Executive Runtime

Rory Verrett is the founder and managing partner of Protégé Search, a boutique executive search and leadership advisory firm focused on diverse talent. Over two decades, he has placed C-suite leaders at organizations including Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's, Twilio, Pinterest, and The New York Times. Before founding Protégé Search, Rory served as the first-ever Head of Talent Management at the National Football League, where he managed succession planning, leadership development, and executive search functions. He also led diversity practices at Spencer Stuart and Russell Reynolds Associates, two of the world's most prestigious executive search firms. Rory is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Howard University. He has testified before Congress on best practices in inclusive recruiting, advised the Biden administration on leadership strategy, and authored The Pomegranate Principle: Best Practices in Diversity Recruiting (Wiley). He is a former president of the Harvard Law Black Alumni Association and former trustee of Howard University. He now operates Protégé Search from Lisbon, Portugal, serving clients globally. Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime: X YouTube Instagram Web Follow your host, Johnny! X Web

Alphonzo "Phonz" Terrell is the Co-Founder and CEO of Spill, a social media platform that became the #1 most downloaded Social Networking app shortly after its 2023 launch and was named one of Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies in Social Media" in 2024. Before founding Spill, Phonz served as Global Head of Social and Editorial at Twitter, where he led brand campaigns that dramatically increased engagement and earned multiple industry awards including Clios and a Cannes Lion. With over 15 years of experience spanning HBO, Showtime, Sony Music, and Island Def Jam, he has built a career at the intersection of technology, culture, and marketing. Named to CNN Business's "2023 Risk Takers" list alongside tech leaders like Sam Altman and Tim Cook, Phonz is a sought-after speaker who has appeared on Good Morning America and at major conferences including SXSW and AfroTech. Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime: X YouTube Instagram Web Follow your host, Johnny! X Web

Smruti Patel is the SVP of Engineering at Apollo GraphQL, where she leads the charge in building highly performant APIs at scale. With more than two decades of experience, she previously transformed Stripe's Data Platform organization, scaling the team from 30 people to nearly 180 while bringing dozens of discrete products under its umbrella. Her journey includes 11 years at VMware building enterprise disaster recovery solutions and pioneering cloud-based data protection initiatives. Known for her "shift left" engineering philosophy and systems thinking approach, Smruti has mastered the art of building critical infrastructure that ensures security, reliability, and efficiency for global businesses.   Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime: X YouTube Instagram Web Follow your host, Johnny! X Web

Stephen Ovadje is a seasoned P&L leader and Chief Marketing Officer at Best Egg, bringing over two decades of expertise in consumer finance, fintech, and strategic leadership. With an impressive track record spanning JPMorgan Chase, where he led Chase Sapphire acquisitions and loyalty marketing, to his consulting work at Deloitte delivering $60MM in profitability improvements, Stephen has consistently driven growth and transformation across major financial institutions. Beyond his corporate leadership, he's an active entrepreneur and board member, co-founding multiple ventures including energy companies in Nigeria and serving as a trustee at St. Anne's Episcopal School. Armed with an MBA from Wharton and deep expertise in analytics, strategic planning, and multi-channel marketing, Stephen offers unique insights into scaling financial products, building customer acquisition strategies, and leading through complex organizational transformations. This conversation explores his journey from analyst to C-suite executive and his perspective on the evolving landscape of consumer lending and fintech innovation.   Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime: X YouTube Instagram Web Follow your host, Johnny! X Web

Rob Zuber brings a refreshingly unconventional path to the C-suite, having evolved from analyzing production defects on factory floors with an engineering physics degree to leading distributed teams of 200+ engineers across five continents. As a three-time founder and five-time CTO, Rob has navigated the full spectrum of startup life—from watching businesses "disappear overnight" when Facebook flipped their mobile switch to successfully guiding companies through acquisitions and multi-round funding cycles. His leadership philosophy centers on being "wrong as fast as humanly possible" to discover what's right, a mindset forged through decades of building in an industry where, as he puts it, the only constant is that software engineers are fundamentally uncomfortable with things staying the same. When he's not solving complex technical problems, you'll find Rob snowboarding, playing guitar, or perfecting his appreciation for viscous cappuccino.   Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime: X YouTube Instagram Web Follow your host, Johnny! X Web

I'm thrilled to welcome Kathryn Koehler, Director of Developer Productivity Engineering at Netflix. Kathryn brings over 25 years of software development experience and embodies what it means to be both a product-focused and people-oriented leader.  Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime: X YouTube Instagram Web Follow your host, Johnny! X Web

Will Larson, Chief Technology Officer at Imprint and acclaimed author, dives into the essence of engineering leadership. He shares insights from his latest book, discussing the gaps in current engineering management literature. The conversation highlights the challenges leaders face when transitioning roles and the nuances of executive job negotiations, including how to identify red flags in job opportunities. Larson emphasizes the importance of contextual leadership and the transformative power of writing as a tool for growth and effective management.

I'm excited to welcome Troy Dennis, Head of Digital Transformation for North America at Mastercard. Troy brings over two decades of experience in fintech innovation, payments strategy, and product leadership across some of the most influential financial institutions in North America.   Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime: X YouTube Instagram Web Follow your host, Johnny! X Web

Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Dr. Lucia Guillory, Chief People Officer at Virta Health and a fascinating example of someone who's successfully bridged the worlds of academia and corporate leadership. Lucia's journey offers a masterclass in combining analytical thinking with human-centered leadership.   Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime: X YouTube Instagram Web Follow your host, Johnny! X Web

Join me as I speak with Zaina Orbai—a remarkable executive coach and growth catalyst who has helped shape some of Silicon Valley's most successful companies. With over 20 years of executive leadership experience, Zaina played pivotal roles in scaling both Yelp and The RealReal through their IPOs, growing Yelp from $80M to $1B in revenue and expanding it to over 20 countries.   Zaina's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zainaorbai/Learn more about Zaina's coaching service: https://zainaorbai.com/Email Zaina: zaina.orbai@gmail.com ----- Branding and design by Lori Evelyn: https://www.lorievelyn.com/ Follow and subscribe to Executive Runtime: X YouTube Instagram Web Follow your host, Johnny! X Web