In this episode of The Executive Espresso, Sean Curtain, Executive Director of People and Culture at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, shares leadership strategies from inside one of Australia’s top healthcare institutions.

With a career spanning Alfred Health, AIA Australia, and the University of Melbourne, Sean brings deep cross-sector HR expertise to the table. He discusses leading high-performing teams, managing staff wellbeing in emotionally intense environments, and transitioning from corporate HR to public healthcare.

Key topics include:

• People and culture strategy in healthcare

• Leadership during complexity and crisis

• Building high-trust workplace culture

• Mental health and staff wellbeing programs

• Lessons from feedback, career growth, and emotional intelligence

Whether you're a healthcare executive, HR leader, or people-first CEO, this conversation offers practical, real-world leadership insights.

☕ Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your leadership inspiration.

Ruby Yadav didn’t follow the traditional path to the top - and she didn’t pretend to fit in once she got there either.

From studying zoology to becoming CEO of Mercer, Ruby shares her unfiltered journey through executive leadership, risk, and resilience. She opens up about the pressure of being a migrant woman of colour in the C-suite, the career-defining moments that nearly derailed her, and why choosing kindness is a radical leadership strategy.

If you’re navigating leadership in complex, high-stakes environments - this one’s for you.

In this episode:

• Why being the “unconventional choice” is often the most powerful position

• The balance between telling the truth and being heard

• What to do when integrity comes at a cost

• Building safe, high-trust teams in environments that aren’t always safe

• Mentorship, blind spots, and calling BS with love

Ruby’s message? Be good at what you do. Be kind to others. And don’t forget to be kind to yourself too.

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#Leadership #ExecutiveWomen #Kindness #CorporateCulture #Authenticity #RubyYadav #TheExecutiveEspresso

What separates a good manager from a truly great leader?

In this episode, we sit down with a respected people leader whose career spans professional services, global banking, and more. He shares candid insights into:

• Why emotional intelligence (EQ) is the most underrated leadership trait

• How being authentic and human drives real team success

• The importance of mentorship and self-reflection

• Where creative and strategic thinking really comes from (spoiler: it’s not at your desk)

This is the episode for any aspiring leader, mid-career executive, or seasoned manager who knows that leadership is about more than KPIs—it’s about people.

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#Leadership #PeopleFirst #ExecutiveInsights #EmotionalIntelligence #AuthenticLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #CareerGrowth #Mentorship #EQ #LeadershipPodcast