The Conference Room with Simon Lader

Simon Lader
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Master the strategies you need to develop a high performing business. Hear from the most successful business leaders in conversation with Simon Lader, Co-Founder of global Executive Search firm Salisi Human Capital, and podcast consulting firm Viva Podcasts. Hear from business growth experts in sales, marketing, investment, hiring, HR, product design and much much more. I'm Simon Lader. Welcome to The Conference Room.

  1. 5d ago

    Ep.190 - How to Unboring Your Marketing

    In this episode, Simon sits down with Sara Carty, Founder and CEO of Unboring, and Kelly Allen, Co-Founder and CMO of Unboring, a cybersecurity marketing agency focused on making sophisticated technology more distinctive, human, and memorable. Sara and Kelly share how they found their way into cybersecurity marketing and why they believe the industry has fallen into a “sea of sameness”—from blue branding and hoodies to technical jargon and fear-based messaging. They explore why cybersecurity companies often play it safe, the pressure marketers face to prove ROI, and how investor expectations can influence messaging and creativity. The conversation also dives into the importance of building a brand with personality, taking creative risks without becoming gimmicky, creating meaningful experiences at cybersecurity events, and developing clear positioning that helps the right customers understand exactly what a company stands for. Whether you're a cybersecurity founder, marketer, CMO, or business leader, this episode offers valuable insights into building a distinctive brand, communicating complex technology clearly, and creating marketing that people actually remember. Sara and Kelly’s journeys into cybersecurity marketing Why cybersecurity marketing has become a “sea of sameness” How unclear messaging creates friction in the buying journey Why copying successful competitors rarely creates a distinctive brand How trends and buzzwords influence cybersecurity messaging Why marketers need the freedom to take creative risks The challenge of measuring creativity through ROI How investor expectations can influence marketing decisions When bold event marketing becomes a gimmick Why everyone representing your company at an event should understand the product How cybersecurity culture has evolved over the years Why making technology more accessible can attract new talent How to build a distinctive brand without losing authenticity Why clear positioning and a focused target market can save time and marketing budget To learn more about Sara Carty, please visit her LinkedIn profile To learn more about Kelly Allen, please visit her LinkedIn profile To learn more about Unboring, please visit her website. YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER      Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation.  Get to know more about Simon at:     Website: https://simonlader.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/     The Conference Room is available on Spotify Apple podcasts Amazon Music IHeartRadio

    Ep.190 - How to Unboring Your Marketing

  2. Sep 21

    Ep.189 -An Indepth Interview with a Founding Father of Cybersecurity

    In this episode, Simon sits down with Cleve Adams, a veteran technology executive, entrepreneur, investor, and six-time CEO with decades of experience building, scaling, turning around, and exiting high-growth technology companies. Cleve shares the remarkable story of helping build Websense from an early-stage cybersecurity startup into a billion-dollar public company, including how landing Compaq as an early Fortune 500 customer transformed the business. He also discusses strategic partnerships, raising venture capital, scaling through channel partners, and witnessing the cybersecurity industry evolve from its earliest days. The conversation also explores the rise of SaaS, today's increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape, and why Cleve believes AI represents another major technological shift comparable to the Internet. Key Moments Cleve Adams’ journey from Texas Instruments into the startup world Building Websense from a tiny startup into a billion-dollar public company How landing Compaq became the turning point for Websense Why strategic partnerships with Cisco, Check Point, and Microsoft accelerated growth How Websense built its enterprise product around a real customer problem The role of channel partnerships in scaling globally Raising $6 million in venture capital after securing a major customer How Websense pioneered user-based subscription pricing and early SaaS concepts How cybersecurity evolved from a handful of vendors into a massive global industry Why Cleve believes AI could become as transformative as the Internet To learn more about Cleve Adams, please visit her LinkedIn profile. To learn more about the National Artificial Intelligence Association, please visit her website. YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER      Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation.  Get to know more about Simon at:     Website: https://simonlader.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/     The Conference Room is available on Spotify Apple podcasts Amazon Music IHeartRadio

    Ep.189 -An Indepth Interview with a Founding Father of Cybersecurity

  3. Sep 14

    Ep.188 -The CEO Playbook: Start-Ups, Scale-Ups and Successful Exits

    In this episode, Simon sits down with David Etue, CEO of Cyberbit, a cybersecurity executive with more than 20 years of experience building, scaling, and leading organizations across startups, high-growth businesses, and global enterprises. David shares lessons from his journey across different leadership roles, including how working across multiple business functions gave him greater context and empathy as a CEO. He also explores the differences between leading small and large companies, creating a culture of innovation, learning from failure, navigating acquisitions, and building teams that can perform without the CEO becoming a bottleneck. The conversation offers practical insights for CEOs, founders, and business leaders looking to build high-performing teams, encourage innovation, and lead successfully through growth and change. Key Moments David’s journey from technology and cybersecurity into executive leadership How working across different business functions built context and empathy as a leader What small companies do better—and what large organizations do better at scale Why successful innovation starts with the customer’s problem, not the technology How small, autonomous teams can help large organizations innovate faster Why failure needs to be an acceptable part of an innovative company culture Why high-performing teams need ambitious goals and room to learn from missed targets The leadership lesson: fail differently, learn, and don’t repeat the same mistake Why employees can struggle with the shift from startup autonomy to a larger organization after an acquisition How a CEO’s role changes as a company grows and why leaders must avoid becoming bottlenecks David’s three lessons for becoming a successful CEO: do what you love, develop empathy, and build a culture around your leadership principles What’s next for David: cybersecurity readiness, AI, private-equity leadership, and national security To learn more about David Etue, please visit her LinkedIn profile To learn more about Cyberbit, please visit her website. YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER      Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation.  Get to know more about Simon at:     Website: https://simonlader.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/     The Conference Room is available on Spotify Apple podcasts Amazon Music IHeartRadio

    Ep.188 -The CEO Playbook: Start-Ups, Scale-Ups and Successful Exits

  4. Sep 7

    Ep.187 -Team, Market or Problem? How to Turn an Idea into a Scaling Company

    In this episode, Simon sits down with Kim van Lavieren, Co-Founder & CTO of Dawn Guard, and Martijn Hoffmans, Head of Go-to-Market at Dawn Guard, to explore what it really takes to build a cybersecurity startup from the ground up. Kim shares his journey from serving in the Dutch Marines and working in cybersecurity to becoming a security engineering lead at Amazon, where he saw firsthand how difficult it was for organizations to build secure systems. That experience ultimately led him to research how secure design could be automated and to co-found Dawn Guard. Martijn brings a different perspective to the conversation. After more than 20 years working commercially across cybersecurity, he first became an angel investor in Dawn Guard before eventually joining the company to help build its go-to-market operation. The conversation explores how Dawn Guard identified a fundamental problem in cybersecurity, why the company chose to address the root cause rather than add another security tool, and how it validated its assumptions with early customers and design partners. Kim and Martijn also discuss the realities of building an early-stage startup, including raising investment, hiring the first employees, establishing company culture, balancing customer demands with product vision, and determining when you've found product-market fit. Whether you're a cybersecurity leader, startup founder, technology executive, or entrepreneur, this episode offers practical insights into building a company around a real customer problem, making difficult decisions, and creating a product for a market that doesn't yet have a defined category. Key Moments Kim's journey from the Dutch Marines to cybersecurity and Amazon How Dawn Guard's original idea became a company Why solving the root cause matters more than adding another security tool How customer validation shaped Dawn Guard's early development Why the founders were able to avoid major product pivots The importance of trust and relationships when building a startup Why the first ten hires can define a company's culture Hiring for today's needs while preparing for future growth Balancing customer demands with long-term product vision Why listening to customers too much can become dangerous How AI is changing the way secure systems can be designed What product-market fit really looks like for an early-stage startup Kim and Martijn's advice for founders building their companies The importance of solving a problem customers already feel To learn more about Kim van Lavieren, please visit her LinkedIn profile To learn more about Martijn Hoffmans, please visit her LinkedIn profile To learn more about Dawnguard, please visit her website. YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER      Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation.  Get to know more about Simon at:     Website: https://simonlader.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/     The Conference Room is available on Spotify Apple podcasts Amazon Music IHeartRadio

    Ep.187 -Team, Market or Problem? How to Turn an Idea into a Scaling Company

  5. Aug 31

    Ep.186 -A Founder's Story: Building a Biotech Company From the Ground Up

    In this episode, Simon sits down with Dr. Sherry Zhang, an entrepreneur, molecular geneticist, bestselling author, and pioneer in personalized nutrition. After arriving in the United States from China with just three bags and $3,000, Sherry went on to earn her PhD in molecular biology and build a career at the intersection of science, entrepreneurship, genomics, and longevity. She shares how her scientific curiosity led her from the laboratory into entrepreneurship, the challenges of building a biotech company, and the lessons she learned about fundraising, leadership, hiring, and building the right team. The conversation also explores personalized health, the future of AI-driven longevity research, and what founders can learn from listening deeply to customers and building products around real problems. Whether you're a founder, entrepreneur, scientist, or business leader, this episode delivers powerful insights on curiosity, resilience, innovation, leadership, and turning ambitious ideas into meaningful impact. Key Moments Introduction to Dr. Sherry Zhang and her journey from China to the United States How curiosity shaped Sherry's career as a scientist and entrepreneur The journey from molecular biology to personalized nutrition The moment Sherry realized her scientific research could help everyday people Why she decided to become a founder and build a company The challenges of fundraising and finding the right investors How Sherry's leadership style evolved from science to entrepreneurship Why founders need to surround themselves with people who share their principles The importance of hiring the right talent—and making difficult decisions quickly Sherry's top advice for first-time founders: listen deeply to your customers Why building a focused minimum viable product is essential How structured communication can prevent unnecessary meetings The future of AI, systems biology, and personalized longevity What's next for Sherry and her work in health optimization To learn more about Sherry Zhang, please visit her LinkedIn profile To learn more about GenoPalate, please visit her website. YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER      Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation.  Get to know more about Simon at:     Website: https://simonlader.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/     The Conference Room is available on Spotify Apple podcasts Amazon Music IHeartRadio

    Ep.186 -A Founder's Story: Building a Biotech Company From the Ground Up

  6. Aug 24

    Ep.185 -The Fortune Hidden in the Follow Up

    In this episode of The Conference Room, Simon Lader sits down with Aly Samaha, Founder of Samaha Consulting and the “King of Follow-Up.” Aly explains why most salespeople give up on opportunities far too early and how a structured, human approach to follow-up can turn missed opportunities into revenue. He shares practical strategies for staying top of mind, overcoming objections, building trust, and knowing when to use persistence versus automation. The conversation also explores how AI can support follow-up without removing the human element—and why sales professionals should focus more on the opportunities already sitting in their pipeline instead of constantly chasing new leads. How Aly became the “King of Follow-Up” Why staying top of mind creates future opportunities The biggest reasons salespeople stop following up How to make follow-up feel human—not salesy Identifying the real obstacle before leaving the sales call Why valuable follow-up beats “just checking in” When persistence becomes annoying—and how to avoid it Building a 72-hour follow-up cadence How to use AI and automation without losing personalization Why 20% of your opportunities deserve 80% of your attention The biggest mistakes people make with automated follow-up Why speed and clarity build massive trust Aly’s three essential follow-up principles How to revive deals already sitting in your pipeline Aly’s free follow-up resources and pipeline audit To learn more about Aly Samaha, please visit her LinkedIn profileTo learn more about Samaha Consulting, please visit her website. YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER      Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation.  Get to know more about Simon at:     Website: https://simonlader.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/     The Conference Room is available on Spotify Apple podcasts Amazon Music IHeartRadio Key Moments

    Ep.185 -The Fortune Hidden in the Follow Up

  7. Aug 17

    Ep.184 -Can AI Build Trust?

    In this episode of The Conference Room, Simon sits down with Chandra De Keyser, co-Founder of Voicera, an AI company focused on helping organizations understand not only what people say, but what they mean by combining large language models with emotional intelligence. With a career spanning Europe, Silicon Valley, Brazil, and beyond, Chandra shares his journey as an entrepreneur and innovator, including his experience building AI companies long before generative AI became mainstream. The conversation explores how AI can help organizations understand human emotions, sincerity, and trust in an increasingly digital and video-first world. Chandra explains how Voicera analyzes facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, speech patterns, and other signals to provide a deeper understanding of human communication. Simon and Chandra also discuss the challenges of building AI responsibly, including the importance of diverse datasets, informed consent, ethical guidelines, and protecting people's information. The episode goes beyond technology, covering leadership, hiring, building high-performing teams, product-market fit, startup resilience, and how executives can use AI strategically to overcome their biggest bottlenecks. Whether you're an entrepreneur, executive, technology leader, or simply interested in the future of AI and human communication, this episode offers valuable insights into how technology can augment human potential rather than replace it.Key Moments Chandra De Keyser’s journey into AI and entrepreneurship How COVID highlighted the need for better human understanding The evolution from facial analysis to emotional AI How AI can detect sincerity through voice, facial expressions, and body language The importance of diverse datasets and ethical AI development How AI can uncover signals that transcripts alone miss Using AI to improve sales conversations and customer interactions What separates successful founders from unsuccessful ones How leaders can identify bottlenecks and use AI strategically The importance of persistence, strong teams, and customer-focused growth To learn more about Chandra De Keyser, please visit her LinkedIn profile To learn more about Voicera AI, please visit her website. YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER      Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation.  Get to know more about Simon at:     Website: https://simonlader.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/     The Conference Room is available on Spotify Apple podcasts Amazon Music IHeartRadio

    Ep.184 -Can AI Build Trust?

  8. Aug 10

    Ep.183 -Bringing Structure and Systems to Accidental CEOs

    In this episode, Simon sits down with Val Coin, the Digital Transformation Fairy Godmother and a systems and technology strategist helping business leaders navigate growth and change. Val shares her journey from hospitality to technology and explains why true digital transformation starts with people and processes—not software. She also discusses optimizing tech stacks, avoiding unnecessary subscriptions, creating clear accountability, and helping accidental CEOs transition from working in the business to working on it. Whether you're a CEO, founder, or operations leader, this episode offers practical insights on systems, leadership, technology, and building businesses that can scale. Key Moments Introduction to Val Coin and her digital transformation journey Why digital transformation is more than simply implementing software Why businesses should streamline processes before introducing technology How to assess whether your technology stack fits your stage of growth Why growing businesses accumulate too many disconnected software platforms How to identify duplicate software and unnecessary subscriptions The importance of clear organizational charts, roles, and accountability The common challenges faced by accidental CEOs How leaders can balance working in the business with working on the business Why curiosity, listening, and avoiding technology-first thinking are essential to digital transformation To learn more about Val Coin, please visit her LinkedIn profile To learn more about via technology, please visit her website. YOUR HOST - SIMON LADER      Simon Lader is the host of The Conference Room, Co-Founder of global executive search firm Salisi Human Capital, and lead generation consultancy Flow and Scale. Since 1997, Simon has helped cybersecurity vendors to build highly effective teams, and since 2022, he has helped people create consistent revenue through consistent lead generation.  Get to know more about Simon at:     Website: https://simonlader.com/   Twitter: https://twitter.com/simonlader   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/headhuntersimonlader/     The Conference Room is available on Spotify Apple podcasts Amazon Music IHeartRadio

    Ep.183 -Bringing Structure and Systems to Accidental CEOs
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Master the strategies you need to develop a high performing business. Hear from the most successful business leaders in conversation with Simon Lader, Co-Founder of global Executive Search firm Salisi Human Capital, and podcast consulting firm Viva Podcasts. Hear from business growth experts in sales, marketing, investment, hiring, HR, product design and much much more. I'm Simon Lader. Welcome to The Conference Room.

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