Graduate Edge

A special episode. Josh discusses seven lessons from our first seven episodes and speaking with seven extraordinary professionals from across industries and the world. From a CEO who started as an intern, to someone who worked with Nelson Mandela, to an engineer who crawled through naval ships in the Falklands just six weeks into her graduate programme … our first seven guests couldn't have been m...

Jean Oelwang is Co-founder of Virgin Unite, the not-for-profit arm of Virgin Group. She shares memorable stories and advice from an unexpected career spanning corporate and non-profit worlds. From volunteering with homeless teens early in her career to launching telecom companies in six countries, Jean discovered her passion for tackling global challenges. She's since led initiatives like The Elde...

Growing up in Perth, Australia, Peter Mcdonald forged a unique career in the global automotive industry with Europe's biggest brands. With no connections. Persistence and adaptability has certainly helped, it all started with a chance internship with Volkswagon in Germany. The rest is history… Peter shares how speaking English as a first language in a foreign country was his biggest asset early on...

Darina Garland's career and advice comes from a journey inspired by values, experimentation and problem solving. From her work experience as a young person, to making an impact in the education sector, to then starting and leading Ooni - one of the world's most innovative and successful consumer goods companies. Darina's career experiences at first seem diverse and unexpected, however our conversa...

Olivia Kinghorn knew from the age of 14 she wanted to work at sea. With a family history in engineering, her dream to join the Royal Navy as a marine engineer came to an abrupt close before she even finished her degree… What follows is a stream of extraordinary experiences early in her career that have made her a role model to young women pursing STEM careers. First with the Ministry of Defence in...

Katie Rigg-Smith started as an intern at Mindshare - the global media agency - and went on to become their youngest CEO and the first woman to ever hold that role. Yes, one of the most remarkable career journeys I've encountered unfolded within the walls of a single company over 26 years. Katie shares how her journey to CEO was completely unexpected, unfolding by doing something that sounds almost...

Terence Koo shares inspiring advice on making the most of opportunities that are only available when you're early in your career.   Starting out at PwC in London, before building shopping centres in China, and moving into FMCG, Telecommunications and Digital Marketplaces in Australia, Terence shares why chasing experiences over positions matters.   We discuss Terence’s incredible but simple advice...

Josh Tyler's career hasn't followed a straight line - and that's what makes his story so great. From starting out on Virgin Media O2's graduate scheme, to his role being made redundant, to becoming Head of Contact Strategy and Transformation, Josh has learned incredible lessons about resilience, relationships, trust and what makes someone valuable early on.   In this conversation, Josh opens up ab...