Leaders with Ambition

In this episode of  Leaders with Ambition , host Nicky Acuña Ocaña is joined by Rhys Calcott, Associate Director for Business Development and Marketing EMEA at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates. Rhys shares his unconventional and highly intentional career journey into legal marketing, from leaving education early to earn money, to returning to university, travelling the w...

With over 25 years of experience spanning in-house leadership roles and consultancy, Dave shares a candid perspective on navigating non-linear careers, leading global teams, and building influence within partnership-led organisations. From his early career in economic development during the tech boom to senior leadership roles at firms including Morrison & Foerster, Orrick, and Baker Botts, Da...

​In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuña Ocaña is joined by Julie Chodos, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP, for a candid and far‑reaching conversation spanning leadership, non‑linear careers, and what it truly means to build and scale high‑performing teams in professional services. Julie brings a distinctive perspective shape...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuña Ocaña is joined by Allyson Stewart‑Allen, Founder and CEO of International Marketing Partners, for a wide‑ranging and deeply insightful conversation on international careers, professional services leadership, and the realities of global growth. A globally recognised authority on the internationalisation of professional services firms, Ally...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuña Ocaña is joined by Kerri Vermeylen, Chief Marketing Officer at Sidley Austin LLP, for an honest and reflective conversation on leadership, career evolution, and building a long‑term career in legal marketing. Kerri shares her unconventional journey from growing up in the Midwest United States to studying and living abroad in Oxford and Fra...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuña Ocaña is joined by Kathleen Ford, Director and Head of Global Communications at Kearney, for an open and insightful conversation on leadership, career development, and the evolving role of communications. Kathleen shares her unconventional career journey from studying history and interning on Capitol Hill to working in public affairs, agen...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuña Ocaña is joined by Gillian Ward, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Reed Smith. Gillian shares her remarkable career journey from growing up in a small town in South Yorkshire to leading global marketing and business development functions at some of the world’s most prestigious international law firms. Starting her career...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuna Ocana welcomes Alistair Johnson, an experienced Chief Operating Officer and senior change and transformation leader whose career began in the British Army before spanning technology, consulting, and professional services. Alistair shares his journey from a formative start at Sandhurst and operational tours in the British Army to senior lea...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuna Ocana welcomes Nicola Merritt, Founder & CEO of Cortus Advisory Group. Nicola shares her journey from growing up in the North of England in an entrepreneurial family to building and scaling a multi-office advisory firm. From selling handmade gifts at primary school to founding and leading a fast-growing professional services business,...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuna Ocana welcomes Seema Jones, CFO & COO at Town Legal. Seema shares her journey from her upbringing in Manchester and Bolton to holding dual executive roles at a leading law firm. She offers candid insights on the transition from management to leadership, the power of networks, and the importance of resilience and continuous learning. Se...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuna Ocana welcomes Rhys Madoc, CEO of UHY International. Rhys shares his journey from a childhood steeped in the arts to leading a global accounting and consulting network, offering insights on leadership, culture, innovation, and the importance of continuous learning. Rhys discusses his transition from the world of theatre and television to i...

In this episode of the Leaders with Ambition podcast, Connor Kinnear shares his remarkable journey from door-to-door sales to becoming the CMO of Passle. He discusses the importance of resilience, networking, and the challenges faced in marketing roles, particularly within law firms. Connor emphasizes the transformative impact of AI on marketing and the significance of hiring the right talent. He...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuna Ocana welcomes Koree Khongphand-Buckman, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Foley & Lardner. Koree shares her journey from a small-town upbringing in Wyoming to leading marketing and business development at a major law firm, offering insights on resilience, team leadership, and the power of mentorship. Koree discusse...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuna Ocana sits down with Kelly MacKinnon, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Gibson Dunn. Kelly shares her remarkable journey from Olympic hockey hopeful to leading marketing and business development at one of the world’s top law firms. She discusses the lessons learned from elite sport, the importance of intentional career mo...

In this episode of the Leaders with Ambition podcast, host Nicky Acuna Ocana interviews Jules Stott, a seasoned marketing and business development professional. Jules shares her journey from a working-class background in Wales to becoming a partner at AlixPartners. The conversation explores themes of resilience, career pivots, the importance of networking, and the evolution of leadership. Jules em...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuna Ocana sits down with Adam Grainger, Chief Operating Officer at Baker Tilly International. Adam shares his inspiring career journey, starting out as a trainee auditor and evolving through leadership roles that have spanned continents. A defining chapter was his international secondment to the US, where he built skills and confidence that sh...

In this episode of Leaders with Ambition, host Nicky Acuna Ocana sits down with Emily Rogers, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer at Norton Rose Fulbright. Emily shares her inspiring career journey from growing up in New York, to pivoting from chemical engineering to communication design, to leading marketing at one of the world’s most respected law firms. Along the way, she reveals i...

When it comes to embracing opportunities – even those that are a stretch – authenticity is Williams’ superpower, as our guest explains to Host Nicky Acuna Ocana on this episode of Leaders With Ambition. His personal brand from the earliest days has been all about “yes” – an openness that moved him from Partner at a small law firm to a series of executive roles at the international insurer AIG and...

In his early days at university, our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition believed that accounting was all about maths. But what Matt Meadows quickly came to learn is that in fact accounting is equally about communication. By expanding his scope of understanding and commitment to client engagement Matt paved the way to a highly successful long-term career at Moore Kingston Smith, where t...

Vanessa Torres “got it” early on. She understood that the business of law is all about providing tools to enhance the practice of law. As Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Lowenstein Sandler, our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition defines how smart marketing and sales engagement deliver results for law firms and their clients alike. Vanessa also shares with Host Nic...

Stephanie believes bringing our true selves to work is the only way to go. Why? Find out on this episode of Leaders With Ambition, which highlights her highly successful professional corporate journey and key lessons learned along the way. Host Nicky Acuna Ocana invites Stephanie to share how she found her footing as an Insolvency Professional and why she prioritises psychological safety, for hers...

​Our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition has made his name by deploying data-driven business development strategies within the evolving realm of professional services. Matt Dixon, co-founder of DCM Insights, shares with host Nicky Acuna Ocana the leading-edge, frameworks revolutionising BD practices within firm cultures that can tend to be resistant.“Partners don’t really like (sales) a...

It’s no surprise that our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition has thrived as an executive coach. Steve Rowan brings a truly unique mix of professional bona fides, personal learnings and spot-on intuition. A highly successful former Chief Financial Officer, Steve shares with Host Nicky Acuna Ocana his journey through a broad range of professional services jobs, including high-stakes stin...

We’re all familiar with the career admonition to pay it forward, but our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition is also all about paying it back. William Washington III, Global Chief Financial Officer at Baker McKenzie, shares with Host Nicky Acuna Ocana how he surmounted transgenerational trauma to build an exemplary life. His tireless work ethic is the underpinning for consistent achieve...

Matthew Gardner’s enviable career trajectory has been fuelled by equal parts openness and hard work, a combination that aligns with Ambition’s overall ethic of excellence. As the international staffing and recruitment firm’s Managing Director for the US, UK and Europe, he brings to this episode of Leaders with Ambition a unique insider’s perspective on the legal and professional services industrie...