Latest Episodes
Judit Pach: From Reluctant Diplomat to Ambassador: Judit Pach's Journey | Quinntessential Questions #64
In this episode of The Quinntessential Questions Podcast, Paul Quinn sits down with Judit Pach, Former Ambassador of Hungary to Singapore and Indonesia, now Energy Advisor at MET Group. From never wanting to be a diplomat as a child to becoming Hungary's youngest ambassador at age 30, Judit shares her remarkable journey of unexpected opportunities and strategic reinvention.
She discusses authentic leadership through vulnerability, the reality of diplomatic life where you go from semicon conferences to food promotions in a single day, and why reaching the top meant facing 20-25 years with no new challenge. Judit opens up about the breaking point moment sitting on her office floor crying ("I will never be able to do this"), sixfolding trade numbers between Indonesia and Hungary, securing $300 million and $700 million euro investments, and why "I either do the change right now or later it will be even harder" led her to transition from public service to the private sector.
John Currie: Make The Main Thing The Main Thing: Path To Success | Quinntessential Questions #63
In this episode of The Quinntessential Questions Podcast, Paul Quinn sits down with John Currie, COO with 37 years in banking and Chair of the Board at Pangdemonium Theatre. From washing cash covered in butcher's meat at age 17 in small-town Galashiels, Scotland to leading 500-person teams processing 150 million calls annually, John shares his remarkable journey of ground-up leadership.
He discusses authentic leadership built on experience, process optimization where one second equals 22 jobs saved, and why "the worst case is you end up back where you were" became his risk philosophy. John opens up about the homophobic warning that sparked his LGBT advocacy ("Just to warn you, Barrie's gay"), creating safe spaces that multiply from one person to 600 people filling a theatre, sponsoring Pink Dot Singapore, and becoming Chair of Pangdemonium Theatre while maintaining his COO role.
