<![CDATA[Business Transformation Journey]]>https://riverside.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Thu, 28 May 2026 23:30:08 GMTWed, 13 Aug 2025 17:06:17 GMT60Ondrej PapanekThe Business Transformation Journey, the go-to show for business leaders looking to unlock growth, streamline operations, and enhance organizational effectiveness. Hosted by Ondrej, this show offers practical insights drawn from real-world experience, highlighting proven strategies to navigate challenges and drive meaningful change. Join Ondrej and industry leaders as they share actionable tips to help you elevate your organization and achieve lasting success.episodicOndrej Papanekan@itmanagement.consultingno<![CDATA[From Crisis to Clarity: How Leaders Actually Navigate Change]]>Change is no longer something leaders prepare for once a year. It is now part of everyday leadership.

In this episode of Business Transformation Journey, I speak with Eva Wikmark Walin, a senior HR executive with over 25 years of experience in people strategy, organizational transformation, employee experience, and culture change.

Eva has held senior roles including Chief People Officer at Transcom Worldwide, supporting 30,000 employees across 26 countries, and VP & Global Head of Employee Experience at Sandvik, responsible for 45,000 people in 170 countries. She also spent 17 years at IBM across HR, M&A integration, and management consulting.

In this conversation, we explore:
- How leaders can move from crisis to clarity
- Why trust and transparency matter during change
- How to involve employees in transformation
- Why AI transformation must start with leadership strategy
- How middle managers can support people through uncertainty
- Why psychological safety is becoming a business priority

This conversation is for executives, HR leaders, transformation leaders, and managers who want to lead change with more clarity, trust, and confidence.

Eva Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-wikmark-walin-2859894/

]]>18aecfa0-e2c3-4e9c-84b9-7a1ad2ceebf0Mon, 25 May 2026 07:17:36 GMT<p>Change is no longer something leaders prepare for once a year. It is now part of everyday leadership.<br /><br />In this episode of Business Transformation Journey, I speak with Eva Wikmark Walin, a senior HR executive with over 25 years of experience in people strategy, organizational transformation, employee experience, and culture change.<br /><br />Eva has held senior roles including Chief People Officer at Transcom Worldwide, supporting 30,000 employees across 26 countries, and VP &amp; Global Head of Employee Experience at Sandvik, responsible for 45,000 people in 170 countries. She also spent 17 years at IBM across HR, M&amp;A integration, and management consulting.<br /><br />In this conversation, we explore:<br />- How leaders can move from crisis to clarity<br />- Why trust and transparency matter during change<br />- How to involve employees in transformation<br />- Why AI transformation must start with leadership strategy<br />- How middle managers can support people through uncertainty<br />- Why psychological safety is becoming a business priority<br /><br />This conversation is for executives, HR leaders, transformation leaders, and managers who want to lead change with more clarity, trust, and confidence.</p><p></p><p>Eva Linkedin: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-wikmark-walin-2859894/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-wikmark-walin-2859894/</a></p>no00:53:2014From Crisis to Clarity: How Leaders Actually Navigate Changefull<![CDATA[Is your leadership mindset ready for AI?]]>AI is no longer only a technical topic. It is becoming a leadership topic.

In this episode of Business Transformation Journey, I speak with Amir Elion, founder of Think Big Leaders, about how AI is changing leadership, middle management, team structures, decision-making, and the future of work.

Amir brings experience from product innovation, startups, enterprise organizations, and leading innovation programs at Amazon Web Services in the Nordics. Today, he helps leaders and organizations understand AI, build innovation mechanisms, and prepare for what comes next.

We will explore:

How non-technical leaders can start using AI
Why curiosity and experimentation are becoming critical leadership skills
How middle managers can stay relevant in the age of AI
How AI can simplify processes, break down silos, and improve business outcomes
What leaders need to rethink about roles, teams, and the future of work

This conversation is for executives, directors, transformation leaders, HR leaders, innovation leaders, and managers who want to lead with more confidence in the age of artificial intelligence.

Guest: Amir Elion
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirelion/
Website: https://amirelion.com/
Newsletter: https://amirelion.substack.com/

]]>cfc53369-7032-487f-9936-218d2ae92289Wed, 29 Apr 2026 08:00:00 GMT<p>AI is no longer only a technical topic. It is becoming a leadership topic.</p><p></p><p>In this episode of <b>Business Transformation Journey</b>, I speak with <b>Amir Elion</b>, founder of <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="www.thinkbigleaders.com" target="_blank"><b>Think Big Leaders</b></a>, about how AI is changing leadership, middle management, team structures, decision-making, and the future of work.</p><p>Amir brings experience from product innovation, startups, enterprise organizations, and leading innovation programs at <b>Amazon Web Services in the Nordics</b>. Today, he helps leaders and organizations understand AI, build innovation mechanisms, and prepare for what comes next.</p><p></p><p>We will explore:</p><p>How non-technical leaders can start using AI<br />Why curiosity and experimentation are becoming critical leadership skills<br />How middle managers can stay relevant in the age of AI<br />How AI can simplify processes, break down silos, and improve business outcomes<br />What leaders need to rethink about roles, teams, and the future of work</p><p></p><p>This conversation is for executives, directors, transformation leaders, HR leaders, innovation leaders, and managers who want to lead with more confidence in the age of artificial intelligence.</p><p></p><p><b>Guest: Amir Elion</b><br />LinkedIn: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirelion/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirelion/</a><br />Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://amirelion.com/" target="_blank">https://amirelion.com/</a><br />Newsletter: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://amirelion.substack.com/" target="_blank">https://amirelion.substack.com/</a></p>no00:57:4713Is your leadership mindset ready for AI?full<![CDATA[Future-Proof Your Leadership: Gen Z's Call for Empathy and Authenticity]]>What happens when Gen Z walks into the workplace already wired for autonomy, purpose, and AI… and managers are still stuck in control mode?

In this episode of Business Transformation Journey, host Ondrej Papanek speak with Francesco Bianchi, founder of Gen Zen, to unpack why so many leaders struggle with Gen Z, and what actually works instead.

We talk about:

- Why many managers feel fear (and what’s really behind it)

- How to shift from micromanagement to trust

- Why “frameworks” can create the illusion of progress - while the real work is human

- How supervision, reflection, and coaching build better leaders

- The surprising truth about Gen Z: they’re not anti-work - they just define “meaning” differently

- Why AI is changing entry-level roles, and why companies must rethink how they grow talent

If you lead people or you’re building a culture that has to survive the next wave of AI and talent shifts - this conversation will challenge your assumptions and give you a clearer path forward.

Follow Francesco Bianchi:

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-bianchi-alchemist/

GenZen: https://www.linkedin.com/company/begenzen/about/

]]>47ac52eb-afca-42b5-8028-f185bd3bf63dWed, 04 Mar 2026 08:00:00 GMT<p>What happens when Gen Z walks into the workplace already wired for autonomy, purpose, and AI… and managers are still stuck in control mode?</p><p></p><p>In this episode of Business Transformation Journey, host Ondrej Papanek speak with Francesco Bianchi, founder of Gen Zen, to unpack why so many leaders struggle with Gen Z, and what actually works instead.</p><p></p><p>We talk about:</p><p>- Why many managers feel fear (and what’s really behind it)</p><p>- How to shift from micromanagement to trust</p><p>- Why “frameworks” can create the illusion of progress - while the real work is human</p><p>- How supervision, reflection, and coaching build better leaders</p><p>- The surprising truth about Gen Z: they’re not anti-work - they just define “meaning” differently</p><p>- Why AI is changing entry-level roles, and why companies must rethink how they grow talent</p><p></p><p>If you lead people or you’re building a culture that has to survive the next wave of AI and talent shifts - this conversation will challenge your assumptions and give you a clearer path forward.</p><p></p><p>Follow Francesco Bianchi<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-bianchi-alchemist/overlay/about-this-profile/" target="_blank">:</a></p><p>Linkedin: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-bianchi-alchemist/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesco-bianchi-alchemist/</a></p><p>GenZen: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/begenzen/about/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/begenzen/about/</a></p><p></p><p></p>no01:07:1612Future-Proof Your Leadership: Gen Z's Call for Empathy and Authenticityfull<![CDATA[Storytelling Secrets for Engaging Business Leadership]]>In the first episode of Business Transformation Journey, host Ondrej Papanek sits down with Dr. Tarek Omran — a Ph.D. scientist, co-founder of Science Pitchers, and passionate advocate for the power of storytelling. Known as the bridge between brilliant ideas and the rest of the world, Tarek has helped over 1,750 innovators raise more than €800,000 since 2018, while his mental health advocacy platform "Help Yourself" has impacted over 700,000 lives.

In this inspiring conversation, Ondrej and Tarek explore how storytelling can be a powerful tool for leaders, innovators, and organizations to connect, inspire, and drive transformation.

They discuss:

  • Why storytelling is more memorable and impactful than technical details
  • How technology and AI can enhance storytelling without replacing the human touch
  • Lessons from Apple’s emotional storytelling approach
  • Practical tips for leaders to communicate vision with clarity and authenticity
  • The importance of reading and adapting to your audience
  • Stepping out of your comfort zone to become a more engaging communicator
  • How visualization can make stories unforgettable
  • Why emotions are at the heart of great storytelling

Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, or simply curious about how stories shape our world, this episode will leave you with practical insights and inspiration to harness storytelling for transformation.

Follow Tarek: 

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarekomran/

Website: www.sciencepitchers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sciencepitchers/

]]>a03a5dfa-8ab7-44b2-9822-2a328e6e5071Tue, 19 Aug 2025 09:00:00 GMT<p>In the first episode of <i>Business Transformation Journey</i>, host Ondrej Papanek sits down with Dr. Tarek Omran — a Ph.D. scientist, co-founder of Science Pitchers, and passionate advocate for the power of storytelling. Known as the bridge between brilliant ideas and the rest of the world, Tarek has helped over 1,750 innovators raise more than €800,000 since 2018, while his mental health advocacy platform "Help Yourself" has impacted over 700,000 lives.</p><p></p><p>In this inspiring conversation, Ondrej and Tarek explore how storytelling can be a powerful tool for leaders, innovators, and organizations to connect, inspire, and drive transformation. </p><p></p><p>They discuss:</p><ul><li>Why storytelling is more memorable and impactful than technical details</li><li>How technology and AI can enhance storytelling without replacing the human touch</li><li>Lessons from Apple’s emotional storytelling approach</li><li>Practical tips for leaders to communicate vision with clarity and authenticity</li><li>The importance of reading and adapting to your audience</li><li>Stepping out of your comfort zone to become a more engaging communicator</li><li>How visualization can make stories unforgettable</li><li>Why emotions are at the heart of great storytelling<p></p></li></ul><p>Whether you’re a business leader, entrepreneur, or simply curious about how stories shape our world, this episode will leave you with practical insights and inspiration to harness storytelling for transformation.</p><p></p><p>Follow Tarek: </p><p>Linkedin: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarekomran/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarekomran/</a></p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://www.sciencepitchers.com" target="_blank">www.sciencepitchers.com</a></p><p>Instagram: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/sciencepitchers/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/sciencepitchers/</a></p>no00:57:5811Storytelling Secrets for Engaging Business Leadershipfull