Aon at The Top: Interviewing Executives on their Paths to the C-Suite and Boardroom

Nicole Elizabeth Ward
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Welcome to Aon at The Top, where I have the honor of interviewing some of the most distinguished executives, c-suite and board members about their journeys and paths to success. I’m your host, Nicole Ward, the Senior Vice President of Sales at Aon. In this series, we draw out meaningful insights and candid perspectives on navigating to the top. At Aon we help you make better business decisions by turning risk into resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Aug 26

    Don't Confuse Motion for Progress | Cribl's CLO Matt Kelly On Performance Under Pressure

    In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Matthew Kelly, Chief Legal Officer at Cribl, the data engine for IT and security trusted by half the Fortune 100. Matthew brings two decades of experience across ServiceNow, where he helped scale the legal function from IPO to $1 billion in annual revenue, ThoughtSpot, and now Cribl, where he leads legal, security, and IT. We talk about what it really takes to thrive in hyper-growth environments, why the legal mindset is actually a first-principles superpower, how the explosion of AI agents is about to create a data problem no one is fully prepared for, and why the best thing a leader can do is get out of the way of great people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Don't Confuse Motion for Progress | Cribl's CLO Matt Kelly On Performance Under Pressure

  2. Jul 22

    How to Bet on Content When You Can't Predict Winners | Fuel TV President Gene Pao

    In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Gene Pao, President and General Manager of Fuel TV North America, and discuss building a media business in one of the most competitive streaming landscapes in the world. Gene shares his journey from aerospace engineer to Harvard MBA to senior roles at Disney, ESPN, Fox, YouTube, and Shout! Factory, a career that was never planned but always intentional. We talk about when to double down versus pivot, why content investment is the riskiest bet in media, how AI is changing the way operators make decisions, and what it actually means to be a true failure versus just making a mistake. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    How to Bet on Content When You Can't Predict Winners | Fuel TV President Gene Pao

  3. Jul 8

    The 40% of Your Job AI Can't Do | Coco Brown, founder and CEO of Athena Alliance

    In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Coco Brown, founder and CEO of Athena Alliance, and discuss corporate governance, board composition, and what separates high-functioning boards from those just meeting their obligations. We talk about why most boards are operating from an outdated playbook, how AI is creating a step-function shift that governance structures aren't prepared for, and why the next era of board leadership demands non-linear thinking, generational diversity, and a willingness to ask exponential questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The 40% of Your Job AI Can't Do | Coco Brown, founder and CEO of Athena Alliance

  4. Jun 3

    NetApp CMO: Stop Treating Marketing Like a Service Function | Gabie Boko

    Gabie Boko joins Aon At The Top to discuss her journey from aspiring lawyer in Alaska to Chief Marketing Officer at NetApp, where she leads global marketing strategy for one of the world's most trusted intelligent data infrastructure companies. She reveals why she treats herself as a perpetual intern to the industry, how printing the wrong 800 number early in her career taught her that owning mistakes builds trust faster than perfecting performance, and the moment she realized marketing technology can't live on an island if it's going to drive real business value. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    NetApp CMO: Stop Treating Marketing Like a Service Function | Gabie Boko

  5. Apr 30

    1Password CFO on IPOs, Near-Death Experiences & the CFO No Problem | Greg Henry

    Greg Henry joins Aon at the Top to discuss his journey from Milwaukee to becoming CFO of 1Password, one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity companies. We dive into the "million dollar experiences" that shaped his career, from an FDA consent decree that shut down his first CFO role to the 2018 moment at Couchbase when he and the CEO were "staring over the abyss," facing the possibility of running out of money. Greg reveals his strategy-structure-people framework for building organizations, explains why he evolved from being "CFO No" to "CFO Go," and shares how trust beats control when it comes to financial planning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    1Password CFO on IPOs, Near-Death Experiences & the CFO No Problem | Greg Henry

  6. Mar 5

    Etsy’s Former CTO: Don’t Reject an Opportunity Before It Exists. | Rachana Kumar

    In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Rachana Kumar, a trailblazing global CTO, product executive, and board director with more than two decades of experience shaping the future of technology and scaling hypergrowth organizations. We dive into what it means to lead through a business turnaround, how to balance data with intuition, and why the best career advice she ever received was "don’t reject an opportunity before it exists." Timestamps: 00:09:33 - Being the first generation of women in her family to work outside the home 00:14:33 - The 2017 Etsy turnaround 00:19:18 - Building Etsy's culture of innovation 00:27:09 - Balancing data-driven decisions with intuition while staying connected to 1,200+ people 00:34:01 - Leading responsible AI at Etsy 00:42:14 - The best career advice she ever received 00:47:25 - How to lead through uncertainty 00:56:14 - Her 9-year-old son's question: "What do you want to be next?" Connect with Rachana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachanakumar/ About Rachana Kumar: Rachana Kumar is a global CTO and product executive with more than two decades of experience leading high-impact innovation, scaling hyper-growth organizations, and driving transformation in e-commerce, media and entertainment companies. Most recently as Chief Technology Officer at Etsy, Rachana led a sweeping AI and platform transformation, driving 5x adoption of generative AI, ensuring 99.95% uptime, and powering over $13 billion in annual sales and $2.8 billion in revenue. She managed global teams of more than 1,200 people, oversaw P&L responsibilities exceeding $1 billion, and expanded Etsy's global footprint as Managing Director of Etsy Mexico. She serves on the board of trustees for the Liberty Science Center and as a Tech Advisory Council member at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Connect with Nicole: Stay connected with Nicole Ward for more insights on leadership, sales excellence, and executive success strategies. Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleward111/ Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aon-at-the-top-interviewing-executives-on-their-paths/id1800795612 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0L46j1vJo79LQC4LViO2KO Subscribe to "Aon at the Top" to hear more conversations with distinguished executives, CEOs, and board members as they share their paths to success and leadership insights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Etsy’s Former CTO: Don’t Reject an Opportunity Before It Exists. | Rachana Kumar

  7. Feb 17

    Leading Through Change: Lessons from the Boardroom and the CEO Seat | Caroline Tsay

    In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Caroline Tsay, a tech leader, builder, and public company board director who has scaled businesses, launched startups, and guided major companies strategically and operationally. Caroline has done everything from leading teams at Yahoo and Hewlett Packard Enterprise to co-founding and running her own company to serving on some of America's most highly visible boards. We dive into why the hardest initiatives create the best opportunities, the fine line between board oversight and operational interference, and why strategy without execution is just a hallucination. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Leading Through Change: Lessons from the Boardroom and the CEO Seat | Caroline Tsay

  8. Jan 20

    CLO Says Why Moving Fast Without All the Answers Is Required in Executive Roles | Yasmin Saeed Coffey

    In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Yasmin Saeed Coffey, Chief Legal Officer and GM of Distribution at TuneIn, one of the world's largest audio streaming platforms. Yasmin's career spans entertainment powerhouses like Paramount Pictures, litigation across multiple industries, and now leading global licensing strategy in the fast-moving world of digital media. We dive into why saying yes before you're ready has been her career accelerator, how she balances risk mitigation with the speed required in streaming media, and what it takes to pivot across industries without a traditional pedigree. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    CLO Says Why Moving Fast Without All the Answers Is Required in Executive Roles | Yasmin Saeed Coffey
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About

Welcome to Aon at The Top, where I have the honor of interviewing some of the most distinguished executives, c-suite and board members about their journeys and paths to success. I’m your host, Nicole Ward, the Senior Vice President of Sales at Aon. In this series, we draw out meaningful insights and candid perspectives on navigating to the top. At Aon we help you make better business decisions by turning risk into resilience. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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