Episodes

Ellen Derrick – National Executive Deloitte Australia On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Ellen Derrick about the importance of being grateful and serving others; her high performance mindset; working with leaders to deliver excellence at Deloitte Australia; and the value of scheduling energy rather than time. We also delve into coping with her adopted mother passing away from Breast Cancer at the age of eleven; how her children fuel her to deliver better leadersh...

Kate & Sam Cawthorn – Co-Founders Speakers Institute On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Kate and Sam Cawthorn about their life-defining moment; Sam being uniquely wired as a futurist; Kate unlocking your “super powers” of influence through the Gallup CliftonStrengths Finder assessment; the magic of Storyshowing; and Proximity is Power. We also delve into the ‘why’ behind Speakers Institute and Speakers Tribe; being a selfless CEO; recovering with purpose; shifting...

Andrew Klein – Spike Presentations On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Andrew Klein, his struggle with being a lawyer; how debating and theater sports led to a career in speaking; why authenticity is number one for speakers; the art of influence, persuasion and presence; the importance of recovery as a performer; and leading an active and healthy lifestyle. He also energetically talks about aspiring to be Michael Jordan; idolising the comedy science of Jerry Seinfe...

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Jane Perry, a phenomenal leader in the brand transformation space, about what she learnt from being a Cecchetti Ballet student and her love of riding dirt bikes; not having a university degree; always yearning for the next big challenge and to shake things up; and her passion for retail and understanding the shopper. We also spoke about storeowners being the forgotten ones in the sales channel; understanding how people buy...

Garry Mills – CEO Garry Mills Peak Performance On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns and Ben Gathercole speak with Garry Mills about lessons from the police force; being a Bodyguard for former Australian Prime Minister John Howard; and being a mental health advocate with Beyond Blue and Blokepedia. We also talk about learning to live and cope with depression; living a playboy lifestyle; staying in the moment; setting social media parameters; the importance of situation and ...

Alex Richardson – The Art of Mentoring On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Alex Richardson about his creative world; growing up with dyslexia and Irlen Syndrome; the positive effects of meditation on staying focused; the effects of music on the brain; and painting an audio picture. We also delve into the Art of Mentoring; leading a virtual team; the power of mentoring on a mentor; and how they have grown to matching 6,000 mentoring pairs each year. Alex Richardson...

Holly Ransom – CEO / Founder Emergent On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Holly Ransom about being forensically curious; the richness of a conversation; importance of pre-game routine; the power of reverse mentoring; learning to harness fear; and intergenerational leadership in the 21st Century. We explore conversations with Sir Richard Branson and former US President Barak Obama; high performance leadership; what makes New Zealand Primeminister, Jacinda Ardern...

Magnus Grimeland – Founder & CEO of Antler On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Magnus Grimeland about his desire to make a positive difference in the world; excelling as a Norwegian Navy Seal; studying at Harvard University as Facebook launched; global learning’s working at McKinsey & Company; accelerating into Managing Director at Rocket Internet; capitalising on the diverse markets in Southeast Asia with fashion e-commerce companies Zalora and Global Fashion Grou...

Brent Clayton – Firefighter, CEO Fire Recruitment Australia & Authority Marketing Machine On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Brent Clayton about being a serial entrepreneur; turning adversity into opportunity; the determination to become a firefighter; and balancing democratic and autocratic leadership. We also delve into learning discipline from the military; understanding the intricacies of a job; what it takes to be a firefighter; and the backstory of his b...

Christine Amour-Levar – Women On A Mission / HER Planet Earth On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Christine Amour-Levar about her diverse cultural upbringing; learning new language through total immersion; the differences in work ethic, leadership, culture and behaviours between Japan, USA and France; the impact Nike has had on her career; and leading through empathy. We also delve into creating Beijaflor and becoming an entrepreneur; scheduling family time; c...

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Pauline Nguyen about her leadership style; the importance of employees acting like owners; thriving in economic adversity; developing a high performing team; staff retention; connectedness with the customer; the importance of entrepreneurship; and being unshakeable in business and in life. We also delve into about the effect of parenthood; becoming an award-winning author; shining as a keynote speaker; finding happiness in the pu...

Alvin Hew – Group Managing Director of Southgate Ventures Pte Ltd On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns and Ben Gathercole speak with Alvin Hew about the leadership and cultural differences between Proctor & Gamble and L’Oreal; L’Oreal’s Confrontation Room; disrupting L’Oreal’s Asian approach; and Being bestowed the award of Chevalier de l’Ordre Nationale du Merite by French President Jacques Chirac. We also discuss his roles as a Board Director, why he has taken up running and ...

Jana Kapr – CEO Billigence Craig Johns explores the leadership styles between Logica and Vodafone with Jana Kapr; the challenges of merging different cultures andbusiness structures; reacting to being told you are dictator; becoming anentrepreneur; and understanding the vision of the client. We also talk about managing family, work, exercise and other focuses; why sport allows her to perform at ahigher level; the impact former Vodafone Australia CEO, Grahame Maher and her dad had on hercareer; a...

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns talks with Carl about the “why” behind learning Chinese, life in Asia over the last 30 years, falling into banking by accident, and his passion for financial technology and start-ups. We uncover Blockchain technology, R3’s innovative approach to raising finance, the power of the Corda platform, the challenge of writing code and his passion for cycling. Background Carl Wegner is not afraid to challenge the status quo, build lasting cross-bor...

Natalia Cohen – Losing Sight of Shore On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns has a conversation with Natalia Cohen about choosing how we feel, what it takes to row across the Pacific Ocean, lessons taken from overcoming major challenges and embracing the uncomfortable. We discuss strategies on how to minimise conflict, the power of the mind and what it takes to achieve your dreams and goals. Background Natalia Cohen is an incredibly resilient, tenacious, ground-breaking and pion...

Robert McMurtrie – Founder Sports People Recruitment On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we are talking about recruiting talent, leadership performance, being an entrepreneur and managing your energy levels. We discuss the interview process, who should apply for roles, is the employer right for you and the changing landscape in sport. Background Robert McMurtrie has been at the cutting edge of the sports industry for the last four decades. He is a man of integrity, respect, trust and a s...

Bridie O’Donnell – CEO Office for Women in Sport (Victorian Govt) On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we get an intricate look inside the energetic life of Bridie O’Donnell, changing careers, her highs and lows as an athlete, the lessons learnt on the bike that have transferred to her role as a CEO, and the mindfulness required to claim a world record. We delve into her work as a CEO and the This Girl Can campaign, leveling the playing field for women and girls in sport and her view on le...

On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we chat with Sean about his path to becoming a lawyer, innovating in the legal services industry, becoming an entrepreneur, never defining himself by his career and being a co-CEO. We also speak about the triple bottom line, fostering an active and healthy lifestyle in the workplace, being involved in the community and seeing the world through the eyes of an adventure racer. Background Sean King is a young thriving entrepreneur who has disrupted the l...

Ben and Craig have enjoyed a fantastic year on the active CEO Podcast. We have shared with you some amazing stories from CEO and leaders from the around the world on both the active CEO Podcast and our Article Series. As we wrap up 2018, we engage in a brief discussion on: what we do to lead an active CEO lifestyle the incredible people we meet our favourite moments from the active CEO Podcast a snapshot of the books we have read love of learning in 2019 NRG2Perform and active CEO in 2019...

Dr Dina Al-Tayeb – Co-Founder Dentalia Clinics On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we take a look inside the life of Dr Dina Al-Tayeb as a Periodontist, owner of Dentalia Clinics, a passionate Ironwoman, Tufts University Board member, mother of three and health and wellness influencer in the Middle East. We delve into her business approach, being a goal orientated person, being present no matter what hat you wear, what it means to be a role model, the art of distraction and never letting ...

Patrick Kidd OBE – CEO Invictus Games On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns speaks with Patrick Kidd OBE about his approach to being driven by service and purpose; empowering your team members; balancing boundaries with the freedom to operate; knowing when to seek advice; the art of planning; and finding the clarity of your strategy. He gives us an in-depth insight into the tight connection and bond developed in the armed forces; the challenges veterans have when transitioning b...

Liza Pavalakos – Founder LizaPavlakos.com On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we are blessed to hear a compelling insight into the incredible life of Liza Pavlakos, from being physically and sexually abused, raped, homeless, kidnapped, tortured and human trafficked, to leading highly successful businesses and becoming an acclaimed international speaker, with limited high school education and no business training. We discuss overcoming and coping with adversity, starting a business with no...

Michael Sewards – CEO SkyBus On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, we discuss how Michael’s team are elevating the experience of the SkyBus Passengers, coping with passengers varying stress levels, expanding both nationally and internationally, and solving the congestion problems at airports. We delve into Michael’s leadership style, parking the ego in a co-CEO environment, the growing pains when expanding quickly from 140 to 600 team members, and leading through transparency, energy and pu...

Jamin Heppell & Jen Ziegner – Founders Mountains and Marathons On this episode of the active CEO Podcast, Craig Johns and Ben Gathercole speak with Jamin Heppell and Jen Ziegner about how they are transforming not only their clients, but also their own lives; being the best version of yourself; connecting with the community; purpose driven businesses; aligning personal and business values; and the catalyst for Mountains & Marathons. Background Jamin Heppell and Jen Ziegner are a dynamic duo, wh...