Stratospheric Leaders

In this powerful episode of Stratospheric Leaders, Georgie sits down with Sara Furber, CFO and Executive Committee member at Tradeweb - a company valued at close to $27 billion at the time of recording - for a conversation rich with wisdom, clarity, and the kind of career-defining insights we rarely talk about.
We often look at successful leaders and assume their path has been linear. We see the visible tip of the iceberg and miss the invisible layers underneath - the pivots, the doubts, the catalysts, and the moments that change everything. This episode goes beneath the surface. Sara is deeply real, and her advice is practical.
From early dreams of becoming a doctor to leading within one of the world’s most influential fintech companies, Sara’s journey is filled with lessons on ambition, self-belief, risk-taking, and the courage to dream bigger - even when you don’t quite believe in yourself yet.
Interesting areas covered:
• What did little Sara dream of becoming growing up?
• What do your first 30 minutes of the day look like?
• How do you decide what deserves your attention first when pressure lands in your office?
• What have difficult leaders taught you about becoming a good one?
• How do you stay curious when experience could easily make you rigid?
• What does self-doubt still sound like, even at the top?
• How do you prepare yourself before stepping into an important room?
• What would you tell your younger self now?

Her candour, humour and depth make this a must-listen for emerging leaders, seasoned executives, and anyone trying to understand what leadership really looks like when nobody is watching.
Enjoy! ✨
#StratosphericLeaders #Leadership #WomenInLeadership #ExecutiveLeadership #CareerGrowth #CFO #Tradeweb #LeadershipMindset #BusinessLeadership #Mentorship #Resilience #ExecutivePresence #DecisionMaking #LeadershipDevelopment #HighPerformance

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executive leadership lessons
women in finance leadership
how CFOs think
career ambition advice
leadership resilience
senior leadership communication
building trusted teams
executive decision making
leadership mindset for women
high performance leadership habits
career growth conversations
mentorship in leadership
balancing leadership and family
calm under pressure leadership
how leaders build influence

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:26 Sarah Furber’s childhood ambitions
02:06 Why medicine was not the right path
03:24 Ambition and what it really means
05:25 The conversation that changed everything
08:16 Why one mentor changed her career trajectory
10:50 Learning not to over-plan life
12:29 Why leaders are often wrong about the future
15:39 Building a trusted inner circle
18:38 Does leadership feel lonely?
22:23 Are leaders naturally more resilient?
26:06 Ruthless editing and family priorities
30:26 Learning to slow down
33:23 What children reveal about leadership
38:08 Sarah’s leadership style
44:30 Her biggest leadership weakness
47:43 Handling scrutiny in senior roles
51:49 What leadership should teach earlier
55:21 The advice she gives younger leaders
57:28 Sarah’s morning routine
01:04:38 What a better version of Sarah looks like

In this episode of Stratospheric Leaders, Georgie sits down with visionary trend anticipator, entrepreneur extraordinaire, masterful business builder, consistent culture carrier, intuitive deal doer, and the ultimate shareholder value maximiser – just a few of the words industry peers use to describe Lance Uggla.

Lance was Founder & CEO of Markit - a company that started with a handful of employees in a barn in St Albans and grew into a $44 billion global leader in critical information, analytics, and solutions and culminated in one of the largest M&A deals in history with S&P Global.

An incredible episode for those who want to tap into a visionary mindset:

Episode Takeaways:

Continuous improvement is non-negotiable for leaders.
Don’t be driven just by big transformations. Small consistent gains compound over time.
Innovation has no hierarchy. Good ideas can come from anywhere in the organisation
Excellence is a habit not episodic.
A bold vision requires relentless execution. A vision by itself is meaningless.
Measurement is critical for success and accountability.
Measure the pulse of your customers and people regularly. Happy people and happy customers equals a strong financial performance.
Being an entrepreneur requires extreme commitment, relentless focus and personal sacrifice. It's not for the faint hearted.

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In this episode of Stratospheric Leaders, I sit down with Troy Kane, President andCOO of Inplay Global, Inc. an innovative company creating the world’s firstregulated marketplace for Performance Securities – a new asset class offinancial instruments tied to real-time sports team performance and fanengagement.
Troy’s story began on the Chicago trading floors at just 14 – shapedin his formative years by the trailblazing women in his family – including hisaunt who was among the first women on the trading floor of the Chicago Board ofTrade. From there he built a career defined by modernising markets helping drive the shift from open outcry to electronic trading, and today he brings that same pioneering energy to his role at Inplay Global.
A few takeaways from our conversation that stayed with me:
1. Influence = listening + evidence (not volume)
2. Don’t shut people down. Take time to understand other people’s perspectives.
3. Debates need to be rooted in fact.
4. Don’t be afraid to hire people smarter than you. Build by hiring experts, then empowering them (no micromanaging).
5. The real work of leadership is managing the “small things”. They make the big things possible.
6. Educate. Don’t just explain. What makes your business different? Help people get it.
7. Attention to detail isn’t optional. You need to understand all dependencies that go into launching a company.
8. Learn from failure. With any missteps or failures – offer constructive feedback, capture the learning and avoid the same mistake twice.
9. Under promise and over deliver – always! Advice from his Dad that has stayed with him! Consistency and delivery becomes your reputation.

This is a great story on a leader building a business from the ground up in a space that is truly innovative. Enjoy!

In this episode of Stratospheric Leaders, the microphone is handed to Caroline Vasquez, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at DRW, as she sits down with the show’s usual host, Georgie Dickins, for a deeply personal and expansive conversation.
This episode offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at Georgie’s journey from a 20-year career in global financial institutions, including ICAP, Reuters and JPMorgan Chase, to building a purpose-led advisory career focused on leadership excellence, sustainable performance, and self-trust.
What unfolds is not a linear career story, but an honest exploration of intuition, burnout, identity, and what it truly takes to operate at the top without losing yourself along the way.
Together, Caroline and Georgie unpack the moments that forced reflection, the role of health as both a warning and a catalyst, and why the most powerful leadership shifts often begin with slowing down.This is a conversation about listening to your body, your curiosity, your fear, and your evolving definition of success and about building the internal and external structures that allow leaders to thrive over the long term.

Key Takeaways
Your intuition is a career compass—if you listen early, it whispers before it screams.
Burnout is often preceded by subtle signals; ignoring them comes at a cost.
Career transitions don’t require reckless leaps—calculated exploration creates optionality.
Journaling works best when it’s unfiltered, imperfect, and judgment-free.
Passion for the work matters, but execution is what turns vision into reality.
Exceptional leaders build strong “kitchen cabinets” and internal boards of directors.
Delegation and trust create capacity; micromanagement drains it.
Chronic stress is far more dangerous than short, acute periods of intensity.
Leaders often overestimate their energy reserves—self-management is non-negotiable.
Plateaus can be chosen or forced; adaptability determines continued growth.
Communication is never one-and-done—clarity requires repetition.
Success without self-trust eventually becomes fragile.
Slowing down strategically is often the fastest way forward.
This episode is a powerful reminder that stratospheric leadership is about self-awareness, alignment, and the courage to evolve when the path no longer fits.

In this episode, I am joined by Sharon Bowen, Chair of the New York Stock Exchange – the first woman and person of colour to hold this role in the institution’s 230-year history.
Sharon’s career is nothing short of remarkable. She brings more than 35 years in regulatory, securities, and public policy expertise. After a distinguished career in law, she served as a Commissioner at the CFTC during one of the most critical periods in modern financial history, and is now guiding NYSE through a time of profound change and opportunity.
She is a truly respected voice in the industry – one that CEOs listen to, learn from and trust.
Key Takeaways:
You get to choose the mindset you bring. You can see things as obstacles or diverted paths.
Don’t let other people define you or limit your dreams.
Maintain curiosity throughout your career. It will help you continue to grow and succeed.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. It’s ok to ask for help.
Build and maintain a personal board of directors.
Mentorship matters at every stage. Never stop being a mentee.
Networks are a powerful force multiplier. Invest in relationships consistently.
Excellence attracts support. 
Speak up about what you want. Don’t assume your ambition or impact is visible.
Lead with respect and integrity. How you treat people matters.
If you’re the first, create the path for the next. Success carries responsibility.