Leadership and Business

It seems like every business and industry is experiencing disruption today. Much of the change is driven by technology and data. One field that's being transformed is the world of professional financial planning and investment management. Consumers can now count on technology to guide them in terms of their retirement savings like never before. As a result, the role of the financial advisor is changing. David Musto is President of Ascensus - they provide resources for organizations and companies who help their employees save for retirement. Musto has over 25 years of experience in the retirement, investment, and insurance industries. He joins us today to discuss the exciting changes taking place in the investment management field - changes driven by technology and data. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

If you like music, or play the guitar, you know the great guitarists like Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, and The Edge, Jimmy Hendrix, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray Vaughan. In addition to their talent, they have something else in common: The Fender guitar. For years, rockers and other musicians have relied of Fender to help them belt out killer solos and get audiences on their feet. But like always, music continues to change. While the electric guitar is still popular, many of today's top performers and novices are turning to the acoustic guitar. Evan Jones is the Chief Marketing Officer at Fender. He and his colleagues turn to data analytics to get a better handle on musicians, customers, and prospective customers. After analyzing the data, their creativity took over, and Fender Play was born. Jones joins us today to discuss his marketing career, the always-evolving music business, and how Fender is more relevant than ever, thanks to the community of musicians known as Fender Play. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

When you hear the word "entrepreneurship," you may think of a startup where an individual or team generates a great idea that after multiple steps becomes a business. While many entrepreneurs pursue the startup route, some take another path and look into opportunities available in established businesses. That's what David Hunt did. Years ago, rather than start from scratch, he looked for a business that was ready for a new owner, a new approach, and new ideas. And it worked. Hunt joins us today to discuss entrepreneurship, what it takes to succeed, and how some great businesses are already out there waiting for new leadership. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Three out of four companies say diversity and inclusion is a priority. But saying it and doing it effectively are two different things. One organization that's out in front in terms of D&I is EY, also known as Ernst & Young - the multinational professional services firm, and one of the big four accounting firms. For years, EY has been committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, while making employees feel included and heard. Ken Bouyer is EY's Director of Inclusiveness Recruiting for the Americas. He leads the team that finds the best talent on college campuses and elsewhere. For Bouyer and EY, diversity and inclusion is a priority, and as the organization continues its efforts in this arena, it continues to experience success in many other areas as well. Bouyer joins us today to discuss diversity and inclusion, why EY makes the investment, and what you and your organization can learn from it. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Sexual harassment. #metoo. Gender communication in the workplace. However you label it, it's become a topic may companies and organizations have placed on the front burner - especially in the past few months. But of all the work-related issues professionals face, this topic is proving to be challenging. There doesn't seem to be a universal approach to dealing with the issue. Inga Carboni is a professor of Organizational Behavior at William & Mary's Raymond A. Mason School of Business. Among other things, she helps companies and professionals communicate and interact effectively. She joins us today to discuss what professionals can do to move the sexual harassment discussion - and issue - forward. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

When you think about K-12 education, you might think about academics, homework, athletics, and other education-related topics. But in many respects, public schools and public school districts are much like companies and businesses. Chesterfield County Public Schools, located just outside Richmond, Virginia, is a large school district with over 7,000 employees serving almost 60,000 students. In order to be successful it employs a business-like approach to education management. Thomas Taylor is Chesterfield's Chief Academic Officer. Earlier in his career he was an award-winning teacher and principal. As he climbed the ladder and became a superintendent, he realized he needed more training in business and leadership. So he went back to school and earned his Executive MBA at William & Mary. He joins us today to discuss the business of public school education and how school districts can win when they adopt business practices. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

As the new year begins, you might spend some time creating lists - lists that include resolutions, goals, and maybe good books to read. That's where this week's podcast comes in. As 2018 kicks off, we spoke to some professors and professional staff members at William & Mary's School of Business and asked them to recommend a book for you and other professionals to read in the new year - a book that can help you in your career. We spoke with three professors, the Head of our Graduate Career Management center, and the Executive Director of our Executive Partners and compiled a list of six books we think you'll find interesting and helpful in the year ahead. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

The end of another year. A good time for reflection. A good time to examine your life and career. In terms of your profession, one question you may want to ask yourself is: "Why?" Why do you do what you do? And is it the right fit. Our guest today encourages other to take time to examine their "why." Quimby Kaizer is a Principle at KPMG. She recently spoke to MBA students at William and Mary about their "why," and the way it connects with their "what" and "how." The point being, when the three are aligned, you feel happy, fulfilled, and successful. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

The elevator. Certainly not one of the great venues for communication. When most of us are in an elevator, we usually look up, look down, or look at our phones. Having a conversation in an elevator is rare and often uncomfortable. In October, the Wall Street Journal changed that when it launched an online video series that has quickly become popular with viewers and leaders. It's called "In The Elevator With." Each episode features a short conversation - around two minutes in length - that takes place in an elevator between reporter Joanna Stern and a business leader. Guests have included the CEOs of General Motors, Intel, and Buzzfeed. Ariana Huffington, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Shaquille O'Neal have been featured on the series. Stern, who is the Wall Street Journal's tech columnist and Deputy Head of Video joins us today to talk about "In the Elevator With," how it's produced, and what it's like to interact with the best in business. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Some young professionals living outside the United States today see the American M.B.A. - the Masters Degree in Business Administration - as a pathway to a job, and life, in the U.S. Many of those international students enroll in full-time M.B.A. programs where they quit their jobs, leave home, and study full time on campus for two years. International students are important to U.S. business schools. Among other things they bring diversity, a global viewpoint, and tuition dollars to the business school. Depending on the full-time M.B.A. program, international students make up one-third to one-half of the student body. But getting job in the U.S. can be a challenge for them. Marcelo Barros works with international students to help them find work in the U.S. He's a coach, consultant, and author of "The International Advantage: Get Noticed, Get Hired." He joins us today to talk about how international students can find work after graduation. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

When it comes to your life and your career, how are you doing? Would you say you are flourishing? Most people don't use that term to describe their life, career, and mindset. In fact, most of us are chronic evaluators. We spend much of our time judging ourselves, and when we do that, it becomes difficult to flourish. Our guest today helps professionals and students get to a deeper place - to a consistent level of productivity, fulfillment, and resilience. A place of human flourishing. Dr. Kelly Crace is Associate Vice President for Health and Wellness at the College of William & Mary, and joins us today to discuss human flourishing, and how you can move to a different - and better - level. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Millennials, the generation whose members are between the ages of 16 and 38, make up the largest percentage of the population. By 2020, researchers say almost half of all US workers will be Millennials. And while there's no doubt Millennials are here and their impact continues to grow, many organizations and companies struggle to attract and retain members of the generation. One organization that has it figured out is ADP, the Fortune 500 company that offers human capital management services, payroll services, HR software, and tax & compliant services for businesses around the world. Dianne Greene is Division Vice President and General Manager of ADP in Norfolk, Virginia. Seventy percent of her employees are Millennials. Greene joins us today to discuss the little things and the big things ADP does to attract and retain high-quality Millennial talent. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Over the past few years, organizations have wrestled with the concept of remote employment - having employees who work from home. Much has been written about the effectiveness of the remote worker, and how to lead a remote - or virtual - team. A recent Gallup study revealed that more Americans are working remotely, yet not all industries and organizations have embraced the concept. As many companies struggle to find the sweet spot, one organization has gone all in with a 100% remote workforce, and it's been a big success. SmartBug Media is an award-winning, full-service inbound marketing agency with clients in several industries. Its CEO founded SmartBug to provide clients with outstanding results while offering employees a fulfilling life outside the office. SmartBug Media CEO Ryan Malone joins us today to discuss how a fully remote workforce can produce winning results. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

What makes an effective CEO effective? For Bill Crawford, CEO of United Bank, it means realizing you don't have to know the answer. Instead, you need to know where to find it. Crawford credits much of his success to the talented people with whom he surrounds himself. He's quick to say he's far from the smartest person in the room. Thanks to his leadership and round-table culture, where everyone's encouraged to participate, United Bank has gone from $1.7 billion to $7 billion in assets. As CEO, Crawford focuses on helping employees and customers succeed. He also has a real passion for banking - one that began in college. He joins us today to discuss the role of the CEO, how he approaches his position, and how people make the difference. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

It's difficult to reach your goals by yourself. We all need help along the way. The best quarterbacks in football work with quarterback coaches. The best actors have acting coaches. And in business, the best leaders have leadership coaches. At some point in your career, you may decide to work with a leadership coach. It might be your idea, or your employer may make the suggestion. Either way, finding a leadership coach and creating a one-on-one collaborative relationship with the coach can have a dramatically positive effect on your career. Today we're joined by two certified leadership coaches: Margaret Liptay is CEO of MLC Consulting; Terry Shannon is Executive Director of the Executive Partners here at William and Mary's Mason School of Business. The Executive Partners provide leadership coaching to the students in the business school. They join us today to discuss how they work with their clients and what you should expect from your leadership coach. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Sixteen years ago this week, terrorists attacked the United States. Four airliners were hijacked - two of the planes crashed into the north and south towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Almost three thousand people were killed, six thousand injured. In 2001, Jon Doyle worked at the investment banking firm Sandler O'Neill, whose offices were located on the 104th floor of Tower 2. Sixty-six of Sandler O'Neill's 171 employees died as a result of the attacks. But the people in the organization, while honoring their lost colleagues, kept on going. They went back to work the very next day. With the memory of their friends front and center, Sandler O'Neill found a way to not only move forward, but to grow and succeed. Today, Jon Doyle is Senior Managing Principle of Sandler O'Neill & Partners, and joins us to discuss the events of sixteen years ago, how he and his colleagues honor their lost friends, and how the organization embraced resilience. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Summer is flying by, but there is still time to get to the beach, escape to the mountains, or take a road trip. Whatever you plan to do in the remaining weeks of the summer of 2017, you might want to take a book along to listen to or read during your travels. This week on the podcast, we asked some of the faculty and staff here at Willian & Mary's Raymond a. Mason School of Business what books they recommend to professionals. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

The summer. For many, the summer months are dedicated to a job search - especially those who have recently graduated from college. But for both rookies and experienced professionals, the job interview is a challenging and stressful part of the equation. Seems as though each interview is somewhat different from the one before. So what's the best way to prepare, and what do employers expect from candidates before and during the interview? Alice Davison has some great insight and experience when it comes to interviewing. She's Vice President, Global Business Services at the Capital Group in New York City, where she manages global recruiting for investment roles in equity and fixed income groups. She's had several roles in human resources throughout her career, and joins us today to share interesting and helpful advice - especially for the young professional - on the qualities employers seek and their expectations for the job interview. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

This week we wrap up our Summer Look Back series where we've been replaying our four most popular episodes from the past twelve months. Today's episode was originally posted in November and features a conversation with Mike Petters, CEO of Huntington Ingalls, America's largest military shipbuilding company. For more than a century, the organization has built more ships in more classes than any other US Naval shipbuilder. Huntington Ingalls is headquartered in Newport News, Virgina. Petters has been CEO since 2011. On the podcast, he discusses leadership: How he approaches his role and what it's like to lead 35.000 employees. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

This week we continue with part three of our four-part Summer Look Back Series, where we replay one of our more popular episodes from the past twelve months. Today's episode was originally posted in February featuring a conversation with Robert Gates, author of "A Passion for Leadership: Lessons on Change and Reform from 50 Years of Public Service." In the book, Gates shares his experiences from his many leadership roles, including: Director of the CIA, President of Texas A&M, and U.S. Secretary of Defense. Currently, he's partner in the consulting firm RiceHadleyGates, and he serves as chancellor here at the College of William & Mary. On the podcast, he shared his advice on successful leadership - especially in large organizations. Please enjoy our conversation from February 2017 with Dr. Robert Gates. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

This week in installment number two in our Summer Look Back Series, we share an episode that was originally posted in March with Robbie Bach. A 22-year Microsoft employee, Bach became Chief Xbox officer in 1999, leading the team that forever changed the gaming industry. He retired from Microsoft in 2010 and later wrote his book "Xbox Revisited." He joined us to discuss his experience with Xbox, the lessons learned there, and his strategic framework that organizations and individuals can adopt to succeed. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

This week we start our Summer Look Back Series with an episode that was originally posted last fall with Jennifer DiMotta, who talked with us about the changing landscape of retail, and the way retailers are working to connect with their customers in a variety of ways. DiMotta is Vice President, Digital and Omni Channel for Blue Mercury, a leading luxury beauty retailer. She talked about creating the customer experience. Please enjoy our conversation from last November with Jennifer DiMotta. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Last week we shared the first half of our conversation with leadership coach Margaret Liptay on "managing up." Liptay explained how your relationship with your boss can be more meaningful than the usual supervisor/subordinate relationship. She said when you position the boss as the organizational "parent" you place unnecessary limits on the partnership. This week in the second half of our discussion, Liptay explains how you can reframe the relationship so it becomes more complementary, which leads to better results for you, your boss, and the organization. In addition, she says the concepts of synergistic relationships can be applied in all of your interactions. Here's the second half of our conversation with Margaret Liptay on how properly managing your relationships can create results and growth for everyone involved. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

One of the top priorities for many professionals is cultivating a positive relationship with the boss or direct supervisor. Doing so it often referred to as managing up or communicating up. Managing up often entails learning about the boss's habits such as which channel he prefers for communication, or when she prefers to hold weekly meetings. Our guest on the podcast today has a different take on managing up. Rather than seeing the relationship as a supervisor-subordinate dynamic, leadership coach Margaret Liptay recommends a different approach - one that's more complimentary and reciprocal - and one that leads to results thanks to a one plus one equals three model. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Two weeks ago we spoke with Dave Heenan, a successful leader, executive, educator, and author, about this book "Leaving On Top: Graceful Exits For Leaders." We asked him back to talk about another book he wrote, "Hidden Heroes: Finding Success in the Shadows." In the book, Heenan writes about the way society tends to focus on celebrities. But when examining how the real work gets accomplished, Heenan found one group of professionals - the "exceptional subordinates" - who he calls "hidden heroes." Heenan joins us again today to discuss these selfless individuals who find success in the shadows. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

One of the hottest topics in business today is finding effective ways to connect with others by sharing compelling stories. Whether it's building the brand, closing the sale, or presenting to the board, many professionals and organizations are spending time and effort improving their storytelling abilities. Often, stories in business include data, and that presents a hurdle for many: How to present complex data in a way that helps the audience easily understand. That's where data visualization comes in. Skye Moret is a data visualizer at Periscopic in Portland, Oregon, and joins us today to discuss the many ways data visualization helps professionals tell compelling stories. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

We've all seen it: The CEO, the leader, the athlete, who continue in the role despite the fact their best days are clearly behind them. Clinging to a role in which you're no longer effective can tarnish an otherwise outstanding career and reputation. For many professionals, knowing when to leave or move on can be extremely difficult. Dave Heenan is a career executive, educator, and author of the book "Leaving On Top: Graceful Exits For Leaders," where he examines many ways leaders approach the end of their tenure. He joins us today to share what he learned about the psychological challenge of leaving a leadership position. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Retirement. We all look forward to it and spend our entire career saving for it. How do we make it an enjoyable and meaningful transition once it happens? How can we use and re-purpose the talents that made us successful in our prior careers throughout volunteer efforts on boards and service organizations while still enjoying our retirement years? Today's guest has done just that. After a successful career spanning nearly 45 years, Dane Brooksher has established himself as an innovative leader and world-class manager. He's retired from not just one but two careers and joins us today to discuss how to retire successfully. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Non-profit organizations play a significant role in the lives of Americans. In fact, 1 in 4 US citizens volunteered with a non-profit in 2014. One of the best-known and most successful non-profits is the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, helping all people in the US and developing countries lead healthy, productive lives. Olympia Trumbower is Program Manager in the Global Policy and Advocacy Division at the Gates Foundation, and joins us today to discuss the Foundation, and what it's like to have a career in the non-profit space. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Communication is a critically important element of leadership. Even in small tightly-knit companies where everyone seems to be on the same page, it can be difficult to create a positive culture where quality communication is expected and practiced. Imagine being a CEO in a country and culture other than your own. Tim Murray knows all about that: Born, raised, and educated in the United States, he is CEO of Aluminum Bahrain - also known as Alba - and is one of the top aluminum producers in the world. Murray joins us today to discuss his leadership experience at Alba, and what it's like to lead in a country and culture other than your own. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Being the founder and CEO of a new venture is the goal of many professionals. In fact, 1 in 4 of today's MBA students plan to start a business at some point. Some entrepreneurs manage to start companies that not only fill a need, but also align with their personal goals and interests. After 17 years with JP Morgan advising families on their investment portfolio, Rhian Horgan decided to focus on her passions of technology, health, and wealth and started Kindur, an innovative startup that reimagines financial wellness during retirement. She joins us today to discuss her startup, how it began, and how it intends to change the way retirees manage their money. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Thanks to technology, globalization, and demographics, just about every business today is undergoing some level of transformation. One industry experiencing considerable change is television. Viewers watch what they want, when they want, and how they want, and as a result television networks and outlets are constantly on the lookout for new ways to connect with their audience. Cindy Davis is the Executive Vice President, Consumer Experience for Disney ABC Television, and joins us today to discuss the changing landscape of television, and how Disney ABC is working to create an experience where the company, the advertisers, and the viewers all win. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

John Hewitt is one of the most successful leaders in the tax profession. He founded three top tax preparation firms, including Jackson Hewitt, and more recently Liberty Tax. After leaving H&R Block years ago, Hewitt pioneered the development of decision tree tax preparation software which revolutionized the tax business. Hewitt joins us today to discuss advice found in his new book "iCompete," including: Leadership, building culture, and exceeding customers' expectations. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Few people in the technology space have had careers as interesting and successful as Robbie Bach. In 1988, Bach joined Microsoft, where be began a 22-year tenure there; first in Marketing, then in Management, and then in Leadership. In 1999 he became Chief Xbox Officer, leading the team from its startup phase to the launch of Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, changing the gaming industry. In 2015 Bach wrote his book "Xbox Revisited: A Game Plan for Corporate and Civic Renewal," and joins us today to discuss his experience with Xbox, the lessons learned there, and his strategic framework that organizations and individuals can adopt to succeed. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Never before have we seen such a time of disruption and innovation throughout all fields of business. Companies, organization, and leaders must be forward thinking just to survive. Over the last decade, some of the world's leading companies have embraced "design thinking," leading to groundbreaking new products and services. Today, William and Mary business professor Michael Luchs joins us to discuss design thinking, the framework behind it, and how you and your organization can embrace it to succeed moving forward. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Huntington Ingalls is America's largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of manufacturing, engineering, and management services to the nuclear energy, oil, and gas markets. For more than a century, Huntington Ingalls has built more ships in more classes than any other U.S. Naval shipbuilder. Before taking the lead in 2011, President and CEO Mike Petters was President of Northrop Grumman shipbuilding. Petters earned his bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.B.A. from William and Mary, and he re-joins us today to discuss how professionals, and especially service members, can successfully make the transition from service life to civilian life. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

One of the toughest leadership challenges is being at the helm of a big institution. Whether civic or private, bureaucracies often move at a snail's pace, and it takes a special leader with special qualities to drive change and improvement. Former Director of the CIA and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says large companies can be transformed, and explains how in his book "A Passion for Leadership." Dr. Gates joins us today to share his advice on successful leadership. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Back in the day, colleges and universities focused most of their efforts on classroom education, leaving the job and career search to the student. Times have changed, and schools like William & Mary invest greatly in career development. Kathleen Powell is Associate Vice President of Career Development and works with students on all facets of career counseling, placement, and coaching. She joins us today to discuss how a partnership between the student and the career development team can lead to a great job and career. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Soft skills. Emotional intelligence. The willingness to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Companies everywhere are seeking employees and leaders who possess these qualities. Organizations are using multiple methods and approaches to teach a set of skills that improve communication, creativity and teamwork. For a number of organizations and professionals, improvisation training has become a popular method. Joyful Simpson is a California-based actor who teaches improv to businesses and professionals and joins us today to discuss what improv is, and what it can do for professionals and their teams. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

In addition to being the number one chainsaw manufacturer in the world, STIHL produces other top quality outdoor power tools like blowers, trimmers, and edgers. The company is unique in that it does not sell its products through big box stores, but rather only through dealers who sell and service STIHL products to their very loyal customer base. Nick Jiannas is Vice President for Sales and Marketing at STIHL, and joins us today to discuss the effects company culture has had on STIHL, its products, and customers. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

The start of a new year - a time when many professionals set new goals - and for many, one of those goals includes catching up on their reading. If finding the right book for 2017 is on your list, today's show is for you. We spoke with Faculty and Staff here at William & Mary's Raymond A. Mason School of Business and asked them to share a recommendation regarding a book that professionals will find useful and entertaining in the year ahead. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

The beginning of a new year is the time many professionals decide to take the plunge and change jobs. According to monster.com, December, January, and February are excellent months to apply for, and secure, a new position. If you're considering an employment change in the coming new year, our guests today will help you make all the right moves. Dawn Edmiston is a clinical associate professor of marketing, and Phil Heavilin is the Executive Director of the Graduate Career Management Center at the William & Mary Raymond A. Mason School of Business, and they join us today to discuss how you can find the job of your dreams in 2017. Programming Note: Leadership and Business will be taking next week off. We hope you enjoy your holiday season and we'll see you again in 2017! Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

In today's constantly evolving business environment, companies and organizations must innovate to stay on top. The business that embraces change and disruption is the business that sets itself up for success. Sheri Bias is the owner of Liquid Talent Agency in Richmond, VA, and joins us today with her business partner Amory Holloway to discuss their new framework for doing business with actors, models and producers, and how they've brought innovation to the talent agency business. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Some of the best organizations in the world have some of the best cultures. An effective organizational culture will attract the best professionals who generate world class results. One such organization is the Martin Agency, one of the top full-service agencies in the world, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. CEO Matt Williams joins us today to discuss advertising, leading creative professionals, and the agency's good and tough culture. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

The way we shop during the winter holidays and throughout the year continues to evolve. Consumers have many ways to buy from and interact with their favorite stores. Jennifer DiMotta is Vice President, Digital and Omni Channel, for Blue Mercury, a leading luxury beauty retailer. She spends much of her time and attention making sure her customers have a good experience with Blue Mercury, wherever they happen to be, and joins us today to discuss ways Blue Mercury - and other retailers - are connecting with their customers. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Donna McDermott has spent over 30 years as a brand management executive for some of the country's most well-known brands: Oscar Mayer, Tropicana, Bacardi, Heinz, AutoZone. She's developed scores of new concepts and prototypes while launching 12 new brands and line extensions that have resulted in annual sales of over 2 billion dollars. She is currently the marketing principle at FedEx, and joins us today to discuss the differences between branding and marketing, product management, and why professionals need to always put their customers first. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Huntington Ingalls is America's largest military shipbuilding company and a provider of manufacturing, engineering, and management services to the nuclear energy, oil, and gas markets. For more than a century, Huntington Ingalls has built more ships in more classes than any other U.S. Naval shipbuilder. Before taking the lead in 2011, President and CEO Mike Petters was President of Northrop Grumman shipbuilding. Petters earned his bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.B.A. from William and Mary, and he joins us today to discuss how he approaches leadership and what it's like to lead 35,000 employees. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Most entrepreneurs and professionals in the start-up world know that success is hard to come by, especially in the tech arena. For many, the number of failures far outweighs the number of successes. That has not been the case for Mike McSherry, who has successfully sold four of the five start-ups he has co-founded. He is currently CEO of Xealth - a digital prescribing and analytics platform integrated into healthcare electronic medical records, and joins us today to discuss his career, entrepreneurship, and the tech start-up space. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

One of the biggest, most expensive, and misunderstood threats to businesses today is the cyber attack. In today's environment, businesses and organizations are constantly at risk of being hacked, and those hacks can cause a company to lose its reputation, money, customers, and more. Cyber attacks are difficult to predict and stop, therefore many companies are bringing in "ethical hackers," computer experts assigned to penetrate and asses the security of computer and internet systems. Andrew Leeth is a security engineer for Salesforce, and has worked with businesses to identify potential weaknesses in their systems. He joins us today to tell us what companies and organizations are doing to minimize the chance of a cyber attack. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.

Recently, Forbes Magazine reported that diversity and inclusion will be a top priority for businesses in the year ahead, explaining that gender-diverse companies were 15% more likely to outperform their peers. In addition, ethnically diverse companies are 30% more likely to do the same. Today, more companies are realizing that solid diversity and inclusion practices positively affect the bottom line. Elizabeth Nieto is Global Chief Diversity And Inclusion Officer at MetLife who has spent her career in the D&I space, and joins us to discuss what it can do for individuals and organizations. Learn how the William and Mary Center for Corporate Education can help you and your organization develop your top talent through customized executive education and professional development programs. Visit us at www.wmleadership.com. Thank you for listening.