Aon at The Top: Interviewing Executives on their Paths to the C-Suite and Boardroom

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Derrick Alesevich, a C-suite executive who's spent two decades building unicorn technology companies in Silicon Valley, to uncover what it really takes to lead legal teams through hyper-growth, billion-dollar acquisitions, and the chaos of early-stage startups. We dive into the stark choice every in-house attorney faces that determines their entire career trajectory, why transparency and communication matter more than perfection at early stage, and the hidden cost of hiring legal counsel too late.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Shanti Ariker, Chief Legal Officer at JFrog, to explore her unconventional journey from witnessing her parents' custody battle as a child to leading global legal strategy for one of the world's most trusted DevOps platforms. We dive into why taking six years off work became pivotal to her career, how she transformed legal departments from "the department of no" to solution-oriented business partners, and the moral courage it takes to speak up when the legally safe answer isn't always the right answer.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Yvonne Wassenaar, accomplished board director and former CEO, to explore her remarkable journey from Accenture partner to leading technology companies through transformation. We dive into the three distinct phases of her career, the personal tragedy that reshaped her life at 36, and the critical leadership lessons she learned about vulnerability, honesty, and making calculated risks. Yvonne shares candidly about how executive coaching evolved into therapy, helping her become a more grounded leader who now guides some of tech's most prominent companies.Timestamps: 3:22 - The three phases of career growth: being pulled up, pushed out, and embracing risk4:36 - You get promoted because you make people above you successful8:03 - Being pushed to get startup experience before 509:51 - The ski jump analogy12:33 - Resilience is fighting through hard times for something that matters19:23 - None of us really know what we're capable of until the time calls upon us25:02 - During uncertainty, we make the hardest decisions27:43 - Leading through chaos30:05 - The rise of independent directors in private companies32:02 - The difference between being an operator vs. a strategic advisor on boards40:41 - Separate your emotion from someone's intentionality to get further in life43:00 - Making hard CEO decisions: when to break teams out to innovate faster58:22 - The power of many small decisionsConnect with Yvonne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonnewassenaar/About Yvonne Wassenaar: Yvonne Wassenaar is an accomplished CEO-level executive and board director known for her extensive experience in scaling and transforming technology companies. Her career spans diverse environments from startups to Fortune 500 corporations, with a focus on helping leaders navigate digital transformation and global expansion. Yvonne currently serves on the boards of Arista Networks, Forrester Research, JFrog, Rubrik, Braze, Infoblox, and Alation, as well as the Easton Technology Management Center at UCLA. She also serves as a senior advisor to the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Connect with Nicole: Stay connected with Nicole Ward for more insights on leadership, sales excellence, and executive success strategies.Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleward111/

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Helen Riley, COO and CFO at Google X (the moonshot factory), to explore her unconventional journey from studying philosophy at Oxford to leading one of the world's most ambitious innovation engines. We dive into how disciplined financial rigor enables radical experimentation, why most moonshots fail (and why that's the point), and the leadership lessons she learned from terrible feedback early in her Google career.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, host Nicole Ward sits down with Elias Nader to dig into what it truly means to lead from a place of purpose, resilience, and vision.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Dana Hollinger, board member at Apollo Private Markets and former CalPERS trustee, to explore her remarkable journey from working in her father's optometry practice to overseeing $500+ billion in pension assets. We dive into the early experiences that shaped her leadership philosophy, the mentorship that transformed her thinking about value creation, and how she navigated the complex world of institutional governance and risk management.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Dave Chun, co-founder and CEO of Equilar, to explore his remarkable journey from Korean immigrant to pioneering entrepreneur in executive intelligence. We dive into how early experiences with discrimination built his resilience, the story behind founding Equilar during the dot-com crash, and his company's evolution from SEC data mining to becoming the trusted source for Fortune 500 executive compensation and governance insights. Dave shares candid lessons about entrepreneurial grit, the importance of CEO peer networks, and how Equilar's latest AI innovations are revolutionizing corporate governance research.

In this episode of Aon at the Top, I sit down with Arthi Chakravarthy, EVP, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary at Enovix, to explore her unique journey from private practice to the executive suite. Arthi shares the pivotal moments that shaped her career, what it means to lead with authenticity and courage in high-stakes environments, and how her background in law informs her approach to business and governance today. We also dive into the evolving role of corporate legal teams, boardroom dynamics, and her commitment to mentorship and inclusion in the tech space. Whether you’re navigating leadership in a regulated industry or forging your own path to the C-suite, Arthi’s insights are a masterclass in purpose-driven leadership.