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How HR Leaders Change the World: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Cecilia Crossley
Explore how the work of HR Leaders is creating positive social change, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals - goals which the world's companies are increasingly understanding the urgency of achieving, and investing in the action required. If you'd like clear, actionable ideas for how you can use the power of your role to effect change in your company, you're in the right place. I'm the founder of social enterprise Uplifting People, we provide services to HR Leaders, and through this work I realised that HR professionals and social entrepreneurs are working in the same areas, albeit in different ways. So we created this podcast to share knowledge, on steps we can take through the work of HR. In my opinion, if you're an HR professional, you are also a change maker. And this podcast will provide you with examples of how. By sharing the successes of some of the world's most inspiring HR Leaders, you can frame your work in the context of positive change, implement bril
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- Yesterday25 min
Episode 254: Jennie Barker, Chief People Officer at Rightmove on Why Performance Starts with People, Not Process
Jennie Barker challenges the idea that better performance comes from better processes. She explains why clarity, accountability, meaningful work and great leadership matter more than forms and rating scales, and how good performance management can also be an equity intervention. Jennie shares how Rightmove is helping people navigate AI, from creating space for honest conversations about anxiety and job security to giving teams the training and freedom to experiment. She explores why psychological safety matters when the future of work feels uncertain, and why people need to feel they can work alongside AI rather than having AI done to them. Jennie also reflects on the issues she cares most about, including gender equity, housing inequality and homelessness. She leaves us with a wish for HR: focus your efforts on the leaders who shape people's everyday experience, and come together as a profession to support each other through a period of extraordinary change. --- Thank you to Staffbase for sponsoring this episode We're delighted that Staffbase is a headline partner this year at our flagship conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! Staffbase knows HR Leaders are the ones driving transformation at work, and they're here to help. Their employee communications platform connects companies with their people, whether they're at their desk or out on the front line. With tools that boost engagement, give employees a voice and align everyone around shared goals, Staffbase helps HR leaders create meaningful change and measure its impact. Want to learn more? Head to Staffbase.com and see what Staffbase could do for your organisation. --- <span style= "font-size: 11.0pt; font-fami
- 1 weeks ago28 min
Episode 253: HR's Opportunity to Fix the Meritocracy Myth – Rachel Cox, Global CPO at Maintel
What happens when we assume the best talent will naturally rise to the top? For Rachel, the idea of meritocracy misses a crucial point: people do not start from the same place. Across 25 years in HR, Rachel has challenged the systems and assumptions that can limit access to opportunity and in this episode explores why access needs to start earlier. Rachel also shares a powerful example of employing someone with a spent conviction. Rachel discusses her views on AI and future talent, the impacts of technology performing some of the tasks that once gave young people their first role, and how to ensure the next generation get early opportunities to learn and progress. Rachel's call to action for HR: be brave. It's a fitting end to a conversation about questioning the way things have always been done. Thank you to Staffbase for sponsoring this episode We're delighted that Staffbase is a headline partner this year at our flagship conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! Staffbase knows HR Leaders are the ones driving transformation at work, and they're here to help. Their employee communications platform connects companies with their people, whether they're at their desk or out on the front line. With tools that boost engagement, give employees a voice and align everyone around shared goals, Staffbase helps HR leaders create meaningful change and measure its impact. Want to learn more? Head to Staffbase.com and see what Staffbase could do for your organisation.
- 2 weeks ago34 min
Episode 252: Talent Is Everywhere, Opportunity Isn't – Neil Morrison, Group HR and Communications Director at Severn Trent PLC
Episode 252: Talent Is Everywhere, Opportunity Isn't – Neil Morrison, Group HR and Communications Director at Severn Trent PLC Neil believes that doing right by your business and by your community are not competing priorities. At Severn Trent, he's spent almost a decade putting social mobility at the heart of the organisation, and explains how the commercial case for this work is just as strong as the social one. Neil challenges assumptions surrounding AI and the future of work. He questions who will benefit as technology changes the jobs market, and discusses whether businesses are being honest about the social cost of AI-driven efficiency. Drawing on evidence across his career, Neil makes the case for looking beyond traditional measures of talent. If business wants high performing workforces, he argues, HR needs to get closer to the people experiencing inequality and listen to what they actually need from work. Thank you to Staffbase for sponsoring this episode We're delighted that Staffbase is a headline partner this year at our flagship conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! Staffbase knows HR Leaders are the ones driving transformation at work, and they're here to help. Their employee communications platform connects companies with their people, whether they're at their desk or out on the front line. With tools that boost engagement, give employees a voice and align everyone around shared goals, Staffbase helps HR leaders create meaningful change and measure its impact. Want to learn more? Head to Staffbase.com and see what Staffbase could do for your organisation.
- 3 weeks ago35 min
Episode 251: AI and the Future of Employee Communication – Frank Wolf, CEO & Co-Founder, Staffbase
As organisations grapple with AI, Frank explains why the difference between a story and a narrative matters, and why HR leaders need to understand the beliefs and assumptions people bring with them before expecting new technology to change how they work. Frank also explores the gap between individual and organisational AI adoption. While many of us are already using AI in our day-to-day work, building systems that employees can genuinely trust is a far bigger challenge. He shares why the role of HR and communications is shifting, creating more space for people to focus on context, judgement and the human moments that technology cannot replace. Frank makes a compelling case for ensuring frontline workers are not left behind. As AI reshapes the workplace, he describes how technology works best when it starts with the reality of people's working lives. Thank you to Staffbase for sponsoring this episode. We're delighted that Staffbase is a headline partner this year at our flagship conference, How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! Staffbase knows HR Leaders are the ones driving transformation at work, and they're here to help. Their employee communications platform connects companies with their people, whether they're at their desk or out on the front line. With tools that boost engagement, give employees a voice and align everyone around shared goals, Staffbase helps HR leaders create meaningful change and measure its impact. Want to learn more? Head to Staffbase.com and see what Staffbase could do for your organisation. References: <a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Narrative-Age-leaders-inspire-polarized/dp/3982623723/ref=sr_1_2?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.BU9IcgyLZ2eKyKKewjKKbxAN-jkNFtGREXlaQe33rsRl8xIYNLkiBUwO60Ne42T_n20ScE7cBI49Eaa86Il6FDFT-w7wVVbjG7X9g5PR9m1WBvC5
- Aug 11, 202628 min
Episode 250: Uncovering the Full Ambition of HR - Sharon Doherty, Chief People and Places Officer, Lloyds Banking Group
Sharon Doherty doesn't think HR's job ends at the office door. Across a career spanning Heathrow Terminal 5, Vodafone and now Lloyds Banking Group, she has consistently pushed the boundaries of what people strategy can do - for business and for society. For our milestone 250th episode, Sharon makes a compelling case that this is the defining opportunity of the HR profession. She shares how she has improved safety at scale, shaped industry-leading family policy, and helped organisations become forces for good in society. At Lloyds, that includes tackling social mobility head on: opening doors for young people through employment, work experience and practical support, and showing why small acts of support can change the course of someone's future. She also shares her belief that HR's greatest responsibility right now is helping people navigate the age of AI with confidence and agency - not as a threat to manage, but as a moment for the profession to lead. If you've ever wondered how much influence an HR leader can really have, this episode is your answer. Thank you to Unleash for sponsoring this episode Unleash World returns to Paris from 20th – 22nd October 2026, bringing together the global HR community to explore what's next for the future of work. With more than 8,500 attendees, 300 speakers and representatives from 140 countries, it's one of the world's leading gatherings for HR leaders shaping workforce strategy, AI and organisational transformation. Alongside Sharon Doherty, you'll hear from many familiar voices from the How HR Leaders Change the World podcast, including Natalia Wallenberg, CHRO at Ahold Delhaize, Katarina Berg, CHRO at On, and Stephen Childs, CHRO at Panasonic Automotive. Other speakers include Louis Theroux, Nicolas Hieronimus, CEO at L'Oréal, and Eddie Wilson, CEO at Ryanair. If you'd like to join us in Paris, Unleash has kindly offered our community an exclusive 15% discount on attendee passes. Re
- Aug 4, 202638 min
Episode 249: When HR Looks Outward: Social Mobility, Disability Inclusion and Better Business – Arlene Stokes, Chief People Officer at Aegon UK
Arlene believes HR has a responsibility to look beyond the organisation and help tackle the barriers that prevent people reaching their potential. At Aegon UK, she shares how listening to colleagues and stakeholders shaped an inclusion strategy centred on social mobility, with practical work supporting young people into employment and tackling in-work poverty. Disability inclusion is a deeply personal passion for Arlene. She reflects on why disability is often misunderstood, why reasonable adjustments should be viewed as just the starting point, and how Aegon has redesigned its recruitment approach to hire for skills and potential. Arlene shares brilliant metrics demonstrating enhanced candidate experience and stronger commercial outcomes. Alongside her role at Aegon, Arlene chairs a family services charity and makes a compelling case for skills-based volunteering. Throughout the conversation, Arlene's view shines through: when HR combines commercial thinking with social purpose, organisations perform better and create opportunities for people who might otherwise be left behind. Thank you to Kin&Co for sponsoring this episode What makes or breaks large-scale transformation? Rarely the strategy - almost always the culture. Kin&Co is a certified B-Corp and female-owned consultancy on a mission to make work better for 10 million people by 2030. Using cutting-edge behavioural science, they help global organisations transform cultures and drive measurable impact on strategy, people and performance. They've developed a new behavioural blueprint for transformation, drawn from their experience at some of the UK's most iconic organisations. If you're curious, read their latest thought piece on transformation and assess your cultural readiness. Ready to build a culture that measurably drives performance? Read their thought piece at The Transformation Blueprint to learn more. References: <p class="xparagraph" style= "background:
- Jul 28, 202632 min
Episode 248: Be More You: Business Transformation and Authenticity – Tiffany Chown, CHRO at DHCare
Following the merger of Invacare and Direct Healthcare Group to form DHCare, Tiffany has been helping shape a new organisation across Europe and APAC. She reflects on the realities of leading transformation, acknowledging that while change can involve difficult decisions, creating a sustainable business is what ultimately protects opportunities for people to develop and build long-term careers. Discussing HR in the age of AI, Tiffany advocates that HR's role is to ask better questions and never lose sight of human judgement, and that continuous improvement matters far more than chasing perfection. Growing up in Australia and with a career across mining, manufacturing and healthcare, Tiffany has long championed inclusion. Today, she sees diversity through a wide lens, describing it as a kaleidoscope of experiences, backgrounds, identities and ways of thinking. Throughout the conversation, one idea shines through: be more you, because that's what the people around you need most. Thank you to Kin&Co for sponsoring this episode What makes or breaks large-scale transformation? Rarely the strategy - almost always the culture. Kin&Co is a certified B-Corp and female-owned consultancy on a mission to make work better for 10 million people by 2030. Using cutting-edge behavioural science, they help global organisations transform cultures and drive measurable impact on strategy, people and performance. They've developed a new behavioural blueprint for transformation, drawn from their experience at some of the UK's most iconic organisations. If you're curious, read their latest thought piece on transformation and assess your cultural readiness. Ready to build a culture that measurably drives performance? Read their thought piece at The Transformation Blueprint to learn more.
- Jul 21, 202631 min
Episode 247: Unlocking Human Potential: Net Zero, Inclusion and High Performance - Adam Crossley, Chief People Officer at Skanska
From Army officer to sustainability leader to Chief People Officer, unlocking human potential has been the thread running through Adam's career. Adam shares the lessons from Skanska's pioneering journey to net zero, becoming the first tier-one contractor to commit to a target. He explains why lasting change starts by understanding the audience you're trying to reach, rather than expecting people to share your passion from day one. Now leading people and culture, Adam discusses why inclusion and high performance go hand in hand, and how creating the right conditions helps people contribute at their very best. From supporting social mobility at Skanska to his work helping survivors of human trafficking to rebuild independent lives, Adam shares why creating opportunities for people to reach their potential is at the heart of leadership. Thank you to Kin&Co for sponsoring this episode What makes or breaks large-scale transformation? Rarely the strategy - almost always the culture. Kin&Co is a certified B-Corp and female-owned consultancy on a mission to make work better for 10 million people by 2030. Using cutting-edge behavioural science, they help global organisations transform cultures and drive measurable impact on strategy, people and performance. They've developed a new behavioural blueprint for transformation, drawn from their experience at some of the UK's most iconic organisations. If you're curious, read their latest thought piece on transformation and assess your cultural readiness. Ready to build a culture that measurably drives performance? Read their thought piece at The Transformation Blueprint to learn more.
About How HR Leaders Change the World
Explore how the work of HR Leaders is creating positive social change, contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals - goals which the world's companies are increasingly understanding the urgency of achieving, and investing in the action required. If you'd like clear, actionable ideas for how you can use the power of your role to effect change in your company, you're in the right place. I'm the founder of social enterprise Uplifting People, we provide services to HR Leaders, and through this work I realised that HR professionals and social entrepreneurs are working in the same areas, albeit in different ways. So we created this podcast to share knowledge, on steps we can take through the work of HR. In my opinion, if you're an HR professional, you are also a change maker. And this podcast will provide you with examples of how. By sharing the successes of some of the world's most inspiring HR Leaders, you can frame your work in the context of positive change, implement bril
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