Fearless Thinkers

In this episode of  Fearless Thinkers , host Rick Cheatham sits down with Will Heard, Director at BTS, and Fredrik Schuller, Global Head of Coach at BTS, to explore their groundbreaking work in leadership and development. Learn about the unique, hands-on solution developed by BTS in partnership with the Corporate Research Forum (CRF) to address the persistent challenges L&D professionals...

In this episode of the Fearless Thinkers podcast, host Rick Cheatham sits down with Jenny Dearborn, Chief People Strategy Officer & Head of Talent Insights, to discuss her journey from teaching to senior leadership. They explore the pivotal career decisions that led her to BTS, the power of aligning with stakeholder goals, and the importance of a strong support system in achieving professional suc...

In this episode of the  Fearless Thinkers  podcast, host Rick Cheatham is in conversation with Kathryn Clubb, CEO of BTS North America, and Alex Amsden, Vice President of Change and Transformation at BTS, to explore the evolving landscape of strategic planning for senior leaders. They dive into the importance of engaging all levels of an organization in  strategy formation and execu...

Welcome to another episode of the Fearless Thinkers podcast! Host Rick Cheatham is joined by Tara Castaneda, Senior Director at BTS, to explore the concept of vertical development. Tara breaks down the stages of vertical development, from the diplomat stage to the strategist stage, and explains how these stages influence leadership styles and behaviors. She emphasizes the importance of self-awaren...

Welcome to another episode of the Fearless Thinkers podcast! Host Rick Cheatham is joined by Teresa Yetano, Senior Director, and Emily Steigerwald, Senior Director, to explore Revenue Growth Management (RGM). In today episode, they discuss how RGM links strategic and tactical approaches to meet evolving consumer needs, emphasizing omni-channel shopping, cross-functional alignment, leadership invol...

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Rick welcomes Martin Rahn, Director of Talent Development at Constellium, a global leader in the development, manufacturing, and recycling of aluminum products and solutions. Martin, highly experienced in HR and Talent Management, has closely partnered with BTS to implement a comprehensive leadership development program aimed at aligning leadership, strategy,...

Join Rick Cheatham as he explores the evolving role of AI in education, learning, and leadership with Karim Hirani, Senior Director at BTS. Together, they compare AI and human coaching, discuss AI’s potential to democratize education, and dive into its impact on leadership development with a focus on the balance between AI’s capabilities and the importance of human relationships in coaching. Tune...

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Rick Cheatham, hosts  Katy Young , Senior Vice President and Partner at BTS, and  Emanuele Scotti , Co-founder and CEO of Yumi, a recent addition to the BTS family. Emanuele unveils the fascinating story behind Yumi’s evolution into a powerhouse of HR innovation, drawing inspiration from the collaborative spirit of Waze. Discover how Yumi, their grou...

Join Rick Cheatham as he explores the intricacies of decision-making with  Emma Nyström , Associate Director and  Libby MacKenzi e, Director. Together, they dissect the four essential elements—authority, evidence, social dynamics, and committed action—and offer practical strategies for improving decision-making processes. From reframing authority structures to fostering psychological saf...

In the most recent episode of Fearless Thinkers, we feature  Henrik Ekelund , innovative Founder and Chairman of BTS Group. He talks about his new ventures since transitioning from CEO to Chairman. Henrik shares insights of five current global macrotrends that are impacting every corporate’s success and resilience. Henrik also shares from his research on national prosperity – what are the key...

Effective decision-making has the power to accelerate growth and drive your organization forward, achieving key milestones and outcomes faster, while ineffective decision making can paralyze organizational progress altogether. In this episode of Fearless Thinkers, Abbey Bonham, Principal, and Libby MacKenzie, Director, sit down with Rick Cheatham, CMO, to unpack what decision-making looks like in...

"There's a premium here on meeting the customer where they are. We can understand their buyer's journey, but if we don't adjust the resources that we need to bring at specific points, then it's a miss," says Barbara Adey , VP, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Barbara and Jason Davis , Senior Director, sit down with Rick Cheatham , CMO, to discuss their customer-centric approach to sales metho...

How can finance teams complement organizations' evolving priorities? "Be a partner in educating the rest of the business [about the] strategic trade-offs of their choices... Breaking through the complexity of finance for the rest of the organization is really powerful," says Katy Young , SVP & Partner, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Katy and Ignacio Vaccaro , Senior Director & Head of SABA...

What is executive coaching, and what makes it it a powerful development experience for leaders? In this special Fearless Thinkers episode , Jennifer Porter , Partner, and Jessica Skon , CEO, discuss how to help leaders develop, improve, and increase their effectiveness. Here's a transcript .

What makes a great go-to-market leader? “It’s about that consistency that you’re able to create for your team and for your clients — thinking about how you establish your operational cadence helps to reinforce those expectations when you’re not there all the time,”  says  Kyle Dean , Senior Director, in this episode of  Fearless Thinkers . Kyle and  Rick Cheatham , CMO, share i...

How can you create buy-in to organizational culture transformation? "From the start, engage in optimal inclusion... Draw from a representative sample of your organization, or what we like to call a diagonal slice: [people from] across various business units, functions, tenure, roles, levels, geographies — you name it," says Mallory Meyer , Culture Transformation Lead for BTS North America, in this...

What kind of preparation ensures organizational change-readiness? “We can build really powerful experiences that get people to think about change differently, but if they’re not thinking about it in the context of a real change, then the power is diminished… Shift a little bit from thinking about training to thinking about building capability and alignment at the same time,”  says Kevin Bronk...

How should commercial teams react to today's marketplace realities? "In today’s market, commercial teams must act intentionally,"  says Barbara Adey, Vice President and Head of the North America Sales and Marketing Center of Expertise, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers . Barbara and Rick Cheatham, CMO, offer practical tips for sellers and customers maneuvering high interest rates, stagnati...

How do you channel your distinctive strengths, values, and life experiences in support of your organization? "[That] my leadership purpose aligned with the organization's purpose [...] created an energy and enthusiasm within me," says Ravi Bhusate, Partner, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers . Ravi and Rick Cheatham, CMO, explore the personal motivations that underpin exceptional leadership. Her...

What are the key components of a healthy organizational learning culture? "Driving continuous engagement is not a one-and-done initiative... If you want people to continuously learn, you have to look for ways to continuously engage them,"  says Andrew Burns, VP, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Andrew and Rick Cheatham, CMO, discuss systems that facilitate the flow of organizational know...

It's more important than ever that leaders invest in bringing their commercial teams together in person. But what makes a solid commercial kick-off? "The environment and the experience that we create shows them... that we do care about them as people," says Rick Cheatham, CMO, in this episode of Fearless Thinkers. Rick, Principal Ed Umanzor, Ph. D., and East Area Sales and Marketing Leader Jason D...

In this special episode of Fearless Thinkers , Kathryn Clubb , CEO of BTS North America, shares her perspective on the history, challenges, and future significance of Pride month both with in and out of the workplace. For a transcript, please click  here .

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers , Kelsey Raymond and Kendra Okposo , Directors, delve into the 6 "next practices" that ensure organizations maintain their relevance over time: planning and pivoting, leading with others, creating shared accountability, collaborating in the ecosystem, accelerating talent, and simplifying systems. Read about our Change & Transformation services here . Here's the...

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers , Beth Bush , Senior Director of Philanthropy at Rainforest Trust, and Xenia Roman Korobochkina , Senior Director at BTS, share about everything from the origins and ongoing fruits of the partnership (including the preservation of 35 million trees), to recent encounters with bromelias and tamarins, to ways that you, too, can help nature sustain itself. Show not...

In this episode of Fearless Thinkers , Corey Jacobs , Senior Director, makes the case for delivering business impact at scale and with momentum. For a transcript, please click here . Learn about our Go-to-Market service area  here , and our large-scale events offering  here .