Leadership and Business

About 1 in every 10 American households is food insecure. That’s according to the US Department of Agriculture. That means 10% of American households are uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all members of the family. In addition, households with children have a higher rate of food insecurity than those without kids. A big problem like food insecurity requires a big solution. Michael Flood is part of that solution. He’s the President and CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. A former All-American soccer player at William & Mary, he visited campus for a soccer reunion. And he visited us to talk about food insecurity, food banks, and leading in the non-profit space.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Professionals, companies, and organizations everywhere are working to determine and refine the role automation and Artificial Intelligence play in their strategies and day-to-day activities. At BDO, one of the world’s top accounting and advisory firms, embracing technology, AI, and automation is a way of life. Brian Miller is BDO’s national audit, data analytics, and emerging methods partner. He works with the firm’s leaders to set assurance innovation strategies, assurance data analytics, automation, and AI strategies. He visited William & Mary recently where he was the keynote speaker at the business school’s Accounting Edge Program.  The next day he sat down with us to discuss thriving in an era of automation and AI. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Whether large or small, most companies and organizations engage with their target audiences on social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and others. But what about podcasts? Many companies and organizations have stayed away from hosting their own podcast despite the numbers. For example, the number of podcast listeners in the US has doubled in the last 10 years. According to Influencer Marketing Hub, 62% of American consumers listen to podcasts. Cody Watson is the Director of Marketing at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William & Mary. Before joining the Mason school, he worked in the ad agency space. He says companies should consider hosting their own podcasts, because doing so can create solid relationships with customers and prospective customers.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Some of college football’s biggest and most influential teams and universities have decided to leave their longtime athletic conferences. For example, UCLA and USC - members of the PAC-12 Conference for decades are now a part of the BIG 10 Conference. To the non-sports fan, that doesn’t sound like much. However, the ripple effects of such moves are gigantic. While some universities have already joined new conferences, others continue to seek new affiliations. Why? Television and money. Brian Mann is the Director of Athletics at William & Mary; he previously served as Senior Associate Athletics Director at the University of California Berkeley, a university at the time we recorded the podcast in search of a new conference. He joins us to talk about the business of college athletics, conference realignment, and where it all may end up.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

You have control regarding the way you show up. And as a leader - or aspiring leader - you also have control over the way others perceive you, so developing your leadership style is important. It can work for you or against you. Erin Berube is a Managing Director and Executive Coach at Admired Leadership; a development program focused on the leadership behaviors that create loyal followership and exceptional results. She says the right leadership style will help you inspire others. She joins us today to discuss leadership style and some of its elements; including presence, influence, and advocacy.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Remember when working meant going to the office everyday? Now, countless offices all over the US and the world are empty, or partially empty, thanks to remote work. It’s been over three years since the start of the pandemic, and there’s no doubt its lasting impact on commercial real estate has been significant. And no one’s quite certain what the future holds for the office market. Mike Seiler is a professor at William & Mary’s School of Business. In addition to teaching, he’s one of the country’s leading real estate researchers. He joins us today to talk about the future of commercial real estate, as well as other real estate markets, and what we might expect to see moving forward.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

When companies and organizations discuss digital transformation, they often focus on effective ways to drive technology adoption and transformation. Our guest today says there’s much more to consider. After earning his MBA at William & Mary, J. Singh has spent 20 years working at some of the world’s most recognizable companies; including Target, McDonald’s, and now SportClips Haircuts, where he’s the Chief Digital Officer. His experience is in analytics, merchandizing, digital innovation, and digital transformation. He says there are a number of elements to consider in terms of digital transformation, such as agility and speed, the competition, the customer, the employee and more. He joins us today to talk about digital transformation and how companies and leaders should think about people, process, and tools as they move forward.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Since we first heard about it back in December, the buzz has continued to grow surrounding ChatGPT and other LLMs, or Large Language Models. Companies and organizations are working to determine what role these LLMs will play. Our guest today calls ChatGPT “fast moving” and “fast growing.” And more importantly, he says LLMs are a breakthrough technology with great potential - much like the internet when it was first introduced. Rajiv Kohli is a professor at the William & Mary School of Business. He’s among the top 20 Management Information Systems researchers in the world, and an expert in digital transformation. He joins us today to talk about LLMs; what they are, and where they might take us in the future. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Succeeding and doing so in the right manor. That’s leading a life of principled achievement. The William & Mary School of Business defines the principled achievement leader as one who values people, diversity of thought, empathy, humility, and success. This leader listens and inspires. To recognize this type of outstanding leader, the Business School created the Principled Achievement Award. It’s based on four pillars: Serving as a role model for principled leadership, promoting diversity of thought, demonstrating ethical compassionate behavior, and embracing the tenets of the William & Mary honor code. Last month, the 2023 Principled Achievement Award was presented to AnnaMaria DeSalva, chair and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, one of the world’s leading global communications companies. Before the award ceremony in Washington, D.C., DeSalva sat down with us to discuss her thoughts on leading a life of principled achievement.  Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Energy; it’s always a hot topic. And the American Petroleum Institute is happy to be a part of the discussion. API is a 100-year old trade association that represents all segments of America’s natural gas and oil industry. Its 600 members produce, process, and distribute the majority of the nation’s energy. Amanda Eversole is API’s Executive Vice President and Chief Advocacy Officer. Among other things, she’s the face of oil and gas in Washington, DC, interacting with influencers and government officials to inform them about the issues pertaining to American oil and gas. She visited William & Mary recently and after spending time with business school students, she sat down with us to discuss the American Petroleum Institute, energy in the US and abroad, and influencing with integrity. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.