The Impact Nexus Podcast

Dr. Fatima Alloghani is an entrepreneur, HR Leader and Founder of Born to localize with two decades of building people strategies that actually last.... but Fatima did not stop there. She is the first Emirati woman to ride solo across 14 countries, 7,000 km from Dubai to Germany through Iraq and the Balkans.
Fatima didn't start as an adventurer. She started as someone asking a hard question: Who am I beyond the brands I've served? In our upcoming interview, Fatima gets brutally honest about the moment that changed everything , a conversation that stung, a comfort zone that pulled hard, and a motorcycle that took her to destinations beyond her imagination. We explore the striking parallels between organizations and human behavior — the shared urge for quick wins, short-term thinking, and the comfort of easy fixes over lasting solutions.
But above all, Dr. Fatima is proof that your traditions and your ambitions are not at war with each other. You don't have to choose. In her words "...Sometimes the most powerful step a woman can take… is simply choosing your own way regardless of what others say."

What does it really take to transform healthcare? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Mazin Gadir — Director at Alvarez & Marsal's Healthcare & Life Sciences division and a 25-year veteran of health system transformation across the UK, UAE and GCC. We unpack why doctors and nurses are the hardest people to bring along on any transformation journey, why the 5-year strategy is dead, how burnout has become a national security risk, and what AI actually means for the future of healthcare workers. If you work in healthcare, lead transformation, or are just curious about why change is so hard, this one is for you. 

From a 16-year-old apprentice in industrial England to leading transformation in Dubai, Dr. Peter Jackson shares the mindset that shaped four decades of growth, resilience, and people-first leadership. We talk choices, discipline, earning respect in tough environments, leading across cultures, not by “fixing problems,” but by creating value. If you’re building a career, leading teams, or driving transformation, this conversation will shift how you think about progress.

This episode is a look back at a powerful season of conversations on Impact Nexus in 2025. We reflect on the guests who shaped the journey—each bringing a distinct perspective, challenge, and contribution. From our maiden episode, where we explored community-led authorship and accidental career paths, to bold conversations on strategy, execution, and executive courage. Across the season, we dive into:
Building global communities, driven by volunteers, purpose, and trust
Leadership grounded in kindness, consistency, and empowerment
Honest reflections on innovation, reinvention, and intentional pauses
Practical, eye-opening conversations on cybersecurity, personal responsibility, and leadership in a digital world
We talk about the highs, the moments that surprised us, the themes that kept reappearing, and how each guest pushed the conversation beyond frameworks into something more human. 2025 taught us a lot about the formula for making impact. Join us as we reflect on the conversations that changed the way we think about leadership, impact, and growth.

🔒 "Are we going to be hacked?"
It's the question every organization asks. But here's the truth: The answer isn't yes or no it depends on how much we invest in managing our risk.
In this episode, we're joined by two cybersecurity leaders at the frontlines of this challenge:
Dana Haubold (CISO, CSyP, CISSP) – Associate Director of Information Security Assurance for a government company in Abu Dhabi, with 16+ years protecting critical infrastructure and major international events across the Middle East.
Richard – CISO for Standard Chartered Bank's UAE, Middle East, and Africa region, driving strategic cyber initiatives that protect and enable business growth across one of the world's leading financial institutions.
From operational technology attacks to the psychology of security, from corporate giants to small businesses running on spreadsheets the cybersecurity landscape has transformed completely from what it was 10-15 years ago.
The attackers only have to get it right once. We have to get it right ALL the time. 😰
In this conversation, Dana and Richard explore: ✨ Why cyber is now an innovation enabler, not a barrier 🎯 The complex puzzle of global regulations 👥 Why psychology matters more than tech 💼 How even small orgs can stay protected
This is the conversation every business needs to hear right now.
Welcome to the Impact Nexus!
 
 

In this enlightening conversation with Asma Shabab, innovation consultant and founder of 21P, we explore the revolutionary framework for understanding and implementing innovation.
From her journey leading AI marketing at IBM to taking an 11-month gap year across 15 countries, Asma shares practical insights on navigating our rapidly changing world. Her unique perspective, shaped by her transition from marketing to technology and her global travel experiences, offers a fresh take on what it means to stay relevant and create impact in an AI-driven world.
Her Signals-Shifts-Systems framework provides a practical lens for individuals and organizations to navigate uncertainty and identify opportunities.
This conversation challenges conventional thinking about career paths, work-life integration, and innovation strategy, offering actionable frameworks you can implement immediately.

In this episode of The Impact Nexus, we seat down with the incredible Heba Al Shehhi — PMO Head at Dubai Municipality, award-winning leader, TEDx speaker, artist, and author of Elements of Leadership. This wasn't just a conversation about project management. It was about what truly matters in leadership:
💬 Consistency over perfection
💬 Cultures shaped by trust and values
💬 Building teams that grow even when you’re gone
💬 And the human side of impact that rarely gets discussed
 
We laughed. We learned. We reflected.

Thrilled to share our conversation with Americo Pinto - the visionary who built PMO Global Alliance (PMOGA - PMO Global Alliance) from zero to the world's largest community of PMO professionals across 140+ countries.🌍 From local ambition to global impact 🏆 From community builder to Project Management legacyHere's what blew our minds: Americo Pinto treats volunteers as customers, builds trust-based relationships across cultures, and proves that authenticity beats perfection every single time.If you've ever wondered how to build a community that actually matters, scale relationships globally, or turn your vision into a lasting legacy - this conversation is for you.

Closing the gap is simple, but not easy" - The Unfiltered perspective about Strategy Execution 12 years in the making, this conversation was worth the wait. Meet Frederic Casagradne – Europe PMO Leader of the Year who's transversed 400+ projects across billion-dollar portfolios. From nuclear mega-projects to post-merger transformations, Fred has seen every flavor of the strategy to execution gap. This isn't theory from an ivory tower. Fred's been in rooms where billion-dollar decisions are made, where nuclear safety is non-negotiable, where "bad news needs to travel faster than good news.... And he's not holding back.

This episode of The Impact Nexus features Aina Aliieva (Alive), founder of Bee Agile. Aina is an Agile Coach, Business Consultant, and the CEO & VP of Marketing at The PMO Community in Toronto. You’ll also hear from our co-host, Anara, who’s laying the groundwork for the next generation of project managers with her Little PM project. Together, we cut through the noise to talk about what really matters in project delivery: getting real work done, mastering collaboration, and making PMOs actually work. Expect raw war stories, practical delivery insights, and battle-tested tips.