Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders

Summary:  When your A/C breaks down in the middle of summer, you want someone at your house to fix it that same day. And one firm has been able to leverage that reliability into a national home services empire.  Ken Haines was appointed CEO of Wrench Group almost 10 years ago and he has since guided the company to become the second largest non-franchised home services company in the United States....

Investors often talk about the desire for companies to diversify. Well, you'd be hard pressed to find a firm who's done that better than the Superior Group of Companies (SGC), which operates in three distinct buckets: healthcare apparel, branded products and contact centres.    Our guest today is Michael Benstock, the Chairman and CEO of SGC. Michael takes us through the evolution of SGC since its...

Summary:  At this point, most Americans will probably be familiar with the media company, Newsmax. Their political slant has garnered the company its fair share of criticism, but their growth in recent years has been undeniable.    Chris Ruddy is the CEO of Newsmax Media, which trades under the symbol NMAX. Chris began his career as a journalist at the New York Post and Pittsburgh Tribune-Review b...

Back in January, we had on Julie Masino, the President and CEO of Cracker Barrel, who walked us through her strategy for transforming the brand, and gave great insights into general trends in the restaurant industry. Since it's summer time, and patio season is in full swing, we thought now would be a good time to revisit this gem. Summary:  What does it take to revitalize a legacy brand, while mai...

Dash Miller may not be a CEO, but like many of the people we feature on this show, he is a true leader, he has a vision, and he's executing on his plan. Sometimes life forces you to grow up quickly, and that's exactly what happened to Dash. He lost his 16-year-old brother Callum after a five year battle with cancer. And out of that tragedy, dash started a unique corporate outreach campaign on Link...

Summary: Back in February, we were joined on the show by Stuart Haselden, CEO of outdoor apparel company, Arc'Teryx. Hearing about his retail philosophy and personal story was absolutely fascinating, so we decided to revisit the episode for listeners who may have missed it the first time around.     You’ve heard it before: "The customer is always right." For many businesses, that’s sound advice. B...

Given the new administration's tariff policy and the global unease we've seen in recent months, we felt it was a good time to pick the brain of someone who's spent decades studying China's economy and its evolving relationship with the United States. Andy Rothman is the founder and CEO of Sinology, a consulting firm that provides advice to institutional investors and companies on the opportunities...

When you stop to fill up your car with gas, you might also pop into the store to grab a quick bite, or a gatorade, or that carton of milk you forgot to get at the supermarket.  One company has managed to leverage that common retail experience into a real-estate empire. Chris Constant is the president and Chief Executive Officer of Getty Realty Corp, which trades under the symbol GTY on the New Yor...

When you're shopping for clothes, there's a checklist of things you look for: you want them to look and feel good, you want them to last a long time, you might want them ethically and sustainably sourced, and probably most importantly, you don't want them to break the bank. In 2011 one active wear company emerged that ticked pretty much all those boxes.    Adam Goldenberg is the CEO and co-founder...

The world has changed a lot in the last century, but it might surprise you to learn that the US power grid has remained pretty much the same. In this country, energy is by and large controlled by regional utilities with de-facto monopolies, and no real incentive to innovate. That inertia impacts the entire economy, as industrial projects are starved of the power they need to get off the ground.  J...

Summary:    We may not talk about them the same way we talk about basketball or baseball players, but make no mistake, dancers are elite athletes. Their training is intense, and the competition is fierce. And with Breakdancing at the Olympics, dance content flooding TikTok, and dance competition shows all over TV, there's never been more interest in the art-form. So how do you take that global phe...

The increasing popularity of Asian food presents many exciting business opportunities, but also some challenges. Many of these specialty restaurants are family-owned, and lack the corporate structure you'll find at larger chains. And a lot of them are located in rural places that make centralized distribution difficult. Servicing these types of businesses requires a personal touch, and a lot of re...

Innovating in the field of Med Tech presents a host of unique challenges. Formulating new treatments is a long and capital-intensive process. The regulatory regime for medical devices is extremely stringent. And even if you get approval, you still need to convince doctors that your treatment is safe and effective. But success in Med Tech R & D doesn't just mean profits for the company and it's...

When we experience buyers remorse about an item, what do we do? We return it. Either in store, or through the mail. But what happens to those products after we send them back? Surely they're repackaged and restocked, right? In a lot of cases, no. Many vendors aren't equipped to process those returns, and they can end up being sold in bulk at a loss, or worse, dumped in a landfill. Sender Shamiss h...

Major sporting events used to be clustered among a handful of TV channels. Now following your favourite team might require subscriptions to a whole litany of cable and streaming services. Which is to say nothing of all the licensed content you'll find spread out across social media platforms. In such a complex media ecosystem, how do organizations even begin to think about licensing their media as...

Putting together an IPO is no easy feat. Just getting your finances in order can be a herculean effort. Add in the laundry list of compliance requirements, and it simply becomes too much for most firms to handle on their own. That's especially true for young companies in emerging industries like biotech or AI, where corporate governance may have taken a backseat to product development.  Enter, Mik...

Summary:    It's early in the 2025 reporting season, but new trends in the restaurant and foodservice space are already emerging. 2024 was a difficult year and the industry is still adjusting—navigating the same pressures of inflation, labor costs, and economic shifts, plus some new challenges. Consumer habits continue to evolve, and technology is playing a bigger role than ever.    Today we're jo...

Summary:    Personalization has reshaped nearly every industry, turning one-size-fits-all solutions into tailored experiences. Think self-serve kiosks in fast food or streaming algorithms curating content just for you—consumers now expect products to adapt to them, not the other way around. In the health and fitness space, where no two people share the same habits, goals, or motivations, personali...

Summary:    The rapid rise of AI is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace, creating both challenges and opportunities for innovation. With technology this powerful, pure progress is not enough. We have a responsibility to be intentional about about how we build it, power it, and use it, to ensure it drives positive outcomes and a more sustainable future.   Today, we're sitting down with...

Summary:    You’ve heard it before: "The customer is always right." For many businesses, that’s sound advice. But for premium brands, the road to success often takes a different route. Rather than reacting to every shift in demand, it’s about staying rooted in a philosophy: delivering quality, staying authentic, and fostering relationships that stand the test of time. Today’s guest has fully embra...

Summary:    Getting ahead begins with a sharp focus on recognizing problems and finding better solutions than anyone else. But staying ahead requires something more: the ability to adapt, evolve, and lead as the stakes grow. Today’s guest didn’t just solve a problem; he built a system so indispensable it’s reshaped how an entire industry operates.    Kent Collier is the Founder and CEO of Octus (f...

Summary:    In some industries, new players try to shake things up by breaking them down. But in sectors like food, where traditions run deep and habits are hard to change, collaboration can be a far more palatable strategy and can be leveraged to create scalable, sustainable solutions. Today's guest is doing just that, using decades of industry expertise to partner with key players, tackle global...

Summary:    When it comes to running a business, data insights are invaluable, but that data has to come with meaningful action. You need to be willing to evolve alongside your customers and constantly refine your approach to meet their needs. Today’s guest has mastered this balance, building a platform that drives engagement, growth, and innovation at scale.    Today, we're sitting down with Chuc...

Summary:    Innovation often starts with asking tough questions, like: What if the systems we’ve always relied on aren’t equipped to handle today's complexities? By leveraging data and challenging outdated assumptions, new possibilities are arising in unexpected industries.   Today, we're sitting down with Jay Jackson, Chairman and CEO of Abacus Life, which trades under the symbol ABL. Jay joined...

Summary:    In business, leadership isn’t just about taking charge — it’s about enabling others to thrive. As companies grow and stakes rise, fostering trust and collaboration becomes essential. Today’s guest has embraced a leadership style rooted in empowerment, driving innovation, and turning ambitious visions into tangible success.   Today we're sitting down with Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Cha...