Advertise on podcast: MN CEOs You Should Know

If Jim Mazany's career had a soundtrack, it would open with Prince. His first concert was the Purple Rain tour at Nassau Coliseum. Since then, his path has run from washing dishes on Long Island to culinary school in Hyde Park to leading brands like TGI Fridays, Logan's Roadhouse and Joe's Crab Shack, and now to the CEO role at P.F. Chang's. In this episode of CEOs You Should Know, iHeartMedia Region President Chris Long sits down with Jim Mazany, CEO of P.F. Chang's, to talk about hospitality, culinary craft and leading an iconic brand through a turnaround. Jim traces the influences that shaped him, from a Marine father who taught him work ethic to a mother who made hospitality the center of their home. He shares how a chef's mindset still guides the way he leads, why "the speed of trust" matters when building a leadership team and how P.F. Chang's is working to turn "I like P.F. Chang's, but I haven't been there in a while" into "I love P.F. Chang's, and I was there last night." He also takes Chris inside the brand's turnaround, from renewed focus on the in-restaurant experience and culinary innovation to double-digit sales growth, rising guest traffic and plans to expand P.F. Chang's footprint in the U.S. and around the world. Guest: Jim Mazany, CEO, P.F. Chang's Host: Chris Long, Region President, iHeartMedia Dallas-Fort Worth & Central Texas See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pat founded six successful search tech companies over 30 years, with partnerships in telecom, defense, and advertising. As Seekr Technologies CEO, he pioneers AI solutions, redefining content evaluation and empowering users with bias free applications. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrea Walsh is president and chief executive officer of Minnesota-based HealthPartners, a nonprofit, integrated health system providing health plan coverage to 1.4 million members and health care to 1.4 million patients. She leads a team of more than 28,000 colleagues dedicated to a vision of health as it could be, affordability as it must be, through relationships built on trust Walsh has served as president and CEO since 2017. During her tenure, HealthPartners has continued to deepen its reputation as a national leader in high-quality, affordable care and coverage. She’s led with a focus on building healthy and high-performing teams, and forging partnerships to improve health equity, children’s health, mental health, and other important areas of community health and well-being. Prior to serving as CEO, Walsh was executive vice president and chief marketing officer at HealthPartners for nearly 15 years, and prior to that served as corporate counsel leading legal, compliance and public affairs. Walsh began her career as a lawyer in private practice. In the early 90s, she was appointed assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Health and led health reform efforts to increase access to affordable health care coverage, known today as MinnesotaCare. She graduated cum laude from the University of Minnesota Law School and has degrees in business and English from the University of Kansas. Walsh is active in the community and currently serves on the boards of the Y of the North and the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. In 2020, she was named Executive of the Year by the Minnesota Business Journal and in 2025, she was inducted into the Twin Cities Business magazine’s Minnesota Business Hall of Fame. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corey Scott is the CEO of Midwest Dairy, the dairy promotion organization that works on behalf of dairy farm families across 10 Midwestern states to build trust and demand for dairy products. Scott joined Midwest Dairy as CEO in March 2024. Prior to Midwest Dairy, Scott served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Athian and held several leadership positions for more than 15 years with Land O’Lakes and its sustainability division, Truterra LLC. She received her Executive MBA and undergraduate degrees from the University of Minnesota and the Carlson School of Business. In 2023, she was selected as one of GreenBiz’s 12 Women Cultivating Sustainable Food Systems and earned a U.S. Dairy Sustainability Award for her work in reducing dairy’s overall environmental footprint. As CEO, Scott provides strategic leadership to Midwest Dairy’s staff and supports the Midwest Dairy Board as the organization works to fulfill its vision to bring dairy to life and its mission to give consumers an excellent dairy experience. Through her leadership, Midwest Dairy maximizes dairy farmers’ investment in the dairy checkoff by strategically collaborating with partners, focusing on research, and building consumer trust and demand for dairy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Barrosa is the President and CEO of Electrify America, where he leads the company’s mission to build a seamless and customer-focused EV charging network across North America. Since joining Electrify America in 2018, he has held several executive leadership roles overseeing technology, energy management, product planning, and infrastructure development to support the fast-paced deployment of Electrify America’s charging stations. Electrify America operates more than 5,600 chargers across 1,080 stations in 47 states, plus the District of Columbia, and seven Canadian provinces. With more than 16 years of experience in EV infrastructure, Robert has helped shape Electrify America’s growth. He led the launch of the Electrify Canada charging network in 2018 and has overseen key business areas including partnerships, marketing, and e-commerce, as well as the Electrify Home and Electrify Commercial business units. In 2025, drivers completed more than 20 million charging sessions on Electrify America’s network, a 21% increase over the prior year. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tim Bratland is the President of Crystal Foods Dairy Company, which is headquartered in Edina, Minnesota, and the leading natural retail cheese brand in the upper Midwest. Tim has over 30 years of experience in large and small CPG companies and worked in multiple functions including Finance, Integrated Marketing Communications, Brand Management, Sales, Operations, Integrated Business Planning, and Integration Management, which has given him unique insights into all aspects of a business and allowed him to create an enterprise that is cohesive, coordinated and competitive. His experience has allowed him to successfully implement Integrated Business Planning into multiple companies, lead integrations of acquired companies, and modernize and future-proof Crystal Farms by developing a new three-year strategic growth plan. His ability to simplify complex issues, desire to engage employees at all levels, and ability to always see a glass as “half full” have created an organization that is motivated, engaged, and empowered. He holds a BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Outside of leading Crystal Farms, Tim strongly believes in giving back to his community. He is involved in his local church and serves on several boards, including the Alumni Board of the University of Wisconsin School of Business, and the Ronald McDonald House-Upper Midwest Charities. He also currently serves as the Co-Chairperson of the Twin Cities Wisconsin School of Business Alumni Relations Committee. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Emily was appointed as chief executive officer of Americans for Prosperity in 2017. As CEO, Emily drives the organization’s mission and strategy to build a permanent grassroots presence that educates and activates citizens to advocate for policies that will help people improve their lives. Emily has been a public policy advocate for the past decade, building policy coalitions of principled lawmakers to unleash opportunities for all Americans to pursue their dreams. Emily also served as the director of special projects at Koch Companies Public Sector, where she worked on a team to build some of the capabilities that make up the Stand Together community today. Emily has over two decades of experience in policy and politics.  She spent 12 years serving the U.S. House of Representatives, working for various House Republican leaders in the Speaker’s office and at the House Republican Conference, including Vice President Mike Pence. Emily is a graduate of Middlebury College, with a focus on international politics and economics. Originally from Minnesota, Emily and her husband now live in suburban Virginia with their two children. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this inspiring episode, we're joined by Kathleen Enright, the President & CEO of the Council on Foundations, as she shares her remarkable journey and the incredible work of her organization. From her childhood in Kentucky to her current role as a leader in the philanthropic sector, Kathleen's story is a testament to the power of passion, dedication, and collaboration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of the podcast, NetApp CMO Gabie Boko, a seasoned tech leader who shares their journey from startups to leading a major company like NetApp, sits down with us. We discuss the importance of learning from failures, finding passion in tech, and making a difference in the industry. The conversation also touches on the company's mission to remove friction between data and innovation, and how AI is integrated into their customers' and team's work. With a focus on data infrastructure, NetApp is changing the game in the AI era. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of CEOs You Should Know, Adam West chats with Kenny Larson, CEO of Slumberland Furniture. Kenny shares the story of how his family business has evolved over the years, from its humble beginnings as a mattress specialty store to its current status as a full-line furniture retailer with 120 locations across 12 states. They discuss the challenges of navigating the ever-changing retail landscape, including the impact of tariffs and the rise of e-commerce. Kenny also talks about Slumberland's commitment to giving back to the community through its foundation, which has donated over 65,000 mattresses to kids in need. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kristi Piehl joins host Adam West on the iHeartMedia podcast CEOs You Should Know for a candid conversation about her journey from award‑winning journalist to successful entrepreneur. In this episode, Kristi shares how her background in television news shaped her understanding of storytelling, credibility, and media strategy—skills she later used to launch and grow her PR firm, Media Minefield. Adam and Kristi dive into the transition from newsroom to business ownership, discussing the lessons she learned along the way and how firsthand media experience gives her clients a competitive edge. They also explore real-world stories, crisis communication, and why understanding how journalists think is critical for today’s leaders. The episode offers practical insights for entrepreneurs, communications professionals, and anyone interested in how powerful storytelling drives business success. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brigette Wolf is the Chief Marketing Officer at My/Mochi where she leads marketing and innovation and the brand’s transformation for growth. She is responsible for fueling the company’s innovation pipeline through the creation of beyond the core products and partnerships as well as building the brand’s equity and connection to consumers. Previously she was VP, Global Head of SnackFutures, Mondelēz International’s innovation and venture hub which launched in 2018 as part of the global snack leader’s growth agenda. There she ran intrepreneurship on her team launching new start up brands, venture capital and and CoLab, the company’s start-up engagement program. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corey Thomas is the Chief Executive Officer of Rapid7, a leading global cybersecurity company based in Boston. His expertise in technology and business have been recognized through his appointments to the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC) and the Council on Foreign Relations, as well as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Laura Jacobson serves as Co-Vice President of Heppner’s Auto Body & Glass alongside her husband Jesse. With 20+ years of leadership, she’s driven growth, service excellence, and community impact, solidifying Heppner’s reputation as a trusted leader in auto repair.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Vagle is the CEO of Housing First Minnesota, leading efforts to expand homeownership and strengthen the homebuilding industry. A Navy veteran and seasoned advocate, James brings vision, integrity, and deep policy expertise to Minnesota’s housing future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.