navigate the complex landscape of the industrial sector and its subsectors, with an emphasis on capital goods and the adoption...

What if managing employees wasn’t a responsibility, but a privilege? What if, before efficiencies and synergies, empathy was a driving force in leadership? In this episode, Connor Bradley speaks with Bob Chapman, Chairman and CEO of Barry - Wehmiller, a leader who transformed his company with a potent mix of strategy and culture, shaping a vision that breathes life and meaning into Barry-Wehmiller...

Tricia Breeger, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Electric Power Products (MEPPI), brings her distinctive insights to the future of infrastructure, underscoring the pivotal role of cutting-edge technologies in advancing cleaner, more sustainable power generation. In this comprehensive discussion, Tricia delves into the complexities and opportunities within the energy transition landscape, shedding l...

In this episode, host Gaurav Batra, President & CEO of Ayna welcomes Stephen Smith, Chairman, President & CEO of Amsted Industries, a diversified global manufacturer of industrial components. Operating since 1962, Amsted has 75 locations in 13 countries across 6 continents and is 100% employee owned. Steve joined Amsted in 2005 as Amsted Rail President, became General Counsel in 2007, and...

Gaurav Batra, CEO of Ayna. AI, welcomes Ameya Prabhu, Founder and Managing Partner of UAP Advisors and the Managing Director of NAFA Capital Advisors, Mumbai, India.  NAFA Capital Advisors is an India-focused integrated financial services platform with activities in investment management and corporate advisory. Ameya, designated "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic Forum, is also an author...

Christine (“Chris”) King is an accomplished leader in the semiconductor industry who currently serves on Skyworks’ Board of Directors as the lead independent director and chair of its Compensation Committee.  Skyworks is $18B market cap semiconductor player empowering the wireless networking revolution.  Ms. King also serves as the co-chair of the Board of Directors for Henry Schein One, where she...

In this episode, host Nick Santhanam, CEO of Fernweh Group, welcomes Darron Ash, CEO of Sammons Enterprises and Sammons Industrial. The Sammons portfolio of companies includes businesses operating in financial services, industrial equipment, real estate investment and infrastructure across five countries. Darron shares his perspectives on the Sammons story, its unique approach to investing and par...

Neil Chatterjee, Senior Advisor at Hogan Lovells and Former Chairman and Commissioner of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) shares his views on the opportunities and challenges that both private and public sector stakeholders face in the drive toward increased decarbonization, including affordability, reliability and security. He shares his perspectives on the polarization and politic...

In this episode, host Gaurav Batra welcomes Paul Reitz, President and CEO of Titan International, to discuss Titan’s unique niche in the industry and how a focus on the end-user drives their value creation in products and services around the globe. Mr. Reitz shares his journey at Titan’s helm and offers a wide-ranging discussion on several critical topics including business resiliency through chal...

Amelia. AI Founder and CEO Chetan Dube joins us again on the podcast, this time for a discussion of the meteoric rise of generative AI tool ChatGPT. Mr. Dube explains what ChatGPT can do well, and the scenarios in which you would not want to use it. He explains that even in the last 30 days, this tech has improved exponentially - with its open and free use enabling its data points and resources to...

Omar Asali, Chairman and CEO of Ranpak, shares his viewpoints on the increasingly transformative role of technology in the industrial space. As head of Ranpak, a global leader in environmentally sustainable, protective packaging solutions, Mr. Asali is convinced that automation, digitization, robotics, and other enabling technologies will propel his and other large-scale industrial companies to pr...

Brian Ryks, Executive Director, and CEO of the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), offers his firsthand view of the challenges airports face as they modernize infrastructure while meeting sudden shifts in passenger demand. Mr. Ryks lays out the current state of the aviation industry, the many opportunities to meet sustainability goals, his engagement with stakeholders to make airports customer...

Bill Johnson is the President & CEO of Welbilt, a global food service equipment company. In this episode he shares his experiences of driving transformations during his many senior-level stints at various industrial companies. Bill highlights the importance of leadership engagement, creating financial transparency or “keeping score” on the impact of initiatives, upgrading talent, and embedding...

Lewis “Lou” Von Thaer is President and CEO of Battelle, the world’s largest independent nonprofit applied science and technology organization. With a team of over 40,000 highly skilled and trained employees, Battelle provides companies and governmental agencies with comprehensive scientific solutions, serving multiple markets, including health care, industry, national security, infrastructure, and...

Ludovic Phalippou is a specialist in asset management with a focus on investments in private-equity funds. He is a professor of financial economics at Oxford’s Saïd Business School, heads their FAME Group, and has strong links with senior practitioners in the industry. He speaks at practitioner conferences, appears in the media internationally, and is the author of Private Equity Laid Bare. Here,...

Chetan Dube, founder and CEO of Amelia, an industry-leading cognitive agent, has an ambitious goal: to free mankind from the shackles of mundane daily tasks and chores so creative minds can soar and create a better world for all of us. According to Chetan, with AI at a tipping point of exceeding human levels of comprehension, it is no longer a choice for businesses to use AI or not; it is a choice...

Brett Cope, President and CEO of Powell Industries recounts his leadership of a 75-year-old family business with a can-do attitude. He shines a light on the importance of culture in enabling a small company to weather the many economic storms and stay on the path of continuous improvement and value creation despite business cyclicality. Powell Industries designs, manufactures, and services custom-...

Meghan Juday is chairman of the board at Ideal Industries, a family-owned multinational corporation engaged in diversified industries. In this describes her firsthand experience of managing a successful family-run business. A key advantage is a long-term perspective, expressed on the company’s website as “seeing our business in generations, not quarters,” which fosters an entrepreneurial culture....