Host James Mackey sits down with Jennifer Anker, a talent acquisition executive who has built and led recruiting organizations at Illumio, Twilio, Wiz, and Okta. Long before recruiting, Jennifer studied animal behavior and worked with marine mammals - an experience that shaped the calm, positive-reinforcement leadership style she still uses today.

Jennifer and James explore how to deliver direct feedback with empathy, use positive reinforcement as a genuine management philosophy, and build teams that feel empowered to challenge ideas - including their leader’s. They also discuss overcoming imposter syndrome, creating a culture of “disagree and commit,” and adapting coaching to what motivates each individual.

The conversation closes with a practical look at AI in recruiting, from note-taking tools to custom AI agents, and why recruiters who learn to work alongside AI will have a significant advantage over those who don’t.

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We sit down with Michael Prem, Head of Recruiting at Skyflow, to explore how growing up across Sri Lanka, Zambia, and Toronto shaped his coaching-first approach to hiring and leadership. He explains why he values hard work over “perfect-for-the-moment” talent, especially in fast-moving startup environments where priorities shift every few months. Along the way, we connect competitive sports, startup pace, and the rise of AI in recruiting to one core idea: adaptability and trust win over time.

Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!

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Vincenzo Fasulo grew up in Benevento, Italy, a city older than Rome. After moving to the U.S. during one of the most uncertain chapters of his life, he built an unconventional path from receptionist to Head of Talent at SafeBreach. In this conversation, he shares how that journey shaped the way he leads TA today: looking past the resume, giving people a chance, and building recruiting systems that can keep up with AI.

Connect with host James Mackey on LinkedIn!

Thank you to our sponsor, SecureVision, for making this show possible!

Follow us:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/82436841/

SecureVision: #1 Rated Embedded Recruitment Firm on G2!
https://www.g2.com/products/securevision/reviews

Thanks for listening!