Next In Line

In this episode of Next In Line , Karina sits down with Hannah Nichol , founder of Mane Impact , to discuss the journey from freelancing to building a purpose-driven marketing agency focused on ethical strategy, human-centered design, and sustainable business growth. Hannah shares how a pivotal moment during a mission trip in San Francisco led her to rethink her career path and ultimately step int...

In Episode 48 of Next in Line, Cesar Jimenez sits down with Michael Bush, Senior Director of IT and Head of Technology for the Colorado Rockies, to talk about career pivots, leadership, and what it really takes to build trust in IT. Michael shares his unconventional path into technology, starting in accounting before making the leap into software, leadership, and eventually professional sports. He...

Sarah Icely Hill joins Karina Jimenez to share her 15 year journey across human resources, organizational strategy, and growth leadership at BrandActive. What began with a history degree and uncertainty about her career path evolved into a dynamic leadership role overseeing business development and marketing. Sarah reflects on how curiosity, transferable skills, and a willingness to start as a beg...

Shivani joins Cesar Jimenez to share her journey from arriving in the United States in 1985 to becoming a CIO at a multibillion dollar organization. From mainframe developer to enterprise leader, she explains why the biggest risk in your career is staying in your comfort zone and how curiosity, data, and bold career moves shaped her path through Dell, PayPal, Schwab, and beyond. She breaks down he...

Natalia Daies, Vice President of Executive Communications at Ada Marie, joins Karina Jimenez to share her 15-year journey across nonprofit communications, social impact storytelling, and executive brand strategy. Originally planning to become a nurse, Natalia pivoted early into public relations after discovering a passion for communications, going on to work across fundraising, special events, cli...

 Lou Senko, Chief Experience Officer at Q2, joins Cesar Jimenez to break down a career built on change, trust, and customer impact. From growing up poor on a Canadian farm to serving in Canadian Special Operations, Lou shares how early life pressure shaped his work ethic and leadership style. Lou walks through his journey at Q2, starting as an engineer when the company was still small, then steppi...

Nasir Mahmood, technology executive and AI founder, joins Karina Jimenez to share his journey from being recruited through a hackathon into defense, to leading large-scale cloud transformation initiatives across Big Four firms, and ultimately launching his own ventures in the AI space. Born in Pakistan and raised in New York, Nasir reflects on his early programming roots in C++ and JavaScript, his...

Sophia Washington, VP of IT at ENGIE North America, joins Cesar Jimenez to share her journey from Valdosta, Georgia to leading large scale IT transformation in the energy industry. She reflects on the professor who encouraged her to pursue computer science, the legacy of her grandfather Eddie Hall who helped fund her education, and how family support shaped her fearless approach to opportunity. So...

Kip Knight, Managing Director at Mavka Growth, joins Karina Jimenez to share a career-spanning playbook from P&G and PepsiCo to eBay and executive coaching. They break down what rising marketers often miss: building a real development plan, defining your personal brand and “superpower,” earning trust with finance and IT, and leading teams without drama. Kip also shares a practical approach to...

Aaron Wang, Co-Founder & CEO of Alex AI, joins Cesar Jimenez to unpack what an “AI recruiter” actually does for staffing firms and employers: screening, phone/video interviews, scheduling, sourcing, and matching inside the ATS. Aaron shares how his immigrant upbringing shaped his risk tolerance, why he left quant trading to build in the job market, and what it takes to scale a startup at speed...

Anna Bell, Senior VP Marketing at Central Garden & Pet, joins Karina Jimenez to share how a finance foundation shaped her approach to marketing, leadership, and business impact. They cover stepping into leadership early, building trust-driven teams, and the pillars Anna looks for in modern marketing orgs: functional expertise, creativity, curiosity, and agility. Anna also explains how she thin...

Vedette Pires, Chief Information Officer at HairClub, joins Cesar Jimenez to share her journey from tech support to executive leadership and why career paths are rarely linear. Vedette reflects on the mentor who pushed her outside her comfort zone, what she wishes she had known earlier about leadership, and why you do not need a title to lead. She explains how the role of the CIO has evolved from...

Jeff Lupinacci, Founder and CEO of Evolve HR Solutions, joins Karina Jimenez to share his career journey from manufacturing to corporate HR and ultimately entrepreneurship. Jeff explains how walking through open doors shaped his path and why varied experiences early on can compound over time. They discuss Jeff’s concept of AI as a third workforce alongside full-time and contract talent, how leader...

Toni Baruti, CIO & CTO at AllHealth Network, joins Cesar Jimenez to share how curiosity shaped her path from finance into IT leadership, business intelligence, and the C suite. They discuss mentorship and building pathways for others, what a strong culture looks like in practice, and how Toni hires and leads with clarity and accountability. Toni also explains how her team is approaching AI in...

Kathy Fore, Director of Community Relations and Marketing at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida, joins Karina Jimenez to share how she built a 25+ year marketing career without taking a traditional college path. Kathy reflects on moving from agency to corporate to nonprofit work, what truly stays the same in marketing, and how mentorship and curiosity shaped her leadership style. T...

Sharon Milz, Chief Information Officer at TIME, joins host Cesar Jimenez to share her journey from early infrastructure roles to leading technology at one of the world’s most recognized media brands. Sharon reflects on how working across industries shaped her leadership approach and why understanding the business context matters as much as technical expertise. They discuss building trust within te...

Fred Van Essen, Chief Strategy Officer, joins co-host Karina Jimenez to share leadership lessons from airlines, satellite communications, and high-growth teams bringing new products to market. He explains why strong leaders speak less, listen more, and create space for others to contribute. They talk about building teams that thrive with freedom and accountability, how to protect innovation early...

Neil Morris, Head of Information Technology at Redaptive, shares his leadership journey from becoming a father in high school to leading complex IT organizations across aerospace, energy, and enterprise environments. He reflects on how resilience, family support, and community shaped his career and leadership mindset. Neil explains how he attracts and develops strong teams by hiring for learning a...

Liz Crisafi, Senior VP of Global Marketing at Hornblower Group, joins co-host Karina Jimenez to share how a career built without a rigid master plan can still lead to meaningful leadership. Drawing on her journey from iconic brands like Kodak and Discovery to leading global marketing teams today, Liz explains why curiosity, adaptability, and human connection have guided every step. She discusses h...

Albert Evans joins host Cesar Jimenez on Next in Line to share his path from the 82nd Airborne and 12 years in law enforcement to leading cybersecurity as a Chief Information Security Officer. Albert breaks down why compliance does not equal security, how to think like a threat actor, and what “proactive” really means in a world of offensive AI and faster attacks. He also shares hard-earned leader...

Olga Noha joins Karina Jimenez to discuss how moving to the U.S. became the ultimate leadership boot camp, shaping her approach to resilience, reinvention, and global brand leadership. As Global VP of Integrated Marketing and Brand Strategy at Creatio, Olga explains how engineering discipline and human-centered storytelling converge to drive transformation at scale. She breaks down how leaders can...

Doug Saunders, CIO at Arctic Glacier, joins host Cesar Jimenez to break down what IT leadership looks like inside a private equity-backed business and why strong CIOs stay fluent in the P&L, not just the tech stack. Doug shares how a nontraditional background shaped his approach to hiring, why he prioritizes communication and learning over perfect credentials, and how leaders build high-trust...

Pablo Carrillo, Chief Growth and Marketing Officer at honei, joins co-host Karina Jimenez to share lessons from a career built across startups, entrepreneurship, and corporate marketing. Pablo reflects on moving between startup speed and corporate scale, and why aligning marketing and sales starts with shared numbers, trust, and daily habits rather than process alone. He also discusses building an...

Jeff Green, CIO at Strike, joins Cesar Jimenez to talk about the overlooked skills that shape strong technology leaders. Jeff explains how starting on the help desk sharpened his emotional intelligence, communication style, and ability to handle high-pressure situations. He shares why listening closely, reading tone, and responding with empathy often matter more than technical expertise. The conve...

Cesar Jimenez and Karina Jimenez share the story behind Next In Line and what it’s like building the podcast together as a father daughter duo. They talk about how the idea started, why paying it forward has always been the core mission, and how the show creates space for leaders to share real career lessons.  The conversation covers entrepreneurship, mentorship, marketing strategy, generational p...