Season 2 | Ep 22: Vanessa Colella
The Quintessential Chief Innovation Officer
Insights and inspirational perspectives on the role of a chief innovation officer and how to use social, business and technological systems combined to drive customer excellence.
Vanessa Colella is Citi’s Chief Innovation Officer and leads the Citi Ventures and Citi Productivity teams. Vanessa’s goal is to accelerate and discover new sources of value by championing innovation so that Citi can compete more effectively in a world of technological, behavioral, and societal change. The Citi Ventures team drives innovation by exploring, incubating, and investing in new ideas and partnering with category-defining startups to help people, business and communities thrive. The Citi Productivity team works to transform the employee experience by leveraging the power of process simplification, operating model redesign, and new technologies to help Citi increase efficiency and effectiveness.
Before assuming the role of Chief Innovation Officer, Vanessa ran marketing for Citi’s North American Consumer Bank. She joined Citibank in 2010 from U.S. Venture Partners (USVP), where she was an entrepreneur-in-residence. Prior to USVP, Vanessa was Head of NA Marketing and then SVP of Insights at Yahoo, where she was responsible for developing and executing the company’s consumer data strategy. She was previously a Partner at McKinsey & Company and a junior high and high school science teacher.
Vanessa was named a 2021 BIG Innovation Award Winner, was recognized by Innovation Leader as one of the “Most Influential Innovators” in 2021, and received a Silver Stevie Award in 2020 for her work as a champion of innovation. She has been recognized on the Global Corporate Venturing Powerlist in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and was named to Institutional Investor’s Fintech Finance list from 2015 to 2018. Her work conceiving and launching CitiBike led Citi to win Advertising Age’s 2013 Creativity Award and the Gold Pencil in 2014.
Vanessa sits on the Board of the National Venture Capital Association and serves as a member of the Corporation’s Visiting Committee for the M.I.T. Media Lab. She recently joined Chief in San Francisco as a founding member of the local chapter. Vanessa received her Ph.D. from M.I.T.’s Media Lab as well masters’ degrees from both Columbia University and M.I.T and an S.B. degree in molecular biology from M.I.T. A charter member of Teach for America, she is a published author and lecturer, taught courses at the Santa Fe Institute, and previously served as a research fellow at Rockefeller University. She resides in San Francisco with her husband and son.
Season 2 | Ep 21: Daniel Goleman
Redefining What it Means to be Smart
In depth conversation about all things emotional and social Intelligence and some of the challenges that leaders face in todays world.
Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist who lectures frequently to professional groups, business audiences, and on college campuses. As a science journalist Goleman reported on the brain and behavioral sciences for The New York Times for many years. His 1995 book, Emotional Intelligencewas on The New York Times bestseller list for a year-and-a-half, with more than 5,000,000 copies in print worldwide in 40 languages, and has been a best seller in many countries. Apart from his books on emotional intelligence, Goleman has written books on topics including self-deception, creativity, transparency, meditation, social and emotional learning, ecoliteracy and the ecological crisis.
The Harvard Business Review called emotional intelligence— which discounts IQ as the sole measure of one’s abilities — “a revolutionary, paradigm-shattering idea” and chose his article “What Makes a Leader” as one of ten “must-read” articles from its pages. Emotional Intelligence was named one of the 25 “Most Influential Business Management Books” by TIME Magazine. The Financial Times, Wall Street Journal and Accenture Insititute for Strategic Change have listed Goleman among the most influential business thinkers.
Goleman is a co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (www.casel.org), originally at the Yale Child Studies Center and now at the University of Illinois at Chicago. CASEL’s mission centers on bringing evidence-based programs in emotional literacy to schools worldwide.
He currently co-directs the Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations (www.eiconsortium.org) at Rutgers University. The consortium fosters research partnerships between academic scholars and practitioners on the role emotional intelligence plays in excellence.
Goleman is a board member of the Mind & Life Institute, which fosters dialogues and research collaborations among contemplative practitioners and scientists. Goleman has organized a series of intensive conversations between the Dalai Lama and scientists, which resulted in the books Healthy Emotions, and Destructive Emotions. He is currently editing a book from the most recent dialogue on ecology, interdependence, and ethics.
Goleman’s work as a science journalist has been recognized with many awards, including the Washburn Award for science journalism, a Lifetime Career Award from the American Psychological Association, and he was made a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in recognition of his communicating science to the general public.
Season 2 | Ep 20: Jim Hackett
Becoming a Design Thinking Executive
From cutting edge technology to the future of the workplace, insights from one of the top, most innovative CEOs in the world, Jim Hackett.
Jim Hackett is special advisor to Ford Motor Company and retired as Ford President and CEO. He served from May 2017 to October 2020 and was also a member of the company’s board of directors. He retired from Ford on April 1, 2021.
Under Hackett’s leadership, Ford moved aggressively into the new era of smart and electric vehicles and drove a deeper focus on user – centered design methods. At the same time, Ford improved the fitness of the base business – restructuring operations, invigorating the product portfolio and reducing bureaucracy.
Prior to serving as CEO, Hackett was Chairman of Ford Smart Mobility LLC, a subsidiary of Ford formed to accelerate the company’s plans to design, build, grow and invest in emerging mobility services. He was named to the position March 10, 2016.
Before joining Ford Smart Mobility, Hackett was a member of the Ford Motor Company Board of Directors starting in 2013. As a member of the Sustainability and Innovation committee, he was actively involved with the Ford senior leadership team in launching the company’s Ford Smart Mobility plan. He also served on the Audit and the Nominating and Governance committees.
Hackett was vice chairman of Steelcase, the global leader in the office furniture industry, from 2014 to 2015. He retired as President and CEO in February 2014, after having spend 20 years leading the Grand Rapids based office furniture company.
As a consumer-focused visionary in the office furniture industry, Hackett is credited with guiding Steelcase to becoming a global leader. During his 30 years there, he helped transform the office furniture company from traditional manufacturer to industry innovator broadening the definition of work to include education and healthcare. Hackett is recognized for forecasting that the office landscape would shift away from cubicles to open space team environments, which enabled new age work cultures to emerge.
Hackett is well known for his creative management approach to business. Through an equity investment by Steelcase in IDEO, and international consulting firm, Hackett forged a unique business relationship with its CEO, David Kelley, to foster design innovation at the office furniture company. At that time in 1996, IDEO specialized in the design of a number of consumer products, office equipment, medical instrumentation, furniture and computers including design of the first “mouse” for early Apple computers.
Season 2 | Ep 19: Dr. Michael A. Baston
President of Rockland Community College
Dr. Michael A. Baston is a national thought leader amplifying the role community colleges play in redefining educational success, leading diversity, equity, and inclusion campus-wide reform efforts, and developing executive leadership teams. Dr. Baston has led Rockland Community College in Suffern, New York, as its president since 2017. Under Dr. Baston’s leadership, he helped RCC launch a Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center, a new guided pathway influenced academic school model, Career and English Skills Academies to address middle-skills workforce needs, and secured $30 million in grant, capital, and other fundraising efforts, including back-to-back Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution awards, the largest grants in RCC history. Dr. Baston’s Steps Beyond Statements Initiative has helped to signal specific steps that educational institutions can take to foster inclusive excellence. He was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the primary advocacy organization for the nation’s community colleges. Dr. Baston is also a contributing author to Race, Education, and Reintegrating Formerly Incarcerated Citizens, and the Handbook for Student Affairs in Community Colleges.
Season 2 | Ep 18: Dr. Cathy Greenberg
The First Lady of Happiness
Cathy Greenberg is a former Managing Partner for a CSC and later was a Managing Partner with Accenture. She is the perfect blend of high powered consulting, motivational speaking and best selling author who knows what makes people tick and how to maximize what people have to offer in work and in life. Cathy is one of those special people who when she walks into the room or takes the stage, people immediately turn their heads and want to listen to what she has to say.
In this podcast you will go deep on understanding the dynamics of building successful consultative relationships through chemistry, capacity and capability. Provocative and inspiring, her insights stem from her early work work with primates, later with top executives and now extensively with special forces and ops and military leaders in the United States.
Season 2 | Ep 17: Gene Barr
President & CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business Industry
Barr has more than 40 years of experience in politics, government affairs, and business operations including work with BP America, Associated Petroleum Industries of PA, and the law firm of McNees Wallace & Nurick. He is a member of the boards of both the US Chamber and Council of State Chambers, the board of the United Way of the Capital Region, a board member and past chair of the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg and a number of other groups. He also co-chairs the Keystone Workforce Command Center at the request of Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf. Barr has previously been named “The Most Effective Association Lobbyist” in the Commonwealth in a poll conducted by Pennsylvania Legislative Services and was also included in the Pennlive/Patriot News list of the 17 most influential people in Pennsylvania politics in 2017.
Season 2 | Ep 16: Joel Shapiro
Data Analytics Leader
Joel is an expert on helping organizations generate business value using data analytics. He consults on how to scale enterprise-wide analytics expertise and develop profitable analytics investments and strategies.
Season 2 | Ep 15: Kevin Cashman
Becoming a Sage Consultant: Lessons from a CEO Advisor
Kevin Cashman is a best-selling author, global thought leader and CEO Coach, keynote speaker and pioneer of the ‘grow the whole person to grow the whole leader’ approach to transformative enterprise leadership. He is the founder of LeaderSource Ltd, and the Chief Executive Institute ® recognized as one of the top three enterprise leadership development programs globally. In 2006, LeaderSource was acquired by Korn Ferry, where Kevin is now Global Leader of CEO and Executive Development across 130 offices internationally that touch the lives of 100,000+ leaders monthly.
Season 2 | Ep 14: Chris Baréz-Brown
Author, Speaker, and Founder of Talk It Out & Upping Your Elvis
Chris is dedicated to helping others uncover their natural genius. He helps people to get their energy right every day to achieve more through their own talents, figure out how to be extraordinary, and to drive bottom line results.
Season 2 | Ep 13: Patty Aubery
President of The Canfield Training Group & Bestselling Author
Patty Aubery is the secret behind the growth of the publishing industry’s first billion dollar brand, Chicken Soup for the Soul. As President of The Canfield Training Group, she has trained thousands of individuals in 108 countries around the world. Not to mention her status as #1 NY Times Bestseller, Patty is always looking to share her vast expertise, especially to women entrepreneurs.
Season 2 | Ep 12: James Miller
Licensed Psychotherapist & Radio Show Host
As a well known licensed psychotherapist and sought after mentor, James Miller has been working in the mental health field for over 20 years. In this engaging show, James Miller shares how our thoughts and behaviors shape the way people live their lives and achieve success and happiness.
Season 2 | Episode 11: Bob Doyle
Law of Attraction Teacher
Bob Doyle is best known to most as a Law Of Attraction teacher, who has been featured in the movie ‘The Secret’. An expert teacher, who strongly believes in presenting the Law Of Attraction in a clear and scientific manner, Bob prioritizes the significance of creative self-expression, passion, and purpose.
Episode 8 (Part 2): Emily Pek & Michael Robinson
Frayed Knot Farm & Rust Belt Riders
Listen to the second half of this two part series as I speak with entrepreneurs Emily Pek & Michael Robinson. Emily Pek started Frayed Knot Farm to focus on regenerative farming and Michael Robinson founded Rust Belt Riders, a company that helps local businesses and residents to compost easily and affordably.
Episode 8 (Part 1): Emily Pek & Michael Robinson
Frayed Knot Farm & Rust Belt Riders
Listen to this two part series as I speak with entrepreneurs Emily Pek & Michael Robinson. Emily Pek started Frayed Knot Farm to focus on regenerative farming and Michael Robinson founded Rust Belt Riders, a company that helps local businesses and residents to compost easily and affordably.
Episode 7: Bradie Speller
Director, Change Management & Communications at UPS
From being an accomplished jazz musician to a change management guru, in this episode, you will learn about how Bradie Speller brings both discipline and improvisational skill to enact positive, organizational change.
Episode 6: Ernest Delatorre
Founder & Principal Designer at De La Torre Design Studio
De la Torre founded his eponymous design studio in 2001 and has since been transforming distinguished homes ever since. Now an award-winning designer, his work is featured in publications such as Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, House Beautiful and Luxe magazine.
Episode 4: Larry Keeley
Founder & CEO of Doblin Consulting (A Deloitte Company)
Straight from the “innovation surgeon general’s” mouth you will experience a provocative clinic on what it takes to be an innovative company and become aware of the shallow practices that limit a given organization’s quest to become a more disciplined innovator.
Bonus: Leadership Development News
w/ Cathy Greenberg & Relly Nadler
Best selling authors, Cathy Greenberg and Relly Nadler sit down with Andrew Pek, to talk about all things consulting, creative and being unplugged!
Episode 3: Yaarit Silverstone
Senior Managing Director of Accenture
In this episode, you will hear from Yaarit Silverstone, one of Accenture’s top movers, shakers, and luminaries on people transformation and talent management. Yaarit discusses how to become a capable consultant and how it’s not for the feint hearted.
Episode 2: Jeff Semenchuk
SVP & Chief Innovation Officer at Blue Shield of California
In this episode, you will hear from Jeff Semenchuk, a dyed-in-the-wool, “innovation guru” who has helped transform many companies, including Pfizer, Citi Group, and now is helping companies like Blue Shield of California lead the way toward revolutionizing the healthcare industry.
Episode 1: David Dotlich
President and Senior Partner at Korn Ferry & Best Selling Author
In this episode, you will hear from one of the world’s foremost authorities on leadership and the gritty details on what it is really like to advise some of the most influential CEOs and why it matters so much.
