Leaders Of Tomorrow Podcast

What does it take to completely shift your view of yourself, your goals, and your potential—all before finishing school? In today’s episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast, Chris Thomson welcomes Ella Hall-Smith, a standout participant in the Student Works Management Program, to share her remarkable story of growth, challenge, and leadership. As a full-time nursing student and business owner, E...

What does it take to turn early leadership experiences into a foundation for long-term success—and why is "adding real value" the real goal behind every great career move? In today’s episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast, Chris Thomson sits down with Mitchell Lowry, a standout alumnus of the Student Works Management Program, to dive into the habits, mindset shifts, and leadership lessons that...

What do elite sports and elite entrepreneurship have in common? More than you might think. In today’s episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast, Chris Thomson sits down with Landon Roberts, a former varsity hockey player and standout participant in the Student Works Management Program, to dive into the mindset, habits, and leadership skills that drive success in both arenas.  Landon opens up...

How does a Western University student become a leader in biotech venture capital, with over 50 approved products under her belt? In this episode, Chris Thomson sits down with Michele Doig, partner at Omega Funds, to unpack the winding road from her early days at Student Works to becoming a key investor in life-saving medical breakthroughs. With authenticity and wit, Michele shares the inflection p...

What does it take to go from feeling lost and unconfident to becoming one of the top performers in a national leadership program? In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris Thomson sits down with Nikos Violetis, a fourth-year Western University student and standout participant in the Student Works Management Program. Nikos opens up about his difficult start in the program, the self-doub...

What does it take to build a thriving international finance career—and still make time to give back? In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris Thomson sits down with Neil Johnson, a proud Student Works alumnus who went from summer painting manager to CEO of Duke Capital, a publicly traded firm based in England. Neil shares the pivotal lessons from his early Student Works days—leading a team of...

How do you go from being a shy student with no standout achievements to one of the top-performing operators in the Student Works Management Program. In this powerful episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris Thomson is joined by Esfar Sarker, who shares his inspiring journey of transformation, grit, and growth. Esfar didn’t arrive with a long resume of accolades. In fact, he was initially...

What does it take to transform a history and English major into a global finance leader? In this episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris Thomson chats with Zack Kembar, a Student Works alumnus who has scaled incredible heights in the world of finance.  From his beginnings at Western University to holding top leadership positions at firms like Goldman Sachs, BNP Paribas and Burke Nor...

How far can structure and self-discipline really take you? In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris Thomson sits down with Jadan Hauser, a standout second-year operator in the Student Works Management Program who's rewriting what’s possible as a young entrepreneur. After working as a window cleaner under a top operator, Jadan stepped into the program already knowing how demanding the...

How do you go from managing your first business as a student to becoming a top leader at one of the world’s most prestigious consulting firms? In this episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris Thomson reconnects with Tina Pan, an associate partner at McKinsey & Company and one of our successful alumni.  Tina shares how her experience in the Student Works Management Program laid th...

What does it take to rise from burnout to breakthrough? In this powerful episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris Thomson sits down with third-year Student Works Management Program operator, Jordan Pereira. Currently leading as the top operator of 2025, Jordan is on a mission to scale his business to $600K this season—and he's well on his way. Jordan opens up about his early struggles with discipline...

What does it take to turn ambition into impact? In this episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris Thomson sits down with Chris Reynolds, an accomplished entrepreneur, former McKinsey partner, Founder and Managing Partner of Venn Growth Partners. Chris’s story takes us from his early days in the Student Works Management Program, where he first honed his leadership skills, to the heights of...

Every year, the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast highlights the top rookie operators in the Student Works Management Program—the ones who sell the most by the start of March.  In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris Thomson sits down with Callum Lawlor and Mihai Oboroc, the top two rookie operators for 2024. Callum and Mihai open up about the biggest challenges they've faced and the transfor...

How do you transform a record-breaking summer into the foundation for a multimillion-dollar business? In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris Thomson sits down with Amer Abu Shakra, a dynamic entrepreneur and alumnus of the Student Works Management Program.  From breaking a $500,000 business record in the program to founding Contracting.com, a multimillion-dollar business that empowers...

How do you push past your limits and unlock your full potential? In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris Thomson is joined by two remarkable senior operators from the Student Works Management Program—Ariana Varas and Brandon Skubel. Ariana is in her third year with the program, having started as a painter, crew chief, and production manager before stepping into the role of a mini coach. Bran...

Ever wondered how vision and perseverance can shape a billion-dollar career? In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris Thomson speaks with Jamie-Lee Bongard, a successful entrepreneur and a Student Works Management Program alumni.  Jamie-Lee shares how her experience as a 17-year-old in the program laid the foundation for her remarkable journey to owning three Keller Williams franchises a...

What separates good leaders from truly exceptional ones? In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris Thomson sits down with Quinton Carroll and Angela Lister, two standout senior coaches in the Student Works Management Program, to uncover the lessons that transformed them from top-performing operators into influential mentors. Quinton and Angela discuss the pivotal moments that shaped th...

What does it take to turn adversity into success and build companies that make a positive impact on the world? In this inspiring episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris Thomson sits down with Payam Zamani, entrepreneur, investor, author, and proud alumnus of the Student Works Management Program. Payam shares his extraordinary journey from escaping religious persecution in Iran at 16 to c...

How do you go from a disorganized student to a thriving director in mergers and acquisitions? In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris Thomson speaks with Will Malouf, an inspiring alumnus of the Student Works Management program.  Will shares his journey from running a Student Works franchise to becoming a Director at Valsoft, one of the most prominent players in the software acquisition...

How can one summer completely change your career and life trajectory? In this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris Thomson speaks with Tarik Ali, a successful alumnus of the Student Works Management Program and a standout leader at Accenture.  Tarik shares how his time in the program gave him the courage to take risks, develop trust-centric relationships, and reimagine his career path—all le...

In this episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris is joined by Guy Metcalfe, former Managing Director and Global Chairman of Morgan Stanley, and now a board member for many boards including CBRE Group Inc During the conversation, Chris and Guy explore the art of building a thriving and cohesive team, highlighting how authentic leadership and a well-nurtured culture drive success. You'll di...

What does it take to grow from a student unsure of their future to a leader in business and entrepreneurship? On this episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris Thomson reconnects with Chris O’Rourke, a remarkable alumnus of the Student Works Management Program, to discuss his inspiring journey.  Chris reflects on how the skills and network he built during his time in the program shaped his career...

How do life’s toughest lessons shape the leaders of tomorrow? On this episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow Podcast, host Chris Thomson interviews Bruce Hodges, an accomplished entrepreneur, global leader, and proud alumnus of the Student Works Management Program. Bruce shares his incredible journey, starting from running a student franchise to becoming a CEO with extensive international experience....

In today's episode of Leaders of Tomorrow, Chris talks to Zak Lefevre, co-founder and CEO at ChargeLab, a company that builds OCPP-Compliant software for managing EV charging stations. They are the back-end software behind North America's leading EV fleets, charging networks, and charging sites. Zak’s entrepreneurial journey started with Student Works back in 2011 and, like most of our alumni, he...

How can mastering sales transform your career and elevate your business? In this episode of the Leaders of Tomorrow podcast, Chris Thomson sits down with Mark Cox, one of our alumni, founder of In The Funnel (ITF) Sales Coaching , and a seasoned sales expert with over 25 years of experience.  Mark shares his incredible journey from being a top operator in the Student Works Management Program...