Best Valtech Podcasts (2024)

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36: Breaking Through the Bamboo Ceiling as a Asian Female Leader with Vestwell’s Head of Enterprise Sales and Strategic Partnerships, Michelle Tran 43:08

9M ago43:08

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 fe…

1
35: Leading Global Teams in Fast-Paced Environments with Group Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion at Valtech, Sheree Atcheson 47:35

9M ago47:35

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…

1
34: Being the First Product Leader at a Startup with VP of Product & Engineering at The Rounds, Dan Storms 51:44

9M ago51:44

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 …

1
33: Building & Leading Teams Without Functional Expertise with Edwina Johnson 37:05

10M ago37:05

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 Edwina, now thriving as GM of MoneyGram Online International, joins us for this episode of Leaders Unscripted, as we …

1
32: Scaling Decision-Making at a Fintech Startup with VP of Engineering at Griffin, James Trunk 45:16

10M ago45:16

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…

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31: Netflix’s Director of Platform Networking on Creating a Culture Where All Voices are Included 36:05

10M ago36:05

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 …

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30: The New York Times’ David Yee: From Startup Founder to Large Media Company VP of Engineering 46:50

10M ago46:50

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 st…

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29: Transitioning from Founder CEO to VC with Partner at boldstart ventures, Ellen Chisa 37:56

11M ago37:56

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 dis…

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28: Being a Change Agent CPO with Founder of Women in Product UK, Namrata Sarmah 40:34

11M ago40:34

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.…

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27: GitHub’s Anjuan Simmons on Helping Yourself and Others Through Burnout 45:24

11M ago45:24

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…

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26: Etsy’s Jenn Clevenger on Navigating Leadership Through Covid and a House Burning Down 34:35

11M ago34:35

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 epis…

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25: An Organic Path to COO with Founder of Constellary, Suzan Bond 58:42

11M ago58:42

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 intervie…

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24: Being CTO While Navigating a Disability with Pleo’s CTO, Meri Williams 48:45

12M ago48:45

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 …

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Perfecting Human-Automation Interaction with Wendy Ju 33:10

12M ago33:10

33:10

In this episode of Designing for Movement: The Mobility UX Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Wendy Ju, an Associate Professor at Cornell Tech. Join them as they discuss: The importance of designing seamless human interactions with automated systems; Shaping the future of technology design; Prototyping for safe and efficient human-robot int…

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23: Google’s Madleina Scheidegger on Leading a Team of Internal & Open Source Software Engineers 37:45

12M ago37:45

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 ext…

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22: Being the First People Leader at the Company with Softdocs’ VP of Employee Success, Christie Williams 37:37

12M ago37:37

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 i…

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Understanding Autonomous Vehicles from the Pedestrian's Perspective with Melissa Cefkin 36:04

1y ago36:04

36:04

In this episode of Designing for Movement: The Mobility UX Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Melissa Cefkin, an Independent UX Consultant. Join them as they discuss: The interaction between pedestrians, cyclists, and human-driven vehicles How humans might interact with an autonomous vehicle Optimism for signaling mechanisms in autonomous v…

1
21: Overcoming Leader Burnout with Vimeo’s Engineering Manager, Vaidehi Joshi 36:10

1y ago36:10

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, …

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20: From Product Director to Startup CEO with Coho’s Mindaugas Petrutis 42:14

1y ago42:14

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…

1
Decoding the Total Cost of a Car Ownership with Samuel Ellis 36:16

1y ago36:16

36:16

In this episode of Designing for Movement: The Mobility UX Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Samuel Ellis, Co-founder and CEO of Karfu. Join them as they discuss: What is Karfu? Understanding the total cost of a car ownership How Karfu helps you make informed mobility choices Making an emotional versus informed mobility decision Samuel is …

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19: A Blind CEO on a Mission to Help Companies Prioritize Disability Inclusion with Ablr’s John Samuel 42:25

1y ago42:25

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…

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18: Finding Balance in the Midst of Constant Change with Engineering Leader, Ashley Hunsberger 46:54

1y ago46:54

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 …

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17: Leading a Startup Through Personal Turmoil with Founder of Merit, Kirk Fernandes 42:22

1y ago42:22

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 r…

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16: Starting a Family and a Company at the Same Time with CEO & Co-Founder of Cable, Natasha Vernier 41:04

1y ago41:04

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 h…

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A 10,000-Foot View of UX Design in the Aviation Industry with Chet Schmid 34:21

1y ago34:21

34:21

In this episode of Designing for Movement: The Mobility UX Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Chet Schmid, a UX/UI Designer at Wheels Up. Join them as they discuss: How does UX design contribute to the safety and reliability of aviation operations? What are some UX design challenges between private aviation and commercial air travel? Why is…

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15: Leading Engineers at a Remote-First Scaling Startup with Co-Founder & CTO of Kyo Health, Kainar Kamalov 36:34

1y ago36:34

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. Since recording this episode of Le…

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How UX Research Is Changing the Automotive Landscape with Dr. Thomas Vöhringer-Kuhnt 35:09

1y ago35:09

35:09

In this episode of Designing for Movement: The Mobility UX Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Dr. Thomas Vöhringer-Kuhnt, Director of Advanced User and Product Research at Lotus Tech Innovation Centre. Join them as they discuss: The ins and outs of HMI/UX research, design, development, and prototyping Prioritizing user research in the autom…

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Designing for Inclusivity: The Intersection of Equity and UX for Mobility with Erica Ellis and Briana Gilmore of Uber 41:56

1y ago41:56

41:56

In this episode of Designing for Movement: The Mobility UX Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Erica Ellis, Senior Manager and Head of Product Equity Design at Uber, and Briana Gilmore, Head of Public Policy, Accessibility & Marginalized Communities at Uber! Join them as they discuss: The need to drive positive change in the transportation i…

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14: From VP of People to COO with Whereby’s Jessica Zwaan 45:49

1y ago45:49

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 su…

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13: Navigating the Director Sandwich with MailChimp’s Director of Engineering, Sonal Mehta 40:34

1y ago40:34

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…

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Delving Into the Mind of the Automotive Consumer with Ehab Kaoud of Ford Motor Company 35:01

1y ago35:01

35:01

In this episode of Designing for Movement: The Mobility UX Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Ehab Kaoud, Chief Exterior Designer of Trucks and SUVs at Ford Motor Company! Join them as they discuss: What it’s like working for Ford and how they push for innovation and growth in their employees How to get into the minds of consumers and under…

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12: Leading While Caring for a Parent with Spotify’s Nivia Henry 42:53

1y ago42:53

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 …

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Behind the Wheel of Automotive UX with Debayan Chakraborty, User Experience Lead at Valtech Mobility 33:56

1y ago33:56

33:56

In this episode of Designing for Movement: The Mobility UX Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Debayan Chakraborty, User Experience Lead at Valtech Mobility. Join them as they discuss: UX as a unique selling point for the modern automobile industry Designing human-machine interfaces and driving innovation Why OEMs should embrace a hybrid app…

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11: Leading a Company Through Acquisition with Co-Founders of Packet, Zac and Jacob Smith 44:27

1y ago44:27

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, Equ…

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10: Being a 1st Time CEO at a Startup in a Highly Regulated Industry with David Jarvis 47:31

1y ago47:31

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 sta…

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Pioneering Data Security and User Experience in the Automotive Industry with Ridwan Pothigara, UX Designer at General Motors 35:27

1+ y ago35:27

35:27

In this episode of Designing for Movement: The Mobility UX Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Ridwan Pothigara, a UX Designer at General Motors. Join them as they discuss: The evolving automotive industry's focus on data security; User experience testing and optimization; The significance of VR, AR, and digital controls in manufacturing. Ri…

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9: Being an Accidental CEO with Founder & CEO at Contenda, Lilly Chen 39:09

1+ y ago39:09

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 we…

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8: Navigating Culture in a Scaling Startup with TaxBit’s VP Brand & Global Communications, Michelle O’Connor 37:55

1+ y ago37:55

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, M…

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7: Leading a FinTech Startup Pre-Launch with Griffin COO/Former-VP of People, Maria Campbell 37:13

1+ y ago37:13

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 t…

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A User-Centered Approach to UX Design for In-Car Touchscreens with Sarah Hedrych, Automotive Experience Researcher at SiriusXM 35:21

1+ y ago35:21

35:21

In the first episode of Designing for Movement: The UX For Mobility Podcast, host Julian Brinkley is joined by Sarah Hedrych, Automotive Experience Researcher at SiriusXM. Join them as they delve into: The increasing prevalence of in-car touchscreens Top UX principles for car design The challenges for designing for the in-vehicle experience Sarah i…

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6: Bearing the Weight of Product Leadership with StackHawk’s VP of Product, Lauren Nagel 42:43

1+ y ago42:43

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 Laure…

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5: Being Underrepresented in the CTO Chair with TaxBit’s CTO, Tramale Turner 43:20

1+ y ago43:20

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…

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4: The Art of Leading While Managing a Chronic Health Condition with Co-Founder and CTO at 3rd Eye Robotics, Dizzy Smith 43:27

1+ y ago43:27

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 misst…

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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 32:13

1+ y ago32:13

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 reinvent…

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2: The Life of a First-Time Exec at an Early Stage Startup with VP of Engineering at Range, Jean Hsu 39:02

1+ y ago39:02

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, a…

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1: The Power of the Vulnerable CEO with former-CEO of StickerGiant & Founder of Humankind Business Leaders, Beck Sydow 42:03

1+ y ago42:03

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…

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Welcome to Leaders Unscripted with Suzan Bond #Trailer 1:41

1+ y ago1:41

1:41

Welcome to the Leaders Unscripted Podcast, where we explore the human side of leadership. I'm your host, Suzan Bond, a former COO and leadership consultant with over 15 years of experience helping leaders navigate change and overcome challenges. In this series, we're taking a practical approach to leadership. We're not here to wax philosophical abo…

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