Leadership & Business podcast celebrates 250 episodes and 10 years of insight

A decade of conversations on leadership, purpose, and the power of communication

William & Mary’s Raymond A. Mason School of Business is celebrating two significant milestones for its Leadership & Business podcast: its 10th anniversary and the airing of its 250th episode.

Hosted by Ken White, Associate Dean for MBA and Executive Programs and a former broadcast journalist, the podcast has become a key resource, delivering concise and practical insights from global leaders. Since its launch in 2015, its catalogue of 250 episodes features interviews with over 40 CEOs, more than 45 C-suite executives, and over 90 subject-matter experts from across industries and around the world.

“The Leadership & Business podcast is a prime example of how we bring our mission to life,” said Todd Mooradian, Dean of the Mason School. “Ken brings the insights of innovative and impactful global leaders in each of the episodes not just to our students but to the wider global business community. It’s a powerful way to show how William & Mary is shaping the future of business.”

A milestone conversation: Episode 250

The milestone conversation, “The Role of the CEO,” features an in-depth conversation with two prominent leaders: AnnaMaria DeSalva, former Chairman at Burson and CEO of Hill & Knowlton, and Dan Draper, CEO of S&P Dow Jones Indices. Their conversation explored how leadership continues to evolve amid rapid technological and cultural change.

“I think leaders, our mission, and our purpose is to unlock potential and value,” DeSalva shared during the episode. “And that means unlocking the potential of people, of strategy, of enterprises. That is being in service.”

Draper offered a complementary perspective, emphasizing the importance of authenticity. “I think I appreciated how powerful authenticity and vulnerability can be as a leader,” he said. “If you can show that level of empathy [it builds] connection that can just go so far.”

For White, securing both guests was a significant achievement, made more special by the fact that both were returning to the show. “To get two CEOs at that level, that was cool. It was terrific to have them both on,” he said. “Every guest brings something that makes the audience think differently. That’s what keeps it fresh after all these years.”

An accidental success

The podcast’s origin, as White describes it, was a pivot born from rejection.

“When I arrived at the Mason School, I was struck by the number of accomplished leaders and experts walking through the halls of Miller Hall,” White said. “They’d give a talk, meet with a class, and leave. I thought, we should capture what they have to say.”

His initial idea was a “60 seconds”-style video series, which he pitched to seven consecutive leaders. They all said no. The eighth “no” came from Dave Cote, the former CEO of Honeywell.

“He said, ‘No, I don’t want to do that, but have you thought about audio?’” White explained. After making the shift in format, Cote agreed to be the first guest, and the audio-only podcast was born.

The format—a 15-minute, face-to-face conversation—has remained standard over the duration of the podcast series. “The feedback we received was a resounding ‘no’,” White said, recalling when he suggested recording remote interviews. “Knowing that the guests are in the building, knowing that it’s face to face, made a difference to our listeners, even though they can’t see us. So we’ve stuck to that format.”

A small team with a global reach

While White finds and interviews the guests, he relies on a small, dedicated team to produce the show every two weeks.

Ben Laurance, a freelance filmmaker and editor based in Seattle, has been editing the podcast for nine years, starting with episode 57. He and White have never met in person.

“Many podcasts come and go so it’s a testament to Ken and his team for maintaining a twice-a-month interview schedule on top of all of their other responsibilities,” Laurance said.

Laurance’s goal is to make the expert conversations seamless. “When editing the show, I want to ensure the guest appears articulate, concise, thoughtful, and clear,” he explained, noting that he only removes filler words and long pauses.

That process is aided by the quality of the speakers. “We’ve done 250 of these and we’ve only had to make a significant edit three times,” White said. “It’s so impressive how calm, thoughtful, and strategic the guests are. They just talk and it sounds brilliant every time.”

For Laurance, the most impactful episode was #217, titled “Resilience”, where White interviewed his own daughter, Casey, about a life-threatening medical diagnosis. “That episode humanized Ken in a way that doesn’t normally happen with hosts of podcasts that aren’t personality-based,” he said. “I felt it was really inspiring of Ken and Casey to share her story.”

Back in Williamsburg, Victoria Trujillo, Assistant Director of Web Development for Mason, manages the podcast’s distribution and accessibility.

“Being part of the Leadership & Business podcast is truly enlightening. It’s a space where ideas, insights, and experiences converge to inspire growth and transformation” she said. “Ensuring every episode is accessible through transcripts reflects our commitment to inclusion, allowing every voice to be heard and every listener to engage fully.”

According to Trujillo’s analytics, the most downloaded episode over time is #166, “Qualities of Great Leaders” with Brad Martin, former CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue. Episode #117, “Passion, Advocacy and Initiative” with Ann Benjamin, longtime investment manager, holds the record for the most downloads in the first 7, 30, and 90 days.

Looking ahead

Beyond its impressive guest list, the podcast also showcases the strength of the William & Mary alumni community. To date, 92 unique alumni have appeared across 114 episodes, many returning more than once to share their evolving insights and experiences.

“When William & Mary alumni appear as guests on the podcast, they do more than share insights and best practices. They strengthen a vibrant, intergenerational community of excellence,” said Allison Fonner Onesty, Director of Engagement and Events at the Mason School. “Their stories and expertise become a trusted source of knowledge, inspiring current students and fellow alumni alike, while reinforcing the enduring culture of thought leadership and principled values intrinsic to the William & Mary alumni network.”

Now as the podcast enters its second decade, White hopes to continue showcasing insightful conversations with leaders, experts, and alumni, but he is also exploring new ways to evolve, possibly by involving students in production and guest engagement.

“Our students are so bright so I would love to find a way to bring them into the process, while keeping the consistency that’s sustained us,” he said. “I’ve thought about changing the format, but people constantly provide us with feedback, saying they can sense that the guest and I are in the same room. That energy and authenticity comes through, so I don’t foresee that changing.”

Reflecting on the 250-episode milestone, White said the mission of Leadership & Business remains the same as it was in the beginning. “The fact that there are that many high quality, highly successful leaders that are in this building, interacting with our students, faculty, executive partners, and alumni says a lot about our school. Every one of our guests, from episode one to 250, is impressive. I think it says something about leadership today. Leaders need to know how to communicate and be other-centric. They have to be in front of people. And that’s what the podcast does, just in a different form.”