Strategy Focused Group

Last week, our guest was a senior learning, talent, and organizational development executive with 5 years of experience across healthcare, retail, financial services, fintech, and PR. Ann Marie Morris brings deep expertise in leadership development, talent strategy, organizational transformation, and enterprise learning. She is a sought-after speaker who has delivered keynote presentations on onbo...

Last week, we sat down with Martha I. Finney, an author, co-author, and ghostwriter of 30 books on leadership and career management. Her focus throughout her career is building and promoting the positive body of knowledge around what it takes to build flourishing, meaningful careers inside healthy corporate cultures. She has been published by Simon & Schuster; FT Press; Amacom (now HarperColli...

Last week, we sat down with a purpose-driven founder, board member, advisor, and educator. Garry Ridge, chairman Emeritus of WD-40 Company, with more than 35 years of global business experience. During his leadership at WD-40 Company, he built one of the world’s most trusted brands by creating a culture anchored in belonging, learning, and servant leadership. A USA Today bestselling author, Garry...

Last week Friday, we sat down with Dr. Riad Al Chami, an Assistant Professor of Marketing and MBA Program Director at the American University in the Emirates, and an incoming Adjunct Assistant Professor at RIT Dubai. Beyond the classroom, Dr. Al Chami has spent over a decade moving between academia and industry — consulting for brands including Majid Al Futtaim, Shein, Sephora, BFL Group, Philips,...

Last week, we sat down with Dr. Curtis Odom, an Executive Professor of Management and Organizational Development at Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business.25 years of Fortune 100 senior leadership experience ground his teaching in the judgment demands of executive practice, and his doctoral research at Pepperdine University shaped that practitioner knowledge into experience-dri...

Last week Friday, we sat down with Michelle Cirocco, CEO of Televerde Foundation. Michelle’s leadership journey began inside an Arizona prison. From there, she went on to build a remarkable career in corporate leadership, earn her MBA, and become a passionate advocate for second chances and the power of human potential. Today, Michelle leads Televerde Foundation, helping women returning from incar...

Last week, we were excited to welcome Lasherelle Morgan, SVP, Legal AI Innovation & Acceleration at NBCUniversal, for another thought-provoking conversation. With more than two decades of experience advising global media and Fortune 500 technology companies, including Madison Square Garden, Audible, and HBO, Lasherelle has helped shape the future of media by negotiating complex content and inn...

Last week, we sat down with Walter D. Greason, Professor and Dewitt Wallace Endowed Chair, for another inspiring conversation. For more than 30 years, Walter has dedicated his work to exploring history, culture, and community development. His research and leadership have focused on connecting historical understanding with practical strategies that help shape stronger social institutions and create...

Last week, we sat down with Ebony Young, Founder of Well NYC, for another inspiring conversation. With more than 25 years of experience spanning the nonprofit, corporate, and government sectors, Ebony has dedicated her career to creating impact in communities. Her journey includes executive leadership roles with the City of New York, YMCA of Greater New York, TF Cornerstone, and initiatives focuse...

Last Friday, we were excited to welcome Celeste Warren, Founder of Celeste Warren Consulting LLC. A visionary leader with an impressive 28-year career at a global Fortune 100 company, Celeste rose to the role of Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. During her decade leading the Global Diversity & Inclusion Center of Excellence, she spearheaded groundbreaking initiatives...

Last week, our guest was a trilingual speaker, facilitator, and consultant with over 25 years of international experience in global organisations. She works across cultures and industries, helping leaders and teams shift behaviour, build inclusive cultures, and lead with intention. In this episode, Leela Bassi shares her story from the Arctic's edge to the world's stages. If you missed it,...

Last week, our guest was the Founder and Principal Consultant of Six8Leadership, a leadership advisory, consulting, and speaking practice built on a single conviction: that justice, mercy, and humility are not values to aspire to; they are disciplines to practice. With 30 years across corporate, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, including seven years as Chief People Officer at the Skoll Founda...

Last week Friday, our guest was Jennifer Drake, the Founder and Principal of Avenel Field Group and a 25-year retail leader who’s run stores and field organizations at Banana Republic, Saks OFF 5TH, and Nordstrom — a 400-store fleet, off-price business, and the designer flagship on the East Coast. She now advises retailers on how to operate better and elevate the customer experience. In this episo...

Last week, our guest was Guy Griggs, Senior Vice President of Ad Sales and Client Partnerships at CNN. He is responsible for all linear and digital sales and revenue efforts for CNN, and crafts innovative advertising solutions across all platforms and implements high-impact strategies that drive reliable, direct revenue growth across brand partnerships. In this episode, Guy Griggs shares with us h...

Last week, our guest was a unique multi-industry and multidisciplinary executive who has previously served on the President of the United States' Advance Team (The White House) and as an Adjunct Professor at Rutgers Business School. From advising Fortune 500 CEOs to pioneering innovation in technology and venture capital, Chitra Nawbatt has proven time and again that vision, audacity, and exec...

Last week, our guest was an international communications consultant, expert media trainer, and professional conference and event moderator. Eithne's work has taken her around the world, moderating and chairing high-level conferences at the presidential, ministerial, and executive corporate levels. In this episode, Eithne Treanor shares her journey to executive presence. If you missed it, be su...

Last week, our guest was Deepanjali Rao, a learning designer, AI upskilling strategist, and Harvard University graduate whose work sits at the intersection of education, technology, leadership development, and human transformation. In this episode, Deepanjali shares her journey into AI and leadership. For previous episodes of The CEO Series, please visit    / strategyfocusedgroup   . #SFGTheCEOSer...

Last week Friday, our guest was Sarah Cheuk, a dedicated, forward‑thinking HR leader who drives business outcomes through strategic innovation. A pioneer who embraces new initiatives, she is known for piloting cutting‑edge practices and translating them into practical, scalable solutions. In this episode, Sarah shares her inspiring journey to the C-Suite with us. For previous episodes of The CEO S...

Last Friday, our guest was Jeroen Kraaijenbrink, an author and professor. Jeroen does the deep work most consultants avoid. He names what is really going on in organizations that are stuck, and works on it until something fundamentally shifts. In this episode, Jeroen discusses the journey that actually moves people. For previous episodes of The CEO Series, please visit    / strategyfocusedgroup  ...

Last Friday, our guest was Edward Matti, Managing Partner at CCM Consultancy and a sought-after motivational speaker who has delivered keynotes on the global stage for events and organizations such as IATA’s World Cargo Symposium, the World Trade Organization, Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Development Fund, DP World’s Global Leadership Meeting, P&O Maritime Logistics, and Abu Dhabi’s Department of Cu...

Last Friday on The CEO Series, we hosted Calia Brencsons – Van Dyk, an Emmy Award-winning producer, writer, coach, and founder of Caliativity Productions, Ltd. A Mills College graduate with a degree in International Relations and a Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program alumna, she speaks English, French, German, and Danish—bringing a truly global perspective into every space she enters. In thi...

Last week, our guest was Subha V. Barry, the President of Seramount, where she works with global organizations to align culture, talent strategy, and business performance. With a distinguished career that includes leadership roles at Freddie Mac and Merrill Lynch, she has been at the forefront of shaping enterprise talent and diversity strategies at scale. In this episode, Subha Barry shares her j...

Last week, our guest was Dr. Mittal, a people-first and well-recognized Group CHRO. He has 27 years of progressive 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 in 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐇𝐑 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐎𝐃, 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, spanning across CSR, IT, ITeS, and the education industry. In this episode, Dr. Anish...

Last Friday, we featured a guest who leads one of the world’s premier logistics companies, Kuehne+Nagel Canada. As its first female President, Dianna Fioravanti-Ashikwe oversees 2,700 logistics experts. She is passionate about building a positive culture and creating an environment where teams can thrive and grow. She encourages her colleagues to “flip the switch,” embrace their full potential, an...

Last Friday, we had the privilege of hosting Dorothy Dalton—a guest with deep international experience in DEI as a consultant, coach, and trainer. She began this work at a time when the conversation was explicitly centered on discrimination, exclusion, and intimidation. While the language has evolved, the challenges remain. In this episode, Dorothy shared her journey and insights on building high-...