This week, Jessica sat down with Calvin Crosslin, Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer at Lenovo, a global technology company known for its innovation in PCs, devices, and smart infrastructure. In this conversation, Calvin reflects on his path from HR leadership to driving global diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. He shares how listening—at scale and with intention—became central to Lenovo’s culture-building efforts, and how the company’s commitment to people-first values has shaped everything from employee resource groups to executive accountability. Calvin also unpacks Lenovo’s approach to authenticity in leadership, the evolution of its DEI framework, and why real progress requires both top-down support and grassroots energy. He speaks candidly about navigating difficult conversations, bridging cultural gaps across regions, and measuring what truly matters in culture change. From workforce strategy to community engagement, Calvin’s story is one of empathy in action, strategic listening, and a belief that inclusion drives innovation. About Calvin Crosslin Calvin J. Crosslin, Vice President of Human Resources at Lenovo, is also President of the Lenovo Foundation and Lenovo’s Chief Diversity Officer. Lenovo is a $57 billion revenue global technology powerhouse, ranked #248 on the Fortune 500 and serving millions of customers every day in 180 markets. As President of Lenovo Foundation, Lenovo’s charitable and philanthropic arm, he leads a global team in Lenovo’s philanthropic mission to empower under-represented populations with access to science, technology, engineering & math education, as well as employee volunteerism and crisis response. As Chief Diversity Officer, Crosslin drives corporate vision, goals, strategies, and performance metrics for Lenovo’s Diversity & Inclusion Office, supporting Lenovo’s global workforce, executives and HR leaders to create an inclusive and innovative workplace. As Vice President of Human Resources, Crosslin is the HR Business Leader for Lenovo’s Chief Legal Officer and Chief Security Officer, serving as the HR liaison for Human Rights and Labor Standards under Lenovo’s corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance framework.  Crosslin is a member of the Executive Leadership Council and serves in numerous committee and board leadership roles in the non-profit sector at the national, state and local RTP levels. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvin-crosslin/ Lenovo: https://www.lenovo.com   Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week, Jessica sat down with Stacy Martinet, Chief Communications Officer at Adobe, a global leader in digital experiences and creativity tools. In this conversation, Stacy reflects on her career journey from journalism to marketing leadership at some of the world’s most influential companies. She shares how her early newsroom experiences shaped her communication style and why trust, transparency, and empathy are essential for modern leaders. Stacy also unpacks how Adobe has maintained brand relevance through constant reinvention, the evolving role of marketers in building community, and what it means to lead through uncertainty—from global crises to organizational change. She offers candid insights on imposter syndrome, work-life integration, and why showing up as your full self isn’t just encouraged—it’s necessary.

This week, Jessica sat down with Julia Hartz, Co-Founder and CEO of Eventbrite, a global self-service ticketing and event technology platform. In this conversation, Julia opens up about her leadership journey over two decades of building Eventbrite through economic downturns, digital transformation, and the existential crisis of COVID-19. She reflects on her personal “why,” rooted in the belief that shared, real-life experiences are essential to the human spirit, and describes how that purpose has shaped both the company’s evolution and her own as a leader. Julia discusses the company’s near-collapse during the pandemic, the radical adaptations that followed, and how Eventbrite emerged with a renewed mission to empower community globally. She shares her perspective on sustainable culture, the power of boomerang employees, gender equity in parental leave, and how empathy, once seen as a liability, is now a core leadership strength. About Julia Hartz Julia is co-founder and CEO of Eventbrite, responsible for vision, strategy and growth of the company. Under her leadership, Eventbrite has become a global self-service ticketing and experience technology platform that serves a community of nearly one million event creators around the world. Julia co-founded Eventbrite with a vision to build a self-service platform that would make it possible for anyone to create and sell tickets to live experiences. Today, with more than fifteen years of innovation, Eventbrite is well-placed to empower the next generation of live and online experiences. In addition to her passion for event creators, Julia is focused on cultivating a culture centered around the company’s mission to bring the world together through live experiences. Eventbrite has received multiple awards for its workplace culture, and Julia has been honored as one of Inc.'s Female Founders 100, Fortune's 40 Under 40 business leaders, Inc.'s 35 Under 35 and Fortune's Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliahartz/  Eventbrite: http://www.eventbrite.com/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week, Jessica sat down with Max Schwendner and Mike Clifton, co-CEOs of Alorica, a global customer-experience company with 100,000+ employees. In this conversation, they unpack their shared “why”—helping people get better every day—and how a single “one CEO box” model drives decisiveness, accountability, and speed. They break down the operating cadence (small S-curves and quarterly goals) and the three firmwide priorities: lead with digital/AI, invest in talent so everyone improves daily, and perform at the top tier for every client. The duo also makes the case that employee experience and customer experience aren’t either/or, spotlighting concierge-style internal services, a hands-on world tour to align 105k “Aloricans,” and a culture they describe as passionate and strong. Along the way: co-CEO myths, sold-out capacity, growth vs. evolution in the age of AI, and a few dance-and-karaoke admissions that prove culture can be both disciplined and fun. About Max Schwendner Max Schwendner is a member of the Executive Leadership Team and leads Global Finance, Accounting, Tax, Payroll, Billing, and Planning functions for Alorica. Max has been involved with Alorica since shortly after its merger with EGS in 2016, previously serving on the Company’s Board of Directors as a representative of J.P. Morgan. More recently, Max has also served as a senior advisor to Alorica. Prior to joining Alorica, Max spent over a decade on Wall Street, primarily at J.P. Morgan. During this time, he held leadership roles in the Investment Bank and Private Equity divisions of the company serving as Portfolio Manager, Vice President in Corporate Finance/M&A, Chief of Staff to the CEO of Investment Banking, and various other positions. Additionally, he has served in leadership positions on several portfolio company Board of Directors, Chairman of several Limited Partnership Committees, and has co-founded a small film production company. Max graduated Summa Cum Laude from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting and a minor in History. About Mike Clifton Mike is responsible for Alorica’s global IT organization and initiatives, overseeing the design and delivery of Alorica’s digital technologies and strategies. As a proven leader across IT, operations and sales, Mike plays a key role in creating innovative solutions that drive proven results for both clients and employees. Mike offers 30 years of experience in software, technology, operations and sales, having held CIO and CISO titles at numerous companies. He most recently served as Chief Information Officer and as Chief Innovation Technology Officer at Cognizant, one of the world’s leading professional services companies. At Cognizant, Mike led global IT and oversaw the design and implementation of digitization strategies, IT organizational models, new market growth, and service-level management. Before joining Cognizant, he held C-level positions at Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, Hanover Insurance Group, Nobilis Software as well as other organizations. Mike graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering at the University of Massachusetts. He also earned an Advanced Certificate for Executives (ACE) in Management, Innovation and Technology from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Max Schendner  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-schwendner-3ab15960/ Mike Clifton  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-clifton/ Alorica: https://www.alorica.com/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week, Jessica sat down with Matthew Owenby, Chief Strategy Officer at Aflac, an American insurance company and the largest provider of supplemental insurance in the United States. In this conversation, Matthew shares his insights on leadership, family, and the mission of Aflac. He emphasizes the importance of having a purpose beyond oneself, the commitment to customer care, and the philosophy of hiring for life.  Matthew discusses the challenges faced during the COVID pandemic and how Aflac navigated these challenges while maintaining a focus on empathy and support for employees and customers alike. He also addresses misconceptions about Aflac and shares his personal aspirations in leadership. Matthew Owenby joined Aflac in 2012 as vice president of HR Business Partners, bringing with him more than a decade of human resources leadership experience at Bank of America and General Electric. He assumed his current position in May 2015, where he leads the effort to apply Aflac's global initiatives while providing strategic direction for the Human Resources and Leadership, Learning and Development teams.  In 2016, he was ranked No. 1 in the Top Corporate Leader Award - Over 35 category, a Gold winner in the HR Executive of the Year category and a Silver Stevie honoree in the HR Executive of the Year category. Matthew earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Georgia State University and a Master of Business Administration from Mercer University. He is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management. https://www.aflac.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewowenby/⁠ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn:⁠ linkedin.com/company/culturepartners⁠

This week, Jessica sat down with Mike Dolen, the founder and CEO of Humancore, an AI powered platform designed to help managers lead better in real time.  Having spent his career at the intersection of people, science, and performance, Mike has seen a common pattern: we know what makes great leadership, but rarely embed it into the day-to-day workplace. He explains how Humancore uses generative AI and organizational psychology to offer in-the-moment leadership support that’s contextual and personalized for an organization–and why he thinks the process is more practical and effective than the current model of coaching and training. Plus, big questions around AI's role in the future of work, emotional authenticity, and whether people might actually prefer reporting to a chatbot; it’s a conversation full of tough questions and new perspectives on the intersection of humanity and technology. Mike Dolen is co-founder and CEO of Humancore. He brings a wealth of experience in HR Tech, leveraging his expertise to implement hyper-growth sales strategies, scaling business operations, and cultivating high-performance cultures for businesses across the globe. Prior to Humancore, Mike held key leadership positions at notable companies such as LinkedIn, Glint, CEB, and Kenexa, roles in which he had P&L responsibility and broad functional responsibilities. About Mike Dolen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedolen/ https://humancore.ai/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week, Jessica sat down with Bart Fanelli, founder of Skillibrium and a longtime operator with deep experience leading revenue teams inside high-growth companies. Bart is on a mission to bring skill back into the conversation—especially in leadership. In this episode, he shares how clarity, consistency, and accountability became the foundation of his approach to building high-performing teams. They talk about the danger of over-indexing on tools and dashboards, and why real performance still comes down to people having hard conversations, setting expectations, and holding each other to them. Bart also opens up about his time at Bizarre Voice and Outreach, the lessons he learned scaling organizations quickly, and the personal stories that shaped his leadership style along the way. About Bart Fanelli An experienced sales executive, field operator and executive advisor with a proven track record of building successful GTM organizations, Bart has served in leadership roles with OutSystems, Splunk and BMC Software, leading teams of more than 275 employees within businesses with more than $1.5 billion in revenue. Bart was featured in a 2017 Harvard Business Review article and is an accomplished co-author of “The Success Cadence.” His latest venture is Skillibrium, a platform designed to help go-to-market organizations grow together – individually, as teams and as an organization. In addition, Bart was recently featured in Authority Magazine and HR Daily Advisor. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartfanelli/ https://skillibrium.com/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week, Jessica sat down with Victoria Pelletier, a bold and boundary-breaking executive who became a Fortune 500 COO at just 24 and has been unstoppable ever since. Victoria leads transformation, change, and culture at scale. In this conversation, she shares how she balances clarity and conviction in complex matrixed organizations, how she helps clients embrace AI without abandoning their people, and why emotional intelligence is essential for influencing in today’s workplace. They discuss the shelf life of skills, the rising fear around automation, and how leaders can build buy-in when the future feels uncertain. Victoria also opens up about her personal story. She turned early adversity into her superpower, what it really means to be vulnerable as a leader, and why confidence is her exception to “fake it till you make it.” Victoria Pelletier is no stranger to the corporate board room. By the time she was 24 years old, she was COO of a multinational corporation. Now with 20+ years in corporate leadership, Victoria has held senior roles in companies such as Accenture, IBM, and American Express. Victoria’s message is that we can have it all, as long as we live a life of #NoExcuses. Victoria proves that it IS possible to have a life in which women can succeed as a mom, as a corporate executive, as a spouse, and much more. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoriapelletier/ https://www.kyndryl.com/us/en Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners About Victoria Pelletier

This week, Jessica sat down with Greg Brown, former CEO of Udemy. Greg is a lifelong advocate for growth through learning, with a leadership journey shaped by a childhood surrounded by educators, a growth mindset rooted in family, and a belief that learning creates economic opportunity. Greg shares how that philosophy guided his decision to join Udemy, where he helped transform the company from a consumer marketplace into a $500 million enterprise learning platform used by global brands. They discuss  AI’s impact on learning, the future of higher education, and why Greg believes corporations have a growing responsibility to educate the next generation of workers. Plus, the power of embracing change, whether it’s stepping away from the CEO seat or learning to surrender what you can’t control. About Greg Brown Greg Brown is a senior software executive with over 20 years of experience in enterprise software and technology companies. He served for four years as the CEO of Udemy, a leading global platform for online learning and skills development, where he was instrumental in reshaping the company’s strategic direction, expanding its enterprise learning solutions and integrating advanced AI-driven learning technologies. Before joining Udemy, Greg served as CEO of Reflektive and has held roles at companies including Blackhawk Network, Achievers, Mindjet, PivotLink, and WebEx.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregsbrown/ https://www.udemy.com/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week, Jessica sat down with Tendü Yogurtçu, the Chief Technology Officer of Precisely, which powers data integrity for more than 90 of the Fortune 100. They discuss Tendü's non-traditional perspective as a CTO: her leadership blends deep technical knowledge with a human-first mindset, and her approach to innovation is rooted in clarity, connection, and culture. Tendü also explains how to align technical transformation with business goals, how to create momentum in remote environments, and why innovation is only sustainable when it's grounded in empathy. She also shares her views on AI governance, inclusion in data design, and what it takes to move fast without breaking trust. Plus, how she's building software - and also mentoring rising talent, closing equity gaps, and creating cultures where teams thrive. Tendü Yoğurtçu, Ph.D., is Precisely's Chief Technology Officer (CTO). She has 25+ years of software industry experience, including extensive Big Data and Cloud knowledge. As CTO, Tendu directs the company’s technology strategy and innovation, leading all product research and development programs. Tendü is a member of the Forbes Technology Council. She is also an advocate for STEM education for women and diversity, who was recognized as CTO of the Year at the prestigious 2019 Women in IT Awards, and recognized as an Outstanding Executive in Technology for 2018 by Advancing Women in Technology (AWT). LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tenduyogurtcu https://www.precisely.com/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners About Tendü Yogurtçu

This week, Jessica is joined by Megan Hansen, the Chief People Officer at Ontra - a legal tech company navigating the world of AI and private equity. Megan opens up about the paradoxes that define her role: balancing empathy with performance, innovation with ethics, and purpose with profit. Her perspective is rooted in what she calls the power of "and":  the belief that polarities can be managed, not solved, and that great leadership lives in the in-between. They discuss AI, education, corporate responsibility, and how trust and transparency are the foundation of real change. Megan also shares why being a Chief People Officer is one of the hardest roles in the C-suite, and how she keeps showing up with conviction, clarity, and care. Megan Hansen is the Chief People Officer of Ontra and the executive sponsor of Ontra’s DEI Council. She is responsible for unlocking Ontra’s growth by creating an ecosystem where talented people can do their best work. Prior to Ontra, Megan was the Chief People and Culture Officer at Smartsheet and also served in leadership roles at MOD Pizza, Outerwall, and Frog Design. About Megan Hansen LinkedIn:⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-hansen-04583a341/ https://www.ontra.ai/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week, Jessica is joined by Nikesh Arora, the chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks. When he joined the company in 2018, Nikesh had no cybersecurity experience, but he explains how he brought a bold vision, nonlinear thinking, and a relentless belief in culture as the foundation for growth. In this conversation, they discuss how Nikesh inspires people, what makes culture stick, and how trust, fairness, and curiosity have shaped his leadership style. He shares his approach to listening — including the surprising habit of hosting Zoom calls with 50 randomly selected employees every week — and how that access to unfiltered feedback has helped him lead with more clarity and empathy. They also talk about cybersecurity as a culture issue, how to manage acquisitions without diluting your values, and what it means to be a leader who constantly challenges others to become better versions of themselves. Nikesh Arora joined as chairman and CEO of Palo Alto Networks in June 2018. Before joining Palo Alto Networks, Nikesh served as president and chief operating officer of SoftBank Group Corp. Prior to that, he held a number of positions at Google, Inc. during a 10-year span, including senior vice president and chief business officer, president of global sales operations and business development, and president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining Google, Nikesh held the role of chief marketing officer for the T-Mobile International Division of Deutsche Telekom AG. He was chief executive officer and founder of T-Motion PLC, which merged with T-Mobile International in 2002. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikesh-arora-02894670/ https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners About Nikesh Arora

This week, Jessica is joined by Ron Alvesteffer, the President and CEO of Service Express.  Ron doesn’t just talk about people-first culture, he operationalizes it. He’s built an entire growth engine around employee goals, clarity, and care, with a “why” that’s fundamentally based in service and support. He shares how to scale culture through intentional leadership, why accountability is a form of love, and how he balances relentless growth with human connection. Ron also opens up about his own transformation as a leader, from over-indexing on performance to realizing that investing in people was the key to unlocking results. And the hard stuff, too: turnover, remote work, and how to lead through moments when things break. During his 25+ years of ongoing leadership at Service Express, Ron has helped the company leverage double-digit annual revenue growth, expand its international footprint, create a unique performance-driven culture, and more. He is most proud of the strong company culture Service Express fosters through its Core Value to cultivate a culture of growth that empowers our people to achieve their personal, professional and financial goals. This shared goal has helped create opportunities for employee achievement and led to outstanding individual and company success.    Ron is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization and World 50, a private community for CEOs and C-level executives at globally respected organizations to discover better ideas, share valuable experiences and build relationships that make a lasting impact. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronalvesteffer/ https://serviceexpress.com/about-us/leadership/ron-alvesteffer/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners About Ron Alvesteffer

This week, Jessica is joined by Raúl Valentin, the Chief Human Resources Officer at ABM Industries. Raúl explains how his belief in fairness drives his leadership–everything from recruiting policies to acquisition strategy to the way ABM integrates AI into HR operations. He opens up about his early life as the son of a single mother, why he almost went to law school, and how that background fuels his commitment to give every employee a fair shot — even if that doesn’t always mean treating everyone the same. They also discuss what it really takes to scale culture across a workforce of more than 100,000 hourly team members across the world, why humility and collaboration are at the heart of ABM’s identity, and how Raúl is navigating the evolving conversation around DEI without getting lost in political labels. Plus, the tactics of leadership — like what makes an acquisition succeed, how physical workspaces shape behavior, and why AI can’t replace the human side of HR, even if it’s helping us do our jobs better and faster. About Raúl Valentin Raúl joined ABM in 2019 and serves as the people leader and advocate for more than 100,000 dedicated team members across the US and the UK. Raúl is dedicated to cultivating a stronger community by growing and developing our people and fostering an inclusive culture where everyone is seen, heard, and valued. Raúl has held key HR leadership roles at Coty, Comcast, and Frito-Lay, with more than 30 years of human resources and management experience. He serves on the board of Quanta Services, Inc., a leading provider of comprehensive infrastructure solutions for the electric and gas utility, renewable energy, communications, pipeline and energy industries in the United States. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rauljvalentin https://investor.abm.com/management/raul-valentin Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

Denny’s’ Kelli Valade on Feeding the Soul and Making People Feel Seen This week, Jessica is joined by Kelli Valade, CEO of Denny’s. They discuss how Kelli’s career in restaurants–which started when she was 16 years old–was shaped by leaders who cared for her, how it continues to be shaped by colleagues and employees, and the responsibility  she feels as a leader to see, care for, and understand the people around her. Kelli also discusses culture as a business strategy and maintaining the relevance of a legacy brand without losing its heart. She opens up about mental health and Generation Z, scaling culture across thousands of restaurants, and how leadership rooted in service builds brands that last.  About Kelli Valade Kelli Valade is chief executive officer of Denny's Corporation. She joined Denny's in June 2022 and has spent more than 30 years in the restaurant industry as a purpose-driven leader with an uncompromising dedication to serving guests and her teams. Prior to joining Denny's, Kelli served as CEO of Red Lobster and CEO of Black Box Intelligence. She also spent several years at Brinker International where she held various management positions at Chili’s including brand president, chief operating officer and senior vice president of human resources. Kelli currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) based in Greenville, SC and has served on past boards of the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation (NRAEF) and Women's Foodservice Forum (WFF). LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelli-valade/ https://www.dennys.com/kelli-valade Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week, Jessica is joined by Dr. Don Wood, CEO of the Inspired Performance Institute and creator of a program to help people reset and reprocess trauma–which he understands as a neurological glitch that impacts health and decision-making, and therefore performance and leadership. Don explains why anxiety, addiction and even autoimmune diseases are often symptoms of unresolved trauma, and how his e-learning program helps people unlock new levels of peace and potential. They also talk about how this applies to the workplace, especially for leaders trying to support younger teams and create cultures where people feel safe, focused, and resilient. About Dr. Don Wood Don Wood is a PhD in clinical counseling, author of "Emotional Concussions" and "You Must Be Out of Your Mind,” and the founder of Inspired Performance Institute, which helps people reframe their trauma and get their lives to a place of high performance. After spending years researching how trauma affects minds and lives, Dr. Wood found that early life experiences continue to play a role in how we experience life in the present. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdonwoodphd/ https://www.inspiredperformanceinstitute.com/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week, Jessica is joined by Monique Robertson-Gunter, Chief Experience Officer at Wellby Financial Monique explains how Wellby reshaped its culture to hit ambitious goals–starting with the key results, and developing a culture of feedback, listening and continuous improvement to achieve them. She also talks about her role as Chief Experience Officer–combining culture and brand to create experiences for employees and members, which ultimately drives results. Plus the importance of purpose fit over the myth of culture, fit the value of humility in leadership and Monique's advocacy for women in leadership. About Monique Robertson-Gunter Monique Robertson-Gunter is the Chief Experience Officer at Wellby Financial, where she oversees delivery channels, investments, and membership development. She has more than two decades of experience at financial institutions, and serves as the co-chair of the Global Woman’s Leadership Network. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monique-robertson-gunter-6885871a/ https://www.wellbyfinancial.com/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

This week Jessica is joined by Frank Vella, the CEO of Constant Contact. In a wide-ranging conversation, they discuss Frank’s philosophy of being in the people business, from emphasizing the role of first-line managers to keeping the employee experience in mind while talking with investors. They discuss scaling culture across a company, aligning AI innovation with people-first values, and why it's worth slowing down the spreadsheet to preserve the soul of the company.  Plus, building trust and accountability, leadership styles in private and public companies, and the balancing act of remote work and culture-building. About Frank Vella Frank Vella is CEO of Constant Contact, a comprehensive digital and ecommerce marketing platform that makes it simple and effective for a business to market or sell their idea in today’s complex online marketing world.  Prior to joining Constant Contact, he built best-in-class operations at various sized tech firms across the globe, including top-tier companies like Microsoft, GE Capital, HP Enterprise and Xerox. He led companies through growth, transformation and successful exits while remaining focused on building a terrific culture and keeping a company's product and presence ahead of the crowd.  Frank Vella on LinkedIn Website: Constant Contact Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners

In today's episode, John Frehse, Global Head of Labor Strategies at Ankura, joins Jessica to talk about leadership in uncertain times, the importance of avoiding the 'action trap' that can stifle innovation, and the keys to finding real alignment across the corporate chain: empathy, accountability, and an understanding of the Culture Equation. John Frehse: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfrehse/ Bio at Ankura: https://ankura.com/experts-and-advisors/john-frehse Jessica Kriegel: Website: https://www.jessicakriegel.com/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jess_kriegel/ Culture Partners: Website: https://culturepartners.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/culturepartners/

Pete Stavros, Co-Head of Global Private Equity at KKR, joins Jessica to talk about his work fostering shared employee ownership: reshaping companies so employees have a direct stake in the business itself. They dive deep on what is required to change the beliefs about leaders around shared ownership, the importance of empathy in leadership, and how employee ownership cuts through the thorniest problems of capitalism by creating a culture of accountability, which drives results to allow both employees and business to prosper. About Pete Stavros Pete Stavros joined KKR in 2005 and is Co-Head of Global Private Equity. This includes oversight of assets across Europe, Asia and the Americas and traditional large and mid-cap private equity, core and growth equity. Prior to this role, he served as Co-Head of the Americas Private Equity platform. He is a member of several investment committees at KKR and has also served as Co-Chair of the firm’s global Inclusion and Diversity Council. Prior to becoming Co-Head of Americas Private Equity, Stavros led the Industrials industry team where he pioneered an innovative employee engagement and ownership model. This approach has been successfully implemented at more than 50 KKR companies and has positively impacted more than a hundred thousand employees. Stavros is the Founder and Chairman of Ownership Works, a non-profit focused on building a worker ownership movement globally and enhancing the financial resiliency of the workforce. The goal of Ownership Works is to create more than $20 billion of wealth for working families over the next decade.  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-stavros-1b3a633/ https://www.kkr.com/ Host: Jessica Kriegel Website: jessicakriegel.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jessicakriegel Instagram: @jess_kriegel Culture Partners Website: culturepartners.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/culturepartners