Alias Expert Interviews

Alias Intelligence
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Management

Alias Expert Interviews is a video series focused on practical conversations with leaders who have managed risk, solved complex problems, and made consequential decisions. Hosted by Michael Collins, the series examines the experiences and lessons of executives, investors, legal professionals, security leaders, and subject matter experts from multiple industries. Each conversation moves past resumes and headlines to reveal how experienced professionals approach decisions, lead teams, and respond to real-world challenges. Alias Expert Interviews offers direct insight from professionals who have spent decades managing risk, addressing complex issues, and leading through uncertainty in boardrooms, courtrooms, investment committees, and security operations centers. The series is designed to deliver practical insights that help viewers make better decisions and understand the people behind them.

  1. 7h ago

    Matt Kalinowski: From Big Law to Global Head of Litigation | Ep 13

    Matt Kalinowski has spent more than two decades navigating complex litigation, regulatory challenges, and legal leadership within the financial services industry. Disclaimer: The views expressed by Matt Kalinowski are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Computershare. After beginning his legal career at Morgan Lewis, Matt transitioned in-house at Deutsche Bank, where he worked through a period of significant mortgage-backed securities litigation. He later joined MUFG before becoming Global Head of Litigation at Computershare, a financial services company with more than 11,000 employees worldwide. In Episode 14 of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins sits down with Matt to discuss the evolution from law firm associate to corporate legal executive, the changing role of in-house litigation teams, and why sound judgment and business context are essential to effective legal leadership. They discuss: Matt's path from a technology startup to law school and litigationTransitioning from Big Law to in-house counselManaging complex litigation and regulatory matters in financial servicesWhy in-house litigation teams do far more than manage outside counselHow smaller legal disputes can reveal larger operational and compliance risksThe role of internal investigations and the challenge of making decisions with incomplete informationHow AI is changing legal productivity, outside counsel relationships, and the billable-hour modelWhy trust and relationships remain difficult to measure but essential to legal leadershipBalancing litigation strategy with business prioritiesThe importance of institutional knowledge and understanding how a company operatesWhy good legal judgment matters more than hours workedDeveloping the next generation of lawyers as technology changes the professionCareer lessons on mentorship, adaptability, and maintaining perspectiveThroughout the conversation, Matt explains how effective litigation leadership extends well beyond responding to lawsuits. It requires anticipating risk, understanding the business, working across departments, and helping executives make informed decisions when the answers aren't always clear. It's a conversation about judgment, trust, risk, and the evolving role of legal leadership in an increasingly complex financial and technological environment.

  2. Sep 25

    Dan Montenaro: From Chief Legal Officer to Business President | Ep 12

    Dan Montenaro has spent more than 25 years moving from legal practice into increasingly broad corporate leadership roles. After beginning his career in law firms, Dan moved in-house with National City Corporation and later HSBC. He went on to serve as Chief Compliance Officer at iQor and Chief Legal Officer at Alorica. Today, he is President of Global Business Services at Alorica, with responsibilities spanning legal, compliance, HR, security, sourcing, and other corporate functions. In Episode 12 of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins speaks with Dan about the evolution from lawyer to business executive and what he has learned from working on both sides of the outside-counsel-in-house relationship. They discuss: • Moving from law firm litigation to an in-house legal career • How legal training translates into broader corporate leadership • The changing relationship between companies and outside counsel • Why predictability in legal spend can matter as much as lowering costs • Dan's view on changing talent dynamics across large, mid-sized, and smaller law firms • Why he tends to hire lawyers rather than law firms • Where AI can improve legal work and where human analysis remains essential • Why in-house lawyers need to understand how their company makes money • How the Chief Legal Officer role has evolved beyond traditional legal advice • Bringing legal into business decisions earlier rather than after the fact • How executive teams think about risk appetite • The reputational risk created by the companies you choose to do business with • Why judgment, integrity, and practical recommendations matter in corporate leadership Dan also shares lessons from his own career, including how an unexpected move in-house ultimately led him from litigation and legal leadership into the executive team and a much broader role running corporate functions. It's a conversation about law, business, risk, relationships, and what happens when a legal leader learns to think beyond the legal department.

  3. Sep 11

    Roland Cloutier: Leading Security at TikTok, ADP & EMC | Ep 11

    Roland Cloutier has spent nearly four decades working across military service, federal law enforcement, cybersecurity, and global corporate security. After beginning his career in the U.S. Air Force, Roland moved into federal law enforcement and eventually cybersecurity before serving as Chief Security Officer for organizations including EMC, ADP, TikTok, and ByteDance. Today, he advises organizations and security leaders through the Business Protection Group and is the author of Becoming a Global Chief Security Executive Officer. In Episode 11 of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins speaks with Roland about the evolution of corporate security and what it takes to become a trusted partner to the business. They discuss: • Transitioning from military and law enforcement into the corporate world • Investigating cyber threats and intellectual property theft early in his career • Bringing physical and cybersecurity together • Why modern security leaders need to understand the business • Demonstrating the value of security to executives and boards • Helping the business pursue opportunities rather than simply saying "no" • Managing the pressure of global security leadership • Why CISO tenure can be so short • Navigating geopolitical and internal security challenges • How AI is already changing security operations • The future of cyber and physical security • Developing the next generation of security leaders Throughout the conversation, Roland shares lessons from decades spent building and leading security organizations in rapidly changing environments. It's a conversation about trust, leadership, technology, and why the strongest security functions don't just protect the business. They help it move forward.

  4. Sep 4

    Ben Ostapuk: From Patent Litigator to Chief Legal Officer | Ep 10

    Ben Ostapuk's career has taken him from patent litigation at leading law firms to senior leadership at Intel and, today, the Chief Legal Officer role at Pegasystems. After more than a decade in Big Law, Ben joined Intel's in-house litigation team and spent the next 15 years developing into what he describes as "a business executive who happens to have a legal background." In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins speaks with Ben about that evolution and what modern corporate legal leadership requires. They discuss: • Moving from Big Law to an in-house legal team • How the CLO role has evolved beyond traditional legal advice • What boards and executives expect from senior legal leaders • Why great legal teams work shoulder to shoulder with the business • Managing risk without trying to eliminate it • Building long-term relationships with outside counsel • Leading global litigation across multiple jurisdictions • Responding to a $2 billion trial loss at Intel • Navigating disruption across semiconductors, software, and AI • Why preventing bad outcomes makes legal value difficult to demonstrate • Establishing an organization's risk tolerance • The importance of judgment, trust, and international experience • Why human expertise remains critical as AI changes legal work Throughout the conversation, Ben explains how each stage of his career required learning a different way to operate and why the skills that make someone an excellent lawyer are only part of what eventually makes someone an effective Chief Legal Officer. It's a conversation about judgment, adaptability, relationships, risk, and learning how to lead when the answers aren't black and white.

  5. Aug 27

    Andy Tosh: From British Army to Global Security Executive | Ep 09

    Andy Tosh has spent 40 years working in security across the military, public, and private sectors. After beginning his career in the British Army, Andy went on to work with the United Nations and on assignments connected to the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. His career has taken him into complex environments across Nigeria, Libya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Iraq, Afghanistan, and beyond. Today, he serves as Vice President of Enterprise Security at Baker Hughes. In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins speaks with Andy about the evolution of corporate security, the transition from military to corporate environments, and what it takes to lead a global security function. They discuss: • Andy's path from the British Army to Baker Hughes • Lessons from working in high-risk environments around the world • Why soft skills became essential to his development as a security leader • Moving beyond the traditional "gates and guards" perception of corporate security • Building an intelligence-led, risk-based security function • Why military and law enforcement experience are no longer prerequisites for security careers • Using data to demonstrate the value of corporate security • Understanding the business before trying to manage its risks • The growing importance of geopolitical and physical risk • How AI and technology could change corporate security • Why human judgment remains essential • Building diverse teams and developing future security leaders Throughout the conversation, Andy reflects on four decades in security and how the profession has evolved from a primarily protective function into one increasingly focused on intelligence, risk, business continuity, and enabling organizations to operate safely around the world. It's a conversation about leadership, adaptability, judgment, and what modern corporate security can bring to the business.

  6. Aug 21

    Elisa Garcia: From Energy Analyst to Fortune 500 Chief Legal Officer | Ep 08

    Elisa Garcia's career has taken her from international energy policy to the highest levels of corporate legal leadership. Over more than three decades, Elisa served as the first General Counsel of Domino's Pizza, helped prepare the company for its IPO, and later held senior legal leadership roles at Office Depot and Macy's. Her career has included M&A, SEC investigations, shareholder activism, corporate governance, regulatory matters, and advising executives and boards through periods of significant change. In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins sits down with Elisa to discuss what it means to move beyond being the lawyer in the room and become a true business partner. They discuss: • Becoming Domino's first General Counsel • Learning how the business actually makes money • Preparing Domino's for its IPO • Why legal teams shouldn't become the "department of no" • The evolution from General Counsel to Chief Legal Officer • Advising CEOs, boards, and shareholders • Navigating SEC investigations, M&A, and activist investors • Measuring and communicating the value of a legal department • Why listening remains one of the most important leadership skills • Building relationships across the C-suite • The role of luck, risk tolerance, and support systems in building a career • How AI could reshape corporate legal departments Throughout the conversation, Elisa shares lessons from decades spent helping major organizations navigate complex decisions while keeping the legal function connected to the business. Her philosophy is simple: understand what the business is trying to accomplish, understand how it makes money, and help find a responsible path forward.

  7. Aug 7

    Dan Murphy: From NYPD Detective to Chief Security Officer | Ep 07

    Dan Murphy's career has taken him from the streets of New York City to leading corporate security for some of America's largest organizations. After beginning his career with the NYPD, Dan worked across narcotics, fugitive investigations, organized crime, kidnappings, gangs, technical surveillance, and counterterrorism. He later brought that experience into the private sector, eventually serving as Chief Security Officer at U.S. Bank and holding senior security and investigations roles with organizations including Albertsons, Supervalu, Optum, and UnitedHealth Group. In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, host Michael Collins sits down with Dan to discuss the lessons behind that transition and how the role of corporate security has evolved. They discuss: • The mindset shift from law enforcement to corporate security • Why security leaders need to understand the business they're protecting • Managing threats without letting emotion drive decisions • Recovering millions of dollars following a major fraud incident • Why proactive intelligence matters when nothing appears to be wrong • The changing executive protection environment • Building trust with executives and their families • How security leaders can demonstrate value before an incident occurs Dan also shares stories from undercover work in Hong Kong, his experience following 9/11, and decades spent investigating and managing high-stakes situations. It's a conversation about judgment, leadership, intelligence, and what it means to protect an organization when the risks are constantly changing.

  8. Jul 31

    Trevor Copeland: Protecting Innovation Through Intellectual Property | Ep 06

    What makes intellectual property a competitive advantage instead of simply a legal exercise? Trevor Copeland has spent more than twenty years helping startups, inventors, and global organizations protect innovation through patents and intellectual property strategy. In this episode of Alias Expert Interviews, Trevor explains why IP should be viewed as a business decision, how investors use patent activity as market intelligence, why many companies misunderstand patent protection, and how artificial intelligence is changing legal practice. We discuss: • When patent protection makes business sense • Why patents exist to encourage innovation • Common misconceptions surrounding intellectual property • How venture capital firms monitor emerging technologies • Global patent strategy and enforcement • AI's impact on intellectual property law • Real stories from inventors who successfully commercialized their ideas Whether you're building a startup, evaluating investments, or leading innovation inside an established company, this conversation offers practical insights into protecting and maximizing the value of intellectual property

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Alias Expert Interviews is a video series focused on practical conversations with leaders who have managed risk, solved complex problems, and made consequential decisions. Hosted by Michael Collins, the series examines the experiences and lessons of executives, investors, legal professionals, security leaders, and subject matter experts from multiple industries. Each conversation moves past resumes and headlines to reveal how experienced professionals approach decisions, lead teams, and respond to real-world challenges. Alias Expert Interviews offers direct insight from professionals who have spent decades managing risk, addressing complex issues, and leading through uncertainty in boardrooms, courtrooms, investment committees, and security operations centers. The series is designed to deliver practical insights that help viewers make better decisions and understand the people behind them.

Information

  • Creator
    Alias Intelligence
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Alias Intelligence