Suite at the Table

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable: Chris Reeve on Risk, Growth and Leadership

Jill Ryder — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 22:55:39 +0000

What happens when you stop trying to be the smartest person in the room and start building a team of people who challenge you?

In this episode of Suite at the Table, Jill Ryder sits down with Chris Reeve, CIO at Uniting AgeWell, to explore his journey from a young technologist to senior technology leader. Chris reflects on the career decisions, risks and difficult moments that shaped his approach to leadership, including learning to let go of the technical work, trusting his team to do things differently and recognising when an unsustainable workload was beginning to affect both himself and his family.

They discuss why great leaders should surround themselves with people smarter than they are, the importance of giving people genuine trust and authority, and why becoming too comfortable can be a sign that it is time to find your next challenge. Chris also shares his advice for anyone looking to progress into senior leadership: create your own opportunities, invest in yourself and don’t simply wait for the next role to come to you.

It is an open conversation about leadership, ambition, resilience, trust and having the confidence to keep moving forward.

Suite at the Table is hosted by Jill Ryder and brought to you by Precision Sourcing.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Welcome and introduction
(00:00:25) - Career journey from farm to tech to aged care
(00:02:42) - Transitioning from technologist to leadership
(00:05:12) - Letting go and staying relevant through people
(00:06:33) - A breaking point: overwork and getting help
(00:08:55) - Work-life boundaries and employee support
(00:10:34) - Toughest career moment: uprooting the family
(00:12:20) - Moving again for opportunity and family
(00:13:39) - Risky tech decision at the hospital
(00:16:04) - Change resistance and calculated risk-taking
(00:17:54) - Best advice: surround yourself with smarter people
(00:19:21) - Trusting your team and letting go of control
(00:22:04) - Defining work-life balance and the goodwill bank
(00:23:22) - Hobbies and finding mental space
(00:25:19) - Ambition, comfort, and seeking new challenges
(00:28:52) - Staying effective: listening and relationships
(00:30:43) - Advice for aspiring CIOs: seize opportunities
(00:33:19) - The value of later-in-life education
(00:36:36) - Closing remarks

Go Slow to Go Fast: Peter Wilson on Leadership, Risk and Resilience

Jill Ryder — Mon, 21 Sep 2026 21:55:00 +0000

What happens when ambition stops being about the next title and starts becoming about the people around you?In this episode of Suite at the Table, Jill Ryder sits down with Peter Wilson, Managing Director at NTT DATA Business Solutions, to explore the career decisions, risks and lessons that shaped his journey into senior leadership.

Peter reflects on a career that has taken him across technology, sales, recruitment and executive leadership, from starting out in a small technology business to leading organisations across Australia and Asia. He shares the risks he took along the way, the setbacks that challenged him and why some of his toughest moments ultimately taught him the most.They discuss learning to let go of perfection, staying humble through success, knowing when to slow down and the importance of consistency.

Peter also reflects on how his relationship with ambition has changed over time, shifting from personal achievement and the next promotion to creating opportunities for others and building something bigger than himself.It is an honest conversation about ambition, resilience, leadership and why sometimes you need to go slow to go fast.

Suite at the Table is hosted by Jill Ryder and brought to you by Precision Sourcing.

You Belong at the Table: Learning to Back Yourself

Jill Ryder — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

What happens when you stop chasing the title and start understanding the kind of leader you want to be?

In this episode of Suite at the Table, Jill Ryder sits down with May Lam, CIO at Australian Payments Plus, to explore her journey from software engineer to senior technology leader.

May reflects on the setbacks, detours and defining moments that shaped her career, from navigating motherhood and financial pressure to stepping away from an executive role and launching her own business. She shares how those experiences helped her find a stronger sense of purpose, stop seeking approval and build the confidence to back herself.

They discuss imposter syndrome, finding your voice as an introverted leader, the expectations placed on women in leadership and why representation matters. May also speaks candidly about motherhood, menopause in the workplace and learning to see the experiences that once made her feel different as strengths.

It is an honest conversation about purpose, resilience, identity and finding the confidence to take your seat at the table.

Suite at the Table is hosted by Jill Ryder and brought to you by Precision Sourcing

Chapters

(00:00:10) - CIO Suite at the Table
(00:01:14) - CIO Conference 2017: Inspiring CIOs
(00:03:15) - Leaders on the Right Track
(00:08:32) - Have You Learned To Be Yourself by Turning 40?
(00:11:06) - Do You Think the More Introvert Side of You Is a Super
(00:12:43) - The Toughest Moment in My Career
(00:16:05) - How to start a business on your own
(00:18:40) - Taking a risk in your career
(00:21:46) - The Purpose of Your Career
(00:22:39) - What, what's the best piece of advice you've ever had
(00:26:40) - What's the biggest challenge facing women in the workplace?
(00:31:49) - "I Have An Accent"
(00:34:15) - Inspiring prisoners: May Day

Leading Without Losing Yourself with Alison Tweedale

Jill Ryder — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 21:30:00 +0000

What does it take to keep believing in yourself when the opportunity you have worked towards does not go your way? In episode one of Suite at the Table, Jill Ryder sits down with Alison Tweedale, CIO at Nova Systems, to explore her journey from Oracle trainer to senior technology leader.

Alison reflects on moving to Australia without an established network, returning to work after a four-year career break and rebuilding her career one opportunity at a time. She also shares the difficult experience of serving as an acting CIO, only to miss out on the permanent role - and how she overcame the belief that she was not good enough to eventually reach the C-suite.

They discuss confidence, communication, evolving ambition and the importance of leading in line with your values. Alison also speaks candidly about making difficult decisions during COVID, learning to create emotional boundaries as an empathetic leader and finding fulfilment in the role she has today rather than constantly looking for what comes next.

It's an honest conversation about resilience, self-belief and becoming a leader without losing sight of who you are.

Suite at the Table is hosted by Jill Ryder and brought to you by Precision Sourcing.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Success Story: Suite at the Table
(00:02:47) - Have You Made Good Choices in Your Career?
(00:06:27) - CIO Network: The Step Up to C Suite
(00:08:12) - Risking a career move in Australia
(00:10:47) - What is the best piece of advice you've been given?
(00:15:32) - Working Mum on Parenting
(00:19:14) - How to manage a mum and a girlfriend
(00:19:43) - Have You Had A Career Breakdown?
(00:22:36) - Are you an introvert or an extrovert?
(00:25:53) - CIO Network: An Introvert vs An Extrovert
(00:28:56) - Have You Had To Lead In An Unpleasant Way?
(00:33:05) - Obsessed With The Pit
(00:33:41) - What do you do to soothe yourself after a bad day?

Introducing Suite at the Table

Jill Ryder — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 02:16:41 +0000

Suite at the Table is a leadership podcast hosted by Jill Ryder, featuring honest conversations with senior technology and data leaders about the experiences behind their careers.

Each episode goes beyond job titles and polished success stories to explore the risks, setbacks, difficult decisions and defining moments that shaped each guest’s journey. From confidence and ambition to leadership, identity, resilience and balance, these are candid conversations about what it really takes to earn - and hold - a seat at the table.

Whether you are building your career, stepping into leadership or simply curious about the people behind some of Australia’s most influential technology and data roles, Suite at the Table offers practical lessons, personal stories and perspectives you will not find on a résumé.

Because every seat at the table has a story.

Hosted by Jill Ryder and brought to you by Precision Sourcing.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Suite at the Table