Building Great Leaders
Self-Improvement
About
What does leadership mean? How can I lead within my role? What are the lessons APi Group leaders have learned throughout their careers? The Building Great Leaders podcast aims to answer these questions and more! Leaders will share their personal stories, the mindsets that helped them excel, and the behaviors they use to positively influence others. We hope to inspire listeners to be better leaders at work, in their communities, and in their homes.
Episodes
- Episode 127: Embracing a Redemptive and Growth Mindset
In this episode, Bryce Muir, General Superintendent for Scaffold Service, shares his journey toward radical ownership and executive leadership. Bryce discusses how a redemptive mindset and intentional gratitude for daily opportunities have…
- Episode 126: Leaders Develop Leaders
In this episode, Duane Patrick, Vice President of Leadership & Development for Viking Fire Protection Group, shares his evolution from a bass-playing introvert to an executive leader. From his early days in musical theater and church bands…
- Episode 125: The Power of the Pivot: Resilience, Near-Misses, and the Ripple Effect of Leadership
In this episode, Mike West, Senior Vice-President of Elevated, shares his high-stakes leadership journey defined by resilience and a "field-first" mentality. From navigating the waterways of Fort Lauderdale as a youth to surviving a near-d…
- Episode 124: Building Trust in the Field
In this episode, Anthony Escover, Director of Field Development for Western States Fire Protection, discusses the transition from an apprentice in the field to director of field leadership and the importance of establishing trust within a…
- Episode 123: The Power of Alignment: Navigating Head, Heart, and Gut in Leadership
In this episode, Sengdara Grue, APi Group's Vice President of IT, Planning, Execution and Delivery, shares her journey from first-generation refugee to leading high-level technical transformations. She discusses the grit instilled by her f…
- Episode 122: Values-Based Leadership and Scaling Beyond Expertise
In this episode, Cutter Tyllia, Vice-President of Transformation at APi Group, shares his transition from leading an operating company to driving API Group's enterprise transformation. He discusses shifting from subject matter expertise to…
- Episode 121: Overcoming Fear & Controlling the Controllables
In this episode, Rose Misiewicz, Department Manager of Roofing & Architectural Metals at Jamar Company, discusses her unique transition from architecture student to construction leader. Rose shares her insights on overcoming the fear of fa…
- Episode 120: Embracing a Leadership Mindset to Empower Your Team
In this episode, Tino Delgadillo, a Project Manager with MP Nexlevel, shares his journey from the field to office, the leadership mindset he's embraced, how he's improved work-life balance, and more.
- Episode 119: Forging an Impactful Leadership Career
In this episode, Salvatore Chitarra, the Managing Director of Chubb France, shares about his incredible journey as he is set to retire at the end of this year. He reveals the importance of building an exemplary, deeply committed team and o…
- Episode 118: More Than Just a High-Five: Building a Culture of Courageous Safety
Have you ever received a safety high-five? In this episode, Brian Mesmer, Segment Safety Leader for APi Group's Safety Segment, shares his journey in the industry and reveals what it takes to create a culture of safety that goes beyond reg…
- Episode 117: A Conversation on Career Risks, Personal Growth, and the Power of Self-Reflection
In this episode, Sarah O'Donnell, Director of Recurring Revenue at Davis-Ulmer, discusses the importance of curiosity, building relationships to overcome imposter syndrome, and the power of self-reflection. She also explores the value of g…
- Episode 116: Don't Close the Door on Yourself
In this episode, Steve Arsenault, Chief Information Officer of APi Group, shares his unconventional career journey and how it shaped his unique perspective on leadership and technology. He reveals how change-ready mindset is the most cruci…
- Episode 115: Lessons in Grit and Growth
In this episode, Pam Presthus, Vice President and CFO at LeJeune Steel Company, shares what it means to embody grit, embrace change and consistently challenge the status quo in business.
- Episode 114: Leaders Develop Leaders: The Core of Our Success
In this episode, Russ Becker, CEO at APi Group, returns to share what has happened since he last appeared on the podcast. He discusses the importance of being willing to change and adapt, how leaders need to be focused on developing other…
- Episode 113: Why Storytelling is a Powerful Leadership Skill
In this episode, Bob Randall, VP Learning and Development with APi Group, shares his own vulnerable story and reveals how storytelling can differentiate leaders, while helping to motivate and inspire those around them.
- Episode 112: Why Principles Matter
In this episode, David Jackola, the newly-appointed Chief Financial Officer of APi Group, discusses his leadership journey from growing up on the Iron Range in MN, to leading teams in Europe, to becoming the CFO of a global organization. H…
- Episode 111: Evolving as a Leader
In this episode, Angie Langlie, Vice President of Operations for APi Garage Door, shares about her personal journey, embracing vulnerability as a leader, and how leaders can build trust and connection by using the "G.I.F.T" philosophy.
- Episode 110: Trust Yourself and Lean Into the Uncomfortable
In this episode, Dan Fowler, Vice President of Corporate Services and Special Projects at J. Fletcher Creamer & Son, Inc. shares his journey to J. Fletcher Creamer and what he's learned through APi's Accelerated Readiness Program. He expla…
- Episode 109: Driving Progress and Momentum
In this episode, Mike Shibrowski, President of Davis-Ulmer Fire Protection, shares his journey with the company and what he's learned about the progress and momentum, the art of empowering teams, and the impact of personal loss on professi…
- Episode 108: Leadership Lessons from the Gridiron to the Boardroom
In this episode, Adam Fee, VP of Investor Relations for APi Group, shares how being a collegiate athlete prepared him for his current role and how the culture at APi Group has made such a significant impact on him, as well as company inves…
- Episode 107: The Art of the Negotiation Process
What makes a negotiation successful? In this episode, Steve Ulmer, Senior Vice-President of Safety Services, shares some of the amazing amount of institutional knowledge he's gained during his many years in the industry, including the key…
- Episode 106: Building Trust: How Leaders Can Remove Obstacles & Empower Teams
In this episode, Pat Kes, Superintendent at Viking Sprinkler, shares the lessons he's learned from over 30 years experience in the industry, including how to navigate the challenges of leading large-scale construction projects, the importa…
- Episode 105: Converting Obstacles to Opportunities
In our final episode of 2024, Rasheed Harris, Vice President of Global IT Infrastructure for APi Group, shares the most impactful lessons he's learned on his personal and professional journey, including how he's learned to convert obstacle…
- Episode 104: The Power of Connection and How to Build More of It
In this episode, Laurent Matthys, VP, People Leadership for APi International, shares about his fascinating life and career journey as he reveals the magic that happens when we start connecting with people and truly developing as a team
- Episode 103: Accountability, Mentorship, and a Leadership Mindset
In this episode, Pat Bougourd. Service Superintendent for Reliance Fire Protection shares the lessons he's learned on his journey about accountability, mentorship and the importance of involving others as he continues to develop a leadersh…
- Episode 102: Adopting a Growth Mindset while Navigating Change
In this episode, Pat deGrood, Mechanical Segment Leader for The Jamar Company discusses the changes he's seen over the years since starting out as an intern with the company, and the difference that approaching change with a growth mindset…
- Episode 101: You're Where You're Supposed to Be, Every Step of the Way
In this episode, Jenni Cerrito, Inspections Account Manager at International Fire Protection reveals how getting out of her comfort zone has led her to a fulfilling career with APi Group, and the key lessons she has learned along the way t…
- Episode 100: Celebrating Resilience, Learning, and Co-conspirators
In this episode, Stacy Nealy, Business Architect and the Co-Chair of APi's Network of Women, shares the path she took from a career in teaching music to her APi Group, how she's now helping to bring stories to life in her current position,…
- Episode 99: How True Leadership Makes All The Difference
In this episode, Mike Landes, President of Classic Industrial Services, shares his journey and how mentorship helped him from a young age, how he's come to see that true leadership makes all the difference, and the ways that he's developed…
- Episode 98: AWARE
In this episode, Velma Korbel, VP and Chief DEI/Sustainability Officer for APi Group returns to the podcast to talk about global events and how each one of us can support our fellow team members through potential disruptions.
- Episode 97: Intentional Planning and Learning
In this episode, Jon Sanders, Sheet Metal Superintendent for The Jamar Company, shares the importance of pre-planning for projects, his thoughts on leadership development and the importance of learning something new every single day.
- Episode 96: Leadership, Service, and Life After the Military: Lessons from Clint Romesha, Medal of Honor Recipient
In this episode, Clint Romesha, Medal of Honor recipient and bestselling author of Red Platoon, shares his incredible story of enlisting in the military and his deployment, the transitions he went through after leaving the military and the…
- Episode 95: Being True to Yourself as a Leader
In this episode, Lauren Thompson, Vice President of APi National Service Group, shares how the company is balancing the needs of the external customers and those of our operating companies after restructuring. After experiencing trauma in…
- Episode 94: Rising Through The Ranks: From Individual Contributor to Leader
In this episode, Joshua Luera, El Paso Area Manager for Western States Fire Protection, describes how he got into the life safety industry. He shares his trepidation of moving from a role as an individual contributor to a role as a leader.…
- Episode 93: The Care Factor
In this episode, Lesley Leach, Director of Human Resources at Chubb Fire & Security, shares her remarkable journey from HR business partner in Johannesburg to a leadership role in the UK. She provides her insights on how the culture is evo…
- Episode 92: Finding a Love for Fire Protection
In this episode, Orestes Quintana, Fire Alarm Superintendent with International Fire Protection, shares his story of coming to the United States from Cuba, how he's now realizing his lifelong career dreams and what he's doing to instill th…
- Episode 91: Leadership Lessons from Two Decades at APi Group
In this episode, Craig Fellman, Segment Leader for Speciality Services and also the first participant through the Leadership Development Program, reveals how that program started, how his 20-year-plus career journey throughout APi Group ha…
- Episode 90: Seeing the Forest and the Trees as a Leader
In this episode, Kristin Schultes, Vice President of Corporate Development at APi Group, shares her fascinating path through the organization and the major milestones she's achieved over the past couple of years. Kristin reveals what it wa…
- Episode 89: Adopting a Leadership Mindset
To kick off a brand-new season of the podcast in 2024, Pery Zerbinos, Technical Support Supervisor for Chubb Canada, shares the insights he's learned on his personal and professional journey, including the power of collaboration, how to be…
- Episode 88: End of 2023 Episode
Today is our end of year podcast episode, where host Laura Seitz is joined by her behind-the-scenes team, Kevin and Maddy, as they reflect on the year that is wrapping up and what they're looking forward to in 2024.
- Episode 87: Re-defining Leadership
In this episode, Dave Saffrin, President of APi Garage Door, reveals what he has learned about what a good leader truly is versus what he initially thought. He describes the role that listening has played in him becoming the leader that he…
- Episode 86: Taking on Challenges
In this episode, Rick Charles, Chief Operating Officer of Chubb, shares the journey he's taken throughout his career to get to where he is today, and he reveals the mindset he has adopted over the years to take on the many new challenges h…
- Episode 85: Valuing diverse mindsets
In this episode, Vashma Bolton, Global Director of HR Technology at Chubb, shares her leadership journey, the challenges that she's overcome and what she is so passionate about right now. Vashma reveals the role that having diverse mindset…
- Episode 84: Who is Next?
In this episode, Dave Dunnigan, Managing Director of UK and Ireland for Chubb, talks about his 30 years with the company and why it's so important to always be thinking about what you are doing to build that next person, the future leaders…
- Episode 83: You are not alone
In this episode, Angela Sunderland, Segment Talent Lead for APi Group's Mechanicals Division, shares her path to APi Group, as well as her personal experiences with the tougher subject of suicide. This episode may be triggering, and this i…
- Episode 82: Purposeful Behavior, Purposeful Culture
In this episode, Paul Grunau, President of the APi Group International Division, shares about the importance of creating an environment where people feel comfortable and the biggest factors he sees for what makes a strong organizational cu…
- Episode 81: Representation and Mentorship
In this episode, Tasha Lawrence, Fabrication Shop Operations & DEI Leader at MMC reveals the ways that she took control of her future and advanced in her own career, and how she now gives back and helps other women build success in the tra…
- Episode 80: Leading Through Influence
In this episode, Paul Akins, Technical Talent Development Lead at Davis-Ulmer, shares about his experiences transitioning from a branch leader to his current role, as well as what he's learned on his journey about leading through influence…
- Episode 79: Make Space for Yourself at the Table
In this episode, Jennifer Bradley, President of International Fire Protection, discusses the importance of believing in yourself regardless of your role. Jennifer talks about being inspired by how accounting teams could be valuable busines…
- Episode 78: Empowering Teams
In this episode, Managing Director of Vipond Fire Protection in the UK, Alastair Wilson, shares his leadership journey and what it was like to transition into his role, empower a team, and embrace change along the way. Plus, Alastair revea…