Advertise on podcast: Aon at The Top: Interviewing Executives on their Paths to the C-Suite and Boardroom

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Shellye Archambeau, one of Silicon Valley's most respected voices on leadership, strategy, and corporate governance. Shellye is the former CEO of MetricStream, where she pulled off what Reid Hoffman called the most incredible Silicon Valley turnaround you never heard of, transforming a company investors had written off into a global market leader. We talk about what it takes to be intentional from day one, why being underestimated is actually an advantage, how business moves at the speed of trust, what separates high-performing boards from ones just going through the motions, and why failure is only a failure if you don't move forward. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Christine Heckart, founder and CEO of XAPA, and discuss what it takes to lead through wave after wave of technological disruption. With executive leadership roles at Microsoft, Cisco, Juniper Networks, and Skalar, Christine has spent her career at the intersection of technology and human performance. We talk about why 80% of AI transformation comes down to people not technology, the adaptability paradox that is keeping organizations from changing when they need it most, why answers are now cheap but questions are more valuable than ever, and what boards need to be discussing right now that most of them aren't. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Matthew Kelly, Chief Legal Officer at Cribl, the data engine for IT and security trusted by half the Fortune 100. Matthew brings two decades of experience across ServiceNow, where he helped scale the legal function from IPO to $1 billion in annual revenue, ThoughtSpot, and now Cribl, where he leads legal, security, and IT. We talk about what it really takes to thrive in hyper-growth environments, why the legal mindset is actually a first-principles superpower, how the explosion of AI agents is about to create a data problem no one is fully prepared for, and why the best thing a leader can do is get out of the way of great people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Gene Pao, President and General Manager of Fuel TV North America, and discuss building a media business in one of the most competitive streaming landscapes in the world. Gene shares his journey from aerospace engineer to Harvard MBA to senior roles at Disney, ESPN, Fox, YouTube, and Shout! Factory, a career that was never planned but always intentional. We talk about when to double down versus pivot, why content investment is the riskiest bet in media, how AI is changing the way operators make decisions, and what it actually means to be a true failure versus just making a mistake. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Coco Brown, founder and CEO of Athena Alliance, and discuss corporate governance, board composition, and what separates high-functioning boards from those just meeting their obligations. We talk about why most boards are operating from an outdated playbook, how AI is creating a step-function shift that governance structures aren't prepared for, and why the next era of board leadership demands non-linear thinking, generational diversity, and a willingness to ask exponential questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gabie Boko joins Aon At The Top to discuss her journey from aspiring lawyer in Alaska to Chief Marketing Officer at NetApp, where she leads global marketing strategy for one of the world's most trusted intelligent data infrastructure companies. She reveals why she treats herself as a perpetual intern to the industry, how printing the wrong 800 number early in her career taught her that owning mistakes builds trust faster than perfecting performance, and the moment she realized marketing technology can't live on an island if it's going to drive real business value. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Greg Henry joins Aon at the Top to discuss his journey from Milwaukee to becoming CFO of 1Password, one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity companies. We dive into the "million dollar experiences" that shaped his career, from an FDA consent decree that shut down his first CFO role to the 2018 moment at Couchbase when he and the CEO were "staring over the abyss," facing the possibility of running out of money. Greg reveals his strategy-structure-people framework for building organizations, explains why he evolved from being "CFO No" to "CFO Go," and shares how trust beats control when it comes to financial planning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Rachana Kumar, a trailblazing global CTO, product executive, and board director with more than two decades of experience shaping the future of technology and scaling hypergrowth organizations. We dive into what it means to lead through a business turnaround, how to balance data with intuition, and why the best career advice she ever received was "don’t reject an opportunity before it exists." Timestamps: 00:09:33 - Being the first generation of women in her family to work outside the home 00:14:33 - The 2017 Etsy turnaround 00:19:18 - Building Etsy's culture of innovation 00:27:09 - Balancing data-driven decisions with intuition while staying connected to 1,200+ people 00:34:01 - Leading responsible AI at Etsy 00:42:14 - The best career advice she ever received 00:47:25 - How to lead through uncertainty 00:56:14 - Her 9-year-old son's question: "What do you want to be next?" Connect with Rachana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachanakumar/ About Rachana Kumar: Rachana Kumar is a global CTO and product executive with more than two decades of experience leading high-impact innovation, scaling hyper-growth organizations, and driving transformation in e-commerce, media and entertainment companies. Most recently as Chief Technology Officer at Etsy, Rachana led a sweeping AI and platform transformation, driving 5x adoption of generative AI, ensuring 99.95% uptime, and powering over $13 billion in annual sales and $2.8 billion in revenue. She managed global teams of more than 1,200 people, oversaw P&L responsibilities exceeding $1 billion, and expanded Etsy's global footprint as Managing Director of Etsy Mexico. She serves on the board of trustees for the Liberty Science Center and as a Tech Advisory Council member at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Connect with Nicole: Stay connected with Nicole Ward for more insights on leadership, sales excellence, and executive success strategies. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleward111/ Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aon-at-the-top-interviewing-executives-on-their-paths/id1800795612 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0L46j1vJo79LQC4LViO2KO Subscribe to "Aon at the Top" to hear more conversations with distinguished executives, CEOs, and board members as they share their paths to success and leadership insights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Caroline Tsay, a tech leader, builder, and public company board director who has scaled businesses, launched startups, and guided major companies strategically and operationally. Caroline has done everything from leading teams at Yahoo and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to co-founding and running her own company to serving on some of America's most highly visible boards. We dive into why the hardest initiatives create the best opportunities, the fine line between board oversight and operational interference, and why strategy without execution is just a hallucination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Yasmin Saeed Coffey, Chief Legal Officer and GM of Distribution at TuneIn, one of the world's largest audio streaming platforms. Yasmin's career spans entertainment powerhouses like Paramount Pictures, litigation across multiple industries, and now leading global licensing strategy in the fast-moving world of digital media. We dive into why saying yes before you're ready has been her career accelerator, how she balances risk mitigation with the speed required in streaming media, and what it takes to pivot across industries without a traditional pedigree. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Derrick Alesevich, a C-suite executive who's spent two decades building unicorn technology companies in Silicon Valley, to uncover what it really takes to lead legal teams through hyper-growth, billion-dollar acquisitions, and the chaos of early-stage startups. We dive into the stark choice every in-house attorney faces that determines their entire career trajectory, why transparency and communication matter more than perfection at early stage, and the hidden cost of hiring legal counsel too late. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Shanti Ariker, Chief Legal Officer at JFrog, to explore her unconventional journey from witnessing her parents' custody battle as a child to leading global legal strategy for one of the world's most trusted DevOps platforms. We dive into why taking six years off work became pivotal to her career, how she transformed legal departments from "the department of no" to solution-oriented business partners, and the moral courage it takes to speak up when the legally safe answer isn't always the right answer. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Yvonne Wassenaar, accomplished board director and former CEO, to explore her remarkable journey from Accenture partner to leading technology companies through transformation. We dive into the three distinct phases of her career, the personal tragedy that reshaped her life at 36, and the critical leadership lessons she learned about vulnerability, honesty, and making calculated risks. Yvonne shares candidly about how executive coaching evolved into therapy, helping her become a more grounded leader who now guides some of tech's most prominent companies. Timestamps: 3:22 - The three phases of career growth: being pulled up, pushed out, and embracing risk 4:36 - You get promoted because you make people above you successful 8:03 - Being pushed to get startup experience before 50 9:51 - The ski jump analogy 12:33 - Resilience is fighting through hard times for something that matters 19:23 - None of us really know what we're capable of until the time calls upon us 25:02 - During uncertainty, we make the hardest decisions 27:43 - Leading through chaos 30:05 - The rise of independent directors in private companies 32:02 - The difference between being an operator vs. a strategic advisor on boards 40:41 - Separate your emotion from someone's intentionality to get further in life 43:00 - Making hard CEO decisions: when to break teams out to innovate faster 58:22 - The power of many small decisions Connect with Yvonne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonnewassenaar/ About Yvonne Wassenaar: Yvonne Wassenaar is an accomplished CEO-level executive and board director known for her extensive experience in scaling and transforming technology companies. Her career spans diverse environments from startups to Fortune 500 corporations, with a focus on helping leaders navigate digital transformation and global expansion. Yvonne currently serves on the boards of Arista Networks, Forrester Research, JFrog, Rubrik, Braze, Infoblox, and Alation, as well as the Easton Technology Management Center at UCLA. She also serves as a senior advisor to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Connect with Nicole: Stay connected with Nicole Ward for more insights on leadership, sales excellence, and executive success strategies. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleward111/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Helen Riley, COO and CFO at Google X (the moonshot factory), to explore her unconventional journey from studying philosophy at Oxford to leading one of the world's most ambitious innovation engines. We dive into how disciplined financial rigor enables radical experimentation, why most moonshots fail (and why that's the point), and the leadership lessons she learned from terrible feedback early in her Google career. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, host Nicole Ward sits down with Elias Nader to dig into what it truly means to lead from a place of purpose, resilience, and vision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.