For someone who once felt like a “fish out of water,” Tahisha Fugate, Senior Marketing & Business Development Manager at Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider, has never been out of her depth over the course of an enviable career in legal marketing and business development. On this episode of Leaders With Ambition, she shares with Host Nicky Acuna Ocana her many professional insights – from joining her first law firm to securing an MBA to paying forward the mentorship that helped make possible...

At the forefront of legal marketing innovation, our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition has harnessed the power of creativity, diversity and curiosity at every turn. Sophie Bowkett, Chief Marketing Officer at the global law firm of Bird & Bird, shares with Host Nicky Acuna Ocana insights into strength through vulnerability as well as the value-add that comes with promoting diversity and inclusivity to build strong workplace cultures. She also recalls navigating the...

If you’re currently focused on salary and status, try instead focusing on impact. Our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition believes the biggest success stories in professional services are attributable to being great, not being quiet. Mike Beswick, Director of BD, Marketing and Communications at Taylor Wessing, recalls his career progression and the tools that have served him well in a variety of roles at a number of top law firms. His long-term commitment to networking and...

​It’s all about the value-add for our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition. Andy Cowie, a Partner at James Cowper Kreston, exemplifies the fact that you don’t have to have a lofty credential to rise to the top in professional services. What you do need? Energy, innovative ideas, a collaborative spirit and flexibility. Having a massive network doesn’t hurt, either! Andy shares with host Nicky Acuna Ocana his peripatetic journey to becoming a leader in the field of marketing and...

Our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition exemplifies what it means to carve out a career niche that dovetails perfectly with professional interests, goals, and talents. Adrian Hyde, a Partner at Begbies Traynor Group, explains how he came to specialise as a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner and pioneer a whole new type of business advisory services. He shares with host Nicky Acuna Ocana his journey from growing up the son of a trade union organiser in the East Midlands region to 16...

Alessandra Almeida Jones explains on this episode of Leaders With Ambition that she began tapping into her bedrock confidence only after she committed to being authentic and admitting limitations (which we all have, of course). As Global Chief Marketing Officer for Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, our guest brings the culmination of her varied life experience to building both the firm’s brand and a vibrant, inclusive workplace culture. A native of Brazil, Ale (as she prefers to be called)...

​We’re highlighting the power of resiliency – and flexibility – when Claire Cavanagh, Head of Talent Acquisition at Bird & Bird, unpacks her fascinating career trajectory on this episode of Leaders With Ambition. She shares with Host Nicky Acuna Ocana the critical role that openness has played in driving her professional services career steadily upward, even amidst the zig-zag of life challenges such as divorce and a pandemic. A big part of Claire’s ability to recruit top legal...

On this episode of Leaders With Ambition we welcome Becky Lowe, UK & International Head of Talent Acquisition for the global law firm CMS. She was born into a family that emphasised hard work and resiliency, but open-mindedness is the secret sauce that has turbocharged her human resources career. Becky has held a variety of HR roles in the manufacturing and professional services sectors, including a stint overseeing a staff of 800 at a Big 4 accounting firm. As she explains to Host...

​What does success look like at the highest level of corporate marketing? Nicky Acuna Ocana’s guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition is Jon Brewer, Chief Marketing Officer at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. He exemplifies what it is to lead Marketing and Business Development professionals through hard work, innovation and perpetual curiosity. You’ll learn how competitive gymnastics shaped Jon’s character, building resilience and focus. He shares why promoting career...

Samantha Keen, Partner, EY UKI Strategy and Transactions. ​The true mark of leadership is an ability to make well-informed, sometimes difficult choices. By that measure, our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition has undeniably demonstrated strength again and again throughout her career. Samantha Keen couldn’t have made Partner at a Big Four accounting firm (while also raising two children) without very intentionally cultivating clarity, both professional and personal. She shares...

As a Black woman breaking new ground in the area of Legal Project Management, Blandine brings to bear not only her law degree but also an unshakeable ability to demonstrate strength and advocate for herself as well as others. During this insightful conversation, Blandine highlights the benefits of maintaining purpose through self-awareness, networking, and bravery. You’ll also learn how authenticity, self-confidence, and openness to mentoring have formed the cornerstones of an extraordinary...

​We’re constantly evolving – towards ever better things – so long as we stay curious! That’s the message from Nicky Acuna Ocana’s guest on this episode of Leaders with Ambition. Lesley O’Leary’s career provides a vivid roadmap for what it looks like to maximise potential and do so with delight. As Chief Operating Officer at Charles Russell Speechlys, she incorporates lessons throughout her varied career (in real estate as well as legal services spaces) to create a workplace culture based on...

Emma Baylis - Managing Director of Interpath Advisory Our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition podcast series, Emma Baylis, reached the ranks of Senior leadership at the Big Four accounting firm of KPMG and more recently was named Managing Director at Interpath. She shares with Host Nicky Acuna Ocana a decidedly unconventional career journey, recalling the mentors who helped her learn to manage important clients, navigate challenging circumstances and ultimately find her voice...

From the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) to Brexit to Covid19, Kristian Gavan has ridden out a remarkable series of unpredictable economic events. Most remarkable of all? He has somehow managed to remain grounded and connected throughout, using his accounting expertise and people skills to navigate a wild ride. On this episode of Leaders With Ambition, host Nicky Acuna Ocana invites her guest to take a comprehensive look at the fulfilling opportunities accountancy has afforded him, both...

​J​ay Linder - Global Director of Communications at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Our guest on this episode of the Leaders With Ambition podcast knows exactly what it takes to build a robust marketing and professional services career. Jay Linder, Global Director of Communications at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, walks Nicky Acuna Ocana through his impressive career. He lets us in on valuable lessons learned and shares thoughts on the importance of embracing both ambiguity and...

​​Seeking words to live by as you build your professional services marketing and communications career? Our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition has them in abundance. Peter Columbus, Chief BD, Marketing & Communications Officer, is sharing wisdom accumulated over decades of success in both the accounting and legal sectors. His actionable advice comes fast and furious: Focus on two or three top priorities and protect them at all costs. Be proactive in looking for...

Everything that has come before in his career has perfectly positioned our guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition for today’s demand for professional services support. Kevin Iredell, Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Lowenstein Sandler, and President of the Legal Marketing Association in 2024, shares with Host Nicky Acuna Ocana the complementary skills he has developed through stints in retail, telecom, media and legal marketing. Kevin explains why the current...

“Keep your eyes and ears open – and your mouth shut!” Unlikely as it may seem, these words of advice from a wizened WWI veteran resonate still today for Nicky Acuna Ocana’s guest on this episode of Leaders with Ambition. Stuart Davis, Global Head of Marketing & Business Development, Litigation at Dechert LLP, believes being alert and attentive is key to building valuable relationships in all areas of life – and success in professional settings. Based in Washington, D.C., Stuart shares...

​While his trajectory hasn’t always been straight ahead, Brad McAvoy was never taken off course toward his goal to make Partner at an accounting and advisory firm. The head of James Cowper Kreston’s award-winning M&A transaction services team shares his fascinating career journey with Host, Nicky Acuna Ocana on this episode of Leaders With Ambition. A native Australian, Brad walks us through his early professional development, including transformational stints in Guernsey and Hong Kong...

Claire Mason wanted to be where the action was, generating rather than reacting to change. What that looks like, as we learn on this episode of Leaders With Ambition, is the phenomenally successful global B2B thought leadership and strategic marketing consultancy known as Man Bites Dog. An Oxford graduate from a comprehensive school raised in an entrepreneurial family, Claire’s core values and openness have been foundational, not only to her branding, messaging and communications approach,...

Claire Mason wanted to be where the action was, generating rather than reacting to change. What that looks like, as we learn on this episode of Leaders With Ambition, is the phenomenally successful global B2B thought leadership and strategic marketing consultancy. known as Man Bites Dog. An Oxford graduate raised in an entrepreneurial family, Claire’s core values and openness have been foundational, not only to her branding, messaging and PR approach. They are also woven into the workplace...

​“Timing is everything,” or so goes the old adage. But, as Nicky Acuna Ocana’s guest on this episode of Leaders With Ambition amply demonstrates, our choices also have everything to do with creating good luck! As Chief Executive Officer at Wilkin Chapman Solicitors, Robin Simmonds has brought intentionality to every stage of his career development – which isn’t to say that he hasn’t also had the benefit of fortunate timing on his side! He moved into the legal services realm (from his...

​A thought leader in the human resources space, Kevin Hogarth reflects on today’s evolving workplace cultural landscape on this episode of Leaders With Ambition. His most recent role, as a Partner at Strengths Unleashed, is the culmination of a myriad of high-profile roles at major global professional and financial services firms such as Ernst & Young, Capital One, Norton Rose and Freshfields. In this episode, you'll learn about the defining values that have driven Kevin’s enormously...

​Strong, healthy workplace cultures start with intentionality and, as we learn on this episode of Leaders With Ambition, clearly defined core values are the bedrock. Nick Waterworth, co-founder and Executive Chair at the Ambition Group, shares with host Nicky Acuna Ocana the forward-thinking global recruitment company’s origin story, from its inception in 1999 to the bright post-pandemic future now taking shape. You’ll learn about the ethos that shaped what Nick and his co-founder Paul...