In this episode, I speak with Michael Brasseur. Michael is a man of the seas, who’s made a living sailing the oceans for the US Navy and grappled with some of the most fascinating naval and security challenges of our time. Michael shares his leadership lessons from decades of building winning teams, summed up as having a vision, clear values and a strong culture. He talks about his journey of injecting imagination and creativity in NATO to incorporate robotics and AI as a resource multiplier in the Persian Gulf in record time: this is the story of Task Force 59.

Recorded on 26 July 2024.

Instagram: @at.the.coalface

Connect with Michael on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/michael-d-brasseur-53b23645/.

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In this episode, I speak with Professor Diana Chigas. Diana is one of the foremost experts in international negotiation and conflict resolution. She has worked in El Salvador, South Africa, Ecuador and Peru and in the Georgia/South Ossetia peace process, facilitated inter-ethnic dialogue in Cyprus and in Central and East Africa. She co-directs the Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Project that aims to improve the effectiveness of anti-corruption programming in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. In our conversation, we reflect on the evolution of the field of negotiation to encompass social factors such as identity and narratives, and the importance of systems thinking, with corruption as a key barrier to unlocking durable development.

Recorded on 22 July 2024.

Instagram: @at.the.coalface

Connect with Diana on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/diana-chigas-732b283/. The organisation she co-leads has a fascinating blog accessible at corruptionjusticeandlegitimacy.org/blog.

And don’t forget to subscribe to At the Coalface for new episodes every two weeks.

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In this episode, I catch up with Steve Viola. We last spoke on this podcast about 2 1/2 years ago when he shared his fascinating career in the Navy and as special warfare operator. Since that last conversation, I had been following Steve’s work advocating for opening up new treatment protocols for veterans suffering from trauma. We speak about the healing power of plants with psychotropic properties, Steve’s own journey with these modalities, and his work today helping veterans with the hard part - integration. We wrap up by discussing entry pathways for people seeking to improve their mental wellbeing. I hope you’ll join us with an open mind as we explore this potentially life-saving and fascinating ancient technology.

Recorded on 22 May 2024.

Instagram: @at.the.coalface

Connect with Steve on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/stevenviola1/. The organisation he supports as Executive Director is The Mission Within (missionwithin.org). His moving testimony at the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission is available here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CzJwjenrkEf.

And don’t forget to subscribe to At the Coalface for new episodes every two weeks.

Help us produce more episodes by becoming a supporter. Your subscription will go towards paying our hosting and production costs. Supporters get the opportunity to join behind the scenes during recordings, updates about the podcast, and my deep gratitude!

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In this episode, I speak with Zsuzsanna Szelényi. Zsuzsanna shares with me her incredible journey at the heart of Hungary’s political transformation since the fall of the Soviet Union. She talks about the early days of Hungarian democracy and the levers used by Victor Orban to shape the country’s institutions towards a more authoritarian, illiberal form of governance. This was the subject of her acclaimed book, Tainted Democracy, published in 2022. Zsuzsanna talks about her personal trajectory as a lifelong politician and how she dedicated her career to issues of human rights, migration, and development, the bedrock of European democracy.

Recorded on 19 June 2024.

Instagram: @at.the.coalface

Connect with Zsuzsanna on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/zsuzsanna-szelenyi-69047318. You can find more information about Zsuzsanna's latest book, Tainted Democracy Viktor Orbán and the Subversion of Hungary, on her publisher's website.

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In this episode, I speak with Rahul Sharma. Rahul has had a fascinating international career in journalism, media, corporate and political affairs. He’s worked at the Economic Times, Khaleej Times and Reuters among others, covering business and political stories, while also living in Hong Kong, Singapore and Sri Lanka. He has a unique perspective about China, watching the country rise while his native India was undergoing its own transformation. We talk about his early career, his pivot to the private sector and advising top corporate leaders, India’s elections and conclude with musings about leadership.

Recorded on 13 May 2024.

Instagram: @at.the.coalface

Connect with Rahul on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/rahul-sharma-41a451b. His blog is called Looking Beyond Borders (lookingbeyondborders.com).

And don’t forget to subscribe to At the Coalface for new episodes every two weeks.

Help us produce more episodes by becoming a supporter. Your subscription will go towards paying our hosting and production costs. Supporters get the opportunity to join behind the scenes during recordings, updates about the podcast, and my deep gratitude!

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In this episode, I speak with Perry Boyle. Perry shares with me his multiple lives and how he reinvented himself as his life goals evolved and as his values broadened. We talk about his initial career in investment banking and private equity, his pivot to equity research, and then his decision to reframe his purpose towards scaling a successful NGO tackling acute poverty in Africa. Perry shares his outrage at the threats to the liberal rule based order by autocracy, and how he decided to put all his life experience to use in setting up an investment bank focusing on developing Ukraine’s defence industry. This is a broad ranging and personal conversation about living one’s beliefs, reinvention, leaning in and letting go.

Recorded on 17 May 2024.

Instagram: @at.the.coalface

Connect with Perry on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/perryboyle. BOMA's website is boma.ngo.

And don’t forget to subscribe to At the Coalface for new episodes every two weeks.

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In this episode, I speak with Kamran Balayev. Kam is a lawyer specialised in human rights and international law. He grew up in Azerbaijan but has made London home. He divides his energy between commercial consulting projects and international transactions and his work on human rights. Kam is passionate about improving the political and legal structures that underpin business and enable individual prosperity: he took this to heart when he decided to run for Mayor of London a few years ago. I was delighted to catch up with Kam and record this conversation.

Recorded on 29 April 2024.

Instagram: @at.the.coalface

Connect with Kam on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/kamran-balayev-93751ba4.

And don’t forget to subscribe to At the Coalface for new episodes every two weeks.

Help us produce more episodes by becoming a supporter. Your subscription will go towards paying our hosting and production costs. Supporters get the opportunity to join behind the scenes during recordings, updates about the podcast, and my deep gratitude!

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In this episode, I speak with Scott Malcomson. Scott is an accomplished author, reporter, editor, foreign affairs analyst and investigator, with experience working in government advising leaders that have defined our era, as well as for the private sector. He’s travelled all over the world to dive deep into the local dynamics of far flung places, from Latin America to Central Asia to the Pacific Islands, speaking to rebels and guerrilleros. In our conversation, we reflect on what forces have shaped his life, his early encounter with racial issues and political violence, his fascination with empires and with the perpetual tensions between international and local structures. There is so much to Scott’s life that we barely scratched the surface, but I hope you’ll enjoy this glimpse behind the scenes of Scott’s prolific work.

Recorded on 12 April 2024.

Instagram: @at.the.coalface

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/scottmalcomson.

And don’t forget to subscribe to At the Coalface for new episodes every two weeks.

Help us produce more episodes by becoming a supporter. Your subscription will go towards paying our hosting and production costs. Supporters get the opportunity to join behind the scenes during recordings, updates about the podcast, and my deep gratitude!

Support the Show.