Episode nineteen
The impeccable timing behind Atea's rise with CEO, Steinar Sønsteby
Steinar Sønsteby has been with Atea for the better part of two decades, but the most pivotal step in his career meant killing his dreams to chase a new purpose…
New to the sector, he went on to meet with leaders of Microsoft, IBM and Cisco, cementing the lofty ambitions of tech innovation.
Over the course of his career, he’s learned the art of timing the hard way, mustered up the courage to boldly step into the unknown, and rebelled against his greatest mentor - his father.
This fascinating episode of Pivot Points breaks down the mindset behind one of technology’s most prudent leaders.
“When you take the step into the role as CEO… it's a lot of commitment of time and effort. It's not for everybody. And you know, I give it my all. I've given my life. I'm 63 years old now. I've been half my life doing this, and it's so much fun, but the responsibility never leaves. You know, it's 24/7”
Steinar Sønsteby
CEO, Atea
Key takeaways from this episode:
—The importance of making bold career decisions and continuously learning from experiences.
—Timing WHEN you make decisions can be more important than WHAT decisions you make.
—Culture and belonging needs to value employee autonomy to bring the best out of a team.
—Personal dedication, willingness to take risks, and commitment to continuous challenge drives success.
To tune in, head here:
“Timing is one of the more difficult decisions I make. So when, rather than what.”
Steinar Sønsteby
CEO, Atea
Subscribe to stay up-to-date
Subscribe on Spotify
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
Subscribe on Amazon Music
Coming up on the podcast
Alexandra Palace and Park
Emma Dagnes OBE,
CEO
Out 7th August
Latest episodes
Season one
Entertainment
Royal Albert Hall: becoming a home to all with James Ainscough, CEO
The RAH attracts 1.7 million visitors each year. As an instantly recognizable icon, being its Chief Executive comes with a responsibility to uphold its culture, legacy, and long-term vision.
Accounting
Baker Tilly: adapting to new cultures with Francesca Lagerberg, CEO
Baker Tilly International sees $5.6 billion revenue annually. Stepping into Baker Tilly as its new CEO, Francesca had to navigate the deeply ingrained cultural dynamics of a global network.
Venture Philanthropist
Inside the company turnaround: leadership lessons with Paul Donovan
In his turnaround of Odeon, Paul drove a 50% increase in EBITDA and boosted employee engagement from the 30th to 95th percentile by focusing on customer experience and internal culture rather than cost-cutting.
University
Building long-term value through purpose with Nick Barter, Professor and CEO
As Professor at Griffith University and CEO at Future Normal, Nick speaks about the importance of crafting a narrative and purpose that goes beyond profit, the role of emotion in decision-making, and how demographic trends shape our future.
Renewables
Relevate Power: reimagining the energy transition with Matthew Wenger, CEO
Relevate Power operates 22 hydropower facilities in the USA, delivering innovative energy solutions to make the transition a reality. CEO Matthew Wenger prioritizes growing people—not just profits—to drive long-term success.
AI Innovation
Implement AI: become a better "you" with ex-dragon and Co-Founder, Piers Linney
From Dragons’ Den to AI disruption, Piers reveals how CEOs must reimagine their business from the ground up. With over 120 UK businesses already achieving ROI in weeks through Implement AI, the future is being built faster than most leaders think.
Non-profit
Anthropy: how leaders can shape Britain's future with John O'Brien MBE, Founder
From army officer to founding Anthropy—a gathering of over 2000 business leaders, described as the UK equivalent to Davos. John shares how leaders can reignite national purpose, influence policy without politics, and lead with vision.
Health and wellness
CR Labs: how to breathe new life into a brand with Andrea Mandel-Mantello, Chairman
CR Labs now operates 180 centers in 27 countries, but Andrea reveals how he rescued the business from the edge of bankruptcy by transforming the damaged brand: modernizing its image, opening it to women, and redefining hair loss as a journey of confidence, not concealment.
Non-profit
The Marketing Society: how to lead with speed with Sophie Devonshire, CEO
Sophie refers herself "the acceleration addict". As Global CEO of The Marketing Society, which serves 2,800+ members worldwide, she offers a blueprint for leading with pace, purpose and energy, without burning out your people or yourself.
Advisory
Turning disruption into opportunity with former CEO of The Body Shop, David Boynton
For over 30 years, David Boynton has shaped and led some of the world’s most renowned brands, steering L’Occitane, Charles Tyrwhitt, and The Body Shop through moments of transformation.
Internet services
Fasthosts: getting comfortable with the uncomfortable with Rupert Bedell, Managing Director
Rupert, MD of Fasthosts—which powers 1.1 million domains across UK data centers—shares how he brought a challenger mindset to leadership, using marketing principles to reinvigorate internal culture and sharpen brand strategy.
Legal services
Ampa Group: inclusion as strategy for innovation and resilience with Sarah Walker-Smith, CEO
As CEO of Shakespeare Martineau and leader of the UK’s largest B Corp-certified legal business with 1,300 employees, Sarah leads with authenticity—rethinking governance, and empowering next-gen leaders to transform a fragmented professional services firm into a purpose-driven group.
Season two
Non-profit
Institute of Imagination: inspiring the next generation of leaders with Martin Allen-Morales, CEO
The Institute of Imagination is empowering over 140,000 children to reimagine their future by providing the tools they need to thrive. CEO Martin discusses how creative leadership can transform systems and prepare the next generation for an uncertain future.
Research services
Evidenza: from the safety of scale to the vulnerability of the unknown with Jon Lombardo, Co-Founder
With Evidenza now successfully having conducted over 100 research studies since 2024, Co-Founder Jon shares why you don’t need funding to scale—just evidence, courage, and a clear vision.
Financial services
Financial Technology Association: how to lead when the ground is shifting with Penny Lee, CEO
From Capitol Hill to the frontlines of financial innovation, Penny, now CEO of the Financial Technology Association—whose member organizations collectively manage or facilitate over $100 billion—shares how policy, purpose, and persistence intersect in leading one of the most influential FinTech trade groups in the U.S.
Direct-to-consumer
Swyft: turning setbacks into scale with Keiran Hewkin, CEO & Co-Founder
After walking away from a secure C-Suite role to launch a sofa-in-a-box company, Keiran now leads one of the fastest growing direct-to-consumer brands, Swyft Home. By 2024, the brand hit £25m in sales (+11% YOY) and secured £10m investment for expansion. Keiran’s story is a lesson to follow your convictions.
Board member
Anna Catalano’s journey from oil industry titans to a prolific board career is truly global
Playing a vital role in BP’s rebranding early in her career was proof-enough that Anna is a special talent in business – backed up by an unparalleled ability to build genuine, lasting business relationships.
Networking hardware
From Wall Street to wireless: turning networks into empires with the CEO of Extreme Networks, Ed Meyercord
As CEO of Extreme Networks, a company with over 2,800 employees, Ed has spent over 15 years transforming the company into a global powerhouse, delivering the networks behind everything from the Burj Khalifa to Old Trafford, Taylor Swift concerts to Samsung's operations.