#401 “Dubai Is Not as Easy as You Think” | Jason Grundy, MD of Robert Walters on Hiring, Talent and the Truth About the UAE Job Market
Introduction Most people arrive in Dubai thinking the opportunities will find them. Jason Grundy has spent 25 years watching that assumption play out badly. As Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa at Robert Walters, Jason has seen every side of the hiring market. The candidates who oversell themselves. The companies that leave great people waiting […]
#400: 8 Years. 400 Episodes. The Guests Spencer Never Forgot | Ashley Cain, Paul Griffiths, Rachel Conlan & Daniel Priestley
Introduction Eight years. Four hundred episodes. And Spencer still can’t quite believe it. For the 400th episode, Spencer sits down to reflect on the podcast that has shaped him as much as he has shaped it and revisits four conversations that moved him, changed him, and that he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about. None of this happens […]
#399 “The Doctor Is Not Always Right” | Hein Van Eck, CEO of Mediclinic Middle East on AI, Future of Hospitals, and Why Dubai’s Doctors Are World Class
Introduction “The Doctor Is Not Always Right” Hein Van Eck is a healthcare actuary by training, a breed of thinker who sits at the intersection of data, ethics, and human behavior. He started in insurance in South Africa, was handed his career-defining job after answering a single ethical question correctly, and has spent the last 20 years on the provider side […]
#398 Katy Keenan, CEO of BCCD, on Rebuilding and Why Success in the UAE Takes Longer Than You Think
Introduction Katy Keenan has turned the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai into one of the most respected business communities in the UAE 1,200 members across 29 sectors, a board that’s now 50% women, record profits donated to charity, a 98% satisfaction rating, and a LinkedIn following that grew from 6,000 to nearly 33,000 with no […]
#397: “It’s Not If You’ll Be Attacked, It’s When” | Ossama, CEO of GBM on AI, Cyber War, and more
Introduction Ossama El Samadoni leads GBM, one of the most respected technology organisations in the region, with over 300 employees, triple-digit million dirham revenue, and clients across the Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Russia. The disappointment that derailed his dream is exactly what built him. But this isn’t a story about career pivots. It’s a […]
#396: From 1 table to 112 Venues Across 26 Countries | Antonio Gonzalez, CEO of Dubai’s Biggest Hospitality Group
Introduction He opened his first venue from a counter so small it could barely fit a table. No hotel background. No hospitality degree. Just restlessness, a borrowed chef, and a bet on Dubai. Twenty years later, he runs 112 venues across 26 countries, employs over 7,000 people worldwide, and is navigating one of the most […]
#395: 45 Years, 7 Tech Waves & a $1.5 Billion IPO at 71 | Fayez Ibbini on Building Alpha Data, AI & Why Retirement is a Lie
Introduction He arrived in Abu Dhabi in 1981 when roads turned to soft sand and ceilings collapsed because villas were built with saltwater cement. He came for six months. He never left. Forty-five years later, he just took his company public at a $1.5 billion valuation and he’s 71 years old with zero plans to stop. In this episode, Spencer sits down […]
#394: “Technology Is NOT the Future of Education” – The CEO of 36 Schools, Alan Williamson on Education, Leadership & Sacrifice
Introduction He grew up on a council housing estate in the Shetland Islands. His family were coal miners and civil servants. He had no connections, no privilege, and no clear path. Today, he runs one of the UAE’s largest education groups — 36 schools, 36 nurseries, 50,000 students, and a publicly listed company worth over […]
#393: “I Gave Myself Cancer” | Dave Catudal on Stress, Health & The Power of the Mind
Introduction This episode explores the connection between mind and body, the truth about stress and illness, and why Dave believes: “You either make yourself sick… or you make yourself healthy.” In this episode, Spencer sits down with Dave Catudal, a serial entrepreneur, health coach, and supplement formulator whose life has been shaped by loss, resilience, […]
#392: From Radio to 130M Followers | Alex Hirschi aka supercarblondie on Building a Global Brand
Introduction What does it really take to build one of the most powerful personal brands in the world? In this episode, Spencer sits down with Alex Hirschi, known globally as Supercar Blondie, one of the most successful automotive content creators and entrepreneurs today. But behind the supercars and global audience of over 130 million followers is a very […]
