Centaur Stage

In this session from the 2025 Cosmic Conference, Marilyn Zakhour is joined by Darren Yeh, Managing Director at Omplexity Consulting, a systems change agency that partners with global institutions to align resources for systemic impact. Together, they explore: The essentials of systems thinking for leaders How to apply systems mapping to uncover hidden interconnections Real-world case studies in or...

We’re kicking off the 2025 Cosmic Conference with an opening keynote you won’t want to miss. In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour, CEO & Founder of Cosmic Centaurs , introduces this year’s theme and makes the case for why systems thinking is an essential skill for leaders navigating complexity. Over the past year, many leaders have shared how they feel stuck in firefighting mode, solving urgent pr...

What if the key to unlocking bold ideas, honest feedback, and high performance wasn’t talent or experience—but psychological safety ? In this special episode marking Cosmic Centaurs’ 5th anniversary , our founder Marilyn Zakhour is joined by two remarkable guests: Sandra Salame , founder of Siira, and Sander Hoeken , co-founder of the Fearless Organization Scan and collaborator of Prof. Amy Edmond...

What if the key to more engaged employees isn’t a new incentive program, but something much more human? In this episode, Marilyn Zakhour and Dr. Constance Noonan Hadley take you behind the scenes of their three-year research journey on team rituals—work that led to their widely read Harvard Business Review article . Together, they unpack the data that proves rituals boost team commitment, psycholo...

In the closing session of The Cosmic Conference, Marilyn Zakhour is joined by Jose Santos, Affiliated Professor of Practice in Global Management at INSEAD, to explore the intricate art of managing polarities in leadership.  Jose challenges conventional wisdom, shedding light on the importance of distinguishing true polarities—those interdependent tensions that sustain systems—from false dichotomie...

In this episode of the Cosmic Conference series, Marilyn Zakhour unpacks how organizations can thrive by mastering the inherent polarities that define modern leadership. Drawing lessons from iconic case studies, such as Fujifilm and Kodak, Marilyn explores how strategy, structure, and culture can be aligned to build resilient, ambidextrous organizations that navigate complexity with grace. Tune in...

Join us for a keynote with #Burnout Research & Coach Matt Bartlett-Bond MSc GMBPsS who shares his insights and research about burnout with CEO & Founder, Marilyn Zakhour. Matt is a key contributor to a global research initiative focused on understanding workplace burnout and promoting healthier behaviors to drive sustainable growth. With nearly 30 years of experience in the IT sector, he o...

Join us for a keynote and discussion with Executive Coach and Partner at Cultivating Leadership Gayle Karen Young Whyte as she explores the essential polarities organizations face in shaping their strategies and culture. Discover how to effectively leverage these tensions to foster an organization that thrives.  Gayle Karen Young is a cultural architect and a catalyst for human and organizational...

Our guests Ayoub Semaan and Janine Weber-el Meouchy offer a new approach to leading organizational change in today's complex and unpredictable world, moving beyond traditional change management tools to leverage relational skills, systemic thinking, and facilitation techniques. Janine is the Executive Director of Teach For Lebanon, where she leads efforts to drive educational impact in the re...

In this episode, we delve into Nokia's incredible rise and dramatic fall. Once a global leader with 40% of the market share, Nokia connected 1.5 billion people and led the mobile industry. But what caused this giant to crumble? Join Marilyn as she explores the pivotal moments that defined Nokia's journey, from groundbreaking innovations to missed opportunities in the smartphone era. Disc...

Join Marilyn Zakhour for the opening keynote of the 2024 #CosmicConference, as she explores how exceptional leaders navigate the complexities of today's landscape by embracing polarities at the individual, team, and organizational levels.

In Episode 7 of Centaur Stage Season 3, "Taking the Film Out of Fujifilm," host Marilyn Zakhour delves into the captivating story of Fujifilm's transformation under the visionary leadership of Shigetaka Komori.  As the digital era threatened to render traditional photographic film obsolete, Komori spearheaded a radical overhaul of Fujifilm's business model, shifting focus from...

Sandra Salame is the founder of Siira, a mental wellbeing platform that provides emotional support through harnessing the power of communities to overcome day to day struggles. Siira aims to educate and empower individuals, businesses and governments by providing them with the tools and knowledge needed to effectively solve wellbeing challenges and achieve personal and professional goals.    Sandr...

Jose Santos joined us for the 4th year in a row for our closing session to talk about the role that time plays in leading organizations that deliver in our closing session.  Jose is an Affiliated Professor of Practice in Global Management. After spending 20 years in the managerial world, Joe moved from Italy to INSEAD and devoted himself to scholarly work, a dream from his youth. Jo’s research and...

Tandem’s Rabih Brair and Alexander Damouni spoke at the 2023 #CosmicConference on Wednesday, November 8 to share insights on how leaders can navigate a restructuring holistically.  Rabih Brair is the Managing Partner and co-founder at Tandem, a Dubai-based business advisory firm aimed at startups, SME's and angel investors in the region. Alex Damouni is a partner at Tandem, and he’s highly re...

One of our dearest members of the #CosmicCommunity , Dr. Christiane Mueck joined us for the 2023 #CosmicConference to discuss capability building, the skills gaps, and reskilling talent in the region.  Christiane Mueck has 20+ years of experience as a strategy consultant & expert advisor in education, foundations, and start-ups in Europe and the Middle East. She’s also a Co-founder and angel i...

Soussane Chartouny is Senior director, EMEA/LATAM Field & Channel Marketing at Palo Alto Networks. She’s experienced in developing go to market strategies based on data analytics and execution to meet business goals and results. She’s also passionate about customers, technology and people and is an advocate of a growth mindset and collaborative leadership. Sounssane spoke at the 2023 #CosmicCo...

Joining us for this year’s 2023 hashtag#CosmicConference is M. Belen Settembri CPCC MCC (Master Certified Coach), Executive and Leadership Coach, and Founder of @shiftunfolders. Belen’s session, all about leading systemic change, explores how to engage executive teams, how to manage people through change and turn those most resistant into advocates for transformation. Belen dives into how to under...

Wissam Adib is an Executive Coach & Organizational Behavior Expert. He leverages a 25-year career leading large- and small-scale organizational transformation programs and works with these leaders to unlock hidden potential and create transformative results.  This includes several turnaround and restructuring projects, as well as leading the institutional reform of several Dubai Government Aut...

📣 SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT: Joining us for this year's 2023 #CosmicConference is Fahad ‘Abu PowerPoint’ Habib, Founder of Boost | Consulting Redefined . Fahad shared the critical aspects of scaling, including strategy execution, key skill sets for leaders, effective strategies for small businesses, and insights on the Saudi market, while also shedding light on the intricacies of the fundraising...

Richard Fitzgerald is CEO and Founder of Augustus Media, an award-winning modern media company in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, publishers of Lovin Dubai, Lovin Saudi and Smashi TV. Initially working in digital, media and social media agencies in Europe and the Middle East for over a decade, Richard founded Augustus Media in 2015 to what has grown to be 80 employees with offices in Cairo, Riyadh, Abu...

Patrick Flesner is a growth mindset leadership coach, mentor and advisor who has a unique and holistic perspective on leadership and business growth. The insights and frameworks he shares equip leadership teams with the knowledge and tools they need to become highly effective leaders, grow their businesses fast and sustainably, and reach their biggest business goals. He joined us at the #CosmicCon...

Mihai Ionescu, Strategy Management technician, has spent the past 15 years developing the practice-tested definition of a Strategy cycle that connects the dots of the key concepts, theories, and frameworks of the Strategy Management discipline. He joined us at the #CosmicConference on Wednesday, October 11, to discuss the process of developing and implementing successful strategies, from experimen...

Join us for a rerun of Jean Abou Assi's Fireside chat with Marilyn Zakhour during the Opening Event of the 2023 Cosmic Conference. Jean is a Partner Digital & Technology at PWC ME. He has wide experience in leading large-scale digital transformation programs and is well-versed in the entire digitization process from strategy to delivery. Jean works closely with senior executives, business...

Join us for a rerun of Wissam’s keynote about creating a high-trust executive team from the Opening Event of the 2023  #CosmicConference .  Wissam Adib is an Executive Coach to CEOs and senior leaders in the public and private sectors. He leverages a 25-year career leading large- and small-scale organizational transformation programs and works with these leaders to unlock hidden potential and crea...