Dr Kyle Grant-Talbot is a self-described: ‘washed up astronaut’.

Don’t let his humility fool you, though - his talents and innovations continue to leave their mark among the stars for NASA and SpaceX.

Kyle’s intelligence in Engineering Biology was matched by the ambition to tackle an industry which has shocking, high-stakes ripple effects through hospitality and healthcare - industrial laundry.

Today’s episode of Pivot Points paints a portrait of pure ambition.

The portrait of a leader who’s grounded, but possesses the drive to turn his hand to anything, and make it fly.

The portrait of a leader who’s learned the traits of mature, experienced leaders, decades ahead of his time.

You will learn:

• How the life-support engineer role at NASA/SpaceX translated space-grade thinking into a scalable, real world business
• Strategies to spot high-impact, overlooked industries where deep tech can create real competitive advantage
• How to navigate rapid growth, painful pivots and tough calls with patience and maturity
• The aspects of Kyle’s business that have proven more important than any single piece of technology

🔑 Key Themes

• Applying modern engineering to outdated industries
• The zero‑to‑one hundred founder grind
• Obsessive customer focus as the real engine of growth
• The significant pivots on the scaling journey
• The emotion and timing behind selling Oxwash

Dr Kyle Grant-Talbot

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-c-grant/

OxWash

https://www.oxwash.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/oxwash/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

What makes a leader in 2026?

Modern leadership isn’t shaped by perfect plans, but by pivotal moments, adversity, curiosity, and ultimately by authenticity.

We’re stepping back from the individual stories we’ve explored on Pivot Points so far, to explore these deeper themes that emerged across our conversations with some of the world’s most fascinating leaders.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Leaders adapt when their career path doesn’t go to plan
• Hardship forges resilience, so don’t shy away from adversity
• Spend more time on your people, not on your plan
• Curiosity is the spark that helps you seize opportunities

Christian Mazzi

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-mazzi-47870

Steinar Sønsteby

https://www.linkedin.com/in/steinarsonsteby/

Sarah Walker-Smith

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-walker-smith-4708a5b/

Piers Linney

https://www.pierslinney.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/pierslinney/

Matthew Wenger

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwenger/

James Ainscough

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesainscough/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Being a good person and being a great leader are not mutually exclusive, and Nigel Branker is perfect proof.

His leadership is grounded in empathy. He’s not afraid to shy away from money in order to nurture trust and invest in brand equity.

Nigel’s path to becoming Securian Canada’s CEO wasn’t perfectly choreographed, but his values have shone through at every pivotal step.

Meet the man who dares to give CEO’s a great name, for whom authenticity and empathy is the greatest USP - the leader who always does the right thing, because culture is about what you do when nobody is looking…

You will learn:

• How Nigel Branker's leadership style is grounded in transparency, empathy, and purpose
• How modern leaders should balance business results with a culture of trust and inclusivity
• The real-world challenges and rewards of unifying multiple organisations under a shared vision
• How thoughtful, innovative use of technology empowers people and organisations
• The value of being open to growth, embracing new experiences, and nurturing resilience

🔑 Key Themes

• The Power of Empathetic Leadership
• Guiding a Business with Authenticity and Purpose
• Cultural Transformation in a Challenging Industry
• Balancing Profitable Work with Brand Equity
• The Future of Work & Technology in Business

Nigel Branker

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigel-branker/

Securian Canada

https://www.securiancanada.ca/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/securian-canada/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Robyn Scott exemplifies leadership without conventional boundaries.

Her formative experiences instilled a sense of global responsibility, a drive she has consistently channeled into impactful initiatives.

Robyn is a many-time Co-Founder, and this journey is marked by insights into celebrating unsung leaders and inciting tangible change on a monumental scale.

Join us on Pivot Points, as we explore the strategic mindset of a leader who redefines what it means to lead in an unstable world.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Upbringing can shape a passion for social impact and innovative problem-solving
• It’s often policy failures which underlie larger issues
• Governments are at a turning point with AI, and they need to be aware of the opportunities and challenges surrounding it
• When you benchmark against yourself, rather than others, you rethink the meaning of limits and what is possible

🔑 Key Themes

• How Childhood Experiences Create Fearless Entrepreneurship
• Redefining Governmental Structures Through Apolitical
• Creating Projects Which Catalyse Social Innovation
• AI’s Potential & Risks in Public Service
• Leading with Courage and Values at Your Core

Robyn Scott

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robynscott/?originalSubdomain=uk

Apolitical

https://www.linkedin.com/company/apolitical/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Carolyn Starrett’s purpose-led career has strategically pivoted from changing how the world connects, to changing how the world lives...

She took the reins of Flatiron Health amid a turbulent leadership transition where much of the senior team departed. How do you survive navigating such instability? Her masterful ability to bring teams on a journey.

She's an ‘accidental CEO’, whose intentionality has been essential to the resilience and crisis management that’s helped Flatiron Health to thrive.

Today’s conversation reads like a rulebook on how to build team consensus, lead with purpose, and prepare a succession plan for when it’s time to step down…

You will learn:

• To lead through change by embracing it
• That building consensus brings your teams on a change journey with you
• How to lead with intention, find personal meaning in work, and use vision and mission to motivate teams
• How curating a strong leadership bench prepares organisations for long-term success

🔑 Key Themes

• Purpose-driven leadership through instability
• Building a culture of alignment to navigate challenges
• Embracing change as part of individual and business transformation
• Team development and succession planning

Carolyn Starrett

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynstarrett/

Flatiron Health

https://flatiron.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/flatiron-health/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

The path to success is rarely linear, and if anyone can help chart a course to the top, it’s Ordnance Survey’s CEO, Nick Bolton.

Nick’s unconventional career path - from software developer to product manager, marketing director and ultimately CEO - highlights the importance of adaptability, continuous learning and seizing unexpected opportunities.

In this episode of Pivot Points, Nick and Dave unpick how crisis management, team motivation and a holistic approach to business can transform organisations.

You will learn:

• How to rapidly realign organisational culture during challenging periods.
• Insights into building businesses that create sustainable value
• The importance of leveraging technical expertise across different leadership roles.
• How to balance risk reduction with strategic expansion.

Nick Bolton

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-bolton-19275627/

Ordnance Survey

https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ordnance-survey/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Kristi Henderson's career is a masterclass in empathy-driven leadership, and the power of starting on the frontline.

She began as a bedside nurse in a trauma center. Now, she’s become the CEO of Confluent Health, with the single-handed power to influence the law itself.

Kristi’s path is a testament to the idea that true innovation comes from understanding the people you serve, and the best leaders learn first hand…

If you’re putting band-aids on your leadership style, then today’s discussion might be the miracle cure you need -

We’ll cover how to embrace tech to solve REAL problems, strategies to lead with empathy, and why "change goes at the speed of trust."

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Kristi’s journey from bedside nurse to CEO demonstrates the importance of understanding and serving people at every level
• Innovation comes through insights from the frontline
• Change only happens at the speed of trust
• Effective leadership comes from setting a clear vision, and involving others in the “how”

Kristi Henderson

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristi-henderson-049b4b58/

Confluent Health

https://www.linkedin.com/company/confluenthealth/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/

Christian Mazzi has lived a life of constant motion, learning to "sink or swim" from the very start of his life.

He moved countries frequently, bringing a cultural awareness, and an impressive ability to learn & adapt quickly.

This superpower is the lynch pin of Christian’s monumental pivot, from the life of a doctor to the high-stakes world of business

Emotional intelligence bleeds through every part of Christian Mazzi’s ethos, so listen close - what follows is the blueprint to crafting a vision that resonates with your teams and your customers alike.

Key takeaways from this episode:

• The power of adaptability evidenced from Christian Mazzi’s multicultural upbringing and career pivots
• Emotional intelligence is vital to effective leadership
• Successfully leading change involves activating the “emotional switches” within an organisation
• Recognising and addressing ‘energy vampires’ is crucial for fostering a positive, high-performing culture

Christian Mazzi

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-mazzi-47870

CORCYM

https://www.linkedin.com/company/corcym/

Connect with Dave Allen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveallenbrandpie/
Learn more about Brandpie: https://www.brandpie.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/brandpie/