Season 29
The Global Interview Season 29 featuring creatives, leaders, and thinkers.
“Be true to yourself and what you believe and know, don't try to be like others, no matter how great and influential they may seem, trust your own intuition and instincts.”
Hilary Rowland
Hilary Rowland
Director, Next Chapter Retreats
Hilary has run peer learning groups of CEOs of SMEs for the Academy for Chief Executive and Vistage for some years. This led her and Peter Hyson to set up Next Chapter Retreats offering executive retreats working with successful people who may have lost a sense of purpose and direction, have run out of steam, gone off the boil and those who want to get back to their best.
“You can't solve a problem with the same thinking that created it.”
Richard Shibi
Richard Shibi
EMEA Regional Director and Advisor to the Board,
OpenLegacy and HCS
Richard Shibi graduated twice from London, once in Computer Science from the University of Hertfordshire and once with MBA from Imperial College Business School. Since then, Richard has been very keen on the bleeding edge of technologies, including AI, IoT, AR/VR, DLT, Blockchain and industry 4.0.
“We're all creative, but sometimes we lose sight of it. Sometimes we get so busy; we forget to take the time to access our creativity. I believe we all do better work when we allow ourselves to be creative.”
Frank Prendergast
Frank Prendergast
Brand Strategist, Frank and Marci
Hi, I'm Frank; I'm a brand strategist and an actor. When I was young, I just drew all the time. When adults asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would correct their use of the future tense and say, "I am an artist" (yes, I was an annoying child). So I went to art college, and my brother advised me to take any computer classes that were going as it was right around the time Ireland first got the internet. I took his advice and then worked for him as a web designer when I got out of college.
“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
- Henry Ford.
John Whelan
John Whelan
ICT Commercialisation Manager, Trinity College, Dublin
I am a PhD in Physics, and I worked as a software developer and business analyst in Davy stockbrokers and Daiwa Securities in Tokyo. I'm a founder of three tech startups, two of which raised seven-figure venture capital rounds. One of these, Alatto, traded for nine years. More recently, I was a consultant to Vodafone Ireland, and since 2008 I have been a technology transfer case manager at Trinity College, Dublin, responsible for the commercialisation of ICT research.
“Be kind to yourself and never forget to empathise. This will be your strength.”
Andreea Spaima
Andreea Spaima
Sustainability Officer, evolvT
Driven entrepreneur focused on positive-impact projects, specialised in operational planning, but forever in love with branding and marketing. I have worked with marketing, business development and purpose-driven projects in the corporate environment before adventuring in the world of entrepreneurship.
“If you know your history, then you would know where you coming from.”
- Bob Marley
Turtle Bunbury
Turtle Bunbury
Historian, Turtle Bunbury's Irish Histories
Turtle Bunbury is a best-selling author, historian and podcaster based in County Carlow, Ireland. BBC History Magazine described his 2021 book 'The Irish Diaspora - Tales of Emigrants, Exile & Empire' as 'impeccably researched with a fascinating assortment of case histories... models of lucid compression, lively yet judicious, packed with vivid detail.' In July 2021, Bunbury launched the Vanishing Ireland podcast series, based on his best-selling series of books of the same name, in which he interviews men and women in their 80s, 90s and 100s about their life stories.
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”
- Babe Ruth
Leanne Calderwood
Leanne Calderwood
Hospitality Industry Trainer, LeanneCalderwood.com
Leanne Calderwood, CMP, believes developing a personal brand is the key to setting yourself apart in the hospitality industry. Serving as a ConferenceDirect site selection associate for the past 14 years, Leanne used the industry's hiatus in 2020 to help other sales professionals to find her voice and create a brand that attracts business and opportunities. Her true passion was ignited through this work, and now Leanne serves her community through her blog, videos, online courses, and consulting services around LinkedIn and Personal Branding.
“The trouble is, you think you have time.”
- Buddha
Lauren Lang
Lauren Lang
Brand and Content Strategy Consultant, Lang Content Marketing LLC
Lauren Lang is a brand and content strategist based in Boulder, Colorado. A former copywriter and college writing instructor, Lauren helps B2B SaaS and tech companies communicate authentically with their users and build long-lasting customer relationships.