EPISODE · Dec 28, 2023 · 43 MIN
Tom Kereszti: 2024 C-Suite and Beyond
from Scouting for Growth · host Sabine VdL
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Tom Kereszti, a seasoned leader with a wealth of experience in starting and scaling companies. Tom has been instrumental in numerous M&A activities, helping startups structure their operations for successful exits. He has also navigated the unique challenges of starting a company independently, as well as within large organizations. His insights will be invaluable for YOU, whether you're an entrepreneur, investor, or corporate leader. KEY TAKEAWAYS Any individual should be able to answer these 3 questions: Who are you? What are you passionate about? What are you good at? If you have clarity on those, you can live your calling instead of having a job or a career. I’m a servant leader and I’m passionate about making companies and people better and I’m pretty good at leading and mentoring. A series of doors open and close through your life. Any time one does you should look at it with discernment and prayer and ask: Is this an opportunity that makes sense? Is it something I should pursue, if I do, what happens in 3-4 years? Leadership is not having a title or a corner office, leadership is your ability to influence others about what you’re representing, that perhaps you have a better idea and other people follow you. The 4 keys that help you influence other people and help them buy in to you are: Who are you? Have a great vision. Have a strategic growth plan. Who’s in your inner circle – you become who your friends are, so surround yourself with people that are uplifting, there to support you, and you should always support them, it’s not a one way street. When you’re in a workforce you have to have relationships. We’re human beings not human doings, but a lot of us get caught up in the human doing stuff and relationships take a back seat. I made the mistake of separating work and weekend life with different sets of friends, as I went along I realised that you have to have relationships at work where you care for them and their families. It creates empathy. BEST MOMENTS ‘When talking about work life balance, balance is a point in time where nothing moves. When you achieve perfect balance you become stagnant. I’m not sure that’s healthy.’ ‘Success means different things to different folks… and if you know what that is then you can start working towards it.’ ‘If I have clarity on who you are and what you stand for, I won’t necessarily follow you, but there’s a change I will because I buy in to you.’ ‘A team of 10 is manageable. I always find a banker and a lawyer.’ ABOUT THE GUEST Tom Kereszti is a seasoned industry influencer, author, coach, speaker, educator, and mentor with extensive international experience. Tom's expertise spans various sectors, including Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A), where he has been involved in numerous activities, buying companies on behalf of larger organizations. He has also started companies on his own, providing him with a unique perspective on the differences and challenges of starting a company independently versus within a larger organization. Discover Tom's Leadership Principles here ABOUT THE HOST Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet. If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights. And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
What this episode covers
What does success actually mean—and who gets to define it? In this episode of Scouting for Growth, Sabine VanderLinden sits down with Tom Kereszti, a seasoned operator who has lived on every side of the growth journey: founder, corporate builder, M&A leader, mentor, and servant-leader. This is not a conversation about shortcuts or hype. It’s about clarity, character, and building companies—and careers—that endure. Tom begins with a deceptively simple challenge that many leaders avoid answering honestly: Who are you? What are you passionate about? What are you good at? According to Tom, clarity on these three questions is the difference between living your calling and merely having a job title. Leadership, in his view, is not positional—it’s relational. Influence comes from authenticity, not hierarchy. From there, the conversation moves into decision-making across a career and a lifetime. Tom reflects on how doors opening and closing are not random events, but moments that demand discernment. Whether you are starting a company, joining one, or preparing for an exit, the real question is not “Can I do this?” but “What does this lead to in three to five years?” Growth without foresight, he argues, is just movement—not progress. A powerful theme throughout the episode is leadership as influence. Tom outlines four anchors that consistently determine whether people choose to follow you: Clarity on who you are A compelling vision A credible growth strategy And an inner circle that elevates you—because leadership is never a solo act This is where the conversation becomes especially relevant for founders and executives scaling teams. Tom is candid about mistakes he’s made—particularly separating “work life” from “real life.” Businesses don’t grow in spreadsheets; they grow in relationships. When leaders care about people beyond output—about families, context, and humanity—it creates trust, empathy, and long-term resilience. Tom also challenges the popular obsession with work-life balance. Balance, he says, is static—and stagnation is rarely healthy. Growth requires seasons of intensity, reflection, recalibration, and recommitment. The key is intentionality, not symmetry. For those thinking about exits and M&A, Tom brings hard-earned wisdom: structure matters early. Understanding scale, governance, and the right advisors—he jokingly but pointedly notes he always finds a banker and a lawyer—is not about bureaucracy, it’s about optionality. Companies that are built well have choices. Companies that aren’t… don’t. This episode is for you if you are: A founder asking what success really looks like for you An executive scaling teams and culture, not just revenue An investor assessing leadership quality beyond the pitch deck Or a corporate leader navigating growth, reinvention, or transition Because growth is not just about size or speed. It’s about who you become—and who you bring with you—along the way. And that’s exactly what Scouting for Growth exists to explore.
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Tom Kereszti: 2024 C-Suite and Beyond
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