EP 19: How Two Women Are Driving Tech Forward at Zalando

EP 19: How Two Women Are Driving Tech Forward at Zalando

“We should be the ministry of how; not the ministry of no.” — Florence MottayOn this special episode of The Vanessa Podcast; the show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes. I’m joined by two brilliant senior leaders from Zalando, recorded at Zalando HQ in Berlin the day after the Black Girls Tech Summit 2025.Meet my guests:Florence Mottay — VP Information Security & CISO at Zalando, leading the information security function and enabling the business to operate safely and confidently at scale.Siddhi Saraiya — VP Product Management (Customer Experience & Experimentation) at Zalando, a product leader working at the intersection of business needs, engineering trade-offs, and customer value.In this conversation, we go beyond job titles and get into the reality of leadership in tech from navigating failure and pressure, to building influence, sponsorship, and success on your own terms.In this episode, we discuss:Why both Florence and Siddhi chose Zalando and what drew them to the challengeHow to drive cybersecurity awareness in a large organisation (and why security is as much about people + culture as technology)The biggest difference between start-up speed vs corporate scale and how to adaptHow to process failure without letting ego run the show (“put it in the ego box”)Leading in high-pressure environments: routines, boundaries, and staying groundedWhat’s next for e-commerce, customer experience, and cybersecurity (including AI + commerce)What success looks like beyond the title; impact, family, and building great teamsReal advice for women in tech moving from mid-level to senior leadership🔔 Subscribe for more conversations with leaders shaping culture, business, and the future of work.🎧 Listen on Spotify / Apple Podcasts (and watch on YouTube).📱 Follow us on Instagram: @thevanessapodcast📱 Follow Vanessa: @vanessasanyauke (Instagram & TikTok)📌 Guests: Florence Mottay + Siddhi Saraiya (Zalando)

Single & Searching: Ask the Experts — Psychotherapist x Matchmaker on Modern Love

“Modern dating is confusing; so I brought in the experts.”In this expert-led episode of The Vanessa Podcast, we go deep into the emotional, psychological and cultural forces shaping dating in 2025.The Vanessa Podcast is all about honest conversations on career, business wealth, identity, relationships, success and self-awareness; helping women and men navigate the real challenges of modern life with clarity, compassion and data-driven insight.For this episode, I sat down with two incredible guests:Nathaniel Oke: Psychotherapist with over a decade of experience supporting individuals and couples around emotional wellbeing, masculinity, vulnerability and relational conflictSiobhan Copland: Elite matchmaker with 10+ years of experience guiding single professionals through the chaos of modern datingTogether we unpack the TRUTH behind why dating feels so difficult right now.In this episode, we explore:💔 Roster dating: why so many people are “keeping options” instead of choosing connection🔥 Situationships: how they start, why they feel addictive, and why they’re emotionally dangerous👀 Ghosting, avoidance & communication breakdowns in modern dating⚠️ Game-playing culture and why honesty feels risky in 2025💍 Marriage in 2025 & beyond: what the purpose is now, and how partnership has evolved😬 Toxic masculinity, emotional repression & the male intimacy gap💡 What healthy dating looks like, practically, emotionally and mentally🧠 How to date intentionally without losing your identity or standardsIf you’re single, dating, disappointed, curious, hopeful or just trying to understand why love feels so complex: this episode will bring clarity.🎧 Listen on Spotify + Apple Podcasts📲 Connect with the GuestsNathaniel OkeYouTube: ‪@thetalkingtherapist5595‬ [https://www.youtube.com/@thetalkingtherapist5595] Instagram: @thetalkingtherapistWebsite: https://talkingtherapyclinic.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbnBUUm1TUDBQMGNkby14UFhoUkVVN21GNDZIQXxBQ3Jtc0tsejlQWkNXSFI1QTRxX3R6TjJEVzRLTklvUDFob1U2eG5XbHJGajVMZU1jSlBacWM0d1J3OE5VUGpxN0lEcF9LTFhWTGZoN09xT2RYZVRIM3JPNDBqVFgyWi0waG1Xam9oWUx6czFpX3FuSE4xZGhUWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Ftalkingtherapyclinic.com%2F&v=G7kDYPxV0E0]Siobhan CoplandInstagram: @siobhancopland Website: https://cupidinthecity.com/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa0ZfZXQyNFVPbkItTWN4VElEdlM2SXlGRUZXd3xBQ3Jtc0tsZWtTR3I4ZTcxUWFDdDZZMGtBMUVyYWVkdXBrekozaTJLSS0zR3lNZFFqQ2pMM2lzNUtsMjhyOVgwbVJraGxJbFNhQzI2R29BN295NTd3QUpwd3lwcS1Ra2g0blBQX0ozTDFEb3hJNlhWWUR5dGFxMA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fcupidinthecity.com%2F&v=G7kDYPxV0E0]✨ Follow The Vanessa PodcastInstagram: @thevanessapodcast @vanessasanyaukeTikTok: @vanessasanyauke

EP 17: Single & Searching: Why are so many of us single?

“We’re all successful, emotionally intelligent and still single. Why?” In this powerful roundtable episode of The Vanessa Podcast, host Vanessa Sanyauke sits down with three incredible guests; Alicia Richardson, Gus Nyberg, and Gavin Thomas to unpack the truth about modern dating, loneliness, and love in 2025. From male loneliness and toxic online culture to the rise of hyper-independence among women and the data behind why nearly half of Black women have never been married, this conversation pulls no punches. Honest, funny, and painfully relatable; this is one of the realest discussions you’ll hear this year. Together, they explore: 💬 Why so many millennial men and women are single despite wanting love 📊 Data showing 49% of Black women in the U.S. and 44% of Black British Women have never married 🧠 The “boyfriend embarrassment” era: are women de-centring men for good? 💔 How red-pill and incel culture are shaping male behaviour and 1 in 4 young men report feeling lonely 💸 Whether women really value effort over income (new Hinge data) 💞 How to date intentionally without losing yourself If you’ve ever wondered why connection feels harder than ever; this episode will make you think, laugh, and maybe heal a little too. 🎙 Guests:Alicia Richardson: CEO & Founder of Create Connect and Black Create Connect Gus Nyberg: Transformational Speaker and Theologian Gavin Thomas: Lecturer in Psychology, CBT Therapist & Counsellor Let us know what you think about the topics in this episode by commenting, sharing and leaving us a 5 star review so more people can find our community! 📲 Follow The Vanessa Podcast: Instagram: @thevanessapodcast @vanessasanyauke TikTok: @vanessasanyauke LinkedIn: Vanessa Chiedza Sanyauke Follow our guests: Alicia: @aliciatoyaldn @createconect  ⁨@blackcreateconnect⁩  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCWBjnCLoSUHe6Xpg_-I7mKg] Gus: @gus.nyberg

EP 16: From London to LA: Inside Fashion, Talent & Entertainment

“I wanted to create something for myself — something that looked as good as it smelled.” – Ashley-Gianna Hallett On this episode of The Vanessa Podcast — the weekly show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes — I sit down with Ashley-Gianna Hallett, branding professional, talent manager, and founder of the luxury candle brand Ya Thamani. Ashley is British-born and now based in Los Angeles, with a career spanning brand partnerships, fashion, and entertainment marketing. She’s worked with global names like Burberry, Elite Model Management, MAC Cosmetics, Hugo Boss, Fenty Beauty, and Cartier, and today mentors the next generation of creative talent. She’s also the founder of Ya Thamani — a luxury candle line she built during the pandemic that reflects her love of fragrance, storytelling, and design. About Ashley-Gianna Hallett: Ashley has over a decade of experience across fashion, brand partnerships, and talent management. She has managed campaigns for household names, worked with artists and public figures across entertainment, and now runs her own luxury brand while mentoring up-and-coming talent. In This Conversation, We Discuss: * Growing up in South London and dreaming beyond borders * The graft it took to break into fashion without connections * Lessons from Burberry and Elite Model Management * How she transitioned into talent management and brand partnerships * The behind-the-scenes of negotiating celebrity campaigns * Moving from London to Los Angeles and navigating the culture shift * What British creatives bring to Hollywood * The origin story of Ya Thamani, and why she built a luxury candle brand * Bootstrapping a product-based business and breaking into retail * Her proudest founder moments (including features in Allure) * The common thread running through her career: passion This is a conversation about resilience, creativity, and carving out space in industries that weren’t built for us. 🔔 Subscribe now and never miss an episode! 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @thevanessapodcast 📱 Follow Vanessa: @vanessasanyauke (Instagram & TikTok) 📱 Follow Ashley: @yathamani on Instagram

EP 15: She Shaped Apple’s Culture — Now She Coaches Leaders

“The worst you will get is a no.” – Shirleena Celestine On this episode of The Vanessa Podcast — the weekly show where we talk business, culture, and the real stories behind extraordinary people building their own lanes; I sit down with Shirleena Celestine, Executive Coach and Organizational Culture Strategist. Shirleena's work helps leaders bring human connection into the workplace. Before launching her consultancy, she spent nearly a decade at Apple, where she drove inclusive product and culture strategies for Apple Music, Podcasts, Beats by Dre, Shazam, and Platoon — collaborating with influential figures like Blair Underwood and Savannah James. About Shirleena Celestine: Shirleena is an Executive Coach, Speaker, and Organizational Culture Strategist. With a PhD in Equality, Diversity & Inclusion — the first of its kind globally and almost ten years at Apple, she now helps leaders and organisations transform culture, inclusion, and impact. In This Conversation, We Discuss: * Growing up in Sheffield and the early lessons that shaped her values * Discovering her dyslexia and reframing education on her own terms * Becoming the first in her family to graduate * The power of volunteering and building community inside Apple * Leading groundbreaking programs like Beats Academy and The She Conversation * Moving from the UK to California and the lessons in adapting to new cultures * Knowing when to leave: the courage to exit a role at the right time * Why she believes human connection is the foundation of modern leadership * Her leap into executive coaching and building her own practice * What leaders need to hear in 2025 about resilience, inclusion, and authenticity This is a conversation about resilience, leadership, and daring to put humanity at the centre of how we lead. 🔔 Subscribe now and never miss an episode!🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 📱 Follow us on Instagram: @thevanessapodcast 📱 Follow Vanessa: @vanessasanyauke (Instagram & TikTok) 📱 Connect with Shirleena on Linkedin: Shirleena Celestine