Contributors

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Host

Mark Blackwell

I help B2B companies in agriculture, food, and chemicals industries become more profitable through Arkaro's unique "do it with you" approach to business transformation.

Using our proven 4-step methodology (Understand, Co-create, Enable, Sustain), we work alongside clients to deliver sustainable, value-generating solutions—not just slide decks. We don't just coach - we get on the pitch with you.

With 25+ years of leadership experience across strategy, commercial excellence, innovation process, product management, and integrated business management, I specialise in projects that address both technical challenges and the essential cultural change management required for lasting success.

My clients value my ability to synthesise complex information from multiple stakeholders into actionable recommendations that drive both top-line growth and cost optimisation.

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

Guests

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Adrian Stratta

A veteran, with 30+ years of leadership across corporates, start-ups, SMEs and enterprise sized companies in both public and commercial sectors, Adrian is a transformation, turnaround and sustainable growth orientated executive.

He brings expertise in strategic implementation, operational excellence and enabling teams/people to drive impact and results. 

Key achievements include enabling Arriva plc to secure their sale, by driving an above target year one ÂŁ24m efficiency programme; a 4-fold scale-up of a ÂŁ70m Buy-On-Board service to BA and Virgin airlines, and turning around Air Fayre from a loss to a ÂŁ1.1m profit.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-stratta/

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Garrett Forsythe

Garrett has 40 years of broad experience in business and operational line leadership and commercial operational improvement (CI) execution.  He has led and managed high hazard chemical processes, large capital project teams, global supply chains, marketing and sales teams, global business teams and six sigma improvement teams.   


He currently focuses on conceptualizing and developing operational excellence programs and executive coaching.  With focus on effective change management processes, he works with clients to build upon and accelerate existing CI efforts.  He specializes in helping early and mid-career high potential line-leaders and executives in developing their leadership, communication and influence skills.  He is certified as a John Maxwell Team coach and trainer as well as a Six Sigma master black belt.  


https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrett-forsythe-4932735/

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Pete Compo

Peter Compo is the author of The Emergent Approach to Strategy: Adaptive Design & Execution. Unlike many strategists from universities and consulting firms, he gained his experience in the “corporate trenches”. Hired as a research scientist at DuPont after earning his PhD in Chemical engineering from City University of New York, he advanced to leadership roles in product management, marketing, supply chain, and business management, eventually serving as director of DuPont Ventures and corporate director of integrated business planning. He left after 25 years to write The Emergent Approach, develop his work on creativity and innovation, and compose music

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

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Scott Burleson

Scott is the creator of The JTBD Pyramid™, a framework that brings clarity to what truly drives customer behavior—across function, emotion, and identity. He is the author of two books:  The Jobs-to-be-Done Pyramid™ and The Statue in the Stone. He runs LearnPM.pro, a site dedicated to helping product managers think with greater structure and strategy.

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Scott’s background spans manufacturing, product management, software, and customer research. At John Deere, he led the strategy for the 1-Series tractors—one of the company’s most successful products. As a former Director at the Strategyn Institute, he learned directly from JTBD pioneer Tony Ulwick and has since taught and applied the methodology across industries.

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Today, Scott serves as Chief Product Officer at The AIM Institute.

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

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Stephen Wunker

 Wunker was a long-time colleague of innovation thought leader Clayton Christensen, led development of one of the world's first smartphones, and created pioneering companies in mobile marketing and commerce. He now runs New Markets Advisors, where he consults on innovation strategy and capabilities for organizations such as Microsoft, Meta, Nike, and the World Bank. He has written over 100 articles for publications including Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and The Financial Times. Wunker has published five critically-acclaimed books on innovation: Capturing New Markets, Jobs to be Done, Costovation, The Innovative Leader and his latest AI and the Octopus Organization. He has degrees from Princeton, Columbia, and Harvard Business School.

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

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