Jeffrey Sanow, a former senior intelligence officer with the CIA, spent decades navigating high-pressure environments where reading people wasn’t just a skill—it was a matter of survival. How do you make decisions when the stakes couldn’t be higher? Starting as a Peace Corps volunteer, followed by over two decades of service in the Central Intelligence Agency, Jeffrey reveals what years of fieldwork taught him about influence, persuasion, and the power of truly understanding others. Whether you're leading a team, negotiating a deal, or simply seeking to communicate more effectively, these insights will transform the way you approach every conversation. ​

Anne-Laure Le Cunff, a former Googler, decided to go back to university to pursue a PhD in neuroscience. The founder of Ness Labs and author of the widely read newsletter, Anne-Laure is the foremost expert on mindful productivity and systematic curiosity. As a neuroscientist, Anne-Laure writes about evidence-based ways to navigate uncertainty and make the most of our minds and shows us how to apply scientific insights to our real-world challenges. Her new book, 'Tiny Experiments', embraces this idea, taking small, low-risk steps to test new habits, ideas, and ways of thinking to navigate the liminal space, the messy middle between where we are and where we think we want to be.

​It was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Former Google leader Jenny Wood chased an attractive stranger off the subway, and later married him. That moment forever changed Jenny's life. It took courage - Wild Courage. In her new book, 'Wild Courage: Go After What You Want and Get It', Jenny challenges conventional wisdom about achieving your goals, giving the permission and the mindset to ditch fear and chase after what you want, unapologetically. We discuss how reframing our words can be a bold, empowering, and energising guide to embracing our ambition and pursuing what we want.

Melli O’Brien wrote ‘Deep Resilience: A Four-Step Journey to Unshakable Inner Strength,’ giving us a step-by-step guide to navigating life’s challenges. The book is for those who might feel overwhelmed by life’s whirlwind pace, crave calm, and seek the strength to build confidence. In 2025, Mindful magazine named Melli one of the most powerful women in the mindfulness movement. Melli's journey has not been easy; she has experienced the loss of two family members and a divorce, and when she lost another family member while running a business, each blow took a toll on her, leading to physical and mental symptoms that resulted in chronic illness. However, this challenging period ultimately brought about significant insights for Melli.

Most of us have heard stories about the CIA, but we rarely get the chance to look behind the curtain and gain insight into their secretive operations. Michele Rigby Assad lived a lie during her career as a CIA operative in the Middle East. With extensive experience in the Arab world, she developed the ability to interpret and navigate risks while designing safe and effective operations. Michele was an undercover CIA intelligence officer for 10 years, specialising in counterterrorism and counterintelligence in war zones, giving her significant expertise in dealing with terrorists and insurgents, as highlighted in her bestselling memoir, 'Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA and What It Taught Me About What's Worth Fighting For', and her latest book, 'Get Off the X: CIA Secrets for Conquering Obstacles and Achieving Your Life's Mission'. 

​Former US Senator Martha McSally was the first ever US female combat fighter pilot, and then became the first female Air Force officer to command a fighter squadron. Having survived a sexual predator in high school, rape by a military superior and the many bureaucratic barriers that were put in her way, Martha had the iron constitution to deal with these many setbacks and still push forward to success. Martha's story is summed up in her book 'Dare to Fly: Simple Lessons in Never Giving Up'.

David Robson is a British award-winning science writer specialising in medicine, psychology, and neuroscience. David's work has appeared in the Guardian, the Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Atlantic. He's worked as a features editor at New Scientist and as a senior journalist at the BBC. He's written a number of books, including The Intelligence Trap, The Expectation Effect, which won the British Psychological Society Book Award and his latest release, The Laws of Connection. We discuss the profound impact our expectations can have on every area of our lives and how we often underappreciate the value of connection and the effect that can have on ourselves and others.

Rajeev Peshawaria, CEO of Stewardship Asia Singapore, is the former Chief Learning Officer: Coca-Cola and Morgan Stanley, a TEDx Speaker, and a Wall Street Journal bestselling author. His latest book, "Sustainable Sustainability", discusses why frameworks such as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) are insufficient to address today's existential challenges, both global and local, and highlights a critical missing link. Rajeev advocates for a transition to Environmental, Social, and Leadership (ESL), emphasising what he terms Steward Leadership. This conversation is crucial for company owners and team leaders, as it directly influences our teams on the ground.

Dr David Lipman is a medical doctor & exercise physiologist who’s transitioned into startups. David specialises in what he calls the nexus between health and performance, specifically focusing on longevity, healthspan and our use of technology. He would describe himself as a ‘specialist generalist’, and he takes pride in a macro approach while remaining firmly rooted in science, a mindset driven by his relentless curiosity to understand how complex systems work. With degrees in exercise physiology, podiatry and medicine, he has coached endurance sportsmen as a strength and conditioning coach. This conversation is about you, the corporate athlete.

Dan Cockerell started at the Walt Disney Company as a parking attendant and 26 years later was it's Vice President, leading 12,000 cast members at the largest theme park in the world, the Magic Kingdom Park. Dan had nineteen different roles with Disney, including 5 years at the Disneyland Paris Resort. Dan left Disney to start his own consulting company and now shares his leadership and management experience at Disney with companies worldwide. He is also the author of the book "How’s the Culture in Your Kingdom? Lessons from a Disney Leadership Journey". This is a masterclass in the customer experience.