Industry Insights Shravan Vijayabaskaran

Shravan talks to Matt McGowan, Director & GM of Snap Inc (NYSE:SNAP), an American camera company most popular for creating Snapchat. Prior to leading Snap Canada Matt spent over 30 years jumping from industry to industry. The former Head of Strategy at Google started his career in investment banking on Wall St. After deciding the world of finance wasn't for him he's committed his career to solving complex problems and continuous learning. Whether it be the growth and exit strategy of a startup or tackling the VC world head first Matt has experienced much of what the business world has to offer. On this episode of Industry Insights he shares his thoughts on effective team leadership, coping with imposter syndrome, and much more!

Shravan talks to Bill Manning, President of Toronto FC, a professional soccer club competing in the Eastern Conference of the MLS. Prior to his time with TFC Bill has held multiple executive positions with the Houston Rockets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Real Salt Lake most notably. Throughout his career Bill is responsible for winning two MLS Cups and has been recognized as MLS Executive of the Year on two separate occasions. Bill's passion for the game stems from his experiences as a player, winning the US Open Cup in 1991 and going on to represent Puerto Rico in the 1994 World Cup Qualifying Tournament. On this episode he shares his ideologies behind creating winning teams and his thoughts on the future of soccer in North America.

Shravan talks to Paul Baltzell, Vice President Strategy & Business Development at Salesforce, a cloud-based software company that's mission is to empower companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. After his time in the US Navy he rose the corporate ladder within IT and spent several years as a CIO in the public sector. On this episode he shares what has made him so successful and how he's found a sense of purpose through his career.

Shravan talks to Peter Sursi, Head of Recruitment at the FBI, a law enforcement agency that's mission is to protect the American people and uphold the constitution. Spending over 15 years of his career at the FBI, Peter is responsible for their first ever annual recruitment strategy which has not only doubled the amount of annual applicants but has achieved a new precedent in diversity applicants for the bureau. On this episode he shares what has made him so successful and how the FBI is thinking about HR functions moving forward.

Shravan talks to Travis Ames, Vice President Consumer and Devices at Microsoft, a company that's mission is to empower then planet to achieve more. He's been with the organization for almost 20 year, throughout his time he has held over 10 different positions and has travelled to over 61 countries. On this episode he shares what he thinks makes a great leader through his experiences with Bill Gates and Satya Nadella and also his consistent journey to energize the people surrounding him. Travis also sheds light on the global presence of the firm and how it affects his day to day work within his role and his experiences both living in 3 different countries and traveling the world.

Shravan talks to Althea Wishloff, Venture Capital Analyst at Panache Ventures, a scrappy seed venture capital fund located in the heart of Toronto. She's been described as a "rising star in the VC community" by Patrick Lor, Canadian VC Legend and is also a very active member in her indigenous community. On this episode she shares stories from her studies at the University of British Columbia, the strategies she uses to make sure she keeps grounded and manages burnout, and shares insights on her departure from her traditional finance role.