Explore every episode of the podcast Leaders Unscripted
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36: Breaking Through the Bamboo Ceiling as a Asian Female Leader with Vestwell’s Head of Enterprise Sales and Strategic Partnerships, Michelle Tran | 05 Dec 2023 | 00:43:08 | |
If you're a female or minority leader, this episode is your beacon of empowerment. Michelle Tran, Head of Strategic Partnerships SVP at Vestwell and Co-Founder of NYC FinTech Woman—a thriving 10,000+ member organisation, is a passionate advocate for diversity in leadership. Join us as we discuss the challenges faced at the intersections of being female and a person of colour. Michelle highlights the alarming funding disparities, revealing that institutional investment in female founders is a mere 2%, dropping even lower for female minorities. It's time to amplify diverse voices and bridge the gap in entrepreneurial support. Michelle touches on her personal experiences of the impact of perceptions on Asian Americans in leadership, the significance of names, and the inspiration behind Tiger Collective, a venture she co-founded with Ling Zhao. This really is an episode you won’t want to miss. Tune in to gain insights, challenge perceptions, and be inspired by Michelle Tran's commitment to reshaping the landscape for leaders of all backgrounds. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 35: Leading Global Teams in Fast-Paced Environments with Group Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion at Valtech, Sheree Atcheson | 28 Nov 2023 | 00:47:35 | |
In the dynamic landscape of global leadership, the significance of Diversity and Inclusion strategies cannot be overstated. This is such an important episode for all leaders - from D&I strategies to the power of listening and alignment, this episode is filled with indispensable value. Sheree Atcheson is a multi-award winning diversity and inclusion executive, Group Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion at Valtech, keynote speaker and published author. It’s fair to say that Sheree knows her stuff… We discussed her experiences of leading global teams, why the discovery process is so critical for new leaders in a business and the significance of alignment and collaboration. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 34: Being the First Product Leader at a Startup with VP of Product & Engineering at The Rounds, Dan Storms | 21 Nov 2023 | 00:51:44 | |
Becoming the first of anything puts you on a precipice, makes you a pioneer, and brings the best out of budding leaders-to-be… that’s where Dan Storms stepped up. Dan has been the first executive hire at several startups, pushing him to develop small businesses FAST, and he’s now a driving force as VP of Product & Engineering at The Rounds. It’s a pleasure to hear from Dan as he shares first steps after joining a startup, his four principles for working with Founder-CEOs, the three types of product leader, and so much more. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 33: Building & Leading Teams Without Functional Expertise with Edwina Johnson | 14 Nov 2023 | 00:37:05 | |
The COO role is utterly unique, demanding multidisciplinary mastery. It begs expertise where you may have none, to become a cross-functional manager, and Edwina Johnson’s tenure at Alloy had seen her thrive in achieving exactly that This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 32: Scaling Decision-Making at a Fintech Startup with VP of Engineering at Griffin, James Trunk | 07 Nov 2023 | 00:45:16 | |
Anything in business can be distilled down to a set of decisions, and a great system makes choosing the right one for your team infinitely better. Griffin’s decision making method has seen an overhaul in ways which they carve their path forward, and as VP of Engineering, James Trunk has been at the forefront of this vital process. James joins us on Leaders Unscripted to take us through the values underpinning business decisions, why reflection trumps perfection, and the art of early feedback. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 31: Netflix’s Director of Platform Networking on Creating a Culture Where All Voices are Included | 31 Oct 2023 | 00:36:05 | |
In a business as huge and culturally diverse as Netflix, it’s imperative that you value all of those voices in your team. Culture is a living organism, and curating that culture at Netflix is firmly within Shweta Saraf’s sights, in her role as Director of Platform Networking. She’s worked within companies like Cisco, Digital Ocean and Equinix, and shares with us on the Leaders Unscripted podcast just how those experiences have shaped her leadership approach today. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 30: The New York Times’ David Yee: From Startup Founder to Large Media Company VP of Engineering | 24 Oct 2023 | 00:46:50 | |
When you think ‘pinnacle of journalism’, you think New York Times. He’s been a startup Founder and large enterprise leader, embarking on a notable transition between the two and embracing the modernized culture of a centuries-old organization. We catch up with David as he talks about the tension between the leader you want to be vs the company’s style, what it means to do the right thing, and how you stick the landing between startup and super-sized business. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 29: Transitioning from Founder CEO to VC with Partner at boldstart ventures, Ellen Chisa | 17 Oct 2023 | 00:37:56 | |
Backing a budding leader is always easier when you’ve already been a successful one… Once a Founder & CEO, now investing in technical founders as Partner at ‘boldstart ventures’, Ellen Chisa’s enlightening story covers a seldom spoken topic - transitioning out of leadership. Her perspective is a fascinating one; join us on Leaders Unscripted to discover how the CEO role has shaped Ellen’s wise perspectives. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 28: Being a Change Agent CPO with Founder of Women in Product UK, Namrata Sarmah | 10 Oct 2023 | 00:40:34 | |
When Namrata Sarmah became a CPO, the job role didn’t really exist the way that it does today. Two CPO roles later, and she’s using her power to transform product teams. INTO University Partnerships marked a vital role in her journey, getting comfortable with the unteachable nature of the CPO position. She’s also the Founder of Women in Product UK. She joins us on Leaders Unscripted to uncover how CPOs become change agents, which unexpected aspect of strategy is hardest, and embracing the transformational nature of the job. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 27: GitHub’s Anjuan Simmons on Helping Yourself and Others Through Burnout | 03 Oct 2023 | 00:45:24 | |
We’re more aware of burnout than ever before, but are we looking out for leaders as much as our teams? As GitHub’s Anjuan Simmons can attest, burnout is an equal opportunity force, which affects teams, managers, VPs and CEOs alike. His advice on spotting and dealing with burnout within yourself and your team is absolutely inspired, and makes for an incredibly powerful episode of Leaders Unscripted. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 26: Etsy’s Jenn Clevenger on Navigating Leadership Through Covid and a House Burning Down | 26 Sep 2023 | 00:34:35 | |
Leaders are humans too, and Etsy’s culture has given Jenn Clevenger the opportunity to lead through remarkable adversity. In her 8 year tenure, she’s become VP of Engineering, tackled a pandemic, and stayed her course while her house burned down. It’s the staggering story of a remarkable leader and a resilient human, one which we delve into on episode 26 of the Leaders Unscripted podcast. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 25: An Organic Path to COO with Founder of Constellary, Suzan Bond | 19 Sep 2023 | 00:58:42 | |
The most organic path to becoming a leader is to follow your values, with no aspirations of leadership. At least that was my experience, as I found my way into a COO role. What I seldom share on Leaders Unscripted is the path I paved to get there. In this episode the tables are turned on me, as Extrology podcast host Lee Cooper steps in to interview me on my own journey, uncovering my formative experiences, philosophies and morals. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 24: Being CTO While Navigating a Disability with Pleo’s CTO, Meri Williams | 12 Sep 2023 | 00:48:45 | |
When your identity is so strongly focused around leadership, anything that challenges your identity can be a world-altering experience. Pleo’s Meri Williams has been through the reinvention of her leadership style after her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome diagnosis, cementing her role as a self-empathetic CTO. Meri joins me on Leaders Unscripted to discuss the balance of her CTO role with her diagnosis, and her wisdom for those finding themselves newly diagnosed while leading. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 23: Google’s Madleina Scheidegger on Leading a Team of Internal & Open Source Software Engineers | 05 Sep 2023 | 00:37:45 | |
There are few challenges like leading a varied range of software engineers, and few places more prestigious than Google at which to do so… 18 years strong into her tenure at Google, Madleina Scheidegger is a Software Engineering Manager whose lessons on leading software teams is absolutely golden. From staying flexible and balancing internal vs external stakeholders, to building partnerships and setting your North Star, this episode of Leaders Unscripted is a masterclass in leadership longevity. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 22: Being the First People Leader at the Company with Softdocs’ VP of Employee Success, Christie Williams | 29 Aug 2023 | 00:37:37 | |
Being the first people leader in a business is a uniquely privileged position, brimming with untapped potential. That’s why Christie Williams has seized those opportunities, culminating in her current role as Softdocs’ VP of Employee Success. With such an intriguing job title, it’s hard not to see how Christie’s multidisciplinary experience feeds into her insightful approach to people leadership - an approach that we learn more about in episode 22 of Leaders Unscripted. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 21: Overcoming Leader Burnout with Vimeo’s Engineering Manager, Vaidehi Joshi | 22 Aug 2023 | 00:36:10 | |
Management has the power to both embolden us, or burn us out. It’s a very real danger, and we’re all more aware of it thanks to growing awareness of mental wellbeing, but Vimeo’s Vaidehi Joshi knows first hand how to overcome leader burnout. Vaidehi joins Suzan for this week’s Leaders Unscripted, taking us through the battle against perfectionism, managing a team alongside your mental health, and what makes a great management experience. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 20: From Product Director to Startup CEO with Coho’s Mindaugas Petrutis | 15 Aug 2023 | 00:42:14 | |
What’s a CEO without a playbook to follow, and how do they communicate their plan with their team? Mindaugas Petrutis, who was suddenly thrust into the CEO role at Coho, leads with a transparency and honesty which he was never able to exhibit in his previous roles. Sharing the areas of focus that any new CEO should prioritise, Mindaugas details his bold and brilliant leadership style in this week’s episode of Leaders Unscripted. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 19: A Blind CEO on a Mission to Help Companies Prioritize Disability Inclusion with Ablr’s John Samuel | 08 Aug 2023 | 00:42:25 | |
Awareness of disability in business leaders is far from normalized, which makes the mission of John Samuel and Ablr absolutely paramount. A visually impaired CEO who’s gained the confidence to be open about his disability, John is creating opportunities for greater equity and inclusion in business. His impactful story and charming optimism made for a rousing conversation in the latest episode of Leaders Unscripted. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 18: Finding Balance in the Midst of Constant Change with Engineering Leader, Ashley Hunsberger | 01 Aug 2023 | 00:46:54 | |
The only certainty in business is uncertainty; the only constant is change. As leaders, we’re tasked with the impossible in navigating that change and to bring our teams with us. While in her role at Blackboard, Ashley Hunsberger held several Director roles throughout her 17 year tenure, and has found some fantastic ways to guide your team through the choppy waters of change. Ashley joins me on Leaders Unscripted to share her ‘structures for reflection’, an ideal approach to feedback, and finding your balance as a leader. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 17: Leading a Startup Through Personal Turmoil with Founder of Merit, Kirk Fernandes | 25 Jul 2023 | 00:42:22 | |
When the world throws challenges at you from both your business and personal lives, it can be hard to overcome them all. For leaders, this dilemma scales up immensely - first-time Founder Kirk Fernandes has learned the tools first hand that help to manage the unmanageable. With three family members sick in the same year, and his business Merit in relative infancy, Kirk’s story is an unmissable tale of resilience, strength in numbers, and honest leadership. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 16: Starting a Family and a Company at the Same Time with CEO & Co-Founder of Cable, Natasha Vernier | 18 Jul 2023 | 00:41:04 | |
Think upon how often Founders refer to their businesses as ‘their baby’ - could you imagine balancing that with an actual child of your own? Between Co-Founding Cable and parenting two children, Natasha Vernier’s first CEO experience is about as intense as you could ask for. With a noble mission to create global impact in anti-financial crime, we hear from Natasha about leaders as ‘stress absorbers’, the unique CEO challenges, and balancing the financials against family life. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 15: Leading Engineers at a Remote-First Scaling Startup with Co-Founder & CTO of Kyo Health, Kainar Kamalov | 04 Jul 2023 | 00:36:34 | |
The world has been working remotely for three years - Kainar Kamalov has been doing so for more than eight. All the challenges that we’ve faced, he’s already grappled with, and having held leadership roles in a remote-first, scaling startup, Pipe, he brings his expertise to such a challenging business environment. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 14: From VP of People to COO with Whereby’s Jessica Zwaan | 27 Jun 2023 | 00:45:49 | |
When it comes to broad roles, they don’t come more varied than that of a COO. Some of the most invaluable skills to help COOs navigate any challenge come from working with people, a transition that Jessica Zwaan has made look effortless. Currently COO at Whereby, she uncovers the deepest aspects of such a fluid leadership role, your culture as a subscription product, and leading a team through huge business pivots. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 13: Navigating the Director Sandwich with MailChimp’s Director of Engineering, Sonal Mehta | 20 Jun 2023 | 00:40:34 | |
The Director role is uniquely sandwiched, with expectations and emotions from both sides - it’s a huge shift, but one in which Sonal Mehta has made herself comfortable. As Director of Engineering at Mailchimp, having worked through the ranks throughout her career, she’s perfectly placed to weigh in on the unique nature of the role. Sonal shares her wonderful perspective with me on Leaders Unscripted, a must-listen for any budding first-time Directors. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 12: Leading While Caring for a Parent with Spotify’s Nivia Henry | 13 Jun 2023 | 00:42:53 | |
When caring for a parent becomes basically a full time job, embracing humanity as a leader becomes absolutely essential, for both the leader and the team around them. Engineering Director at Spotify, Nivia Henry, leads her team through innovation of the highest level, but with a mother in care she’s elegantly balancing these two worlds. Join us on Leaders Unscripted as we share how you can manage the demands of leadership alongside the needs of aging family members, and look after yourself in the process... This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 11: Leading a Company Through Acquisition with Co-Founders of Packet, Zac and Jacob Smith | 06 Jun 2023 | 00:44:27 | |
Being acquired by another company might seem like a simple scaling of what you’ve done before, but actually requires leaders to re-learn the basics. Packet was a startup founded by brothers, Zac & Jacob Smith, operating with speed at its core. That said, they’ll attest to the mindset shift that came with their merger with innovation juggernaut, Equinix. Join us on Leaders Unscripted as we dissect the ins and outs of acquisition, bringing your team on the journey, and how to ‘encourage serendipity’. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 10: Being a 1st Time CEO at a Startup in a Highly Regulated Industry with David Jarvis | 30 May 2023 | 00:47:31 | |
Few industries pose the same regulatory challenges as finance - that’s a heck of a place to cut your teeth as a first-time CEO… Griffin’s inception was born of CEO David Jarvis’ entrepreneurial ambitions, and he leads with a wonderful sense of honesty and authenticity. In this episode of Leaders Unscripted, we hear the hefty challenges that the startup has overcome so far, what values are essential in those joining the team, the necessity for leaders with honesty & authenticity, and much more. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 9: Being an Accidental CEO with Founder & CEO at Contenda, Lilly Chen | 23 May 2023 | 00:39:09 | |
People may often fight for a CEO role, but having had it bestowed on her among the founding members of Contenda, Lilly Chen is truly excelling as a compassionate leader. Her first experience in leadership shows us that the questions you ask yourself lead you to become a better leader for others. We caught up with Lilly on Leaders Unscripted this week, summing up her Facebook years, chronic illness recovery, and passion for lifting others. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 8: Navigating Culture in a Scaling Startup with TaxBit’s VP Brand & Global Communications, Michelle O’Connor | 16 May 2023 | 00:37:55 | |
Hiring isn’t cheap, but keeping hold of a wrong hire is infinitely more costly - not just to your finances, but to your company’s all-important culture. The challenges of a scaling startup are many, and it’s in that challenge that Michelle O’Connor thrives as VP Brand & Global Communications at TaxBit. In the latest episode of Leaders Unscripted, Michelle takes us through how to maintain the mission & culture through rapid growth, why you should slow down to speed up, and her love of the thrilling startup environment. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 7: Leading a FinTech Startup Pre-Launch with Griffin COO/Former-VP of People, Maria Campbell | 09 May 2023 | 00:37:13 | |
To seek a fulfilling job role is one thing, but to enable dozens of others to achieve the same is the noble next step for those who lead people. Formerly VP of People at Griffin, before taking up the COO role after recording this episode of Leaders Unscripted, Maria Campbell’s journey is brimming with positive culture and work fulfilment. Tune in this week to hear how Maria makes her mark on teams and the wider industry! This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 6: Bearing the Weight of Product Leadership with StackHawk’s VP of Product, Lauren Nagel | 02 May 2023 | 00:42:43 | |
You don’t need a title to be a leader, and the weight of leadership can be a heavy burden to bear. One of the marvels of leadership, however, is that you can grow at an accelerated rate - that much is clear from Laruen Nagel’s remarkably varied career, now residing as VP of Product at StackHawk. Tune into this week’s Leaders Unscripted, where Lauren shares the trials and tribulations that leadership brings, how to overcome them, the value of support networks, recognizing your impact, and much more.
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 5: Being Underrepresented in the CTO Chair with TaxBit’s CTO, Tramale Turner | 25 Apr 2023 | 00:43:20 | |
With management experience in such varied, acclaimed brands as Nintendo and Volkswagen, Tramale Turner is no stranger to stepping outside of his comfort zone - as all leaders should. Now CTO at TaxBit, he’s at the forefront of digital assets and continues to show the product of his remarkable journey. We hear from Tramale in this episode of Leaders Unscripted, where he discusses the art of introspection, making outsized impact, and creating opportunities for underrepresented voices. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 4: The Art of Leading While Managing a Chronic Health Condition with Co-Founder and CTO at 3rd Eye Robotics, Dizzy Smith | 18 Apr 2023 | 00:43:27 | |
The diagnosis of a chronic illness is often one of the most monumental events in a person’s life, but it’s done nothing to slow the relentless trajectory of Dave “Dizzy” Smith’s career. With decades of leadership experience as a VP of Engineering at brands like Basho, DigitalOcean and Equinix, he’s learned from successes and boldly admits his missteps - signs of truly honest leadership. Dizzy’s story is nothing short of inspirational; learn how he’s thrived in the face of his medical challenges on this week’s Leaders Unscripted… This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 3: Transforming a 300 Year Old Institution in Four Weeks with Matt Stutely OBE, Former Head of Software Engineering at the UK’s Parliamentary Digital Service | 11 Apr 2023 | 00:32:13 | |
For 300 years, UK politicians voted in person as a matter of tradition. Then covid gave them just 4 weeks to change all that… Leading a team to create an entirely new remote voting platform for MPs was the challenge bestowed on the Head of Software Development, Matt Stutely. Matt shares how he took on an impossible task, earned an OBE, and reinvented the voting system on this fascinating episode of the Leaders Unscripted podcast. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 2: The Life of a First-Time Exec at an Early Stage Startup with VP of Engineering at Range, Jean Hsu | 11 Apr 2023 | 00:39:02 | |
Having worked at huge businesses like Google, and early stage startups like Pulse (which is now LinkedIn’s news feed), Jean Hsu has mastered the challenges that come at every level. Now VP of Engineering at Range, having taken the role mid-pandemic, Jean is the perfect person to share the joys and drawbacks of working within early stage startups, and why you should question your assumptions about them. She joins me on episode 2 of Leaders Unscripted to detail her route into tech, the value of a trust bank within your network, and how the VP role evolves in unique ways. This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| 1: The Power of the Vulnerable CEO with former-CEO of StickerGiant & Founder of Humankind Business Leaders, Beck Sydow | 11 Apr 2023 | 00:42:03 | |
Welcome to Leaders Unscripted, the podcast that explores the human side behind incredible leaders. Humanity in a CEO is a side that’s difficult to get right, but Beck Sydow managed that as a trailblazing CEO at StickerGiant, even with Covid shining a light on the business’ most challenging areas. Beth joins me to kick off this series with a look at culture and gender identity in work, having a plan with room to be flexible, the need for leaders to understand the human condition, and so much more! This episode covers:
Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||
| Welcome to Leaders Unscripted with Suzan Bond #Trailer | 21 Mar 2023 | 00:01:41 | |
Welcome to the Leaders Unscripted Podcast, where we explore the human side of leadership. Visit Suzan's website: https://www.constellaryhq.com/ | |||