Brilliant People Podcast

For Charlie Turano, legacy isn’t just nostalgia. It’s strategy. As Executive Director at Heritage Werks, Charlie is helping pro sports teams, leagues, and now even universities unlock the untapped power of their history—not just to preserve the past, but to propel the future.

Before that, he co-founded Genesco Sports Enterprises, shaping it into one of the industry’s most respected corporate representation firms, advising global...

Today, as Go-to-Market Operating Partner at Sixth Street, Paul brings both commercial operator chops and deep empathy to help CEOs, CROs, and deal teams turn strategy into sustainable results.
He doesn’t do playbooks. He does pattern recognition. His approach is high-trust, high-discipline, and highly customized. Whether he’s transforming revenue orgs or coaching commercial leaders, Paul shows up like an athlete: focused, gritty...

Before Jimmy Holloran was leading talent strategy for a $16B private equity powerhouse, his path ran through classrooms, consultancies, portfolio companies, and boardrooms—and, in the very early days, behind the bar at his family’s Irish pub in St. Louis.
Today, as Talent Partner at American Industrial Partners (AIP), Jimmy is reshaping what it means to drive value through people. He built the firm’s talent function from the gro...

As Founder & CEO of WestRiver Group—a thematically driven investment platform that funds and builds companies across the global innovation economy, and Vice Chairman of Topgolf Callaway Brands, Erik has led and scaled some of the most iconic and forward-looking brands in sports, tech,and entertainment.

 Under his leadership, Topgolf became a globalphenomenon, reimagining how people connect through play. He’s also a recognized vi...

Ram Charan, world-renowned business advisor, has spent decades inside boardrooms guiding CEOs and leadership teams through transformative decisions. Fortune calls him "the most influential consultant alive," and for good reason - his insights on leadership, strategy, and talent development have shaped the course of global businesses.

Joining him in conversation is Kevin O’Neill, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Acer...

From professional basketball to private equity, Rob Delaney's journey is as diverse as it is impressive. Now Managing Director at Carrick Capital Partners, a growth-oriented investment firm, he is laser-focused on helping entrepreneurs scale their software and tech-enabled services companies, with a keen eye on the payments space.
In this dynamic episode of the Brilliant People Podcast, Rob joins host Linnea Jungnelius, Glob...

Mark Fiske, seasoned marketeer and master of digital, is Operating Partner and Head of Digital Transformation at H.I.G. Capital, one of the largest and most influential private equity firms in the middle market, managing $65 billion in capital across a portfolio of over 100 companies. In his role, Mark drives the digital transformation strategy and co-leads the Generative AI practice, partnering with portfolio management to acceler...

Ben Humphreys is a Senior Operating Executive at Monomoy Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on the middle market. The firm recently closed Fund V, exceeding its initial $1.6 billion target to close at an admirable $2.25 billion.

Ben has journeyed through many of the world's elite organizations, including investment firms like BlackRock and Cerberus along with enterprises like General Electric.

Leveraging rich exper...

Jerry Hughes is the Director of Commercial Excellence at American Securities, a leading private equity firm in the U.S. with $27 billion in committed capital. With typical equity investment ranging from $300-700 million, Jerry has the exciting remit of scaling sizeable industry players and capturing market share.

With a career that’s revolved around the persistent pursuit of growth, Jerry has the tested ideas and tools that strengt...

David Acharya is the Managing Partner of Acharya Capital Partners, a New York City-based PE firm that buys and grows lower middle market companies.

He discovered his passion for the independent sponsor model after progressing over 25 years as a private equity investor with a fund, and investment banker on Wall Street, thriving in the pace of change, alignment, and impact that he's able to bring forth. David also serves on the Board...

Over the last 20 years, Farhan shaped and pioneered some of the most visible and successful digital transformations in the consumer and financial sectors, holding leadership positions with Ahold Delhaize, McDonald’s, Bank of America, and Target.

As chief digital officer of Ahold, he cracked the code on digital change for its 20 brands. It’s no surprise that when Ahold acquired FreshDirect, he was asked to serve as interim CEO and p...

Tiffany Lopinsky, alongside fellow co-founders Harry Rein and Chris Tinsley, set out to change the influencer marketing space in 2020. Their vision: craft a revolutionary tool for the creator economy – ShopMy.

Already, they have grown its network to over 40,000 creators and 300 brand partners, signing on renowned beauty brands like Tatcha, Dior, and Elemis and retailers like Nordstrom, Nike, and Lululemon. Recently, they secured $...

Russell Findlay, a distinguished marketing leader, has shaped some of the most identifiable brands over the last three decades, Major League Soccer, IHOP, and PepsiCo among them. Unlike most, his success traverses sectors. He’s left an imprint on industries as diverse as CPG, food & beverage, sports & entertainment, and financial services. While there’s no “one-size-fits-all” answer as to how Russell has repeatedly scaled b...