by Uplift People Consulting
Uplift is a global executive search and talent advisory firm. Redefining Executive Career is a leadership series hosted by Serap Zel, Founder of Uplift, drawing on 20+ years of executive search experience across five continents and 50+ countries. In conversation with founders, board members, and senior executives, the series explores leadership transitions, strategic decisions, and what truly defines executive impact today.
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Publishing Since
8/18/2023
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July 3, 2026
<p>Unlock the secret to sustained leadership success — it is not just about achieving more, but knowing when and how to reinvent yourself before it is too late.</p><p>Many top executives are unknowingly stuck operating from an outdated version of themselves, even as their organizations and industries evolve faster than ever. If you have reached a career milestone and find yourself asking "What's next?" or feel the pressure of constant change, this episode is your wake-up call.</p><p>In this conversation, Andrea Petrone — known as The CEO Whisperer — joins Serap Zel to explore the unseen gaps that quietly threaten a leader's influence and impact, and how to recognize the micro-moments that signal it is time to reinvent.</p><p><strong>Key Highlights</strong></p><ul><li>The "identity gap" — the distance between the leader you are and the leader your organization actually needs today.</li><li>Andrea's "Three Components" framework: clarity of identity, a consistent message, and authentic presence as the pillars of leadership in turbulent times.</li><li>Real case studies, including a CEO who was told to build the future only to find his own house was already on fire.</li><li>How to assess whether what you need is a new strategy, a new role, or a new leadership identity.</li><li>The micro-inflection points that quietly determine whether a leader moves forward or falls behind.</li></ul><p><strong>Why Listen</strong></p><ul><li>Understand why even highly successful CEOs unknowingly stall their own growth.</li><li>Learn how to spot the early signals that demand reinvention before they become a crisis.</li><li>Discover why self-awareness may be the most underrated competitive advantage in leadership today.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Guest:</strong> Andrea Petrone </p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreapetrone</a><br>Website: <a href="https://andreapetrone.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://andreapetrone.com</a><br></p><p>📚 Andrea's upcoming book is available to pre-order now:<br>Reinvention at the Top (Wiley, October 2026)<br> 👉 <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eamazon%2Eco%2Euk%2FDefining-Chapter-Playbook-Reinventing-Yourself%2Fdp%2F1394430426%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1&urlhash=7G8K&mt=RuBELNn-kywXLBiZTOjuFQU_d30JPHWhdL0cW52ubietiZ1yk_UwhYX0ActqgDTNZgGN8925yvg7R8OUVY3WKpRgEd4rOhucHdgdhJckvkLzKkflLXd_PiriYp3ZhUIFUSNjlIFaXc2F0Y4GIzyLp2D-1EPjlBG4&isSdui=true" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Defining-Chapter-Playbook-Reinventing-Yourself/dp/1394430426/ref=sr_1_1</a></p><p><strong>Hosted by:</strong> Serap Zel</p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/serapzel/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/serapzel/</a></p>
June 16, 2026
<p>The higher you climb, the less anyone talks about what it actually takes.</p><p>Not the strategy. Not the vision. The real part — leading through uncertainty, holding conviction under pressure, and knowing when everything around you is shifting faster than any plan can absorb.</p><p><br></p><p>In this episode, we explore what leadership at the highest levels truly demands — and what the new realities every senior leader must face right now actually look like.</p><p>Alain Bejjani — Business Leader, Investor, and Author — is the voice behind NEXT: Leading Through the New Realities. As the former CEO of Majid Al Futtaim, he led the organization for 16 years across 16 markets, serving 560 million customers through some of the most volatile years the region has seen. Gulf Business CEO of the Year. Forbes Middle East Top 100. Today he is an active investor, advisor, and Shark Tank mentor — backing entrepreneurs navigating high-stakes markets.</p><p>This conversation goes deep on what most leadership discussions skip entirely.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Key Highlights</strong></p><ul><li>What leadership at scale truly demands that most people never talk about.</li><li>How to lead with conviction and navigate uncertainty when the pressure never really lets up.</li><li>The mindset shift Alain believes every leader must make right now — and why so many are still resisting it.</li><li>What AI and the future of work really mean for senior leaders and their relevance.</li><li>How leadership must evolve across startups, mature organizations, and turnaround environments.</li><li>What is truly waiting for the next generation of executives — and how to prepare.</li><p><br></p></ul><p><strong>Why Listen</strong></p><ul><li>Understand what separates leaders who thrive under pressure from those who plateau.</li><li>Gain honest perspective on navigating uncertainty at the highest levels of leadership.</li><li>Discover how the most experienced leaders are thinking about AI, talent, and what comes next.</li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>Guest:</strong> Alain BejjaniLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alainbejjani/ </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Hosted by:</strong> Serap ZelLinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/serapzel/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/serapzel/</a></p>
May 13, 2026
<p>Many senior leaders reach a point where the career they built no longer feels like theirs.</p><p>The title. The company. The identity. All carefully constructed — and then suddenly, quietly, wrong.</p><p>In this episode, we explore what happens when high-achieving leaders realize the ladder they have been climbing is not the one they actually want.</p><p>Katelyn Bourgoin has rebuilt herself multiple times. VC-backed founder. Forbes coverage. Everything looking great from the outside. Then it all fell apart — bankruptcy, lost identity, starting over.</p><p>What came next? A seven-figure solo business and a much clearer sense of what she actually wants.</p><p>This conversation is honest, unexpected, and deeply relevant for any leader quietly asking — what is next for me now?</p><p><strong>Key Highlights</strong></p><ul><li>Why accomplished leaders confuse mimicking what others want with knowing what they truly want.</li><li>How going bankrupt became the moment she stopped fearing the worst.</li><li>Why battling the transition period alone makes everything harder.</li><li>How to find your ownable idea and communicate your value in a way that actually lands.</li></ul><p><strong>Why Listen</strong></p><ul><li>Understand why identity and title become dangerously fused at senior levels.</li><li>Learn how to separate who you are from what you do during transitions.</li><li>Discover how to position yourself powerfully when everything feels uncertain.</li></ul><p><strong>Guest:</strong> Katelyn Bourgoin </p><p>LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katebour/</p><p><strong>Hosted by:</strong> Serap Zel </p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/serapzel/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/serapzel/</a></p>
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Uplift is a global executive search and talent advisory firm.
Redefining Executive Career is a leadership series hosted by Serap Zel, Founder of Uplift, drawing on 20+ years of executive search experience across five continents and 50+ countries.
In conversation with founders, board members, and senior executives, the series explores leadership transitions, strategic decisions, and what truly defines executive impact today.
This podcast updates bi-weekly.
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