Mindful CIO Podcast

In this episode of The Mindful CIO Podcast, host Nathalie Heynderickx is joined by Simon Reiter, Chief Technology Officer at CareSuper, for a thoughtful and grounded conversation on what it truly means to lead technology teams in a human, sustainable way.

With more than 23 years of experience across superannuation, financial services, healthcare, education and government, Simon reflects on the realities of senior leadership — including the self-doubt and nerves that can arise even after years of experience. His openness sets the tone for a discussion that highlights vulnerability as a strength, not a weakness, in modern tech leadership.

A central theme of the episode is healthy culture, a core pillar of the Mindful CIO Manifesto. Simon explains why culture must come before strategy and transformation, and introduces his memorable “hamburger culture” metaphor — where leadership sets direction from the top, teams take ownership from the bottom, and sustainable culture is built together.

The conversation also explores diversity beyond gender, including diversity of thought, background and neurodiversity, and why inclusive teams are better equipped to solve complex problems. Simon shares how mentoring and sponsorship, particularly for women in STEM, are both deeply human and strategically vital.

Simon offers practical examples of how he fosters listening and psychological safety at scale — from skip-level meetings and “CTO Connect” sessions to an anonymous “Ask the CTO” channel and an internal technology podcast.

The episode also dives into AI leadership, addressing the pace of change, the risks of shiny-object syndrome, and the importance of clear use cases, strong data foundations and ethical governance. Simon reinforces a critical reminder: technology alone does not create value — people and process do.

He closes with reflections on self-care, energy management and why leaders must look after themselves first in order to lead others well.

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🎬 IN OUR EPISODE:
00:00 – Welcome to The Mindful CIO Podcast, Introduction and context for the conversation
02:10 – Beyond the CV: A Personal Leadership Insight
Simon shares a candid reflection from his leadership journey
03:00 – Leading at Scale: Staying Grounded on Big Stages
Public speaking, presence and composure in high-stakes environments
05:00 – Why Change Management Must Start on Day One
Early investment as a success multiplier
05:20 – The Mindful CIO Manifesto and the Power of “Less Is More”
06:00 – Culture Before Strategy
The foundation of sustainable performance
07:40 – The “Hamburger Culture” Metaphor
Shared ownership from leadership and teams
08:50 – Diversity as a Performance Advantage
Beyond gender to lived experience and thinking styles
11:00 – Neurodiversity and the Strength of Tech Teams
Why technology roles suit different cognitive strengths
12:30 – Making Change Human and Tangible
Driving adoption through communication and storytelling
16:50 – Sustaining Energy While Leading Complex Change
Travel, boundaries and personal rhythms
21:20 – Managing Energy, Not Just Time
Physical, mental and emotional energy buckets
24:20 – Leadership Role Models and Paying It Forward
Mentorship, influence and legacy
31:00 – Listening at Scale: Building Trust Across Teams
Skip-levels, CTO Connect and psychological safety
36:30 – Navigating the Pace of Change and Responsible AI
Strategy, governance and human-centred adoption
54:50 – Final Reflections on Sustainable High Performance
Leadership maturity and long-term impact

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🎙️LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO OUR AUDIO PODCAST
✦ Website: ⁠⁠https://mindfulcio.community/podcast⁠⁠/
✦ Apple: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/mindful-cio-podcast/id1765106205⁠⁠
✦ Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1gomcBWSDwdfoEZeZD7Usu⁠

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🔗CONNECT WITH SIMON REITER
*Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reitersimon/

In this episode of The Mindful CIO Podcast, host Nathalie Heynderickx is joined by Angela Anthony, Executive General Manager of IT & Digital at DuluxGroup. With over three decades of global tech and transformation experience, Angela offers an inspiring and practical view of what human-centred leadership looks like in the modern CIO role.

Angela reflects on her multicultural family, global career, and what it means to lead with presence, empathy, and humility. She discusses the core values of the Mindful CIO Manifesto — particularly diversity, sustainability and humanity — and how they guide her leadership every day.

She unpacks the true meaning of diversity — going beyond gender to embrace diversity of thought, background, and neurodiversity. Drawing from roles in aviation, health, and manufacturing, Angela shares how diverse teams outperform by covering blind spots and building richer solutions.

We also explore self-care as a leadership practice. Angela reveals her daily rituals — Pilates and regular dog walks — and the importance of reclaiming time for wellbeing in order to show up fully for her team and strategic challenges.

A passionate mentor and people developer, Angela shares stories about the leaders who saw her potential before she did — and how she now pays it forward. We discuss how mentoring and coaching aren’t just altruistic — they create stronger, more resilient organisations.

From navigating complex stakeholder relationships to driving global transformation, Angela speaks candidly about the non-technical side of tech leadership. She highlights the power of storytelling in building buy-in and bringing change to life across all levels of the organisation.

She also tackles the challenges of cybersecurity, data readiness, and the ethical adoption of AI — calling for shared accountability, clear role clarity, and keeping humans firmly in the loop.

Angela’s leadership mantra? Be humble, be present, and be a great storyteller.
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🎬 IN OUR EPISODE:
00:00 Welcome to The Mindful CIO Podcast
01:47 Meet Angela Anthony: Global Tech Leader at Dulux Group
03:15 Personal insights: A “United Nations” family story
04:47 Why diversity, humanity, and sustainability matter more than ever
05:46 Diversity beyond gender - culture, thought, and neurodiversity
06:26 Avoiding the “mini-me” trap in leadership
10:21 Self-care rituals: Pilates, dog walks, and walk-and-talks
14:00 Leadership role models from Barack Obama to workplace mentors
17:00 Mentoring future leaders and quieting the inner critic
24:18 Leading change with a human-centred lens
33:46 Current challenges in AI, data, and cybersecurity at Dulux Group
43:00 Responsible AI - ethics, bias, and keeping humans in the loop
50:50 Final reflections on humility, presence, and storytelling in leadership

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🎙️LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO OUR AUDIO PODCAST
✦ Website: ⁠https://mindfulcio.community/podcast⁠/
✦ Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/mindful-cio-podcast/id1765106205⁠
✦ Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1gomcBWSDwdfoEZeZD7Usu

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🔗CONNECT WITH ANGELA ANTHONY
* LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelasanthony/

In this episode of The Mindful CIO Podcast, Nathalie Heynderickx sits down with Miranda Ratajski, CIO of Group Business Units at Westpac. With a career spanning 25+ years across global industries, Miranda is recognised for her transformative leadership and her advocacy for diversity and psychological safety in tech.
 
Miranda opens up about her unlikely leadership training — managing 80 teenage girls at Coles as a teen herself — and how that experience shaped her understanding of empathy, communication, and self-awareness.
 
A core focus of the conversation is healthy culture, one of the four pillars of the Mindful CIO Manifesto. Miranda shares how she fosters psychological safety across Westpac, using skip-level meetings, feedback forums, and inclusive listening techniques to ensure every voice is heard — especially those less inclined to speak up.
 
She also talks about her self-care practices, including teaching yoga, walking her dogs mindfully, and allowing herself the grace of imperfection. Her honest take on managing energy — not just time — offers valuable insight for leaders navigating complexity.
 
Miranda reflects on her role in advancing diversity at Westpac, where she sponsors the Diversity in Tech and Accessibility programs. She discusses the success of the “Empower Up” returnship for women re-entering the workforce and Westpac’s long-standing leadership in gender and inclusion. Her mindset: diversity is not optional — it’s a non-negotiable.
 
On the topic of non-technical challenges, Miranda addresses the real work of prioritisation. From managing competingdemands to knowing when to say no, she offers practical strategies grounded in purpose, transparency, and courage.
 
She closes with a reminder that true leadership isn’t about doing more — it’s about doing what matters, sustainably. And her favourite quote from Dr. Seuss says it all: “Today you are you. That is truer than true. There is no one alive who is youer than you.”
 
🎬 IN OUR EPISODE:
00:00 – Introduction to the Mindful CIO Podcast
01:00 – Meet Miranda Ratajski: CIO at Westpac
03:00 – Early Lessons in Leadership: Managing 80 Teenage Girls
04:50 – The Mindful CIO Manifesto and Building a Healthy Culture
07:20 – Creating Psychological Safety and Diverse Spaces
09:00 – What COVID Taught Me About Energy and Inclusion
10:20 – Self-Care Routines, Yoga Practice, and Being Present
13:00 – Compassionate Leadership and the Inner Critic
15:00 – Great Leadership Role Models: Authenticity, Integrity & Vision
18:00 – The Power of Empowerment and Situational Leadership
20:00 – Early Resilience: Family, Education and Belief
22:30 – Attracting Talent and Winning Investment Through Clarity
25:00 – Portfolio Mindset: Prioritisation and Saying No
27:00 – Driving Diversity in Tech: Empower Up and Accessibility
30:30 – Final Reflections: Sustainable High Performance in Tech Teams
 
🎙️ LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO OUR AUDIO PODCAST
 ✦ Website: https://mindfulcio.community/podcast/

✦ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/mindful-cio-podcast/id1765106205

✦ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1gomcBWSDwdfoEZeZD7Usu
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🔗 CONNECT WITH MIRANDA RATAJSKI

* LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirandaratajski/

In this episode of The Mindful CIO Podcast, Nathalie Heynderickx connects with Adam Carthew, Chief Information Officer at Service Victoria and one of Australia’s Top 50 CIOs (2021 to 2023). With a career spanning executive roles at ANZ, Coles Financial Services, and Target Australia, Adam brings a rich perspective on the human side of tech leadership, especially within the shifting dynamics of government and the digital age.
Adam shares his compelling transformation from being “the smartest person in the room” as a solution architect to becoming an empowering, people focused leader. He reflects on a pivotal moment when coaching helped him shift his leadership centre of gravity from self-validation to team outcomes, sparking a lasting change in how he develops others.
Drawing on personal stories, Adam explores how diversity of thought, managing up as well as down, and responding humbly to feedback are essential traits for today’s CIOs. He unpacks his leadership philosophy using a unique metaphor: the Maremma dog versus the Border Collie, illustrating the difference between trust led leadership and fear-based management.
From transitioning between the private and public sectors to navigating AI adoption in government, Adam shares insights on sustainable digital delivery, responsible innovation, and building high performance cultures. He opens up about the pressure of big transformations, leading through crisis, and his belief that “leadership is about behaviour, not title.”
This episode is rich with practical advice for aspiring and seasoned CIOs alike on aligning teams to purpose, leading with humility, and creating cultures where discretionary effort thrives.

Quote of the episode:"Leadership is about who you are. Management is about what you do." – Adam Carthew

🎬 IN OUR EPISODE:
00:00 – Introduction to the Mindful CIOPodcast
02:50 – Meet Adam Carthew: CIO at Service Victoria
03:09 – A Surprising Start: Missionary Work and Early Leadership Lessons
04:13 – Reflections on The Mindful CIO Manifesto
05:46 – The Power of Diversity and Challenging Your Thinking
07:11 – From Architect to People Leader: A Career-Defining Shift
11:09 – Coaching, Humility and the Journey from “Smartest” to “Most Effective”
11:43 – Managing Up, Building Influence and Navigating Perception
12:21 – Staying Grounded: Golf, Family and What Really Matters
16:45 – Private vs Public Sector: Leadership Lessons from Both Worlds
20:59 – Leading Through Crisis: Building a New Team at Target
26:58 – Influence Without Authority: The ANZ Asia-Pacific Story
30:23 – Responsible AI in Government and the Role of Policy
35:57 – The Maremma Metaphor: Leadership by Trust, Not Fear
41:09 – Final Thoughts: Advice for Aspiring Tech Leaders
 
🎙️ LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO OUR AUDIO PODCAST
✦ Website: https://mindfulcio.community/podcast/
✦ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMindfulCIO-Community
✦ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-cio-podcast/id1765106205
✦ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1gomcBWSDwdfoEZeZD7Usu?si=d5c28da86c984e2a
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🔗 CONNECT WITH ADAM CARTHEW
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamrcarthew/
CIO50 Awards Australia 2023 - https://www.cio.com/awardee/642638/adam-carthew.html

In this episode of the Mindful CIO Podcast, host Nathalie Heynderickx speaks with Jorge Silveira, a multi-award-winning senior executive recognized for his transformative work in healthcare, automotive, government, and technology sectors. Jorge shares personal anecdotes from his childhood in Brazil and reveals his lesser-known passions for painting, sculpting, and songwriting.

The conversation delves into the principles of the Mindful CIO Manifesto, particularly the support for leaders' growth, and how Jorge fosters a culture of trust and empowerment within his teams. He emphasizes the importance of passion, belief, and behaviour alignment in leadership. The discussion also explores the role of CIOs and CDOs in the age of AI, stressing the need for multidisciplinary oversight and business acumen. Jorge highlights the critical need for organizations to understand their core purpose and align their AI strategies accordingly. This episode offers profound insights into leadership, vulnerability, and the responsible implementation of AI in tech.

🎬 IN OUR EPISODE:
00:00 Introduction to the Mindful CIO Podcast
00:15 Meet Jorge Silveira: A Visionary Leader
03:14 Personal Insights: Beyond the LinkedIn Profile
04:45 The Mindful CIO Manifesto
04:52 Empowering Leadership and Growth
09:00 The Importance of Vulnerability in Leadership
17:02 Self-Care Strategies for High-Pressure Roles
22:00 Building Strong Team Relationships
22:51 The Sinkhole Metaphor: Supporting Each Other
28:10 Childhood Lessons
33:03 Inspiring Leadership: Role Models and Mentors
38:48 The Importance of Purpose inCareer Choices
41:50 Non-Technical Aspects of TechLeadership
47:44 Learning About a New Organisation
51:23 The Ownership of AI in Organisations
56:55 Keys to Leading High-Performing TechTeams
01:05:21 Final Thoughts and Farewell
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🎙️LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO OUR AUDIO PODCAST
✦ Website: https://mindfulcio.community/podcast/
✦ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheMindfulCIO-Community
✦ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mindful-cio-podcast/id1765106205
✦ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1gomcBWSDwdfoEZeZD7Usu?si=d5c28da86c984e2a
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🔗 CONNECT WITH JORGE SILVEIRA
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgesilveira/
AI Leadership Series S1E3: TheRise of the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO):  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-leadership-series-s1e3-rise-chief-artificial-officer-silveira-vpa7c/?trackingId=bPbEBZdODt3Jk9M3eeabbw%3D%3D
Music Lyrics - (Under MichaelO’Brandel artistic name)
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/0bvXEjTbsv0O39gFljLlbK?si=229xEYVJRAy9xb_aJ_TkXw
Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/au/artist/michael-obrandel/1784747087
Video Clips: Valentine https://youtu.be/Xy5Kr0e_v8Y?feature=shared
Sculptures: Australian BoabTrees Website - https://www.iamboab.com