Claim OwnershipArkaro Insights
Subscribed: 0Played: 13
Subscribe
© 2026 Arkaro
Description
Arkaro Insights provides B2B executives with tools and techniques to thrive in an complex, adaptive world.
About Arkaro
Arkaro is a B2B consultancy specialising in Strategy, Innovation Process, Product Management, Commercial Excellence & Business Development, and Integrated Business Management. With industry expertise across Agriculture, Food, and Chemicals, Arkaro's team combines practical business experience with formal consultancy training to deliver impactful solutions.
You may have the ability to lead these transformations with your team, but time constraints can often be a challenge. Arkaro takes a collaborative 'do it with you' approach, working closely with clients to leave behind sustainable, value-generating solutions—not just a slide deck.
"We don't just coach - we get on the pitch with you"
Connect With Us
💬 We'd love to hear from you! What topics would you like us to explore in future podcast episodes? Drop us a message or connect with us to learn more about Arkaro's approach.
🔗 Visit us at www.arkaro.com
👥 Follow our updates: Arkaro on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/arkaro/
📧 Email us at: mark@arkaro.com
53 Episodes
Reverse
Most organisations are asking the wrong question about AI. They're treating it as a technology to be managed rather than a capability that should serve their business goals. The result? An executive vacuum where leadership sees the potential but the middle of the organisation is paralysed on the how. In this episode, Mark speaks with Charlene Li — one of the world's foremost experts on disruptive transformation and AI strategy, adviser to 49 of the Fortune 100, and author of six books includi...
45% of teams select a suboptimal solution — even when a better one is right in front of them. Creativity researcher Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon explains why, and what leaders can do to fix it. Most teams jump straight to solutions. It feels productive. It looks like progress. But according to Dr. Roni Reiter-Palmon, that instinct is costing organisations their best ideas — before they ever get off the whiteboard. Roni is the John Lewis Holland Distinguished Professor at the University of Nebraska ...
Why do sophisticated five-year plans so often fail the moment they hit real-world complexity? In this conversation, Pete Compo—author of The Emergent Approach to Strategy and former corporate director at DuPont—argues that traditional planning isn't just ineffective in today's world, it's actively dangerous. Most leadership teams operate with LAMO tools (linear, anthropocentric, mechanistic, ordered) whilst the world demands VUCA fluency (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous). The arrival ...
Former Akzo Nobel supply chain chief Karen-Marie Katholm on leading 14,000 people through transformation—why soft skills beat technical expertise when navigating complexity. How do you transform 13 separate supply chains into one integrated operation across 130 manufacturing sites and 14,000 employees? Karen-Marie Katholm has done exactly that. As former Chief Integrated Supply Chain Officer at Akzo Nobel—and now Chief Supply Chain Officer at Orkla Foods—she's learned that technical expertise...
We're told to think outside the box. But what if the box is your greatest creative asset? Dr. Catrinel Tromp explains the cognitive science behind why constraints drive innovation — and why the most dangerous barriers are the ones you've stopped questioning. Think outside the box. Blue sky thinking. Start with a blank canvas. It's advice we hear constantly — but what if it's wrong? Dr. Catrinel Tromp, professor of psychology at Rider University and specialist in the cognitive science of crea...
Jim Lafferty spent 30 years leading in some of the world's most volatile markets. His secret weapon? A test so simple your mother could apply it. What if the smartest person to pressure-test your strategy isn't a consultant or an MBA — but your mum? Jim Lafferty didn't follow the traditional path to Fortune 500 leadership. He started as a fitness instructor, built his career across Nigeria, the Philippines, Poland and beyond, and learned that in volatile, uncertain markets, simplicity beats s...
You cannot just be a leader that takes a can of digital paint and paints over the analogue cracks of your business. It will not survive the disruption that's coming. In this episode, Marco Ryan, former Chief Digital Officer at BP and co-author of Rewire or Retire: AI for Leaders, challenges us to rethink how we lead in an AI-driven world. Marco argues that AI isn't fundamentally a technology issue—it's a leadership issue. And the choice facing every leader is clear: rewire your approach or re...
Welcome to the Arkaro Insights podcast. This episode is based on original content developed by Arkaro. At Arkaro, we're committed to innovation in everything we do—including how we share our insights. We've utilised advanced AI technology to transform our written expertise into this conversational format, making our content more accessible and convenient for our busy B2B audience. What you'll hear is a two-person discussion generated through AI voice technology, designed to deliver our insigh...
Niels van Hove joins Mark Blackwell to explore how AI is transforming S&OP and IBP from bureaucratic box-ticking to decision-centric planning. Discover why planners waste 50% of their time on low-value tasks, how automation and augmentation differ, and Niels's bold vision for AI-powered "decision avatars" that could revolutionise executive decision-making. ____ Is your S&OP process more painful than productive — a "monthly trip to the dentist" as our guest puts it? Niels van H...
How can your organisation use AI without it going wrong? With 95% of organisations failing to see a return on their AI investments, this question has never been more pressing for business leaders. In this episode of Arkaro Insights, I'm joined by Ray Eitel-Porter, co-author of "Governing the Machine: How to Navigate the Risks of AI and Unlock Its True Potential". Ray has spent over eight years helping companies implement AI responsibly. He previously led Accenture's global responsible AI prac...
Do you believe creativity requires complete freedom? You're not alone — 70% of people think the same. But Yale research reveals the opposite: constraints actually enhance creative output. Dr Zorana Ivcevic Pringle, Senior Research Scientist at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and author of The Creativity Choice, joins Mark Blackwell to explore why creativity is a learnable process of decision-making, not a gift reserved for geniuses. In this episode, you'll discover: Why the most cr...
Dr Vlad Glaveanu shares three essential lessons for executives navigating AI: embrace constraints, foster playfulness, and keep ethics at the centre. Read more on: https://arkaro.com/ai-leadership-creativity-constraints/ _________________________ How should leaders think about AI and creativity? In this episode, Mark Blackwell speaks with Dr Vlad Glaveanu, Professor of Psychology at Dublin City University, founder of the Possibility Studies Network, and editor of the Palgrave Encyclopedia of...
Most organisations plan strategy with the outside world in mind, then implement it using unchanged internal structures. The result? Good teams with clear intentions still end up working at cross purposes. In this episode, Rich Allen, author of User Needs Mapping, shows us how to shift from "inside out" to "outside in" thinking—anchoring change on what users actually need, then designing teams to deliver value with less friction and greater flow. We explore why strategy so often stays trapped ...
What if the best map for tomorrow’s chaos comes from a chef, a nappy, and a medieval wine press? We dive into epic disruptions—the kind that turn what’s complex and costly into something simple and affordable—and trace the repeatable patterns behind them. Scott Anthony, clinical professor at Tuck and longtime collaborator of Clayton Christensen, joins us to unpack the behaviours, structures and stories that help leaders steer into uncertainty instead of spinning out. We start with an unexpec...
Welcome to the Arkaro Insights podcast. This episode is based on original content developed by Arkaro. At Arkaro, we're committed to innovation in everything we do—including how we share our insights. We've utilised advanced AI technology to transform our written expertise into this conversational format, making our content more accessible and convenient for our busy B2B audience. What you'll hear is a two-person discussion generated through AI voice technology, designed to deliver our insigh...
Most AI projects don’t stumble on models or math—they stumble on people. We unpack the research behind those eye‑watering failure rates and show how human needs predict whether AI turns into momentum or frustration. With Mark Blackwell of Arkaro back on the mic, we trace the biggest missteps to six essentials from Hilary Scarlett’s SPACES model: self‑esteem, purpose, autonomy, certainty, equity, and social connection. From job threat and thin training to “shadow AI” at the desk, pilot hell in...
Volatility is rising, complexity is everywhere, and the old playbook of adding people, tools, and process is slowing teams down. We sit down with Erica Engelen to unpack what an adaptive organisation really looks like and how leaders can move from control to flow without losing quality or momentum. The beehive is our metaphor: self-managing, high trust, clear signals, and decisions made close to the work. We trace the journey from purpose to practice. Starting with a meaningful purpose gives...
Your brain wants to help you collaborate, but its first job is survival—which means threat detection often wins over clear thinking. We dig into how to design teams and projects that quiet the alarm bells and unlock focus, trust, and creativity, using practical neuroscience you can apply today. With Hilary Scarlett, author of Neuroscience for Organizational Change, we break down the SPACES model—self‑esteem, purpose, autonomy, certainty, equity, and social connection—and show how each lever ...
What if the smartest way to lead through AI isn’t more tech, but a new anatomy for your organisation? We bring on innovation strategist and author Stephen Wunker to unpack a vivid blueprint inspired by an unlikely teacher: the octopus. Instead of sprinkling “AI fairy dust” on old processes, we dig into how distributed intelligence, clear guardrails, and human-centred leadership can turn a mass-disruption moment into a durable advantage. Stephen contrasts the adaptable octopus with the heavil...
Welcome to the Arkaro Insights podcast. This episode is based on original content developed by Arkaro. At Arkaro, we're committed to innovation in everything we do—including how we share our insights. We've utilised advanced AI technology to transform our written expertise into this conversational format, making our content more accessible and convenient for our busy B2B audience. What you'll hear is a two-person discussion generated through AI voice technology, designed to deliver our insigh...
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States