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/