The Way Forward
Episodes
S4/E5: How Customer Obsession Builds Winning Teams (Mahesh Muralidhar - 1st Head of People Operations at Canva)
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it actually take to go from 25 people to 4,000 without losing the plot? We sit down with Mahesh to unpack the gritty, unvarnished truths beh...
S4/E4: Your Job Title Isn’t Your Destiny, And That’s Great (Chantelle from Everbridge)
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We trace Chantelle Hilleard's path from HR coordination to international leadership, then drill into what actually drives engagement, retention, ...
S4/E3: HR Isn’t Your Happiness Police (Amie from Jade Software)
07 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We trace Amie's journey and unpack how HR becomes a growth engine when it focuses on customer value, capability, and outcomes over process. Pace,...
S4/E2: Why HR Needs to Stop Treating Symptoms (Lisa from Exceed HR)
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
HR expert Lisa shares her journey from corporate leadership to founding her own HR consultancy, now supporting other HR professionals through coaching...
S4/E1: People Matter, Not Surveys (Stephanie from Epic People)
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Stephanie shares her journey through the HR profession and reveals why most companies take a flawed approach to employee engagement by relying too hea...
S3/E8: Gratitude at Work during challenging times (Priya from PaperKite)
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Discover the remarkable transformation of an office environment as Priya shares the journey from a "club" to a space of inclusion and gratit...
S3/E7: Creating Productive and Inclusive Remote Environments (Lauren Bardebes from Matomo)
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Navigating remote work can be challenging, but Lauren from Matomo offers practical advice on maintaining productivity and effective communication acro...
S3/E6: Mastering the Art of Personalised Recruitment (Chris McGeechan from Figured)
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The candidate experience can make or break your recruitment process. This episode highlights the value of informal, off-site meetings and comprehensiv...
S3/E5: Avoiding Tokenism with Diversity and Equity (Siân Govind from Auror)
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Siân Govind, Director of Global Talent at Auror and Founder of BeHeard. We shine a spotlight on the critical importance of divers...
S3/E4: Transforming HR Strategies and the Future of Work with AI (Lynne Miller from Fonterra)
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today is Lynne Miller, GM of Strategic Delivery at Fonterra. We dive into the pressing need to align educational pathways with industry dem...
S3/E3: Fair Hiring and Real-Time Feedback for a Better Culture (Loren Thomas from TradeMe)
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're in conversation with Loren Thomas, the Head Of People at TradeMe. In this episode we dive deep into employee engagement, mental health, and...
S3/E2: Transforming Workplace Culture For Success (Anna Darling from Sharesies)
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What if you could transform your HR strategies to attract top talent, even in the toughest market conditions? Our guest Anna shares her personal journ...
S3/E1: Fostering Trust & Empowering Employees in Times of Uncertainty (Sarah Ritchie from Journey)
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Join Sarah Ritchie, Head of People & Culture at Journey Digital, as we dive into the impact of restructures on company culture and the process of ...
Taking A Human Approach To Leadership with Liam Forde (CEO of The Zone)
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Liam Forde who is the founder and CEO of The Zone, which makes organisations more human through coaching and leader...
Building with Purpose & Making A Real Impact with Tane van der Boon
02 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Tane van der Boon who co-founded mattress startup Winkl; MAUI63, a not-for-profit protecting marine life; and Invio...
An Honest Conversation About Tech Startups with Toby Cox (CTO of Dovetail)
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Toby Cox who is the CTO of Dovetail.Toby shares his advice for best practices for your MVP, how to identify a good ...
From Litigator to Tech Entrepreneur In 1999 - Against All Odds with Greg San Miguel
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Greg San Miguel who is the co-founder and CEO of RegTech scaleup Law of the Jungle. Greg takes us back to 1999 as ...
Excelling In The Fintech Space with Trent Gunthorpe (ex American Express, ex GE Capital and ex Cuscal)
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Trent Gunthorpe, the Chief Product Officer of payments company ASL.Trent tells us about his 20 years of experience ...
How To Succeed As A VC Investor with Rob Vickery (Managing Partner of Hillfarrance Venture Capital)
22 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Rob Vickery, the founder and Managing Partner of Hillfarance Venture Capital.In this episode, we get an insider’s...
Getting Publicly Listed, De-Listed & Then Making An Impact With Renewable Energy with Ben Hutt (CEO of Evergen)
15 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we're in conversation with Ben Hutt, the CEO of Evergen. Ben tells us his roller-coaster journey growing an early-stage startup to a globa...
How To Build A High-Performing Team (Data-Driven Approach) with Lauren Peate - CEO of Multitudes
07 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Lauren Peate, the founder and CEO of Mutlitudes, which helps managers and CTOs use data to improve their team'...
From Working In A Bar To CEO of Startmate, In Conversation With Michael Batko
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Michael Batko, the CEO of Startmate.After years in finance and consulting in his early days, Michael moved to Austr...
How To Align Your Tech Strategy & Product Goals - Seb Poole (Co-Founder Frankie Health)
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Seb Poole, the co-founder of med-tech startup Frankie Health, a Giant in residence for Blackbird and the former CPO...
Quadrupling Revenue - Strategically Scaling with Sachee Perera (COO of CorePlan)
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Sachee who was recently appointed the COO of CorePlan, helped with the growth of startups like UberEats and was the...
How A Startup CFO Thinks (CFO of Eucalyptus and Former Finance Manager Of Canva.com & Koala.com)
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our first guest of Season 2 is Alexey Mitko, the former Finance Manager of Canva.com and Koala.com. He is now the current CFO for Eucalyptus and is po...
Rocket-Charge The Success Of Your Startup (With Flavio)
21 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’ve got Flavio, who’s coached multiple startups within the New Zealand tech space. He's helped validate tech ideas, rocket-charge rev...
Build Your People And Your People Will Build You - With Tracey Taylor (CEO Of Yellow)
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Tracey Taylor, the current CEO of Yellow. She has got a wealth of experience in the people space, managing the huma...
What You Don’t Know About Being a CTO - With Gerard (CTO of Qsic)
04 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When we talk about tech startups, a CTO plays an incredibly crucial part in its success. In today’s conversation, we dive into what being a CTO enta...
An Investors Perspective On Startups - Finance, VC Funding & Culture with Hursh Shah (Part 1)
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation about startups but from an investor's perspective. We demystify VC funding, dive into the impacts of an economic crisis on a start...
Working At Google vs Building A Startup - In Conversation With Mark Tanner (COO & Co Founder - Qwilr)
26 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Mark Tanner, the COO of Qwilr. Qwilr was founded in 2014 by Mark & Daniel in NSW, Australia. We dive into Mar...
Against All Odds - Jason Paris (CEO Of Vodafone)
15 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Jason Paris, the CEO of Vodafone. His journey will inspire all of you because, without a degree or MBA, he’s been...
A Publicly Listed Perspective On Startups with Sophie Moloney (SkyTV CEO)
29 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Running a public listed company has its similarities to a startup but the KPI’s are much larger, the ship to navigate is much more complex and has i...
Tech, Teams, Mobile Games and Startup lessons with Dan Borthwick (CTO Mindset Health)
08 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Dan Borthwick, The CTO of Mindset Health. Dan began his tech career in 1998 and has worked in multiple mobile game ...
The Truth About Startups & Going Global - Serge Van Dam (Tech Investor & Adviser)
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you want your startup to go global, then this podcast is for you. Serge was a part of the M-Com team that pioneered mobile payments from 2005 - 201...
What is your startup missing? Sales & Leadership with Vanessa Sorenson (MD- Microsoft NZ)
10 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Vanessa, the MD of Microsoft (New Zealand). Microsoft in the past years has pivoted a lot into becoming enablers fo...
From Physiotherapist to the CEO of Kanopi, an insurance tech-startup. With Nigel Fellowes-Freeman
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Nigel Fellowes-Freeman, the CEO of Kanopi, an insurance tech startup. We talk about how he went from being a Physio...
Overlooked Methods SAAS Startups Can Apply To Gain Sales Consistency
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today we’re in conversation with Alex McNaughten, he’s helped multiple NZ and Australian Tech Startups increase their sales and conversion rates. ...
How Tim Warren Went From Aspiring Rockstar to Goldman Sachs and Then Tech Entrepreneur
06 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
From aspiring rockstar to Goldman Sachs and then successful tech entrepreneur. We’re in conversation with Tim Warren, the co-founder, and CEO of Amb...