Welcome to Close Calls, where we ask real business leaders to unpack their experience navigating and overcoming near misses in their careers. Each week, EHD Insurance President and CEO Mike Malinowski meets with c-suite executives to ask what went wrong? What saved the day? And how did it change the way they lead?
Each episode features candid conversations with c-suite executives about the hidden risks they've navigated in their careers, companies, and industries.
In this episode of Close Calls, Mike Malinowski talks with Michael Luetkenhaus, President of Herkules USA Corp., about the severe storm that put the company’s people, equipment, and operations at risk. Michael shares how a strong team, quick response time, and trusted business partnerships helped Herkules navigate the disruption and reinforced the importance of being prepared for the unexpected.
In this episode of Close Calls, Mike Malinowski talks with Peter West, CFO of Signature Custom Cabinetry, about how proactive healthcare initiatives are transforming employee well-being and business outcomes. From onsite medical and mental health services to a life-saving cancer screening, Peter shares how investing in prevention helps employees thrive while reducing long-term risk.
In this episode of Close Calls, Mike Malinowski sits down with Aimée Deraco, President and CEO of Brubaker to talk about leadership through a major business transformation and why strengthening accountability is essential to an organization’s success. Aimée shares how her team handled a pattern of recurring insurance claims by using data and building a stronger culture around risk management.
Close Calls • Season 1 • Episode 1 September 16, 2026 • 34 min • Watch or listen below About this episode Mike Malinowski, President and CEO of EHD Insurance, introduces Close Calls and the inspiration behind starting a podcast. In this inaugural episode, Mike talks about the value of learning from near misses, why…