Leadership and Business

Ask someone to describe the current job market and you're bound to hear a range of labels like "soft," "mixed," and even "positive." However you see it, one thing's for sure: the current job market is unusual. Due to a number of factors, it seems like we've never experienced a market quite like this. If you're seeking or considering a new role, some of the traditional tactics still work. At the same time, it's important to adopt some new approaches as well. Phil Heavilin is director of Internships and Applied Learning at William & Mary. He works for the university's Office of Career Development and Professional Engagement. Throughout his career, he's guided countless people through their job searches, from new grads, to mid-level, to senior level professionals. He joins us today to discuss the current job market, the influence of AI on the job search, and what you can do to make your job search successful. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

Whether a startup or a Fortune 500 company, it's more challenging than ever to cut through all the noise and competition to reach new customers, partners, and investors. One requirement for success is a great story, and often one that can be told in just seconds. In today's world, the best story wins. Last month during homecoming weekend, the William & Mary entrepreneurship hub hosted a storytelling workshop, titled "What's Your Story?" William & Mary alumni Francis Lyons and Jason Ross, both successful creatives and founders of top ventures in media, tech, and entertainment, led the workshop. Afterwards, they sat down with us in the entrepreneurship hub to talk about storytelling, the importance of a compelling narrative, and how today no story equals no success. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

According to a number of sources, the average business professional spends just under five years with an employer before they move on to another organization. Colby Loucks has been with the same employer his entire career. For 29 years, he’s worked for the World Wildlife Fund. He started as a college intern, now he’s Vice President and Deputy for Wildlife. The World Wildlife Fund works to build a world where people and nature thrive, and Loucks has been all over the world working on a variety of interesting projects to reach that goal. He visited William & Mary as a guest of the Institute for Integrative Conservation. Afterwards, he joined us to discuss leadership, the benefits of loving your work, and staying with one employer for the long term. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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 a special edition of Leadership & Business. With today’s episode, we’re celebrating two milestones: our 10th year anniversary, and our 250th episode. We couldn’t let that go by without sharing something special so we invited two CEOs to join us on the podcast today. AnnaMaria DaSalva just concluded her tenure as Chairman at Burson - the global strategic communication firm. Before that, she served as CEO of Hill & Knowlton. Dan Draper is the CEO of S&P Dow Jones Indices - the world’s leading index provider. DaSalva and Draper sat down with us to discuss leadership, their styles and approaches to leadership, and what lies ahead for the leaders of today and tomorrow. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

From Dog Street to Wall Street. It’s an annual event co-hosted by the Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance at the William & Mary School of Business and partner organizations on campus. The event introduces students to William & Mary alumni and industry guests who lead sessions and panels on finance, investment and corporate banking, private equity, alternative investments, hedge funds and more. This year’s keynote speaker was Austin Camporin, a William & Mary graduate and Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Special Situations at Magnetar Capital. After interacting with students, he joined us to talk about his investment philosophy, the current market, and approaches that lead to success. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

Data centers, artificial intelligence, and manufacturing facilities require power to operate. And demand for power is growing considerably. Some wonder if the US will have the power necessary to fill its needs in the future. While the demand is causing increased and new competition in the energy space, one organization has been solving complex energy problems since 1990. LS Power is part investment firm and part power company. Darpan Kapadia is its chief operating officer. Kapadia visited William & Mary to speak to students at the annual convocation ceremony. Before that, he met with MBA students, then sat down with us to discuss renewable energy, the growing need for power, and what policymakers and others are doing to ensure future needs are met. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

Improvisation. You probably know it as comedy and communication on the fly. It often consists of short scenes or sketches beginning with an idea from the audience. Many of your favorite comedians and entertainers have considerable improv training. As modern improv comedy grew, business professionals took note - realizing improv training could greatly help in terms of communication, success, and teamwork. When the new MBA students and the William & Mary School of Business arrived a couple weeks ago, they were given improv training by Brad McMurran, who among other things owns Push Comedy Theater in Norfolk, Virginia. Just minutes after training the new MBA students, McMurran sat down with us to discuss improv, how it builds rapport, and helps people become more comfortable when conversing with others. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

With each day, more companies and organizations are hiring people who think – and approach problems – differently. Neurodiversity refers to the variation in which human brains function. A range of conditions fall under the neurodiverse umbrella; from autism to Tourette Syndrome, to others. The conditions affects the way people communicate, interact, and process information. Eleanor Loiacono is a professor at the William & Mary School of Business. Her research efforts focus on neurodiversity. She joins us on the podcast today to discuss neurodiversity, the hurdles neurodivergent applicants and employees face, and what companies and managers are doing to hire and retain neurodivergent employees. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

Bill Rosenthal is not a typical leader, and Midnight Oil is not a typical creative agency. Rosenthal is President of Midnight Oil, an agency located in Los Angeles. Its clients include Netflix, Hulu, HBO, and other streaming services and studios. Rosenthal and his team design and build highly creative and unique displays, billboards, and other media that grab peoples attention and get them talking. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Business at William & Mary, and later his MBA at the University of Southern California. He’s worked at some top organizations including Goodwill, Deloitte, and Disney. He joins us on the podcast to discuss working and leading in a creative organization. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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 a subsidiary of one of the largest machinery manufacturers in Japan: Sumitomo Machinery Corporation of America. Jim Solomon is its CEO. Solomon overseas the company’s locations in North, Central, and South America while staying in close contact with corporate headquarters in Japan. It’s an interesting leadership role in that Solomon finds himself interacting with different cultures regularly. Before becoming CEO, he came up through the finance function and says today he has a particular interest in Human Resources. He joins us to discuss leadership in a global organization, balancing different cultures, and the importance of investing in your employees. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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 of corporate or organizational crises, the list of examples is never ending: the BP oil spill, the Tylenol tampering incident, the Wells Fargo account fraud scandal, the Equifax data breach, and countless others. A crisis can threaten a number of important elements, including your ability to operate, your relationships with stakeholders, the ability to pursue your strategy, and your reputation. Tim Lloyd is Managing Partner at Social Simulator, he works with companies and organizations across the world helping them train and prepare for a crisis. He was recently at the William & Mary School of Business helping executive MBA students as they work through a crisis simulation. Before that, he joined us to talk about crisis management, the role of social media in a crisis, and why every organization needs to be prepared. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

Since it was founded sixteen years ago, the Hilb Group - a successful middle market insurance broker - has embraced a high growth strategy. And in just over a decade and a half, the organization has acquired almost two hundred small agencies and brokers across the country. While focused on the growth, Hilb’s leaders also work to maintain the health of the organization, customer satisfaction, and financial discipline. Jason Angus is the Hilb Group’s Chief Operating Officer. He joins us today to discuss the insurance sector, leading a fast growing organization, and the elements of effective leadership; including communication, patience, and passion. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

Networking. Love it or hate it, networking is required if you’re looking to land a new job in this unusual employment market, or if you want to grow and progress in your career. Many people feel somewhat uncomfortable networking, and if that sounds like you, it might be time to examine the approach you take to networking. Inga Carboni is a professor of management at the William & Mary School of Business. An author and award-winning instructor, she’s an expert in strategic networking. She joins us today to define strategic networking, and how you can network effectively inside and outside your organization. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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 Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary has been in the spotlight lately generating media coverage by the Wall Street Journal and others thanks to its current exhibition, Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine. The exhibition, running through June 1st, displays Michelangelo’s early drawings of the famous frescoes of the Sistine Chapel. Organizations like the Muscarelle are part museum, part art gallery, and part business. David Brashear is the director of the Muscarelle Museum. After earning his MBA from Harvard Business School, he worked in the private sector as an entrepreneur, division manager, and consultant. And he uses his business experience to lead the museum. He joins us today to talk about the Michelangelo exhibition, leadership, and the business of museums. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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 there’s one constant in business, it’s change. Thanks to globalization, competition, AI, and other factors, change comes at us continuously. And while adapting to change is a challenge for many, change management is a critically important component of leadership. If not done correctly, employees, teammates, and customers will refuse to buy in. David Long is a professor of management at the William & Mary School of Business. He teaches change management to students, working professionals, and leaders. He says in order to effectively introduce and manage change, and make it stick, leaders should become familiar with the change management models that have proven to be effective. He joins us today to share an overview of the models, and to discuss the strategy and tactics behind successful change management. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

Every spring, the MBA program at the William & Mary School of Business presents the Principled Achievement Award to a leader who best embraces and demonstrates the tenets of principled achievement. Previous winners include the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Sean McDermott; and AnnaMaria DeSalva, global chairman of Burson, the global communication company. The Principled Achievement Award winner is the leader who values people, diversity of thought, empathy, humility, integrity and success. This year’s winner is Michael Medline, CEO of Empire Company and Sobeys Inc – Canada’s second largest retailer, whose key businesses include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, and others. Medline joins us to discuss principled achievement, leadership, and how doing things the right way is the only way. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

Have you ever avoided interacting with a colleague because the two of you see the world very differently? You know the conversation will be frustrating, so you just go another way. That, in its most basic form, is an example of polarization. We tend to think of polarization in politics: two parties divided and at two distant extremes. But polarization takes place at work. Our guest says it not only affects behavior, but it harms innovation, collaboration, and success. Phil Wagner is a professor of Organizational Behavior at the William & Mary School of Business. He says while we live in divisive times - and research indicates it’s getting worse - leaders and professionals need to understand polarization, and takes steps to get people talking. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.

November of 2022: That’s when the Large Language Model ChatGPT was introduced. Professionals everywhere started to take notice of, and adopt, the technology. Now, just two years later, we have a number of LLMs at our disposal, including Copilot, Perplexity, Claude, Genesis and DeepSeek. In January, DeepSeek R1 was introduced. Developed by a Chinese Artificial Intelligence startup, DeepSeek has quickly become popular across the world. Monica Tremblay is a professor of Operations and Information Systems Management at William & Mary’s School of Business. She’s a top scholar and researcher who was a systems analyst at Exxon Mobile before starting her career in academia. She joins us on the podcast to discuss DeepSeek, what makes it different from other LLMs, and where the technology may take us. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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 businesses have experienced the amount and type of change college athletics has experienced recently. It started when NIL was introduced, which gives college athletes the rights to control and profit from their name, image, and likeness. Now, some of the very best college athletes in the country are earning seven figures. Meanwhile, the transfer portal - which allows student athletes to easily move from one college team to another - has dramatically changed college athletics. And the changes keep coming. Brian Mann is director of athletics at William & Mary. A former college quarterback, he was senior associate athletics director at University of California, Berkeley before coming to William & Mary. He joins us to talk about NIL, revenue sharing, and the significant changes taking place in college athletics. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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 seems wherever you go, working professionals and companies are talking and strategizing about artificial intelligence, machine learning, and ChatGPT. And many of those conversations have taken place fairly recently. But before all the buzz, way back in 2016, Ai Spark began researching ways machine learning could intersect with finance. Now the organization uses a technology and people approach for credit risk analysis. Matt Fiordaliso is a partner at Ai Spark. He’s a William & Mary graduate who serves on the board of the Boehly Center for Excellence in Finance at the William & Mary School of Business. On a recent visit to campus, he joined us to discuss Ai Spark, how the importance of data has grown greatly, and the ways technology is a job creator. Learn how the Raymond A. Mason School of Business at William and Mary 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.