C-Level Conversations

The Double Blind Dilemma for Women in Leadership, with Sandy Chakravarty, Chair of Audi and Risk Committees, CFO, COO.

With Karan Ferrell-Rhodes - CEO & Lead Strategist, Shockingly Different Leadership Leaders will need to maintain energy and momentum to prepare the business for what lies ahead with the Global talent shortage.In today’s episode we talk about:What are some of the hottest megatrends in the world of work?Key critical success factors of the world's most successful leadersHow can you accelerate your career advancement.Today’s guest - Karan Rhodes an Organizational strategist who specialises in up-leveling leader capability and optimizing workforces to excel.Karan with her team of over 250 SDL consultants have worked with executive teams at impressive brands such as Coca-Cola, Microsoft, British Petroleum, Meta, EY, Raymond James, Major League Baseball, and the NFl to name some.Listen in as Karan gives us her expert insights on the current mega trends in the world of work. LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/karanrhodes/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ShockinglyDifferent Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shockinglydifferent/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/ShockinglyD Website - https://www.shockinglydifferent.com/ 

With over 30% of consumers willing to stop doing business with you after just 1 bad experience, there has never been a better time than now to focus on improving the experiences you create and deliver for your customers. However, the foundation to delivering a consistent customer experience is the employee experience. Global research confirms that companies who are best-in-class when it comes to employee experience outperform their fortune 500 competitors in ways that it matters, including customer experience and shareholder returns. In today’s episode we will explore -        What is customer experience -        Why data is key to driving customer experience-        The value of human connection in a digital exp-        Personalization in CX -        The role of EX in CX -        And more Today’s guest is Jason. S. Bradshaw.Jason created his first business at fourteen, selling telecommunications and computer equipment which opened his eyes to the power of customer and employee experience.He worked with companies including Telstra, Target Australia, Fairfax Media, New South Wales Government, Optus, and Volkswagen Group Australia,  he sat on the boards of ACON Health Limited and Oz ShowBiz Cares.  His ultimate passion is helping individuals and organisations, grow and achieve their goals.  Read more about the awards Jason won here. Connect with Jason – Twitter – https://twitter.com/jasonsbradshaw Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsbradshaw/ Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/jasonsbradshaw/ Instagram – https://www.facebook.com/jasonsbradshaw/ Website - https://www.jasonsbradshaw.com/ 

Why is Social Responsibility a critical part of the overall business strategy now?  As customers, employees, suppliers and, indeed, society more broadly place increasing importance on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), some leaders have started to look at it as a creative opportunity to strengthen their brands while contributing to society at the same time.For companies that see CSR as an opportunity to strengthen the business, the big challenge is execution. They view CSR as central to their overall strategies, helping them to creatively address key business issues The big challenge for executives is how to develop an approach that can truly deliver on these lofty ambitions and, yet few have necessarily fulfilled these ambitions.Today’s guest is one such leader who has not only researched the relationship between commercial organisations and charitable ones but has implemented responsible business strategies in an emphatic way in organisations he has led. Today’s guest is Dr. David Cooke.He completed a doctorate in 2009 titled “The philanthropic contract: Building Social Capital though Corporate Social Investment” which dealt with the role of profit–making corporations in furthering the work of the NGO sector and why this was sound business practice. His work was awarded the Emerald Publishing Globally Responsible Leadership award for Social Impact in 2011 and in 2014 he was awarded the Top Alumnus of the last 20 years by the Southern Cross University Business School. In 2020 he was awarded a doctorate honoris causa by Edith Cowan University for the implementation of responsible business initiatives in addressing modern slavery within corporate supply chains.David has always sought to establish a work environment that fosters equity, diversity and inclusiveness.He has spent 35 years in the tech sector in Australia and was appointed as the first non-Japanese Chairman & Managing Director of Konica Minolta Australia in 2013. Prior to that he held senior management positions with Canon and Xerox.  David is now consulting through his firm, ESG Advisory.  Today we ask DavidWhy is responsible business initiatives more important now than ever before? How can leaders execute CSR effectively and connect it to ROI?How his social responsibility focused leadership paradigm transformed Konica Minolta Australia’s culture to become an award-winning employer of choice?Resources mentioned in the podcast Modern Slavery Act Australia (link) https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2018A00153Global Slavery Index Australia (link) https://www.globalslaveryindex.org/The Philanthropic Contract: Building Social Capital though Corporate Social Investment (PDF) SelectedWorks - David Cooke (bepress.com)UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Connect with Dr. David Cooke  Website – https://esgadvisory.com.au   Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidcooke/    Twitter – @drdavidcooke   

Bruce Emery – High Performance Transformation Leader | MD - TransformdWhy does a high-performance work culture matter? A high-performance culture helps the organisation achieve high levels of performance and results consistently over time. It’s no wonder then that building a high-performance culture is a chief goal for many leaders as it can mean the difference between stagnation and growth, competitiveness and being left behind. High-performance work practices empower employees, which helps organizational efficiency and performance.Companies using high performance practices benefit from reduced employee turnover while increasing their productivity and financial performance. However, it requires the trust and support of the employees for it to be effective. My guest for this episode is Bruce Emery. Over the past twenty years, Bruce has delivered outstanding success growing underperforming businesses, implementing high performance, developing people and managing the design and execution of new product and opening up new markets.Today Bruce explains:How an organisation needs to prepare when implementing High Performance. What leaders need to do to for their teams to shift form under performance.  The key learnings from implementing High Performance in five companies.  The characteristics of a high-performance culture.  

How can a leader create a fun culture by being authentic? Dean Talbot – Chief Sales and Service Executive (Banking) Leaders have had to step up in a big way in the last 12 months…and  will continue to have to do so  ..in the recovery ahead!  It was a learning experience for everyone, but one that clarified the importance of positive leadership. It seems counterintuitive to suggest that work should be fun, right? Our whole lives we’ve been taught “work hard, play hard”. But why can’t work be fun in itself?Positive company culture is the best way to keep your employees and attract new ones. A fun culture stems from the energy and the vibe of your workplace, and it’s up to the leaders  to set the tone for their team.Today’s guest is Dean Talbot –  Chief Sales and Service Officer, he has worked in C-Suite executive leadership positions with leading innovative and customer centric  Australian banks for over 20 years. Today Dean explains:The role a leader plays in developing a positive culture. How a fun positive culture contributes to productivity. Why leaders must encourage people to be themselves completely.Conversation Highlights:How can you as a leader set the tone for a fun culture? The importance of authenticity in leadership. It is more important than ever for leaders to show their staff they genuinely care. Why do talented corporate professionals self-opt out of a company? What can you do to set up a fun engaged culture? Lessons learnt form sport applicable in business.   

Neyhaa Srivastava – Head of Retail Banking Branches – Credit Union Australia _____________________________________________________________________________About this episode Change is inevitable. Be it in business or personal life, it often requires new ways of thinking and doing – shifting people from what they are used to, to the unknown.  For many, change can be a positive thing. But it can also generate a feeling of uncertainty and resistance.Neyhaa is a change management expert. She has lead change in large teams across process improvement and culture within retail banking.  She explains - Key elements to a successful change strategy.Resistance – what causes resistance and how she overcomes it as a change leader. 

Tracy Glen Head of Customer Assist and Fraud Operations – Latitude Financial Services _____________________________________________________________________________About this episode It has been an unimaginable twelve months the worst bushfire season ever, pandemic economic implosion, loss and lots of new normals to navigate, especially for leaders leading large teams in multiple locations in different countries even leading through crisis is our topic today.  Tracy Glen is a crisis management expert. She has led large teams across multiple countries and has successfully managed teams in America through the GFC and the recent COVID-19 lockdown in Melbourne.  She explains in this episode her key takeaways from leading through crisis, how she kept her teams motivated, engaged and productive in the work from home environment, and her three top priorities to build a strong recovery.