Podcast

I talk with Michael Skapinker, careers counsellor, leadership educator and FT contributing editor, about why we should strive to be ‘good enough’ rather than ‘exceptional’.

Monday 27 October 2025

I talk with Soulaima Gourani, serial tech entrepreneur, CEO and WEF Young Global Leader, about rethinking courage, careers, self-doubt and success.

Monday 13 October 2025

I talk with Rob Garlick, former Head of Innovation & Technology at Citi Global Insights, about how AI is reshaping job opportunities, job quality, and the very skills we need to succeed.

Monday 29 September 2025

I talk with Professor Ying Zhou, Director of the Future of Work Research Centre at the University of Surrey, about what makes our work truly meaningful.

Monday 15 September 2025

I talk with Nic Marks, renowned happiness statistician, about what happiness at work really means, why it matters and practical ways to boost team happiness.

Monday 1 September 2025

I talk with Professor Thomas Roulet about how “wellbeing intelligence” can transform organisations and workforces.

Monday 18 August 2025

I talk with David Hutchinson, CEO of PeopleCheck, about how to genuinely bring your organisation’s values to life.

Monday 4 August 2025

I talk with Dr Arlene Egan, Chief Executive Officer of Roffey Park Institute, about the thinking techniques that help us overcome challenges and move forward successfully.

Monday 21 July 2025

I talk with Madhavi Bhasin, HR leader at the AI-powered skills development platform Udemy, about how businesses can create a strong sense of purpose whilst still setting a high bar performance-wise.

Monday 7 July 2025

I talk with Siri Chilazi, senior researcher at Harvard Kennedy School's Women and Public Policy Program and co-author of Make Work Fair, about how to create truly fair environments at work.

Monday 23 June 2025

I talk with Amrit Singh, Chief Operating Officer at the National Institute of Teaching, about leading a fast-growing, distributed organisation.

Monday 9 June 2025

I talk with Alice Sheldon, psychologist and author, about better ways to handle emotions and resolve conflict at work.

Monday 26 May 2025

I talk with Eric Charran, tech executive at Intuit and author of ‘Have you ever had a boss that …’, about why dysfunctional bosses are so common and how to cope with one.

Monday 12 May 2025

I talk with Steve Hearsum, consultant, coach and author, about the problematic allure of the organisational quick fix.

Monday 28 April 2025

I talk with Gill Ereaut, organisational linguistics expert, about how the way we talk at work reveals what we really think and value.

14 April 2025

I talk with Professor Adam Boddison OBE, CEO of the Association for Project Management, about how we can equip people to deliver better.

31 March 2025

I talk with Chief People Officer Rupert Brown about how to navigate the complexities of transformation in today's dynamic business landscape.

17 March 2025

I talk with Thomas Harwell, talent leader at Google EMEA, about how to discover what really motivates people in their careers.

3 March 2025

I talk with Timewise CEO Claire Campbell about making flexible working arrangements more equitable for all.

17 February 2025

I talk with CEO, coach and author Adrian Kelly about how we can reduce bad decisions in our personal and professional lives.

3 February 2025

I talk with global executive Julie Doleman about how to unlock personal and professional growth.

20 January 2025

The podcast will be going out fortnightly from now on so you get to enjoy a steady flow of fresh topics, guests and conversations all year long. 

16 September 2024

This wrap-up episode features advice from all my guests in series 9 on how to build a strong community at work. 

18 November 2024

I talk with Tom Shaw, Head of Organisational Effectiveness at The Economist, about the art of counterbalancing priorities in work and life.

11 November 2024

I talk with Simon Wilson, President at Markel International, about creating a legacy in our workplaces and work lives.

4 November 2024

I talk with Adolfo Gomez Sanchez, performance mentor to elite athletes and global executives, about what drives exceptional performance.

28 October 2024

I talk with Mark Arian, CEO of Korn Ferry Consulting, about the factors affecting how employees feel about their jobs today and what they want from their relationship with their employer.

21 October 2024

I talk with Hannah Rowland, Head of Organisational Development at Henry Boot plc, about overcoming retention challenges.

14 October 2024

I talk with Nick Staite, innovation leader and adviser, about how to encourage creative thinking and problem-solving.

7 October 2024

I talk with Jenn Fenwick, Executive Coach and Leadership Transition Specialist, about how organisations can best support leaders stepping into new roles.

30 September 2024

I talk with Ryan Anderson, VP of Global Research and Insights at MillerKnoll, about how we can design offices more purposefully to facilitate connection, productive working and innovative thinking.

23 September 2024

I talk with Audra Jenkins, Global Chief Equity Officer at Randstad, about how DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) is evolving and what it might look like in the future.

16 September 2024

This wrap-up episode features advice from all my guests in series 8 on how to avoid hurtling down the wrong path, as individuals and as organisations. 

8 July 2024

I talk with Britt Johnston and Sisieta Owen about how to help people voice their concerns and ideas and why this is so important to the business.

1 July 2024

I talk with Kisha Payton, Chief DEI Officer and Global Head of Culture at Escalent, about how to create a cohesive work culture which holds people together through a shared sense of purpose and a common set of values.

24 June 2024

I talk with Carolyn Stebbings, Chief Operating & Inclusion Officer at RAPP, about being accepted at work for who we are and how to help managers and teams to look at the whole person.

17 June 2024

I talk with Alison Coward, founder of Bracket consultancy and author of ‘Workshop Culture’, about designing dynamic, culture-changing meetings and workshops.

10 June 2024

I talk with Anna Campagna, formerly Senior Global Sales Director at Heineken, about leaving a familiar role and ‘stepping into the unknown’ to start a new career chapter.

3 June 2024

I talk with Gwen Stirling-Wilkie, future of work expert and award-winning author, about the key trends shaping our world of work and how to build connected, collaborative teams and organisations.

27 May 2024

I talk with Khushboo Patel, an expert in workplace culture and wellbeing who previously led on these topics at Metro Bank. 

20 May 2024

I talk with Mark Bateman, executive coach, CEO of WeQual and author of Disruptive Leadership, about how best to manage our time and energy to avoid burning out.

13 May 2024

I talk about people, skills and jobs with Helen Alkin and Jennifer Goldsmith, who job-share as Head of Early Careers and Recruitment Strategy Lead at accountancy firm BDO.

7 May 2024

Series 8 of the podcast launches on Tuesday 7th May - here's a sneak preview of the conversations and topics that are coming up.

29 April 2024

To wrap up series 7, here is advice from all my guests on how to step outside our comfort zones and move forwards in our career.

18 March 2024

I talk with Anthony Painter, Director of Policy & External Affairs at the Chartered Management Institute, about the critical role of managers and how to improve manager capability.

11 March 2024

I talk with Ruth Handcock, CEO of Octopus Money, about collecting competencies, embracing discomfort, and making money coaching accessible to millions.

4 March 2024

I talk with Richard Rowntree, Managing Director of Mortgages at Paragon Bank, about why talented people get stuck at middle management level and how to help them progress into top leadership roles.

26 February 2024

I talk with Dami Patel, interim chair and Group HR Director at academic publishers Taylor & Francis, about fostering a positive work culture while navigating organisational changes.

19 February 2024

I talk with Phil Burgess, Co-founder of WITHIN, about re-humanising organizations so people can thrive and the business succeed.  

12 February 2024

I talk with Verena Hefti MBE, CEO of LeadersPlus, about how parents of young children can advance more successfully into senior leadership roles. 

5 February 2024

I talk with Brian Elliott, former CEO, co-founder of Future Forum, and the author of the best selling ‘How the Future Works’ about how best to reshape work and working patterns to meet the needs of the organisation and its people.

29January 2024

I talk with Sharon Spice, Chief Marketing and Value Officer at Green Park People Consultancy about resilience, adaptability and a love of learning. 

22 January 2024

I talk with Simon Reichwald, Chief Progression Officer at Connectr and Fellow of the Institute of Student Employers, about how to hire undiscovered talent including early careers, lateral hires, returners and over 50's.  

15 January 2024

To wrap up this series you get to hear a little bit from all of my guests on the question of how we enjoy today whilst keeping an eye out for tomorrow. 

13 November 2023

I talk with Helen Beurier, HR leader and author-to-be of a new book about what we all want from work, why she’s made some bold career choices and how a bit of thrill seeking is the key to a healthy, happy life.

6 November 2023

I talk with Sophie Hulm, CEO of Progress Together, about the class barriers preventing people from getting to top roles in financial services and quirky games we used to play as children.

30th October 2023

I talk with Professor Robin Dunbar about optimimum group sizes and why investing in social time at work yields the greatest returns.

23 October 2023

I talk with co-CEOs Pippa Begg and Jennifer Sundberg about building a business that systematically taps into the combined brainpower of its people.

16th October 2023

I talk with Sandra Burley, marketing and communications leader, about avoiding tunnel vision, managing information overload and why she loves the 4 day work week.

9 October 2023

I talk with Sam Smith, former finnCAP Group CEO now entrepreneur and scale-up adviser, about how to encourage entrepreneurship in children, get your team to buy into your vision and turbocharge your business with empathetic leadership. 

2 October 2023

I talk with Hal Hershfield, Professor of Marketing, Behavioural Decision Making and Psychology at UCLA's Anderson School of Management and author of Your Future Self, about how mental time travel can help us to procrastinate less, make better decisions and become the person we want to be. 

25 September 2023

I talk with Dr Lucy Ryan about why so many women are exiting the world of work at midlife, those ‘midlife myths’ that don’t stack up, and how employers can hang on to this valuable talent pool better.

18 September 2023

I talk with Kate Adams, Director at The Forward Institute, about what drives her career choices, what ‘leading responsibly’ means and how she aims to enjoy each day to the full.

11 September 2023

Here are nuggets of wisdom from all my guests in series 5, along with questions to prompt some summer insights. Think of it as a carefully selected ‘pick and mix’ to brighten your day and inspire your work.

26 June 2023

I talk with Professor Vijay Pereira of NEOMA Business School, France, about the astonishing impact on productivity, wellbeing, engagement and performance that results from introducing company-wide meeting-free days.

19 June 2023

I speak with Dr Ajit Menon, Head of People & Organisation at Investec plc, about looking beneath the surface of organisational life and how they’ve established a strong and unique work culture based on dialogue, empathy and trust.

12 June 2023

I talk with Joy Burnford, gender equality expert and author of ‘Don’t Fix Women’, about how organisations can dismantle the structural barriers holding women – and men -  back in their careers.

5 June 2023

I talk with Kevin Hogarth, Non-Executive Director, former Chief People Officer and award-winning Diversity & Inclusion advocate, about how to keep our career options open and how to increase social mobility in organisations.

29 May 2023

I talk with Deborah Gray, co-founder and Director of Totum Partners about how to successfully bring in the executive level talent you really want. Find out how our world of work is evolving, what experienced candidates and hiring employers are proritising today, and what persuades good people to stay.

22 May 2023

This week’s conversation is all about crafting a job or career that we love. HR, Talent and L&D consultant Beth Stallwood, author of WorkJoy, explains what to do when we find ourselves stuck in ‘work gloom’ and how to actively pursue a more joyful, rewarding work life.  

15 May 2023

This week I’m thrilled to be talking with Yael Schonbrun PhD, clinical psychologist, author and Brown University assistant professor about how we can adopt some proven psychological strategies to solve the many challenges of working parenthood. 

8 May 2023

Series 5 of the podcast launches on Monday 8th May - here's a sneak preview from my conversation with my first guest....

4 May 2023

What are the best ways to stay motivated at work and help others to do the same?  For this series 4 wrap-up episode, I've picked out some highlights from my conversations with all my brilliant guests about staying motivated at work.

20 March 2023

I talk with Eileen Burbidge MBE, tech venture capitalist and CEO of Fertifa about what gives her the confidence to start something new, how employee wellbeing support is evolving and how to grow a new venture – or a whole industry - successfully.

13 March 2023

I talk with Joe O’Connor, Co-founder of the world's first Centre of Excellence in Work Time Reduction and former CEO of 4 Day Week Global, about the recent UK pilot and how to adopt a shorter working week in a way that feels fair and beneficial to everyone.   

6 March 2023

I get the lowdown from D&I leaders Julie Humphreys and Natasha Whitehurst on how D&I is evolving, how to prove its value to the business and how they’re opening up uncomfortable conversations on their podcast D&I Spy. 

27 February 2023

I talk with Jonathan Bond, Global HR & Learning Director at international law firm Pinsent Masons about how they are creating - with their clients - new and better ways of managing their work, their time and their wellbeing. 

20 February 2023

To mark the halfway point in this series  I’m sharing 5 interesting trends and developments in our world of work and 5 brilliant business books that argue persuasively for cultivating patience in one form or another. So grab a cuppa or the dog lead and tune in.

13 February 2023

I talk with Alison Jones, founder of Practical Inspiration Publishing and author of Exploratory Writing: everyday magic for life and work, about how putting pen to paper for just 6 minutes can help us think, communicate, innovate and collaborate better. Grab your pen and paper and tune in! 

6 February 2023

I talk with Alastair Douglas, CEO of TotallyMoney, the fintech business that is helping people to move on up.  We chat about the 5 organisational themes he focuses on to build a business where people really care about the customer. And how to have a hit single.

30 January 2023

I talk with Jim Detert, Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and the author of ‘Choosing Courage: the everyday guide to being brave at work’. We discuss his extensive research into acts of workplace courage, why superheros don’t exist and how we can be more ‘competently courageous’ in our own work lives. 

23 January 2023

I talk with Dr. Debra Mashek, social psychologist, expert on the science of close relationships and author of Collabor(h)ate: how to build incredibly collaborative relationships at work even if you'd rather work alone. Collaboration can be at best a mystery and at worst a minefield - here’s how to get it right. 

16 January 2023

What are the critical things that make people want to stay in their organisation?  

For this final podcast episode of series 3, my guests share 8 wise answers to this question. 

Monday 21 November 2022

I talk with Victoria Livingstone, EMEA Chief People Officer for Dentsu International, about her commercially-focused HR career and business transformations. Victoria explains why there’s no such thing as a bad career move and how to make sure your change programme doesn’t fail. 

14 November 2022

I talk with Rob Hatch, coach to business owners and author of Attention! the power of simple decisions in a distracted world. He explains how we can slow down our brains, regain control over our attention and focus more on the important work.

7 November 2022

I talk with Geraldine Gallacher, CEO of the Executive Coaching Consultancy, about her own career, her new book Coaching Women: Changing the system not the person, and how our outdated office cultures need to catch up with today’s workplace policies.

31 October 2022

To mark the half way point, instead of chatting to a guest I’m sharing six book recommendations from my 2022 reading challenge Reclaim Time To Read and reviewing three business or other non-fiction books and three novels.

24 October 2022

I talk with Jacqueline Taiwo, private equity lawyer and Chair/CEO of Black Women in Asset Management, about taking the uncomfortable path, creating community and helping others succeed.

17 October 2022

I talk with Jane van Zyl, CEO of the national charity Working Families, about National Work Life Week, how workplace flexibility is evolving and what forward-thinking employers are doing post-pandemic to help employees work at their best.

10 October 2022

I talk with Ariel White-Tsimikalis, corporate finance lawyer, ESG specialist and partner at the global law firm Goodwin. We talk about how to find your passion within a corporate role and how to use our inner dialogue to help us develop a sustainable, rewarding career.

3 October 2022

I talk with Susan Room, former business leader and now a voice and executive coach, about her path onto the Executive Committee, her mid-career transition and how to ‘move mountains’ at work whilst managing our own boundaries. 

26 September 2022

I talk with Dr Randall Peterson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at London Business School and founding Director of the School's Leadership Institute, about how to ‘create the magic’ at work so people want to stay and how to prevent corporate disasters from happening.

19 September 2022

It’s the season finale, where we hear some nuggets of collective wisdom from all my guests on series 2 about how we can help our colleagues to be brilliant. 

Monday 27 June 2022

I talk with Jennifer Halliday, Finance Director of CF Fertilisers and chair of the Northwest Productivity Forum, about trusting people to deliver and why productivity is about much more than just the numbers. 

20 June 2022

I talk with Andrew Wallace, co-founder and Managing Partner at Leathwaite executive search and leadership talent specialists, about building a successful people business and embracing the new without losing sight of your core values.

13 June 2022

I talk with Ben Higgins, Managing Director and UK Head of Human Resources at Société Générale about becoming an HR leader, making best use of our time and staying close to teams.

6 June 2022

This week I’m sharing a few nuggets from the series so far to inspire your work and your thinking. I’m also doing a deeper dive into my 2022 Reading Challenge and picking out 3 business books and 3 novels to whet your reading appetite.

30 May 2022 

I talk with Patricia Galloway, global HR leader, Non-Executive Director and executive coach, about building credibility quickly, getting a seat at the table and focusing on the end goal.

23 May 2022

I talk with Leonard Ng, one of the City’s most influential lawyers, about saying yes to opportunities, drawing your boundaries and being more than a number. 

16 May 2022

I talk with communication expert, author and executive coach Janie van Hool about tuning in, unravelling problems and creating a listening culture.

9 May 2022 

I talk with Ama Ocansey, UK Head of Diversity and Inclusion for BNP Paribas about how she made the shift from corporate lawyer to D&I leader, how to be talked about for all the right reasons, and why it pays to put relationships first.

2 May 2022

Collective wisdom from my guests in series 1 about how they manage their time at work.

21 March 2022

I talk with Alison Trauttmansdorff, CHRO of Alvarium Investments Ltd, about developing others, rethinking performance management and being economic with our time.  

14 March 2022

I talk with Mitra Janes, Diversity and Inclusion leader at HSBC Bank, about focusing on the priorities, experiencing setbacks and treating our mind as a muscle.

7 March 2022

I talk with international benefits transition leader Michelle Newton about stepping up, being ourselves and sharing our time habits.

28 February 2022

I talk with business leader and international finance lawyer SunHee Park about being a ‘knowledge omnivore’, avoiding stereotypes and shifting to healthier ways of working. 

21 February 2022

I talk with business leader and Board Chair Gerry McQuade about 'leaning in' to a challenge, finding new tools in our toolbox and thinking differently.

14 February 2022

I talk with Professor Connson Locke of the London School of Economics, author of ‘Making your voice heard’, about ‘being a bridge’, managing difficult emotions at work and the power of uninterrupted time. Grab your calendar and your headphones and join us! 

7 February 2022

I talk with Winnie Doeswijk, global Organisation Development leader, about not getting in our own way and coping with those ‘oh sh*t!’ moments at work.

31 January 2022

In this podcast I talk with business and HR leaders, academics, authors and other professionals about the human side of work.