In this episode of the Lead to Soar Podcast, Michelle Redfern speaks with Heather Polinsky, Chief Operating Officer of Arcadis North America.
Heather reflects on a 20+ year career that began in public service with the US Army Environmental Command and progressed through consulting, program leadership, client development, and ultimately enterprise operations leadership across a workforce of approximately 6,000 professionals.
The conversation explores:
How careers evolve when leaders move from technical expertise into enterprise responsibility
The role mentors play in accelerating judgment, not just confidence
How Heather deliberately built the “missing 33%” of leadership capability: business, strategic, and financial acumen
Why trusting your team is a requirement of senior leadership, not a personality trait
How to recognise when you are ready for the next role, even if it does not feel comfortable
This episode is for women preparing for senior leadership roles and for leaders navigating the shift from individual contributor or functional expert to enterprise decision-maker.
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