Unscripted with Versique

He grew up near the farming community of Willmar in Western Minnesota, and despite deep family ties to a rural lifestyle Adam Duininck always aspired to live, work and move the needle in a big city. So how did a kid from the country become such a force in the city as President & CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council? In this episode, Adam explains how he navigates today's challenging political divide to build relationshi...

There's comfort in a C-Suite corporate role, but it can also trigger the question of "what if?" Andre Creighton has successfully played on both sides of the ball. He's a visionary finance leader, with high profile past roles at Cargill and SPIRE Credit Union. He's also launched a startup and now is charged with the CFO and revenue role at PB&J TV. In this download, Kathy & Chris explore Andre's...

Her unique background, experience, and curiosity led from academia to consulting, then leadership roles at Best Buy and Cargill. And then, in that "what's next?" moment, the opportunity to devote her experience to advancing women's leadership led her to Menttium. In this episode Missy Chicre joins Kathy & Dardy to retrace her path to professional success, while foregoing work-life balance to create one fulfi...

He followed in his father's footsteps, and during a decade at Mortenson rose from an intern to a market sector leader at the Minneapolis construction giant. David Wood could've settled in for a long and lucrative career with few career risks. Instead, he chose to start from scratch, founding his own construction company, Ancoats. In this revealing episode, Coats shares key events from his local upbringing that could'...

The word "entrepreneur" has become a cliche in a world where almost everyone has a side hustle. But Scott Burns in truly an entrepreneur in every sense of the definition: an individual who's created and built successful businesses from scratch, while assuming all risks of the enterprise. In this episode, the general partner at Mairs & Power VC shares insight from a lifetime of innovation at the intersection of th...

While he wasn't a military brat, he moved like one in his formative years. That exposure to different people and cultures, his service to our country, and his career journey into the private sector have all shaped the inspirational leader that Craig Warren is today. In this engaging conversation with Kathy & Chis, Craig shares his life and career journey which has led him to a critical role in the future of children across...

Successful executives who grew up in small towns, didn't attend the Ivy League schools, or were told they weren't qualified for leadership roles all have one thing in common: A burning desire to prove people wrong. Amy Ronneberg has done just that, every step of the way on her career path. Amy boldly states that "being authentic is my superpower", and her passion to break personal and professional boundaries is ...

As the President and CEO of Gillette Children's Hospital, Barbara Joers not only navigates the complicated world of healthcare, but the emotional aspect of the providers she leads and the patients and families they all care for. In this inspiring episode, Barbara reveals key moments on her own leadership journey, and how she empowers everyone to contribute by learning from the past, but focusing on the future to find solutions...

You know her as the Publisher and Market President of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal—make that former. While you were away over the summer, Kathy Robideau stepped into the role of Chief Growth Officer at Versique. It's a full-circle moment, as Versique CEO Tony Sorensen placed Kathy at MSPBJ 14 years ago and watched her rise from an advertising executive to one of the highest-profile business leadership roles in the...

John Mack was the Divisional President for the Cardiac Surgery division at one of the largest medical device companies in the world—Medtronic. John knows that great leadership skills are formed through following the path of great leaders; and through his mentors he picked up a slew of tips for success. It was these learned skills that brought him through long nights during mergers and acquisitions, leading new projects, and ultimat...

"The sole measures of success for an HR team, as far as I'm concerned , is, how good are you at knowing where the push and where the pull is?" 

Bob Creviston is an avid storyteller who recounts his progression from football player at Cornell to Chief of HR at Agiliti Health, a world leader in Medical Equipment Management. His employee-focused leadership style and diligence in addressing challenges has made a lasting i...

“Leadership is about lighting a fire within others, not under them” ~ Jaime Taets

With over 20 years of experience within corporate business culture of which 13 were at Cargill, one of the largest privately held corporations in the world, Jaime Taets has honed the skill of conscious leadership. This ability led her to pave her own entrepreneurial path of starting her own business, Keystone Group International. Today, Jaime...

This episode is the recording of Versique’s 12th Annual HR Lab where we dove into the topic of Reimagining the Impact of Leadership Collaboration with top leaders from the Minnesota Timberwolves & Lynx and The Minneapolis Foundation. This thought-provoking event brought together top HR professionals and executive leaders from various industries to explore innovative ways of working together to drive organizational success.

In th...

Food brings people together – for thousands of years humans have come together over food to celebrate and to grieve. Working with some of the biggest food brand industries locally, Alissa Partee brings two core beliefs to her leadership role as Chief People Officer at Restaurant Technologies: lead with love and clarity. In this episode, host Chris Dardis explores with Alissa:

• The number one mistake business leaders make in emplo...

“Know your role. Just like in sports, you may be the starter, sometimes you might be the leader, and sometimes you’re a contributing, supporting player. But put the time and effort into it and know that you still add value to your team. You can’t always be the lead, but you do add value.” ~Heidi Grange

Early in Heidi Grange’s career, she remembers leaders taking the time to guide her, coach her, and provide feedback. This investment...

“Live with being kind and working hard. Everything works out when you do that, take risks, and work without fear.” -Kristin Dean 

Kristin Dean left her full-time role in HR to pursue her dream of being a stay-at-home mom. After a many valuable years, Kristin desired to return to work, but she internalized the fear of not being able to have both a successful career and a strong present role as a mother.  Eventually, Kristin made the ...

When Anne Sample entered Ohio State University, she was set on becoming a Biochemical Engineer. However, her path took a different direction as she gained various experiences that shaped her career. As an AV expert at a homeroom in high school, she developed a strong interest and confidence in technology. Then, her first job in communications administration for Whirlpool in a small town taught her the importance of prioritizing the...

“We all get to choose how we spend our time. And we either do it with intention, or by accident. So what do you want to be focused on? Where do you want to spend your time? How are you going to make room for those things in your life? And it’s going to mean saying no to some things that you don’t want to, or need to, or choose to.” -Sarah Waite 

Sarah Waite is “supernaturally curious.” As the Chief People Officer at Second Harvest H...