Providing effective healthcare isn't just about the right treatment, it's a field with many branches, and strong relationships and communication channels are just as essential to providing patients with the care they need. Today's guest has developed a platform to bridge those gaps and facilitate collaboration. Today we're sitting down with Maital Rasmussen, who has over 20 years experience as a global commercial executive and strategic advisor. In her role as chief commercial officer at Octave, Maytel is responsible for leading and bringing the first in market precision care solution in neurodegenerative diseases to patients, physicians, pharmas and payers.She is a leader in the global commercialization of digital health and precision medicine solutions and has extensive experience in growth and value creation of patient centric, data-driven health tech products across multiple disease areas, including oncology, neurology, diabetes, infectious diseases, and more.Maital previously served as Global Head of Marketing at Roche during her tenure there, she defined Roche's personalized healthcare strategy and successfully launched digital solutions globally, positioning the company as a world leader in health technology. Some of her other positions included Director of Strategic and Product Marketing at Oracle Healthcare and Precision Medicine, Vice President of Global Marketing at JPMorgan Chase, and Founder and CEO of Rasmussen Communications. Maital draws on deep insights, fresh thinking, and relationships. She turns great ideas into action and delivers results driven programs without losing sight of the big picture, as so many often do.Highlights:Maital describes her career background, and her transition from tech and finance to healthcare (3:16)Maital describes how the Octave opportunity came to her (4:38)Octave's work, and their unique approach to MS treatment (6:06)Octave's innovative digital platform, and its benefit to patients and physicians (10:41)Maital describes the unique technology in Octave's blood test (12:01)Market competition, and what sets Octave's precision medicine apart (13:10)Octave's relationship with MS research communities (16:24)Partnerships, and how Octave is facilitating collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem (18:17)Maital explains the outlook for Octave and how they allocate capital investments (19:31)The potential for Octave's innovative technology to expand into new disease sectors (21:32)Recent leadership changes and how that will affect the company and Maital's role (23:02)How COVID changed the digital health landscape (24:53)How Octave is collaborating to bridge the gap between patients, pharma, payers, and physicians in the healthcare ecosystem (26:52)Maital's goals and predictions for the future of Octave's platform and research (28:07)Links:Maital Rasmussen on LinkedInOctave on LinkedInOctave WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

As today's guest will tell us, breakfasts have recently overtaken Friday dinners as the number one dining out experience of choice. So in the always-competitive hospitality industry, restaurants that do those meals particularly well are in a fantastic position. Chris Tomasso definitely understands how to excel in this space. Chris is the CEO of First Watch Restaurants, which trades under the symbol FWRG.  Prior to taking the helm in 2018, Chris served as President for three years and as Chief Marketing Officer from 2006 to 2015.  Before joining First Watch, Chris led strategic branding and marketing for renowned national and international brands such as Cracker Barrel and Hard Rock Cafe International.In 2021, Chris was named one of the restaurant industry's most admired C-suite leaders by FSR Magazine. Later that year, he led First Watch into Wall Street with their IPO. Chris earned a BA from the University of Central Florida and is an active alum who currently serves on the University of Central Florida Foundation Board of Directors. He was inducted into the University's Nicholson School of Communication and Media Hall of Fame in 2016. Highlights:Chris describes First Watch's background and market concept (2:57)Competition and First Watch's position in the market (4:08)Chris describes First Watch's business model (6:17)First Watch's unique shift schedule, and why it attracts employees (8:43)Chris' approach to business operations (10:36)Chris describes the importance of remaining in the restaurant atmosphere as a CEO (12:06)How First Watch incorporates developing technology into their business (13:59)How Chris applies his marketing background in his role at First Watch (15:30)Chris' capital allocation strategies (17:21)More on First Watch's disruptive business model, and their strategic market placement (18:54)Chris' view on inflation and its ongoing impact on the hospitality industry (20:28)Chris describes the impact of First Watch to becoming a public company (22:09)How Chris was introduced to the hospitality industry (24:27)Links:Chris Tomasso on LinkedInFirst Watch Restaurants on LinkedInFirst Watch Restaurants WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

During the holiday period, we're re-sharing this very popular episode from earlier this year. If you missed it the first time, definitely check out Tom's chat with Stem's John Carrington!Extreme weather, aging grids, power storage and distribution; these are just some of the challenges that clean energy is stepping up to solve. And companies like Stem are at the forefront, with cutting edge AI-driven services. On this episode we get to hear from John Carrington, CEO of Stem. John leads the energy storage and analytics movement at the company and has more than 25 years of leadership experience in technology, energy, and industrial companies.John came to Stem from MiaSolé, the world's largest CIGS-based thin film solar company, where he was CEO and Director. Prior to that, John was the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at First Solar, growing the company from 250 million to more than 2 billion dollars in open markets in the US, Asia, and Europe.John also spent over 16 years at General Electric, most recently as the General Manager and Chief Marketing Officer of GE Plastics. He was part of a small executive team that executed on the 12 billion dollar sale of GE Plastics to SABIC in 2007. We sat down with John to talk about his fascinating career trajectory and the huge runway he has in front of him with Stem. Highlights:John discusses how he got his start in the energy field (2:51)How John ended up at Stem, and what the company does (4:39)How Stem fits into the larger energy transition (7:28)John talks about the ground-breaking software that Stem has built and the real-life use cases (8:39)Stem's total addressable market (11:44)How the Inflation Reduction Act is benefiting energy storage (13:16)The ease of "going solar" today (14:40)Stem's partnership with In Charge, an EV charging infrastructure solution(16:17)John talks about Stem's truly innovative approach (18:07)The benefits of being a public company for Stem (18:58)How John is positioning Stem in this challenging economic time (19:29)The key drivers for margin expansion in the next few years (20:49)The backlog for 2022 vs. 2021 (22:01)John talks about his great team (24:08)Stem's approach to capital allocation (25:20)John's outlook for energy storage in the next three to five years (26:31)John's most important mentors (27:49)Links:ICR TwitterICR LinkedInICR WebsiteJohn Carrington LinkedInJohn Carrington, Stem Inc bioStem LinkedInStem websiteStem TwitterFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

In a year of uncertainty, one thing is for sure: no one could accuse 2023 of being boring. On this short holiday episode, Tom Ryan, Founder and CEO of ICR, and host of Welcome to the Arena looks back on the highs and lows of 2023, shares some of his top episodes and favorite guests of the year, and his advice for businesses and strategists for a successful 2024. Happy holidays from everyone at ICR and Welcome to the Arena! Look for new episodes and more incredible guests from our team in the new year!Links:ICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteTom Ryan LinkedInFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

At a time when parents are fighting a losing battle against screen-time for their kids, real world, active and educational experiences are a huge draw. Today's guest is passionate about these kinds of opportunities for kids, and has built an amazing business to fill that need.We're sitting down with Michael Browning, Founder and CEO of Unleashed Brands, a platform company that houses the world's best franchise brands to help kids learn, play, and grow. Michael launched Unleashed Brands in 2011 after noticing a void in the market for parents looking for trusted resources for kids' activities.The company's growing portfolio currently includes Urban Air Adventure Park, Snapology, The Little Gym, Premier Martial Arts, XP League, and Class 101. In 2011, Michael launched Urban Air Adventure Park, the world's preeminent family indoor adventure park, which has since served over 20 million kids annually and generated over half a billion dollars of system-wide revenue.A young entrepreneur, Michael was named a rising star by the Dallas Business Journal in their annual 40 under 40 list in 2021. Having spent years as an entrepreneur, he leads the team with true insight into the challenges that new businesses face as he doggedly pushes the team to look for new ways to overcome obstacles and break down barriers to achieving success.Highlights:Michael on ideation and execution (3:30)What the company does, their current scale and why they’re in their sweet spot (4:05)Some of the brands in the portfolio, and how the business model works (6:13)Why the business model is a competitive advantage, and how it’s been for the franchisees (8:53)Being asset-light (10:30)Their partnership with Seidler Equity Partners (12:05)How they are using data to improve the company (13:54)The decision-making process on what to include in the portfolio (15:50)Who is the customer and why Unleashed Brands are recession-resistant (17:24)What Michael is focused on for 2024 (19:50)Michael discusses the team and his leadership style (21:08)Michael tells us about how the Unleashed Brands Foundation is helping kids, and how his family has gotten involved (23:18)The goals for the foundation in 2024 and later (27:25)Links:ICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteMichael O. Browning Jr. on LinkedInUnleashed Brands on LinkedInUnleashed Brands WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

The sign of a strong apparel brand isn't always about covering every billboard. It's about longevity, steady growth, and speaking the customer's language. And today's two guests certainly know how to do that.On this episode, we're sitting down with Kevin McLaughlin, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of J.McLaughlin, and Mary Ellen Coyne, the company's CEO. Kevin started J.McLaughlin in 1977 with his brother, Jay. They envisioned a timeless lifestyle brand with a legacy of style and a spirit of connection. And they did just that, opening their first shop on 74th Street and Third Avenue in Manhattan. It immediately became the post-brunch destination for the Ivy league, JG Mellon crowd. Kevin's taste and design-sense has guided the J.McLaughlin collection since the first store opened, and he prides himself on creating effortless and enduring styles with a modern twist. Each style is thoughtfully designed with impeccable craftsmanship, original colors and prints and innovative fabrics.  Mary Ellen Coyne is the CEO of J.McLaughlin, and joined the brand in 2016. She oversees all aspects of strategy and operations, including merchandising, product development, marketing, retail expansion, and e-commerce. Under her leadership, the brand has launched new product verticals, including swim and footwear, enjoyed robust retail expansion, and recently launched a brand refresh. Prior to joining the company, Mary Ellen had two decades of leadership experience at Ralph Lauren, where she most recently served as the Chief Merchandising Officer of Polo Women and Children's Division. Her career kicked off in the Macy’s Training Program, and from there, she sharpened her industry expertise with key merchandising roles at Ann Taylor, The Gap, and Victoria’s Secret.J.McLaughlin now has over 170 beautiful stores on the most charming streets in America and true to the McLaughlin brothers' vision, each store is entirely unique.Highlights:Kevin tells how he and his brother Jay started the business in 1977, and who the core customer is (3:48)Mary Ellen talks about why she joined the company (6:31)The store locations, key markets and expansion strategy (8:08)The menswear category as the early foundation of the brand, and how the company approaches their relationship with the customer (10:16)Kevin talks about the role that intuition plays in the company (14:53)J.McLaughlin's philanthropy and their "local and loyal" approach (16:58)Mary Ellen discusses the company's impressive financial performance (17:57)The company's marketing and the role that their catalogue plays in that mix (19:43)New categories and opportunities for 2024 (22:06)Working with Trey Laird to update the company's branding and marketing (25:16)Kevin discusses the expansion and brand awareness he'd like for the company (27:38)Competition, and the profile and shopping habits of J.McLaughlin's customers (29:39)Trends and retail projections for the coming season (30:47)Mary Ellen and Kevin's goals for the next 5 years (32:06)Links:Mary Ellen Coyne on LinkedInJ.McLaughlin on LinkedInJ.McLaughlin WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

On Welcome to the Arena, Tom gets to talk to some  of the most impressive people around, and with today's guest, that couldn't be more true.  An added bonus? Their conversation combines two things Tom is a huge fan of: the NHL and Whisky, so this is an extra special episode.Today we get to hear from Chris Pronger, not just a former professional hockey player, but a Hall of Famer who has been voted one of the NHL's hundred greatest players ever.  For 19 years, Chris was known as one of the fiercest and most dominant defensemen in the history of the league, and was a four-time All Star, a Norris Trophy winner as the league's best defenseman and a Hart Trophy winner, which is the league's most valuable player, and very rare for a defenseman. Chris took three teams to the Stanley Cup Finals as Captain and won it all with the Anaheim Ducks. He was a two-time Olympic gold medal winner for Canada and is one of 30 players in the Triple Gold Club IIHF World Champion, Olympic Gold, and Stanley Cup.Chris is a great family man and a hardworking entrepreneur launching among other businesses, The JRNY, a 100 percent Canadian rye whisky with his brother, Sean. And that's our focus for today's conversation...with a bit of hockey thrown in as well. Highlights:Chris' tells his journey of getting drafted into the NHL (3:14)First impressions of the league and Chris' immersion into his first team (4:44)Chris describes his time on the Anaheim Ducks (6:13)Chris' turn to hold the Stanley Cup (8:24)The most skilled player Chris ever played against (9:07)The greatest player Chris ever played alongside (10:02)Inspiration for founding The JRNY Whisky (11:13)How Chris and his brother landed on the name 'The JRNY' (13:58)How The JRNY is made and what makes it a premium product (15:53)How Chris approached the product's marketing (16:56)Approaching the Whisky and Canadian-Whisky marketplace (18:38)Where to buy the product and business expansion (19:43)Chris' current favorite NHL teams (21:34)Chris' role as a defenseman, and how the position has changed over time (24:00)Links:ICR XICR LinkedInICR WebsiteChris Pronger on LinkedInThe JRNY Whisky on LinkedInThe JRNY Whisky WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

At a time when customization and a personalized experience have become the expectation, the hospitality industry is racing to keep up with that demand. Our guest today understands that deeply, and he’s driving an innovative business model that is way ahead of the curve. We're sitting down with Barry McGowan, the CEO of Fogo de Chão, an international chain of Brazilian Steakhouses. Barry became CEO in 2019, after serving as President from 2013 to 2018. He has over 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry, including more than 10 years with Brinker International, where he served as COO of Macaroni Grill from 2010 to 2013.Barry also served as President and CEO of Waterloo Restaurants from 2002 to 2010. With his prior experience, Barry brings a broad range of strategic leadership and operational knowledge to Fogo. He holds a B.S. in Hotel Restaurant Management from the University of North Texas, and a Graduate Certificate of Finance from SMU.Highlights:Barry's introduction to the hospitality industry (2:51)Barry describes how the Fogo de Chão opportunity was presented to him (4:20)Fogo's unique background, history, and approach to service (6:19)Fogo de Chão's demographics and how their consumer market has changed over time (8:35)Barry describes Fogo's menu and value model (10:56)Fogo's labor model and how it contributes to their service approach (13:16)Barry explains Fogo's pricing philosophy (16:02)Fogo's outlook and goals for the next ten years (18:52)The investment partnership between Fogo de Chão and Bain Capital (21:58)Fogo's international expansion and growth projection (23:38)Barry discusses Fogo's leadership team (25:11)How Fogo continues to innovate while staying true to their roots (27:07)Barry's favorite items at Fogo de Chão (28:55)Links:Barry McGowan on LinkedInFogo de Chão on LinkedInFogo de Chão WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

It's a huge treat to get the behind-the-scenes stories of the crucial transitions and incredible growth of some of the most iconic companies in the world. And that's why our guest today needed a two-part episode.Last week we shared the first half of my conversation with Ed Garden, Founder of Trian Fund Management and most recently, Garden Investments. Ed was Chief Investment Officer at Trian until May of 2023, and oversaw the company's portfolio management, idea generation, and due diligence activities. He presently serves as a senior advisor.Ed has extensive experience engaging with public company management teams and boards and currently serves on the board of General Electric. He previously served on the boards of Bank of New York Mellon, Family Dollar Stores, Invesco Janice Henderson Group, Pentair, The Wendy's Company and Triarc Companies earlier in his career. Ed worked at Credit Suisse First Boston as an investment banker and BT Alex Brown, where he was co-head of Equity Capital Markets. Ed has a BA in Economics from Harvard. In Part One of our interview, Ed told us how he broke into the investment world, and also shared Trian's origin story. In Part Two, we dive into Garden Investments, as well as Ed's work on various boards, including how he overcame some major challenges at General Electric. Highlights:Ed's approach to first investments (2:25)Reinventing businesses, and Ed's experience on boards, specifically General Electric (5:18)Lessons Ed learned from fellow board members (10:15)How Ed approaches executive compensation as a board member (14:12)Ed's input on the current market and macro environment (16:29)Garden Investments' outlook and mission (18:46)Investors that inspired and mentored Ed (21:30)Garden Investments' values (22:46)Links:Trian Fund Management on LinkedInTrian Fund Management WebsiteTSG on LinkedInTSG WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.

Today we're celebrating a big milestone for the show: It's our 100th episode of Welcome to the Arena and we're marking that huge achievement with a 2-part interview with an influential player in the investment world. Our guest today has had an incredible career and our conversation was packed with inspiring stories and insightful advice.We're sitting down for part one of our interview with Ed Garden, Founder and CEO of Garden Investments. Prior to starting Garden Investments, Ed founded Trian Fund Management in 2005 with Nelson Peltz and Peter May. He was Chief Investment Officer at Trian until May of 2023, and presently serves as a senior advisor.As Chief Investment Officer, Ed oversaw Trian's portfolio management, idea generation, and due diligence activities. He has extensive experience engaging with public company management teams and boards and currently serves on the board of General Electric. He previously served on the boards of Bank of New York Mellon, Family Dollar Stores, Invesco Janice Henderson Group, Pentair, The Wendy's Company and Triarc Companies earlier in his career. Ed worked at Credit Suisse First Boston as an investment banker and BT Alex Brown, where he was co-head of Equity Capital Markets. Ed has a BA in Economics from Harvard. Highlights:Ed's upbringing and the role of academia and education (3:17)Getting into the job market, and Ed's first position in investment banking (6:18)How Ed's work in banking influenced his path to starting an activist firm (10:20)Early challenges Ed and his team faced when founding Trian (12:30)The investment approach and strategy taken at Trian (16:05)What made Trian's investment approach unique (17:28)The relationship between capital allocation and capital governance in investing (22:36)What CEOs don't understand about their company's value in the stock market (23:53)How Ed "de-conglomerated" some companies (25:24)What makes investment partnerships difficult in activist investing (28:44)Links:Trian Fund Management on LinkedInTrian Fund Management WebsiteTSG on LinkedInTSG WebsiteICR LinkedInICR TwitterICR WebsiteFeedback:If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.