The MACE Podcast - Hosted by Marco Macente

Hosted by Marco Macente

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The MACE PODCAST is the sole, unique, fresh podcast hosted by Marco Macente where guests are invited from all over the world to speak about business topics that can make the difference in our workplace. It is a place where stories are shared, where experiences are made, where emotions are felt and where new horizons are discovered. Stay tuned and start this amazing journey without a destination… Because what matters is not the destination.. but the JOURNEY! Best, MM

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53 recent

August 8, 202612 min

The MACE PODCAST: Joe Khurana from the USA

Welcome to this new episode of the MACE PODCAST! My new guest comes from the USA: Joe Khurana. Joe Khurana is the Founder and CEO of Grace Claire Industries, a Raleigh based fractional business development firm for early-stage clinical research technology companies. With more than eighteen years working across the industry, Joe has developed a cross-portfolio view of the clinical research stack: the operational software, patient recruitment infrastructure, diagnostics and devices, real-world data platforms, specialized CROs, and regulatory technology that clinical trials run on. Grace Claire supports close to thirty active clients across those segments, including site networks, which gives Joe direct visibility into the site dynamics shaping trial delivery today. He brings a cross-segment perspective on the commercial and operational patterns emerging across early-stage clinical research technology. In our fireside chat we discuss the trends, the issues and the solutions of the pharma industry in 2026 and beyond, sharing insights and feedback transversally from our day to day experience. Enjoy our conversation and stay tuned! MM

June 10, 202623 min

The MACE PODCAST: Kelly Smith from the USA

Welcome to this new episode of the MACE PODCAST! My new guest comes from the USA: Kelly Smith! I met Kelly at SCOPE 2026, in Orlando and since then, we kept in touch and we are making great initiatives together! Stay on the line to learn more an upcoming one that will get you to SAN DIEGO!Kelly has spent more than 20 years at the intersection of clinical operations, strategic contracting, and organizational leadership across biotech, pharma, and technology. As a CEO, legal strategist, and contracts leader, he has negotiated high-value agreements on both the buy and sell sides, led clinical ops, and helped early-stage companies scale — all while identifying a pattern that too many founders know well: brilliant science held back by operational friction.That insight led him to found V2 Clinical, a next-generation functional service provider built specifically for emerging biotech companies, combining deep operational expertise, AI-driven clinical enablement, and founder-friendly contracting to help breakthroughs reach patients faster. He is the author of two books focused on the pharma industry: The Biotech Roadmap, and Contracts in Biotech: A Practical Roadmap from NDA to M&A. Please use this code to read it for free in Amazon or Kindle: https://a.co/d/0iKxkYLy Stay tuned to learn more! MM.

June 7, 202623 min

The MACE PODCAST: Bonnie Low Kramen and Vickie Sokol Evans from the USA

Welcome to this new episode of the MACEPODCAST! This episode is special and recorded LIVE from Brussels, Belgium from the BTUA workshop room hosted by UCB I was invited to BTUA by Bonnie Low Kramen, global speaker and trainer, to speak about the #ADMINEXCELLENCE, when Office and Admin professionals wnat to get to be effective in their work. Bonnie and Vickie are delivering the BTUA Legacy tour 2026, with this year being the last one of BTUA. So we are sharing thoughts, vibes, perceptions of the room but also what's next, what's ahead to let the BTUA ethos move forward to get to the #UltimateWorkplace, where people want to work and where #Respect, #Collaborationa and #Trust are there. Bonnie is the authot of #STAFFMATTERS, her book publised in 2023 and now bought by admin and leaders to level up in their relationship and executive management. Vickie is an IT expert and trainer and she delivers the AI, Technology and Cybersecurity training on day 2 at BTUA and I've just made an episode with her focused on IT, published in the mace podcast Library. Enjoy our conversation and stay tuned! Best MM.

June 1, 202621 min

The MACE PODCAST: Vickie Sokol Evans from the USA (Recording live from BTUA Belgium 2026)

Welcome to this new episode of the MACE PODCAST! This episode is very special, recorded live from Brussels, in Belgium, where I am attending and speaking at BTUA workshop, hosted by UCB with Bonnie Low Kramen and Vickie Sokol Evans. Thanks for the availability of the local admin team to make this possible, as we were able to record the episode live with an amazing guest coming from the USA: Vickie Sokol Evans. Vickie Sokol Evans is the Founder of RedCape Company and one of the most sought-after Microsoft 365 and Copilot trainers in the world. With nearly three decades of experience and nearly 30 Microsoft certifications, she has trained teams at The New York Times, Starbucks, Stanford University, UK Parliament, Buckingham Palace, LinkedIn, and Bill Gates' executive team. Her MOS certification program carries a 99.5 percent pass rate, the highest in the world. Her book, 100 Life-Changing Tips, has helped professionals at every level work smarter by discovering the technology they already have but were never shown how to use. Her mission: technology should make you feel limitless, not powerless.We are sharing the tips&Tricks, the insights and the outcome of what's been covered in the IT session of BTUA, with a special focus on technology, AI, Cybersecurity and IT Trends Stay tuned! MM.

May 13, 202625 min

The MACE PODCAST: Cynthia Yoshimura from the United States

Welcome to the new episode of the MACE PODCAST! My new guest comes from the USA: Cynthia Yoshimura. This is a special episode as we deep dive into Site Contracting/Legal things and I look forward to sharing more insights and things in this episode!Cynthia has over two decades of experience providing business-minded consulting. Cynthia supports the biotech development spectrum - from preclinical to commercialization - on legal strategy, operations, and delivery for clients in the biotech and pharma space to support disciplined growth. She has the unique approach to quickly pivot from a big picture point of view to a hyper-detailed process. By providing legal leadership, operational efficiencies, review of day-to-day agreements, and infrastructure, Cynthia is able to help clients reduce outside legal spend and create an efficient process to move their assets forward. 1) Which are the stereotypes we have around Legal and site contracting, and how can we address these to streamline our activities and communication flows? 2) How can Legal partner with the business when scaling operations and advising on next steps? 3) Why being International is important and instrumental when approaching global project keeping the big pictures but valorizing the local nuances at the same time? Lot to discuss and happy to share more in the episode! Enjoy our conversation and stay tuned! MM.

April 28, 202624 min

The MACE PODCAST: Amy Nguyen from the United States

Welcome to this new episode of the MACE PODCAST! My new guest comes from the United States: Amy Nguyen! I met Amy when attending SCOPE in Orlando last February and I was inspired by her leadership and human skills she uses in her daily work.Amy Nguyen is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of global experience in business and corporate development across clinical research, biopharma and the investment sectors. She currently works as Chief Commercial Officer for Everest Clinical, a global, CRO bringing deep biometrics and quality expertise to clinical development. Her career in clinical research spans the globe, across Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America and Latin America, where she has been instrumental in leading commercial strategies and growth initiatives. A committed leader, she is a past chairperson of Women in Bio and Fab-5, a mentor with Palmer Scholars and an active food bank volunteer in her local community. I explore with Amy important topics that belong to our workplace. 1) Why do we need effective Leaders to let people shine in their roles? What does it mean Inclusive Leadership when women and men are working together in the corporate decision making? 2) Why is culture important for long lasting companies and organizations? 3) Which are the trends in the pharma industry in 2026 and beyond? Enjoy our conversation and stay tuned! MM.

April 6, 2026Episode 1519 min

The MACE PODCAST: Rich M. Smith from the United States

Welcome to this new episode of the MACE PODCAST! My new guest comes from the USA: Rich M. Smith. Rich M. Smith helps leaders decode why marketing works by translating behavioral science into strategy CEOs can trust and communicate. With 30+ years as a CMO and executive, driving billions in revenue, major turnarounds, and high-impact growth across financial services, tech, healthcare, and consumer finance, he's the man that is able to strategize operationals services into a strategic growth. Founder of the Rich M. Smith Growth Studio, host of the Revenue Science podcast, and a frequent speaker who bridges the gap between marketing and the boardroom, and as a podcaster, I cannot wait to share more about what we prepared for the you, in the MACE PODCAST! I am so excited to meet Rich and speaking about Leadership, Culture, Corporate Growth and strategy. - Why is Leadership important when companies look at growing or scaling their business? - Which is the role that Culture play in the corporate growth? -Which are the trends that we see in corporate strategies for companies that are growing or scaling their business? Enjoy our conversation and stay tuned! MM Link to the Revenue Science Podcast, host by Rich M. Smith: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/revenue-science-with-rich-m-smith/id1862230944

February 10, 202625 min

The MACE PODCAST: Radhika Dutt from the USA

Welcome to this new episode of the MACE PODCAST! I am so thrilled to have my new guest from the USA: Radhika Dutt. Radhika Dutt is a globally recognized keynote speaker and the author of Radical Product Thinking. Her upcoming book, The Performance Illusion: Why OKRs Fail and What Actually Works (2026), challenges conventional goal-setting methods and introduces a transformative new approach to measurement. She takes aim at the pitfalls of goal-setting systems like OKRs and quarterly KPIs, showing how they can create short-term thinking, performance theater, and cultures that prize appearances over meaningful work. One of her most urgent insights is how metric obsession actually demotivates passionate employees, crushing curiosity and team collaboration—the exact people organizations most need to inspire. Radhika introduces a practical alternative: OHLs (Objectives, Hypotheses, and Learnings). Instead of chasing numbers, teams shift to puzzle-setting and puzzle-solving, experimenting, learning, and adapting in a disciplined way. She brings this to life with concrete stories, like a company that broke out of stagnation and doubled sales two years in a row after making the switch to OHLs. As an entrepreneur and seasoned product leader, Radhika has built products across diverse industries—from telecom and media to robotics, consumer apps, and even wine. She has participated in five acquisitions, including two startups she founded. Today, she advises startups, Fortune 500 companies, and government agencies on building products that drive lasting impact. She currently serves as Advisor on Product Thinking to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the country’s central bank and financial regulator. We will deep dive into the OHL world and explore how people's performance and progress can be measured in an new way. Enjoy our conversation and let's start the #RADICALCHANGE in measurement! Rhadika website: https://rdutt.com/ https://www.radicalproduct.com/toolkit/#OHLToolkit

January 13, 202620 min

The MACE PODCAST: George Essex from the USA

Welcome to this FIRST Episode of 2026 of the MACE PODCAST! Still in the season 2, getting to the seaon 3 soon, I am excited to kick off 2026 with a special episode and speacial guest coming from the USA:George Essex - SVP at Branded. Born and raised in the U.K, George moved to Miami in Jan 2023 as SVP (age 26), a city where he knew absolutely no one. Filled with ideas, aspirations, and nerves, he had the sole objective to expand BRANDED into the North American market.Equipped with a dream, grit, determination, 1 employee and no physical office space, the last 2 and a half years have seen George grow BRANDED into a multi-million $$$ agency, amass over 26 new clients and build an awardwinning team.Gregarious, passionate, energetic and full of great successstories, George is the type of person you put in a room and he leaves with a meaningful connection. George can bring enthusiasm and inspiration to listeners, as well as a sense of realism. Forget cliches, George will tell the honest story about what it takes to grow a business, a team, launch in a new country and adapt to a new culture.This has not been an easy journey, and there has been no silver bullet. Loneliness, pressure, anxiety, elation, and excitement, George can speak to the full spectrum of emotions involved with running a business, aswell as provide some tips on what worked, what didn’t and the power of never giving up. We will speak about Leadership, Business Strategy, AI and Technology and Marketing and Sales, topics that hit our workplace and that involve so many. Stay tuned and enjoy our convesation! MM

December 14, 202525 min

The MACE PODCAST: Minyang Jiang (MJ) from the United States

Welcome to the new episode of the MACE PODCAST! This new episode is very special, as I welcome my new guest from the United States: Minyang Jiang (MJ). Minyang Jiang (MJ) is the Chief Strategy Officer at Credibly , a fintech lending company, where she is responsible for leading and implementing the company’s growth strategy, as well as overseeing Marketing and Sales. Her scope of responsibilities also include innovation incubation, management training and development, as well as leading the GenAI business model transformation at Credibly. Prior to joining Credibly, Minyang worked for more than eight years at Ford Motor Company, taking on various roles in Marketing and Sales and Corporate Strategy, and was the founder and CEO of a new mobility business startup within Ford called GoRide Health. Focusing on Leadership, Culture and Technology, I discuss with MJ the trends, the nuances and the updates we see in the industry, when it comes to be effective, trustworthy and authentic in the new workplace. - Why Culture and Leadership are so connected in well managed companies and organization? - How can Leaders build the skills to be seen as effective by their teams? - Which is the impact that Technology has in the workplace? Enjoy our conversation and stay tuned! MM