It’s the 100th episode of The World Class Leaders show! Join Andrea in this big achievement as he shares the 5 key things he has learned over the past two years of creating the podcast. If you like the show, please subscribe and leave a review, it makes all the difference! KEY TAKEAWAYS Keep your eye on the prize, think about the bigger picture and why you are doing what you’re doing Commitment is proof of integrity. Think about what stops you from being committed. Everything is about give and take. Andrea gives his knowledge and that of his guests for free and if people then see value they will get in touch. Good is good enough. If you chase perfection too much it will lead to procrastination and prevent you from doing things. Think about your support system. Who are the right group of people who can really make a difference to help you achieve your goals? BEST BITS “Sometimes we feel that we’re working but that we aren’t any more connected to the big purpose” “When you record a podcast there are days you don’t want to do it” “I don’t push anything here, I prefer giving” “I’m not looking for something perfect I’m looking for something good, to shaking and shifting mindsets” "Givers always win" VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Adnan Al Noorani is a serial entrepreneur, philanthropist and advisor to families in the UAE. He is highly recognised for his humanitarian work and has over 20 years of experience working with families on everything from law to finance. He joins Andrea to talk about his leadership vision for the future, why everything we do is teaching the next generation of leaders and discusses the mindset and lessons that have got him to where he is today. KEY TAKEAWAYS Adnan has a large following on Linkedin, inspiring others daily with his posts and content. Adnan believes in having to work yourself for anything you want in life, this was taught to him by his father. When running events, it’s essential to provide value to the audience and attendees, you need to serve them quality not quantity. This is why Adnan created the Future Innovation Summit event. Risk is part of being a businessman, you have to face challenges head-on. Having a can-do positive mindset, where you tell yourself what you will do each day and what you will achieve is one of the pillars of success as a leader. Adnan’s only regret as a leader is not being able to do more for humanity, he is restricted only by money. BEST BITS “A true leader always listens to his people” “In life, if you’re not risky you’re not a businessman, no risk no story” “In this life nothing is impossible, everything is possible” “I’m proud of what I did but my only regret is I want to do more for society” VALUABLE RESOURCES https://www.linkedin.com/in/adnan-al-noorani-428833133 http://www.dfisx.com/ Adnan’s Book Recommendations: Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Flashes of Thought Lessons in Life and Leadership The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari The Art of War Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE GUEST Adnan Al Noorani https://www.linkedin.com/in/adnan-al-noorani-428833133 http://www.dfisx.com/ ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Many teams across organisations lack a sense of ownership of results, they may all be doing their own pieces of the puzzle but no one is taking ownership of the entire result. What people say tells you a lot about how they see the current reality and in this episode, Andrea outlines 10 phrases that demonstrate you may have an issue with a lack of ownership in your organisation. KEY TAKEAWAYS It’s not my problem, it’s up to someone else to take care of it Why should I contribute when others aren’t doing their part I don’t see how my actions affect the results It’s not my responsibility to make things happen, ask someone else Leave me alone I can’t be expected to take ownership of something that’s not directly related to my role I didn’t have a say in the decision-making process so I don’t feel responsible for the outcome It’s not my team I’m just following instructions Why should I put in extra effort when other people aren’t pulling their weight? BEST BITS “Ownership is really responsibility at another level” “That is a sign of lack of ownership as people feel they are not part of the solution” “Language is a good demonstration of perception of ownership” “Ownership is helping each other get things done” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Andrea is joined by Intertrust CEO Talal Shamoon. Talal talks about adaptability in business, why the absence of strict hierarchy can be an advantage and why your team and the tools you give them are one of the greatest assets for any CEO. Talal is an entrepreneur by nature and talks about how this has aided his success and gives his thoughts on different CEO archetypes including detailed feedback on Elon Musks' leadership style. KEY TAKEAWAYS Intertrust has transformed what they see to be one of the biggest modern business problems, allowing competitors to cooperate without having to collaborate. Silicon Valley is not so much about the company or the idea it’s about the team that works together. Frequently, people who have complementary skills work together and move from company to company. Intertrust has remained a very agile company despite its size and age, it’s always adapted to fit the needs of consumers and to take opportunities. Talal has set up the company structure to have less hierarchy, if someone knows more than him, he listens to them. Intertrust pays attention to its size, if they get too big they assess and have sold parts in the past. They find that once they get past the 150-employee mark they meet different challenges. Life isn’t easier as a CEO if you treat others with respect and run an ethical business. Elon Musk is often criticised, but he leads from the front and has the ability to help anyone get their job done when they’re struggling. Hiring very specialised people and matching your team effectively to the problem you want to solve, means you can solve problems that others may feel are impossible. As a leader, you need to give your team the right tools so they can succeed. Talal never makes decisions by himself, he has a group of people that he trusts to help him work through them. BEST BITS “This company is very rare, it’s been evergreen it’s entire life” “There’s no real hierarchy we organise around problems that need to be solved” “To create shareholder value I have to ensure the team remains the best team in the world” “You team around tasks and problems you don’t create a hierarchy” “Companies like Motorola and Nokia had to die for companies like Apple and Samsung to be born” “It’s teams and tools” “I never make decisions by myself… I don’t hold the truth, I don’t own the truth, no one owns the truth” “Ultimately the best way to learn is from other people” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE GUEST Talal Shamoon became Intertrust’s CEO in 2003.  Under his leadership, Intertrust has grown from a small R&D and licensing company to a global leader in trusted computing products and services, licensing, and standardization.  Today, Intertrust’s inventions enable billions of licensed products worldwide and its products are globally deployed.  He joined Intertrust in 1997 as a member of the research staff, and then held a series of executive positions, including Executive Vice President for Business Development and Marketing.  An electrical engineer and computer scientist by training, Talal was a researcher at the NEC Research Institute in Princeton, NJ, where he focused on digital signal processing and content security.  He sits on several company boards – he is a member of the board of directors at Intertrust and on the advisory board of Iron Pillar.   A recognized inventor, published author, and frequent public speaker,with a Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Cornell University. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Andrea offers a different perspective about spending time with a bad boss in this episode, particularly focusing on how he discovered what kind of leader he wanted to be from being badly managed in the past. Andrea outlines the things he learnt not to do from his experience with these poor leaders, including why to always show clarity, to always embrace accountability and growth and talks about why leadership is never just a title but the impact we have upon others. KEY TAKEAWAYS Early in his career, Andrea had many bad bosses! You can approach having bad bosses in two ways, negatively or proactively, recognising what you learnt from them. Communication, demotivation and misguided decision-making were common themes across Andrea’s past bad bosses. Andrea realised, that having these bad bosses could present an opportunity for him, to learn what to do differently and pave the way for his own leadership style. Clarity is one of the main things Andrea learnt from his bad bosses, showing the importance of clear expectations and direction, and eliminating ambiguity and confusion. Learn to nurture an environment where people feel valued and where you can show empathy. Foster a culture of accountability, and avoid anything that would create a blame culture. Bad bosses are the epitome of stagnation, they avoided change and didn’t embrace innovation or have a growth mindset Don’t just be another leader, who reflects and mimics the traits they have had from bad bosses in the past, challenge them and focus on the impact you can have as a leader. BEST BITS “They were really masters in demotivation, communication blunders” “It felt like every day was one long episode of what not to do as a leader” “If you know who is the person you want to be or become, is already part of the solution” “Bad bosses showcased the importance of clear expectation and directions” “Don’t just be another leader” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.  

Do you accept diversity or do you celebrate it? In this episode, Andrea is joined by Caroline, who shares her experiences as a CEO before and after her gender transition. Caroline talks about the many differences in leading a company as a man first and then as a woman, how her authenticity helps her build trust and connection with female colleagues as well as why inclusive leadership and driving gender diversity and inclusion in companies can only help them thrive. Caroline also shares some practical tips on how to embrace diversity in your team and the biggest thing they learnt during their time as a CEO and leader. KEY TAKEAWAYS Caroline has been a CEO as a man and as a woman and can see from their own experiences the many key differences including how others respond to you on a daily basis. When living as a male CEO, Caroline genuinely thought they knew a lot about gender diversity, but it only took a few months after becoming a female CEO to realise how much they didn’t know and how difficult it was being in business as a woman. Being a female CEO, meant that women trusted Caroline more and were more open about their specific challenges. Men often feel under pressure to feel and be seen as strong, they don’t show vulnerability. This means they often miss authenticity and others will not show vulnerability to them either, excluding true transparency within a team. Inclusive leadership allows every single person to be themselves and bring their whole selves to work. This is a big advantage to any business. As a leader, you want to facilitate discussions, so everything is balanced. You need to make everyone feel at ease so that they can be authentic and speak with truth. It’s not enough to simply accept diversity, you have to celebrate it. Caroline recognises that when they were living as a man, being a CEO was very closely associated with their ego, it was something they measured their success by. Now they are living as a woman they have managed to live more aligned with their values.  Do not see diversity and inclusion as an HR issue that you do not need to look after and evaluate yourself. It’s integrated within a culture and can make your organisation and you as a leader more successful. The world is changing faster than ever before, you have to continue to learn and educate yourself about the things you do not know to remain relevant and not become obsolete. It is your responsibility and you will be a better leader for it. The biggest asset in any organisation is the people, their ambition, commitment and energy of those people and it’s a leader’s job to maximise this potential. BEST BITS “When I lived as a man I didn’t have the complete picture of what was going around me, I have a filtered one” “If you always predict strength and never any weaknesses, you do not invite to have really authentic discussions” “I realised I had a rather excluding management style I was told by women after my transition, I was told I have a very dominating management style” “The world is moving faster than ever before and life is a continuous learning journey” “If you are not part of the solution of creating more including culture you may subconsciously be part of the problem” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE GUEST Caroline Farberger Experienced CEO and entrepreneur Board professional Tech investor Public speaker Author Caroline is a professional chairperson and board member, Tech Investor, experienced CEO, keynote speaker and author. Up until 2022, she was CEO of the Swedish insurer ICA Insurance, having spent a total of 25 years in the financial industry on several senior management positions. In addition to her line management experience, Caroline has also been a dot-com entrepreneur and consultant with McKinsey. Caroline is the first senior business leader in the Nordics to speak openly about her gender transition, having formerly lived as Carl Farberger. Consequently, Caroline has become an advocate and ambassador for diversity and inclusive leadership. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

Are you investing in yourself? What is your relationship with personal development as a CEO or leader? 95% of CEOs don’t invest in themselves but why is this the case? In this episode, Andrea explores the reasons so many CEOs don’t prioritise their personal development and the reasons why this needs to change, especially if they want to be an effective leader and grow a successful business. KEY TAKEAWAYS The top CEO’s spend 25k on personal development whilst many other CEOs do not, could this be the secret to their success? Many CEOs can suffer from what Andrea calls an overconfidence bias, meaning they don’t perceive that they have a reason to, or need to prioritise personal development Successful CEOS generally attribute success to their own personal skills and abilities so once they have had success, they don’t see the need to progress themselves and work on themselves further A fixed mindset means that a CEO may feel like they can’t alter or change who they are and their skillset Time allocation bias can cause a CEO to not prioritise their own personal development as they are too busy and focused on other tasks within the business CEOs who invest in their personal development see a significant boost in their companies performance Lack of investment into personal development and growth leads to stagnation in the individual and the company as well as eventually failure BEST BITS “Fortune 500 CEOS on average spend 25k per year on personal development” “Past success tends to boost ego too if you aren’t allowing yourself to be balanced” “This mindset can lead to a belief that investing time and resource in personal development isn’t necessary” “CEOs saw a 5% increase in profitability within two years of partaking in personal development programmes” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episode and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.      

“Leaders create leaders by passing on responsibility, creating ownership, accountability and trust” James Kerr - Legacy: What The All Blacks Can Teach Us about the Business of Life In this episode, Andrea is joined by Michael Hansen, the CEO of Hempel based in Denmark. Michael talks about the role of sustainability in the future success of companies, his approach to people and the human element in being a CEO and also about the unique challenges leaders face in the workplace today including retaining talent. Michael and Andrea also talk in-depth about how important culture is to a company and what you can do as a CEO to influence it. KEY TAKEAWAYS It usually takes around 6 months for a CEO to learn the basics about a new organization, up to this point they are mostly learning and not making any big rash decisions. Hempel wants to ensure they are a leading industry enterprise and having this goal acts as a ‘lighthouse’ in difficult and more challenging times. Sustainability and how companies can contribute to their industries and their clients will determine the future success of many companies. People, financial robustness, customer-perceived uniqueness and giving back to society are the 4 pillars Michael believes you need for a successful company. Michael is passionate about understanding the realities of colleagues across the world and the differences in leadership style and other attributes to unleash the power to generate the best results. Michael has actively engaged himself to find out why there are so many challenges for women in his organization and what he can do to directly influence this. Asking questions and speaking to people directly, allows a CEO to get a true insight into the company culture, struggles and more. Hempel gives back to society in various ways including via their solutions and products and also by giving and supporting schools and by protecting biodiversity too. Attracting and retaining the best people is one of today’s most difficult tasks. The talented colleagues of today are always looking for the best opportunities for them and they have more options than ever. You have to work on building an environment where they thrive or they will leave. One formula doesn’t work for all employees but if you can instill the right leadership culture and environment, you can help retain good talent. A CEO has a huge impact on a company culture and this can be both negative and positive. A CEO can engage with many more employees by creating the right culture for them than they can by trying to talk to and lead every single one individually. Stay curious, always be open to learning from others, regardless of who they are.9 BEST BITS “That was a deliberate choice in that we needed to continue to grow at an accelerated pace but in an intelligent way” “We want to make sure we are among the leading 5 companies, that guide some choices” “We should listen to our leaders, but we should also listen ourselves, closer to the frontline” “It’s a very mobile workforce we have today, it’s a very ambitious workforce” “Culture can drive performance, but it can also drive engagement in employees” VALUABLE RESOURCES Michael’s Book Recommendations: Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us about the Business of Life The Founder's Mentality: How to Overcome the Predictable Crises of Growth Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episodes and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE GUEST Michael Hansen mihan@hempel.com linkedin.com/in/michaelhansen75 Michael Hansen joined Hempel in May 2017 as Chief Commercial Officer and has delivered remarkable results as a central driver of the global transformation in Hempel. Prior to taking on the role as Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Hempel A/S, Michael was part of the Executive Group Management as Executive Vice President, Energy & Infrastructure. Michael Hansen holds a degree from Copenhagen Business School, as well as an Executive MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. Prior to joining Hempel, Michael Hansen worked 19 years for Maersk, where he held the position, among others, of Vice President, Global Head of Sales & Marketing in Maersk Line. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.      

We are all driven by our perceptions but we aren’t always good at accepting how it impacts our performance. In this episode, Andrea gives 5 practical steps you can take to improve both your and the team's performance. Perception has an incredible impact on the actions that we make every day and if you really want to have the best performance in all areas of your life then you must start to recognize that this is in your control. KEY TAKEAWAYS Recognize your perception by understanding your values and beliefs about things that are around you Notice the relationship between your perception and how it shapes your actions Challenge your own perceptions, question your mind and beliefs, and seek other perspectives. Engage with others who have different viewpoints and experiences, become an observer. Be compassionate and open-minded to those around you Reframe, when you encounter difficult situations look for the positives, the opportunities and the lessons to be learned BEST BITS “Perception isn’t just a window to reality it redefines what reality really is to us” “Are there any negative or limiting perceptions that are holding you back?” “Is your current perception the only view about something or is there something else you don’t see that might be true?” “Be kind and patient to yourself during this process” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episodes and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.

In a world where the pace of change is only accelerating, the ability to drive effective change is becoming even more important. Yet, some 70% of change initiatives historically fail. Many books and articles offer theories about how to lead change. But what is missing is practical wisdom that is accessible to executive teams. In this conversation, Donald B. Hawthorne – a 6-time former CEO – talks about the specific methods he has used over the years to drive change. Donald B. Hawthorne is a GTM Specialist with over 40 years of experience in companies including start-ups as an executive consultant. KEY TAKEAWAYS Sometimes having an external person come into a business to drive change can mean it’s easier to be swift with change and implement it effectively.  The missing link often found in leadership, is the requirement for intellectual honesty within teams as well as external clients, it’s important to bring any issues and changes out into the open. If management isn’t open and honest with employees about what is happening within an organization the employees will become more and more skeptical. Ask your team, what’s working, what isn’t working, and if you were in charge tomorrow what would you do differently? This makes them feel safe to speak up and start to collaborate with leaders and managers. Toxic individuals can cause a hostile work environment but generally can do well personally within the business. Honesty and intellectuality allow leaders to flush out the toxic people and highlight the workers they want within your company.  Talk to your customers, and ask them the right questions to find out how your product does and doesn’t work for them. Your future leaders will self-identify themselves as they will step up to get involved in change-making, additional responsibilities, and raising issues, all you need to do is create an open environment that fosters autonomy and honesty. Silos and the lack of sharing information are one of the biggest issues companies face, it’s better in Don’s opinion to face and deal with disruption by allowing consistent open discussions and autonomy to change things than to remain in a culture that doesn’t collaborate fully. Board meetings can be likened to a performance, often the core issues that impact the business every day are overlooked. The biggest thing Don has learned as a leader is that good people want to make a difference every day and management teams don’t ask enough, are we clearing the pathway so that they can? BEST BITS “Employees know more within an organization and a business than many executives care to remember” “what’s working, what isn’t working, and if you were in charge tomorrow what would you do differently?” “Transparency is the key to drive performance” “We’re going to measure performance on the real issues”  “It allowed me as a CEO to be really well informed on the edges, it allowed me to ask questions and pick up on nuances” “People don’t talk as honestly when a VP is around” “It’s a dynamic world, you have to be willing to accept the fact that you’re dealing with uncertainty”  “Good people want to make a difference every day and management teams don’t ask enough, are we clearing the pathway so they can?” VALUABLE RESOURCES Like the show? Please leave or write a review on your favorite podcast platform! Let Andrea know your thoughts or share your comments via LinkedIn or via email For more information on Andrea’s work and access to other valuable resources, please visit the website    If you don’t want to miss any episodes and receive the full article in your inbox, subscribe today to our blog Need more? Book a 30 min call here: https://calendly.com/andreapetrone/strategy-call-30. ABOUT THE GUEST LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donaldbhawthorne/ Don has over 40 years of industry experience in large companies, startups, high-growth organizations, and turnarounds. He has worked in or with 49 companies as either an operating executive or consultant, with most being funded by private equity, venture capital or angel investors. Since 1989, Don has held 11 C-suite positions (CEO-6, COO-2, CFO-3), was partner in growth equity fund, and served as advisor/coach to CEOs, Boards of Directors, and investors at both public and privately held companies.  He has served on five Boards of Directors and has either led or been an active participant in every Board meeting since 1985 at the 11 companies where he held an executive position. Don has raised more than $310 million of debt and equity monies in public (IPOs, secondaries, PIPES) and private markets, closed 10 business development deals, and been involved in five M&A transactions. He is currently a go-to-market (GTM) strategy consultant who helps companies uncover GTM blind spots and then develop robust GTM solutions that enable them to persuade investors, corporate partners, and customers that they should care enough to invest in/partner with/acquire their company or buy their offerings. Don earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of  Business. ABOUT THE HOST My name is Andrea Petrone. I'm a Human Performance and Leadership Advisor, Executive Coach and International Speaker. I help leaders and their teams to change their mindsets and master their leadership capabilities so they can achieve extraordinary performance. I've been in the corporate world for more than 20 years working globally - in 6 countries and 3 continents - for medium-large companies.