What happens when leaders stop managing and start listening?
In this episode, Andrew McMasters—actor, facilitator, and founder of Improv Mindset—shares how embracing the whole person at work transforms culture, boosts engagement, and drives bottom-line results.“Let’s make the whole person be a part of this organisation.”— Andrew McMastersFrom walking the four walls to listening without agenda, Andrew reveals how small shifts in leadership presence can unlock massive impact.Topics covered: - How emotional check-ins build trust and agility - Why work-life harmony matters more than balance - The ROI of culture: 200% increase in discretionary effort - What improv teaches us about leadership and curiosityWhether you’re a manager, founder, or future leader—this episode will challenge how you show up and lead.
What if the key to inclusive leadership isn’t grand gestures, but small, intentional actions that ripple through your team?In this episode, Jonathan Stutz shares the practical tools and mindset shifts that help leaders build cultures of belonging, one moment at a time. From the power of the “pause button” in meetings to the transformative impact of asking “Are you really okay?” and waiting in silence, Jonathan reveals how empathy, listening, and vulnerability drive performance and trust.
Drawing on decades of experience at Microsoft and Amazon, and insights from his book The Daily Practices of Inclusive Leaders, Jonathan explains why DEI is not a side initiative, it’s a business imperative. You’ll learn how to align inclusion with business goals, how to build trust in underrepresented communities, and how to lead with your ears, not your ego.
Whether you're a new manager or a seasoned executive, this episode will leave you with actionable ways to lead with care, conviction, and courage.
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In this powerful episode of The STEM Career Coach, Dr Max Klau, founder of the Center for Courageous Wholeness and author of Developing Servant Leaders at Scale, joins Donnie Maclary to explore what it really means to lead with purpose.From confronting your shadow to crafting a personal leadership mission, Dr Klau shares hard-won insights from years in AmeriCorps, New Politics, and beyond. Whether you're a young professional or a seasoned leader, this conversation will challenge you to reflect, grow, and take the right next step.Topics include: - The power of inner clarity and shadow work - Why mistakes are essential to growth - How to lead with integrity in high-stakes environments - Free tools and resources to start your leadership journeyDownload Dr Klau’s free workbook: https://courageouswholeness.org🚀 Looking to get ahead in your career?Sign up to our newsletter for expert advice, industry trends, and job opportunities: https://www.airswift.com/newsletter-s...✅ Explore our global jobs board: https://hubs.ly/Q02GXf-90🔔 Subscribe to Airswift’s YouTube: http://bit.ly/airswiftyoutube🌐 Learn more about us: https://www.airswift.com/about/👥 Join the Airswift family: https://www.airswift.com/employee/
“How do I grow as a STEM leader?”
In this special highlights episode of The STEM Career Coach, we answer that question with real advice from six standout guests: Telle Whitney, Sumesh Rahavendra, Salman Jaffer, Henry Maillet, Fergus Lopez, and Sabina Nawaz.You’ll hear how mentorship, sponsorship, mindset shifts, team empowerment, and listening can transform your leadership journey.Whether you're just stepping into leadership or already managing teams, this 10-minute episode is packed with actionable insights and career-changing perspectives.🚀 Looking to get ahead in your career?Sign up to our newsletter for expert advice, industry trends, and job opportunities: https://www.airswift.com/newsletter-s...✅ Explore our global jobs board: https://hubs.ly/Q02GXf-90🔔 Subscribe to Airswift’s YouTube: http://bit.ly/airswiftyoutube🌐 Learn more about us: https://www.airswift.com/about/👥 Join the Airswift family: https://www.airswift.com/employee/
In this episode of The STEM Career Coach, Sabina Nawaz joins Donnie Maclary to unpack one of the most overlooked truths in leadership: pressure corrupts, not power. Drawing from her experience coaching CEOs across 20+ countries and leading executive development at Microsoft, Sabina shares how emotional pressure leads to “junk behaviour,” how power amplifies its impact, and how leaders can manage it through courage, micro habits, and blank space. If you’ve ever struggled with leading under stress, this episode is your toolkit for showing up with clarity, compassion, and strength.
What does it take to lead a global aerospace team in Malaysia without losing your company’s DNA?When aerospace leader Fergus Lopez set up a new operation in Malaysia, he made one bold decision: staff it entirely with local talent. In this episode, Fergus reveals how he built a high performing team in a country where some technicians had never even flown before, and how he bridged cultural gaps without compromising on safety, quality, or global excellence. From teaching “airport culture” to embedding respect and empowerment into everyday work, Fergus shares the practical leadership lessons any STEM professional can apply to build trust, adapt to new environments, and achieve world class results.Whether you are expanding into new markets, managing cross border teams, or looking to grow your career in STEM, this conversation delivers a blueprint for leading across cultures while staying true to your company’s core values.🚀 Looking to get ahead in your career?Sign up to our newsletter for expert advice, industry trends, and job opportunities: https://www.airswift.com/newsletter-s...✅ Explore our global jobs board: https://hubs.ly/Q02GXf-90🔔 Subscribe to Airswift’s YouTube: http://bit.ly/airswiftyoutube🌐 Learn more about us: https://www.airswift.com/about/👥 Join the Airswift family: https://www.airswift.com/employee/
What happens when a hospitality veteran launches a deep-tech lab—and starts hiring people based on grit, not degrees?In this episode, Henry Maillet, CEO of MultiPeak Global Innovation Lab, shares how he's disrupting startup incubation with a human-first, hardware-forward approach. From turning magnetic bedsheets into sleep tech to recruiting street-smart talent from developing nations, Henry’s innovation playbook is anything but typical.You’ll learn:• Why prototyping always starts with on-the-ground problems—not ideas• How Henry assesses cultural fit across global teams• The surprising reason he asks his team to leave after two years• Why academic credentials don’t matter nearly as much as resilience and curiosityWhether you're building a career, a company, or the next great idea—this one will challenge how you think about innovation, hiring, and leadership.🚀 Looking to get ahead in your career?Sign up to our newsletter for expert advice, industry trends, and job opportunities: https://www.airswift.com/newsletter-s...✅ Explore our global jobs board: https://hubs.ly/Q02GXf-90🔔 Subscribe to Airswift’s YouTube: http://bit.ly/airswiftyoutube🌐 Learn more about us: https://www.airswift.com/about/👥 Join the Airswift family: https://www.airswift.com/employee/
Salman Jaffer has built tech teams from London to Ho Chi Minh to Singapore—and he’s learned what actually makes them click. In this episode of The STEM Career Coach, Salman shares hard-won lessons from his global journey across telcos, fintech, and healthtech. From being fired (then rehired) to launching a startup with a successful exit, his path proves that creativity, curiosity, and courage matter more than degrees. You’ll hear why some of his best developers came from economics and journalism, how he balances human connection with technical leadership, and why “a few oddballs” might be the secret to your next great team.If you lead people, mentor talent, or want to pivot into STEM—this conversation will change how you think about teams, growth, and what truly drives innovation.🚀 Looking to get ahead in your career?Sign up to our newsletter for expert advice, industry trends, and job opportunities: https://www.airswift.com/newsletter-s...✅ Explore our global jobs board: https://hubs.ly/Q02GXf-90🔔 Subscribe to Airswift’s YouTube: http://bit.ly/airswiftyoutube🌐 Learn more about us: https://www.airswift.com/about/👥 Join the Airswift family: https://www.airswift.com/employee/
In this episode of The STEM Career Coach, Donnie Maclary sits down with Sumesh Rahavendra, Chief Digital & Strategy Leader at Pos Malaysia, to reveal how you can stop waiting for promotion and start leading at the level you aspire to right now. You’ll discover:
Whether you’re an early-career engineer or a senior technologist, this candid, framework-driven conversation gives you the exact mindsets and behaviors to step into leadership, before the promotion arrives.
Ready to uncover the playbook for inclusive STEM leadership? In this episode of The STEM Career Coach, host Donnie Maclary sits down with Telle Whitney—co-founder of the Grace Hopper Celebration and veteran advocate for women in tech—to discover the “6 Cs” that drive high-performing, diverse teams. You’ll learn: - Creativity & Curiosity: How seeking out cognitive dissonance sparks breakthrough innovation - Courage & Confidence: Real-world steps to embrace risk and own your voice - Community & Communication: Building authentic mentorship and sponsorship programs that scale - Global Perspectives: Strategies for nurturing inclusive cultures from Asia to Austin - Mental Health & Belonging: Practical tips to support under-represented talentWhether you’re charting your first internship or eyeing a leadership role, Telle’s candid stories and proven frameworks will give you the insight and inspiration to lead—and thrive—in any STEM environment. Hit play now and take your first step toward mastering these core principles!🚀 Looking to get ahead in your career?Sign up to our newsletter for expert advice, industry trends, and job opportunities: https://www.airswift.com/newsletter-s...✅ Explore our global jobs board: https://hubs.ly/Q02GXf-90🔔 Subscribe to Airswift’s YouTube: http://bit.ly/airswiftyoutube🌐 Learn more about us: https://www.airswift.com/about/👥 Join the Airswift family: https://www.airswift.com/employee/
What does human-centered leadership look like in the age of AI?In this highlight reel from Season 2 of the AI to Z podcast, we bring together powerful moments from ten remarkable guests—executives, innovators, and thinkers reshaping the way we work, lead, and build trust with technology.🎙️ Featured Guests & Topics: - Julie Flowers on using AI to personalize hiring and put candidates first - Carl Marci on tech addiction, mental health, and reclaiming attention - Todd Unger on fixing customer journeys with smart automation - Pearl Chu on inclusion, authenticity, and recognition in global teams - Fumbi Chima on what real transformation and innovation demand - Leslie Vickrey on AI as a tool—not a replacement—for human connection - Megan Roudebush on ethics, governance, and designing AI for good - Richard Lord on AI in finance, responsibility, and pragmatic adoption - Lauren B. Jones on digital fluency, bias removal, and fearless adaptation - Russ Neuman on evolutionary intelligence, societal shifts, and regulationThis is your blueprint for leading with confidence, empathy, and strategic clarity in a time of unprecedented change.🧠 Whether you're building a team, launching innovation, or adapting your career—these insights are your edge.🚀 Looking to get ahead in your career?Sign up to our newsletter for expert advice, industry trends, and job opportunities: https://www.airswift.com/newsletter-s...✅ Explore our global jobs board: https://hubs.ly/Q02GXf-90🔔 Subscribe to Airswift’s YouTube: http://bit.ly/airswiftyoutube🌐 Learn more about us: https://www.airswift.com/about/👥 Join the Airswift family: https://www.airswift.com/employee/
What does it take to lead in an AI-powered world?In this highlight reel from Season 1 of the AI to Z podcast, we bring together the most powerful insights from ten visionary guests. You’ll hear from executives, founders, technologists, and change agents on what it really means to navigate transformation—with AI, with people, and with purpose.🎙️ Featured Guests & Topics: - Hagen Wenzek on how AI improves consistency in healthcare decisions - Wayne Butterfield on redesigning work for automation - Jill Porubovic on navigating resistance and IT change - Jennifer Ives on tech ROI, data strategy, and engaging future talent - John Higginson on inclusive leadership and solving for fairness - Casey Jacox on humility, accountability, and winning relationships - Lisa Sun on authentic confidence and vulnerability in leadership - Merav Yuravlivker on data literacy, remote culture, and responsible AI - Ken Corriveau on AI ethics, adaptability, and future jobsThis is a masterclass in modern leadership, culture-building, and the real human dynamics behind AI adoption.🧠 Whether you're a tech executive, team leader, or just curious about how top minds are thinking—this is your shortcut to the ideas that matter.
In this episode, we explore how the digital breadcrumbs you leave behind—everything from your Instagram posts to your phone’s sleep data—can paint a surprisingly vivid picture of who you are. But how much of that picture are you even aware of? And what happens when others—researchers, companies, or algorithms—see it before you do? Join us as we dive into the science of human behavior through data, uncovering how identity, intention, and unintentional habits all come together in ways that may surprise you.🚀 Looking to get ahead in your career?Sign up to our newsletter for expert career advice, industry insights, and the latest job opportunities: https://www.airswift.com/newsletter-s...✅ Sign up to our jobs board: https://hubs.ly/Q02GXf-90🔔 Subscribe to learn more about Airswift: http://bit.ly/airswiftyoutube🌐 Find out more about Airswift here: https://www.airswift.com/about/👥 Want to join the Airswift family? Check out vacancies: https://www.airswift.com/employee/
How can you capture clean, standardized data from any point-of-sale system—without ripping and replacing your tech stack?Our guest, Jakub Ruzicka, Chief Product and Technology Officer at EYOS, breaks it down. Drawing on his background in statistics, NLP, and scale-up leadership, Jakub shares how his team is solving one of retail’s messiest challenges: fragmented transaction data and limited visibility into offline sales.YRS has developed a platform-agnostic solution that sits directly on any POS device, providing real-time insights, marketing visibility, and even fraud detection potential—without the need for hundreds of custom integrations.“The main value it really brings is that it sits on top of any point of sale device... the normal way how companies would get insights into such data would be pretty much integrating hundreds of APIs... and especially in regions like South Asia, this might be quite tricky. Just capturing everyone is impossible without a universal solution.” – Jakub RuzickaWhether you’re in retail, fintech, marketing, or data strategy, this conversation answers key questions about where AI and product thinking are merging to deliver real business outcomes.If you’ve ever wrestled with messy integrations, incomplete dashboards, or missed opportunities because of poor data visibility—this one’s for you.
What does it take to build a successful digital agency in Southeast Asia—without outside funding, in a market still catching up to digital?
In this episode, Andrew Turner shares how he and a small team turned a shoestring SEO project into a full-scale digital agency in Malaysia that caught the attention of global network Dentsu. Along the way, he explains why timing, adaptability, and data-driven thinking were key to their growth.
They didn’t start with a business plan or big backing—just a belief in digital. “We set this company up from scratch — literally just a bunch of us around a swimming pool,” Turner says, reflecting on the scrappy beginnings that led to a five-year acquisition journey.
If you're trying to grow something real in an emerging market—or wondering what digital transformation actually looks like when you're in it—this episode gives you the inside track.
Quantum computing is beginning to reshape how STEM professionals work — and how entire industries think about innovation.In this episode, Donnie Maclary speaks with Raghu Koduvayur, former VP at IQM Quantum Computers, about how quantum computing is moving from labs into real-world applications. They explore what this means for current and future roles in science, engineering, and tech, as well as how sectors like healthcare, energy, and logistics are preparing for change.As Raghu puts it, “We will be at a position to solve problems that we have not even imagined today. Like the problems — we don't even understand the problems today — and we will be able to find solutions for them.”Whether you're building a career in STEM or leading innovation in your organization, this conversation breaks down what quantum computing could mean for your future.🚀 Looking to get ahead in your career?Sign up to our newsletter for expert career advice, industry insights, and the latest job opportunities: https://www.airswift.com/newsletter-s...✅ Sign up to our jobs board: https://hubs.ly/Q02GXf-90🌐 Find out more about Airswift here: https://www.airswift.com/about/👥 Want to join the Airswift family? Check out vacancies: https://www.airswift.com/employee/
As AI reshapes global industries, fintech is leading the charge — and that means new opportunities for talent, businesses, and innovation.In this episode, Dmytro Voronenko, Co-Founder & CEO of TurnKey Lender, shares how automation and AI are making digital lending as easy as e-commerce, and what that means for companies, job seekers, and underbanked communities around the world.“Our reason was that one day... digital lending will be as easy as e-commerce,” says Dmytro.We explore: - How fintech is creating new career paths across tech and financial services - Why AI-driven lending matters for underserved markets - What “lending on autopilot” means for business leaders and future hiring needsWhether you're hiring in fintech or planning your next career move, this episode connects the dots between innovation, opportunity, and impact.
Is AI transforming workplace learning or just making it more complicated? Are companies actually helping employees upskill, or are they stuck in outdated training methods?In this episode, David Yeo, founder of Kydon, reveals why companies need to rethink AI-powered learning—and how employees can stay competitive in a rapidly changing world. He shares how his company pivoted from traditional content-driven training to AI-driven, conversation-based learning, why productivity matters more than passive learning, and how AI is reshaping career growth.
🔹 “Moving forward, it is no longer content-driven… It’s conversation-driven. It’s about problem-solving rather than watching courses.” – David Yeo
If you’ve ever wondered:
✅ How can AI help employees stay employable and competitive?
✅ What’s the real ROI of AI-powered learning?
✅ Is traditional training dead, and what’s replacing it?
…then this episode is for you. No fluff, just real answers.
In this fascinating episode, we sit down with Joel Albertson & Suresh Subawickrama from Iris Engineering to explore how gaming technology, AI, and immersive visualization are revolutionizing the world of energy and engineering.What started as a hydrogen and renewables company quickly evolved into something groundbreaking. As Joel recalls, “We had to show our stakeholders what it looked like… a lot of people might say, okay, solar, wind, not in my backyard, right? Or they might say, hey, that just looks too complicated.” The solution? Bringing engineering to life with Unreal Engine, allowing clients to walk through designs in photorealistic 3D before they’re even built.Suresh shares how their work took an unexpected turn: “People started requesting models just to see what things would look like, but then it became repeat work. Then they wanted extra functionality—‘What can we do with light? What can we do with training? What if we could operate before we operate?’” What followed was a game-changing shift in how complex energy projects are designed, tested, and trained for using interactive simulations.In this episode, you’ll witness the future of engineering:🎮 Virtual walkthroughs where engineers can “play it like a video game” before breaking ground⚡ AI-powered simulations that cut costs and optimize efficiency🔧 Physics-based training tools that let workers test real-world scenarios—before stepping foot on siteJoel puts it best: “Just imagine—you’re an oil and gas company, you’ve designed an offshore facility, and at 50% design review, you can actually walk through it. You can touch equipment, test workflows, and see every detail as if you were there.”It’s engineering like you’ve never seen before—more immersive, more efficient, and more intuitive than ever. Don't miss this deep dive into how Iris Engineering is reshaping the industry with technology that feels straight out of a video game—but with real-world impact.
In this episode, Daniel Darancou, Chief Designer at PACCAR, joins DataScienceDonnie to dive into the evolution of vehicle design, sustainability, and the impact of cutting-edge technology on the automotive industry. With a career spanning global markets—from California’s car culture to shaping electric and autonomous vehicles in China—Daniel shares his unique perspective on where the industry is headed."Computers can generate designs, but they lack soul. I want to bring the soul back into the equation."Join us as we explore the balance between artistry and engineering in automotive design, the rise of EVs, and what it takes to create vehicles that are both innovative and timeless.
