C-Speak: The Language of Executives

PNC & Boston Business Journal
  • 5.0 (13)
  • CAREERS

PNC C-Speak: The Language of Executives, features frank and lively conversations on leadership and life. Hosted by Carolyn Jones, market president and publisher of the Boston Business Journal, far left; Jon Bernstein, regional president of PNC Bank; and Saskia Epstein, senior vice president, client and community relations, with PNC Bank, each episode profiles a well-known local business leader and explores their personal career path and today’s most pertinent business topics. Hear their stories, including pivotal highlights from their lives and forward-thinking insights. Listen here and subscribe to PNC C-Speak at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

  1. AUG 27

    Pegasystems CEO Alan Trefler on technology transitions and using chess to navigate business strategies

    By PNC Bank Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. On this episode of PNC C-Speak, Alan Trefler, founder and CEO of Pegasystems, joins to discuss his entrepreneurial journey that led to a billion-dollar company. He shares the importance of fostering curiosity in business, managing technological transitions and the impact of AI on future business processes.  Trefler also touches on his passion for chess — he became a master at age 19 — and his experiences and lessons as the son of a Holocaust survivor and his philanthropic efforts through the Trefler Foundation. Listen to the podcast to learn more about:  ·      Pega’s business model and impact (2:05) ·      How Pega has navigated major technology transitions (4:32) ·      Trefler’s North Star as he leads the company (6:39) ·      How chess factors into Trefler’s business strategy (12:46) ·      Trefler’s favorite spot in Boston (22:16)    Powered by PNC Bank.

    26 min

  2. JUL 31

    Eneida Roman of ALX and Kristin McSwain, senior advisor for early childhood, on charting a new path for child care in the region

    Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. In this episode, Saskia Epstein, SVP PNC Bank in New England, sits down with Eneida Roman, president and CEO of ALX, and Kristin McSwain, senior advisor for early childhood and director of the Office of Early Childhood for the city of Boston, to discuss the state of early childhood education in the region.  McSwain shares how she became interested in early childhood education and what led her to become involved in The Boston Opportunity Agenda, as well as to spearhead development of programs for young people and child care in the Office of Early Childhood. “I think it’s really important for our child care providers to see themselves as business leaders,” McSwain says. “They’re providing those first formative four or five years for our littlest learners that are really important for the economic prosperity of our region.”  In the episode, Roman discusses the fact that a significant amount of child care providers in Massachusetts are Latina and how she has focused on providing programs for those individuals to set children up for success. “I have this immense awareness of how important it is to make sure we have a structured child care space for children so that when they’re ready to enter a school, they have the basic knowledge and tools to be able to be successful,” Roman says.  Listen to hear more about: ·      The Boston Opportunity Agenda and early childhood initiatives (1:59) ·      Boston’s approach to early childhood and the child care census (5:50) ·      Mentorship and business skills for child care providers (13:57) ·      What actions the business community can take to support early childhood education (26:23) Powered by PNC Bank.

    31 min
  3. Bose CEO on fostering a culture of innovation, leveraging AI for UX

    JUN 17

    Bose CEO on fostering a culture of innovation, leveraging AI for UX

    Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. On this episode of PNC C-Speak, Lila Snyder, CEO of Bose Corp., discusses her vision for the company’s future, leveraging AI to enhance user experience and Massachusetts’ role as a hub for talent and business. Snyder also touches on the company’s culture of innovation and how her team pushes the envelope in audio technology.  “Most great innovation comes from understanding where your customer has pain points, so we spend a lot of time being customers ourselves, talking to customers, learning about what our customers really care about,” Snyder said. Listen to the podcast to learn more about:  The importance of leadership and connection during the Covid-19 pandemic (3:15)Snyder’s personal career path from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Bose (8:19)[JL2] Advice Snyder would share with her younger self (13:49)The future of innovation at Bose and how AI fits in (21:11)Powered by PNC Bank.

    24 min
  4. How businesses can support and retain working caregivers, according to Brooke Thomson of Associated Industries of Massachusetts and Sadie Funk of The Best Place for Working Parents

    MAY 19

    How businesses can support and retain working caregivers, according to Brooke Thomson of Associated Industries of Massachusetts and Sadie Funk of The Best Place for Working Parents

    Subscribe to C-Speak so you never miss an episode. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Nearly 75% of employees in the U.S. have caregiving responsibilities outside of work, and more than two-thirds of children age 6 and under have two parents who work, which underscores the importance of supporting parents in the labor force.  “We took this data and thought, ‘What if there’s an opportunity to really focus in on the internal policies that these businesses have,’” said Sadie Funk, national director and co-founder, The Best Place for Working Parents. “Could we build a multi-pronged solution that really allows these businesses and supports these businesses to attract and retain their top talent?”  In this episode of PNC C-Speak: The Language of Executives, Funk joins Brooke Thomson, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), to talk about the innovative ways businesses are supporting their working caregivers. The two organizations partnered to bring the Best Place for Working Parents designation to Massachusetts in 2022. This episode is the latest segment in a C-Speak miniseries exploring the relationship between early childhood and the economy. Tune in to learn more about: How Massachusetts is leading the way in implementing family-friendly policies (9:40)Where businesses stand on flexible work arrangements and remote work (14:49)Low- to no-cost solutions for working caregivers, including accessing the Best Place for Working Parents Toolkit (20:49)Why Massachusetts was named the No. 1 state for women by Wallethub (26:42) How Thomson has handled parenting challenges (39:10)Powered by PNC Bank.

    44 min
  5. Boston nonprofit leaders Sandra McCroom and Ben Hires on early childhood education and why it’s critical to a strong community

    MAY 15

    Boston nonprofit leaders Sandra McCroom and Ben Hires on early childhood education and why it’s critical to a strong community

    Early childhood educators are making a big impact on the Boston community. Their work affects not only the local economy, but even more importantly, the course of a child’s future. “If we invest and pour into our children — not as the proverbial babysitters, but as educators at the earliest of ages — that will absolutely change the trajectory of a child's life,” said Sandra McCroom, president and CEO of Children's Services of Roxbury (CSR), one of the largest Black-led nonprofits in Massachusetts. In this episode of PNC C-Speak: The Language of Executives, McCroom and Ben Hires, CEO of the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, discuss early education, the importance of trauma-informed care and their visions for the future of their communities.  This episode is the latest segment in a C-Speak miniseries exploring the relationship between early childhood and the economy. Tune in to learn more about: The importance of investing in early childhood education (11:40)Opportunities for growth within the early childhood education sector (14:21)What business leaders need to know about early education (24:34)Trauma-informed care, and why it’s critical in early education (21:05)How McCroom and Hires stay energized while managing a demand career (29:08)Powered by PNC Bank.

    39 min
  6. John Lee, CEO of MKS Instruments Inc., on the impact of innovation and inclusion on the tech company’s culture

    MAY 6

    John Lee, CEO of MKS Instruments Inc., on the impact of innovation and inclusion on the tech company’s culture

    “If you don’t innovate,” says John Lee, “you can't invent the products people use.”  In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Lee, president and CEO of MKS Instruments Inc., shares the origin story and trajectory of the nearly 60-year-old tech enterprise. Based in Massachusetts, the company supports the advanced electronics industry.  Innovation is only half of the secret sauce for MKS Instruments. The other prime ingredient, according to Lee, is inclusion. “I’ve spent a lot of time making sure everyone in the company – no matter where you are, which country you're in, what your political beliefs are or any other beliefs you have within the walls of MKS –  will be included. We will respect each other and you will be welcomed.” Tune in to this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast to learn more about: Crisis lessons Lee learned during the Covid-19 pandemic (3:40)The components of team dynamics (8:29)Which major sporting event is on his bucket list (19:33)Powered by PNC Bank. Download a transcript of the podcast.

    22 min

  7. APR 22

    Sara Fraim, CEO of MTLC, on leading an organization that supports one of the country’s top technology ecosystems (podcast)

    Sara Fraim got her start with the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council in 2011 in a role that focused on education and signature programing for members. Eleven years later, she was promoted to CEO of the association that plays a critical role in helping to grow an inclusive technology ecosystem in the state. MTLC has 300 member companies, representing tens of thousands of tech workers.  "Our vision is that Massachusetts is the best place for business leaders and tech leaders to work, to live, and to grow their companies, especially right now,” she says. In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Fraim talks about her career journey and what MassTLC is focused on right now. Tune in to learn more about:  How significant the tech economy has become in Massachusetts (4:11)How she’s growing as a CEO (7:35)Her process for making tough decisions (10:51)How MassTLC is focusing on keeping hypergrowth companies in Massachusetts (12:27)Powered by PNC Bank. Download a transcript of the podcast.

    28 min

  8. APR 8

    Christina Gordon, CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Boston, on her “economic empowering” mission for women and girls

    Christina Gordon’s pivotal “aha moment” surfaced during a college class on at-risk children. “We discovered research had shown that the strongest variable for success for a high-risk child was maternal education,” Gordon recalls. If women were educated, their “children would have better lives.” In this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast, Gordon, CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit Women’s Foundation of Boston, explains how the organization helps under-resourced women and girls statewide.  Gordon says the foundation is “the only large, multiyear funder to women and girls serving nonprofits in our state by pooling dollars from different donors including individuals, corporations and foundations.”  “I love being in the women and girls space, particularly in the economic empowering part of it,” she says. Tune in to this episode of the PNC C-Speak podcast to learn more about: The foundation’s approach to funding for grants (7:54)Gordon’s “secret sauce” as a leader (22:09)Gordon’s wish for Massachusetts (38:49)Powered by PNC Bank. Download a transcript of the podcast.

    40 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

PNC C-Speak: The Language of Executives, features frank and lively conversations on leadership and life. Hosted by Carolyn Jones, market president and publisher of the Boston Business Journal, far left; Jon Bernstein, regional president of PNC Bank; and Saskia Epstein, senior vice president, client and community relations, with PNC Bank, each episode profiles a well-known local business leader and explores their personal career path and today’s most pertinent business topics. Hear their stories, including pivotal highlights from their lives and forward-thinking insights. Listen here and subscribe to PNC C-Speak at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Information

  • Creator
    PNC & Boston Business Journal
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2025
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 C-Speak: The Language of Executives
  • Show Website
    C-Speak: The Language of Executives

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