In this episode of Beyond the Tech, Bryan and Alex are joined by entrepreneur and venture capitalist Andreas Rasmussen. They hear the story of Andreas's journey, from co-founding Nodes, a leading digital agency in Denmark that grew into a global company under Nodes-Monster Lab, to founding Ugly Duckling Ventures, a venture capital firm investing in early-stage companies with untapped potential. Andreas gives valuable insights into his investment philosophy, emphasising his passion for guiding startups through challenges and identifying hidden opportunities in niche markets. The discussion touches on the importance of chemistry between founders and investors, Andreas's approach to pre-seed and seed-stage investing, and how his past experiences as a CEO influence his current role in the venture capital world. The episode also highlights Andreas’s unique perspective on combining growth with enjoyment and his belief in the long-term value of investing in people as much as ideas. Listeners will gain an insight into the cultural and leadership lessons Andreas learned during his time at Nodes and Monster Lab, particularly navigating the complexities of aligning Danish and Japanese business cultures. He also talks about the importance of advisory boards, and how working with Bryan helped shape Nodes' strategic direction, making a significant impact on the company's success. This episode is filled with practical advice for entrepreneurs, leaders, and aspiring investors, with stories and takeaways on navigating business growth, leadership, and investment that you won’t want to miss!

In this episode of Beyond the Tech, Bryan and Alex sit down with Darrell Stein, a seasoned technology executive with an extraordinary career spanning major companies like E&Y, Vodafone, Marks & Spencer, and Reckitt Benckiser. Darrell shares his career journey from his early days through to his experience as a global CIO and latterly his transition into the private equity space, where his hands-on, no-excuses approach has been instrumental in driving growth and value creation. Darrell expands on his bold decision-making style, including his move to cut contractor reliance at Marks & Spencer and the strategic shift from Amazon’s platform to a custom-built solution. He also discusses the importance of taking big bets, staying hands-on, and the critical balance between leadership and operational focus. Whether you’re an aspiring leader keen to understand the importance of bold decision-making, a CIO navigating the complexities of the tech world, or looking to make the transition from a large corporate environment to private equity, this episode is for you!

In this episode of Beyond the Tech, Bryan and Alex are joined by Gianni Leone, the Global CIO of Sephora, to discuss his impressive career in driving significant change in global luxury, beauty and retail sectors. With over two decades of experience working with iconic brands like Ferrero, Gucci, Richemont, Walgreens (and now Sephora), Gianni shares his insights into his approach to driving large scale (tech enabled) business transformation. Gianni opens up about what attracted him to Sephora, a brand known for its innovative and disruptive approach to the world of prestige beauty retail, and how he has been driving the company's tech agenda towards its ambitious goals. The conversation delves into the challenges and the opportunities of balancing local and global in the company, as well as the role product and technology are playing in enhancing customer experience. The episode also explores Gianni's views on the future of retail, the impact of Gen AI, and the evolving role of tech leaders at the board level. Whether you're interested in digital transformation, leadership, or the future of retail, this episode offers a fascinating look into a mind at the forefront of innovation.

In this episode of Beyond the Tech, Bryan and Alex welcome Rob Chester, former Chief Compliance Officer for Walmart China, Rob is a seasoned leader known for his experience in both proactive compliance leadership as well as hands-on crisis management.   Rob tells the story of his Walmart journey, including his pivotal role in China during a significant crisis. He also shares his experience navigating complex compliance issues, his approach to leadership in challenging situations, and the critical lessons he's learned along the way. Rob details how an early encounter with blockchain technology at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border inspired him and how it influences his current work as CEO of Supply Chain Insights, an innovative certification body.    Listen now to gain insights into his leadership philosophy, the importance of cultural adaptation in global business, and the value of proactive risk management. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or a business leader, this episode offers valuable takeaways for navigating and leading through change.

In this episode Bryan and Alex are joined by Jose Pedro Almeida (JP), one of the world's top health AI experts and pioneer in digital health. This is a great extension to our earlier episode on AI, “The emergence of the Chief AI Officer” here JP shares stories from his fascinating career as a leading figure in digital health, his role as the brainchild behind Europe’s most advanced hospital big data analytics platform, (HVITAL [https://www.enterprisetimes.co.uk/2016/11/21/sao-joao-hospital-center-masters-digital-healthcare/]) which won the Microsoft U.S Health Innovation Award, as well as his vision on effectively driving Data & AI transformations inside large enterprises, which is recognized by prestigious entities such as Insead. Join us as we delve deep into the transformative power of AI in healthcare. JP kicks off with a compelling story of how an early AI project he led saved a patient's life by predicting clinical deterioration, demonstrating the potential of AI to revolutionise patient care, as well as the challenges he faced in the execution of enterprise-wide AI transformations back then. He shares a compelling story of GEN AI in action (at Tesla) and differences the groundbreaking advancements in generative AI and foundation models, versus traditional AI, by bringing up the case of Tesla's latest full self-driving cars and the tectonic improvements achieved by a complete shift to an end-to-end neuronal network architecture.    JP provides valuable insights into how organisations can prepare for and embrace AI-driven change, emphasising the importance of building strong data foundations, re-skilling, and empowering the frontlines with AI copilots, all driven by a fully committed executive team and CEO. We also discuss the strategic role of the Chief AI Officer and the importance of executive alignment in driving AI adoption.    Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a healthcare professional, or a business leader, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge on leveraging AI for competitive advantage and making meaningful impacts in the digital age.