The Chord

In this week’s episode of The Chord , we explore building a meaningful career in the NGO sector with Padraic Vallely, Senior Philanthropy & Development Manager at Rethink Ireland. Padraic brings a unique perspective shaped by diverse experience spanning political advisory work, executive leadership, and social innovation. Prior to joining Rethink Ireland (a national social-innovation fun...

In this week’s episode of The Chord , we explore the fascinating intersection of health science and leadership performance with Joe O’Connor, a lecturer at Munster Technological University and recognised expert in the science of cognitive performance. Joe brings a unique blend of academic research, practical coaching, and elite sport science to the world of business leadership. His doc...

In this week’s episode of The Chord , we tackle one of the most pressing challenges for Irish businesses: driving innovation for sustainable growth, with insights from Dr. Ian Kierans, a growth strategist, organizational psychologist, and author of Innovative Growth: The Journey from A to B While Building C . Dr. Kierans shares expertise from his career spanning global consulting, entrepreneurship...

Episode Overview: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome with Dr. Tara Halliday In this week’s episode of The Chord, we delve into the concept of imposter syndrome and strategies to overcome it with Dr. Tara Halliday, PhD, an imposter syndrome specialist, bestselling author, and high-performance coach. Tara shares insights from her unique career path, which spans a PhD in Engineering, certification in...

Episode Overview: AI, Emotional Intelligence and Communication with Marie Toft In this episode of The Chord, John explores the evolving role of AI in emotional intelligence with Marie Toft, CEO and Co-founder of Emotionise. Marie shares insights from her diverse career, including her background as a senior TV producer with RTE, BBC, and SBS Australia, to her venture into AI-driven emotional engage...

Insights from Sacha Dekker on Resilience and Mindset In this week’s episode of The Chord, we delve into the theme of resilience and overcoming adversity with Sacha Dekker, an award-winning learning and development leader and motivational speaker. Sacha shares insights from her personal journey, spanning from her formative years in the Netherlands to her career transitions across diverse indu...

Episode Overview: The Challenges Facing Middle Managers with Neville Bourke This week John is joined by Harmonics partner and organisation change consultant Neville Bourke – to explore the challenges facing middle managers in today’s rapidly evolving organisational landscape. Neville discusses the impact of remote and hybrid work models, technological advancements, and socio-economic s...

Episode Overview: Developing Early Career Talent with Sinéad D’Arcy This week we explore early career talent development with Sinéad D’Arcy, leader of the Jameson International Graduate Programme. Established over 30 years ago, the program has become a benchmark in nurturing marketing talent globally. Drawing from her diverse background and career journey to date, Sinead has a profound commitment...

Episode Overview: Living a Healthier Life with Dr. Robert Kelly If your New Year’s resolution is hanging by a thread, you’re not alone. But fear not! Dr. Robert Kelly, a renowned Consultant Cardiologist and Lifestyle Medicine Physician at the UCD Beacon Hospital joins John on the podcast today to help us understand why it’s never too late to pick up where we left off. Robert also...

Episode Overview: Employee Engagement and Workplace Happiness with Matt Phelan In this episode of The Chord, we converse with Matt Phelan, Co-Founder of The Happiness Index, delving into the profound topic of ‘What Drives Engagement and Happiness at Work?’ As an entrepreneur, author, and happiness expert, Matt Phelan shares his journey, starting from his early years to becoming a pivot...

Episode Overview: Workforce Transformation and Well-Being with Dr. Sean Gallagher In this episode, we engage in an insightful conversation with Dr. Sean Gallagher, Director of The Swinburne Centre for the New Workforce (CNeW). Drawing from his pivotal role at CNeW, Dr. Gallagher’s unique insights are rooted in a formative journey shaped by key influences and values. The backdrop of the COVID...

Episode Overview: Leadership and Change Management with Ollie Loomes In this enlightening episode, we chat with Ollie Loomes, CEO of Eir, Ireland’s premier telecommunications company. With a rich background in Sales and Marketing and over two decades at Diageo, Ollie offers invaluable insights into effective leadership and managing change. Ollie shares his experiences from his formative year...

Episode Overview: Empathetic Leadership and Scaling with Empathy at Amazon In this episode, we engage with Emer McGinley, Worldwide Customer Service Director of Global Programs and Global Outsourcing at Amazon. Emer, with her 20 years of experience in leading award-winning customer service operations, shares her thoughts on leadership, the Amazon work culture, and the importance of empathy. We sta...

Episode Overview: Innovation and Design Leadership with Mauro Porcini In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of innovation and design with our distinguished guest, Mauro Porcini, PepsiCo’s first-ever Chief Design Officer. Mauro has been instrumental in infusing design thinking into PepsiCo’s culture, leading a new approach to innovation that significantly impacts the comp...

Episode Overview: Leadership Insights with Dr. Kerrie Fleming In this episode, we explore the critical components of effective leadership with Dr. Kerrie Fleming, Associate Dean at Ashridge Executive Education at Hult International Business School. Her expertise has made her a sought-after advisor to Fortune 500 companies, international governments, and both indigenous and international organizati...

In this episode, we discuss Mark Cahalane’s experience with redundancy and how he overcame the challenges of rebuilding his career. As someone who has been through the process twice, Mark shares nine insights from his personal experience on how to move forward. He highlights the importance of allowing yourself to grieve and responding rather than reacting. Mark also emphasises the value of l...

About Dr. Magdalena Bak-Maier Dr  Magdalena  Bak-Maier is the creator  of the Grid method for health, results and success,  a neuroscientist, productivity and wellbeing expert, and leading international coach and passionate educator who founded Make Time Count to support people in being and doing well. Her  unique heart, mind, body and spirit approach  helps people navigate life, lead and heal by...

In this episode of The Chord, John Fitzgerald talks to Dr. Mary Collins, Chartered Psychologist, author and Executive Coach at RCSI Institute of Leadership. Mary is currently involved in a significant study on understanding the drivers and motivations of Generation Z, colloquially known as “zoomers”. Mary’s latest book, ‘Emotional Intelligence & Dentistry’ is due...

Episode Overview: Reimagining Performance and Culture with Aisling Teillard In this episode of The Chord, John Fitzgerald talks to Aisling Teillard, Global Chief Customer Officer of Beqom, a cloud based solution provider that unifies compensation and rewards processes. Aisling’s career journey was of particular interest progressing from HR Director with both SAP and O2 to become a technology start...

Episode Overview: The Future of HR and Employee Experience with Nicole Dessain In this episode of The Chord, John Fitzgerald talks to Nicole Dessain, founder and Chief Employee Experience Designer at Talent Imperative. Nicole helps companies like Apple, Cisco, Comcast, Edelman and McDonald’s create human-centered, inclusive talent programs. In this episode, Nicole discusses how the role of HR is c...

Episode Overview: The Future of Work with Ravin Jesuthasan In this episode of The Chord, John Fitzgerald talks to Ravin Jesuthasan, global leader of Mercer’s Transformation Services business. Ravin is a recognized global thought leader, futurist and author on the future of work and workforce transformation. He is a regular participant and presenter at the World Economic Forum’s annual meetings in...

Episode Overview: Talent Development at Diageo In this episode of The Chord, John Fitzgerald talks to Joan Hodgins, Global Talent Director at Diageo. Joan is a Business Leader, HR Professional and Chartered Occupational Psychologist with over 20 years commercial experience, both consulting and in-house in a range of HR roles. In the interview we talk about Joan’s career journey to date, the...

Episode Overview: Early Careers and Graduate Talent with Siobháin Scanlon In this episode of The Chord, John Fitzgerald talks to Siobháin Scanlon, Early Careers Manager at Musgrave. Siobháin provides opportunities to talented graduates in their early careers – by helping them discover exciting careers in the food retail industry and preparing for the future of work. In the interview we talk...

Episode Overview: Scaling a Digital Challenger Bank with Nick Fahy In this episode of The Chord, John Fitzgerald talks to Nick Fahy, Chief Executive Officer of Cynergy Bank . Cynergy Bank is a ‘human digital bank’ serving the needs of ‘scale up’ or medium sized and fast growing SMEs and professionals. In the interview we talk about Nick’s journey in leading the bank through a period of rapid...

Episode Overview: Board Leadership and Governance with Kieran Moynihan In this episode of The Chord, John Fitzgerald talks to Kieran Moynihan, Managing Partner of Board Excellence . Kieran helps boards of directors and individual directors excel in the areas of effectiveness and performance. He is an internationally-recognised thought leader in the area of board dynamics, effectiveness, performanc...