Episode 203: What if work genuinely enhanced your life? Reframing Wellbeing – Geoff McDonald, Former Global VP HR at Unilever, Wellbeing and Mental Health Advocate
Geoff poses the bold question: what if (like going on a run or eating a healthy meal) work genuinely enhanced your life? Reflecting on the evolution of his thinking around workplace wellbeing, Geoff champions the idea that organisations must create cultures where people feel safe, energised, and able to thrive. He shares how the pandemic sparked wider recognition of HR’s role in wellbeing and how energy - fuelled by health and purpose - should sit at the heart of business strategy. Geoff challenges the current approach to wellbeing, questioning the impact of surface-level initiatives without addressing deeper cultural and structural issues. He calls for a shift from doing wellbeing to employees, to embedding it in an organisation - in leadership, systems and everyday practices. He highlights how short-term business pressures, outdated success measures and fear in the C-suite all contribute to wellbeing being undervalued. As a practical step, Geoff suggests integrating wellbeing into development conversations - asking how people are doing physically, mentally and emotionally. He encourages HR leaders to think beyond wellbeing and to consider colleagues’ energy - and to recognise that the energy of an organisation’s people is its most valuable asset.
--------
38:18
--------
38:18
Episode 202: Belonging, Boldness and the Secret to Transformational Leadership: Alix Bolton, Chief People Officer Europe at Smollan
Alix shares her experience leading people strategy at a global professional services company with 90,000 employees, discussing the challenge and excitement of integrating acquired businesses across Europe with a strong employee value proposition rooted in purpose and belonging. Describing how her passion for responsible business has shaped her career - from tackling food insecurity to championing women’s economic inclusion as Chair of the Women’s Advisory Board in Northeast England, Alix shares her experience on a race equity commission, a powerful reminder that inclusive leadership requires courage and truth. Alix reflects on leading with compassion and the role of HR in shaping a more human world of work. Her parting message: compassion is the secret sauce in transformational leadership. References: RED report: Building inclusive places - Anti-racism in North East businesses – published July 2024 - North East Chamber of Commerce / Newcastle University Thank you to How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 2025 - brought to you by Uplifting People for sponsoring this episode This episode is brought to you by HR’s boldest moment yet - How HR Leaders Change the World Live. Today’s HR leaders are navigating extraordinary demands, balancing short-term business performance with shaping long-term, purpose-driven strategy. Yet despite holding the key to sustainable commercial success, HR is often undervalued, under-supported, and expected to play it safe. That’s exactly why we created How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! - an extraordinary event bringing together pioneering HR leaders who believe our profession can be a transformative force for both business growth and social good. This year’s event is the boldest yet, featuring candid, strategic conversations and powerful insights from global CHROs. You’ll leave with actionable takeaways and a renewed sense of the power of your role, with 100% of profits donated to support vulnerable children - meaning your impact starts before you even walk through the door. Tickets are now available. Take a look at the agenda and our first speaker announcements, including keynote Bob Geldof KBE. Don’t miss out - secure your place today and join fellow HR change makers to enhance your influence and impact. We can’t wait to see you there! 👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact. Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world And on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work? Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth. Our August Book of the Month is Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. One of our favourite books, we think everyone should read it! Most certainly anyone interested in people leadership. It's a sweeping narrative of human history, exploring how shared beliefs, power structures, and systems have shaped societies – and how they continue to impact the world – and your work - today. Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book!
--------
32:07
--------
32:07
Episode 201: Be the Challenge: HR Leadership in the Future of Work: Louisa Finlay, Chief People Officer at Kier Group plc
Louisa reflects on shifts in gender imbalance in the construction industry, and shares how her career transition from engineering into HR has enabled her to drive culture transformation, providing practical examples on values-led leadership such as ‘mood mountains’. Louisa explores the future of work, highlighting HR’s role in leading digital change and creating inclusive, trust-based workplaces, advocating for offices as collaborative destinations. With a call to action for HR to ‘be the challenge’ in business, Louisa urges HR leaders to ask bold questions and embrace cognitive diversity to unlock progress. Cecilia echoes the message, encouraging listeners to step into their influence and lead change with purpose. References: None Thank you to How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 2025 - brought to you by Uplifting People for sponsoring this episode This episode is brought to you by HR’s boldest moment yet - How HR Leaders Change the World Live. Today’s HR leaders are navigating extraordinary demands, balancing short-term business performance with shaping long-term, purpose-driven strategy. Yet despite holding the key to sustainable commercial success, HR is often undervalued, under-supported, and expected to play it safe. That’s exactly why we created How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! - an extraordinary event bringing together pioneering HR leaders who believe our profession can be a transformative force for both business growth and social good. This year’s event is the boldest yet, featuring candid, strategic conversations and powerful insights from global CHROs. You’ll leave with actionable takeaways and a renewed sense of the power of your role, with 100% of profits donated to support vulnerable children - meaning your impact starts before you even walk through the door. Early bird tickets are now available, saving you £100 if you book before 30th July. With only 50 discounted tickets on offer, once they’re gone, they’re gone. Take a look at the agenda and our first speaker announcements, including keynote Bob Geldof KBE. Don’t miss out - secure your place today and join fellow HR change makers to enhance your influence and impact. We can’t wait to see you there! 👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact. Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world And on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work? Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth. Our July Book of the Month is Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take by Paul Polman and Andrew Winston. A bold call to action that shows how business can be a force for good in the face of climate change and inequality. We chose this book because it challenges old ways of thinking and is a powerful reminder that courageous leadership isn’t just possible - it’s already happening. Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book!
--------
29:01
--------
29:01
Episode 200: Future-Ready Leadership & AI Empowerment - Celebrating 200 Episodes of HR Impact with 5 Trailblazing CHROs
In this landmark 200th episode we bring together five inspiring CHROs to share actionable insights on navigating the future of work. Each leader responds to listener questions with practical strategies that highlight HR’s vital role in driving transformation with empathy, agility, and human-centred leadership: · Dannii Portsmouth of PepsiCo EMEA explores how HR can harness AI by fostering emotional intelligence, ethical judgement, and curiosity; · Elaine Grell at Ogilvy EMEA shares creative ways to embed AI across the business through inclusive learning and playful experimentation; · Elly Tomlins at EasyJet discusses the importance of purpose-driven, honest communication to balance transformation with cost efficiency; · Loren Shuster at The LEGO Group reveals how leadership is evolving beyond hierarchy into collaborative, cross-functional approaches supported by AI-powered personalised development platforms; and · Natalia Wallenberg at Ahold Delhaize, offers four key principles for building future-ready leaders. Listen to hear these and her practical 2-2-2 framework that builds business resilience and agility. Together, these insights illuminate a powerful vision for HR’s role - not just as a driver of change, but as a beacon of hope and human connection, inspiring purpose-led leadership in a world of constant transformation. Thank you to everyone that sent in a question, and thanks to you for listening – we’re delighted to celebrate this 200th episode and the power of #HRChangemakers! References: None Sponsored by How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! 2025 This episode is brought to you by HR’s boldest moment yet - How HR Leaders Change the World Live! Today’s HR leaders are navigating extraordinary demands, balancing short-term business performance with shaping long-term, purpose-driven strategy. Yet despite holding the key to sustainable commercial success, HR is often undervalued, under-supported, and expected to play it safe. That’s exactly why we created How HR Leaders Change the World - Live! - an extraordinary event bringing together pioneering HR leaders who believe our profession can be a transformative force for both business growth and social good. This year’s event is the boldest yet, featuring candid, strategic conversations and powerful insights from global CHROs. You’ll leave with actionable takeaways and a renewed sense of the power of your role, with 100% of profits donated to support vulnerable children - meaning your impact starts before you even walk through the door. Early bird tickets are for a limited time only, saving you £100 if you book before 31st July. Take a look at the agenda and see our first CHRO speaker announcements, plus our legendary keynote - Bob Geldof KBE! Don’t miss out – click here to secure your place today and join fellow #HRChangemakers enhancing their influence and impact. We can’t wait to see you there! 👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact. Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world And on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work? Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth. Our July Book of the Month is Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take by Paul Polman and Andrew Winston. A bold call to action that shows how business can be a force for good in the face of climate change and inequality. We chose this book because it challenges old ways of thinking and is a powerful reminder that courageous leadership isn’t just possible - it’s already happening. Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book!
--------
50:44
--------
50:44
Episode 199: Human-centred Leadership - from Call Centre to C-Suite: Lisa Hannah, Chief People & Communications Officer at Aldermore Bank plc
Lisa describes her career journey from corporate communications to leading an integrated, purpose-driven strategy and highlights the value of uniting people and communications to turn purpose from words into measurable change. Sharing why Aldermore chooses to call its annual ESG report a “Report to Society,” Lisa describes her personal passion for social mobility, shaped by her own journey from a call centre to the C-suite, and offers practical examples and insights into Aldermore’s work on social mobility. Lisa summarises her vision for HR’s role in the AI-enabled future, emphasising the roles of empathy and curiosity, and argues that truly human-centred leadership is essential to guide organisations through change, and deliver positive impact for colleagues, customers, and society. References: None Thank you to Kin&Co for sponsoring this episode What makes an organisation thrive in today’s complex world? It’s not just about strategy or financial results - it’s about culture. This episode is sponsored by Kin&Co, a certified B Corp and female-owned consultancy on a mission to make work better for 10 million people by 2030. Kin&Co believe that the most impactful organisations will cultivate thriving, human-centred cultures where people are motivated by purpose, resilience, and empowered to perform at their best. Drawing on cutting-edge behavioural science and an inclusive approach, Kin&Co help global organisations transform their cultures, sparking lasting behaviour change that drives measurable impact on strategy, people, and performance. Their new model for organisational change is shaped by deep experience in culture transformation. If you’re intrigued, Kin&Co invites you to explore your own organisational culture with their free Thriving Cultures Diagnostic - a simple, insightful tool backed by behavioural science and inspired by nature. It provides a clear snapshot of your current culture and suggests practical actions to drive better behaviours, strategic shifts, and stronger organisational performance. To learn more and take the diagnostic, click here: Kin&Co 👥 Join our free HR Changemakers community You’ll be the first to hear about each podcast episode, about our events, and receive free bonus resources that enhance your influence and impact. Join us here: upliftingpeople.com/pages/how-hr-leaders-change-the-world And on Linkedin: Uplifting People | LinkedIn Are you looking for your next great read that inspires you and helps your work? Each month we recommend a book that challenges, motivates and uplifts, every pick is selected to spark meaningful conversations and personal growth. Our July Book of the Month is Net Positive: How Courageous Companies Thrive by Giving More Than They Take by Paul Polman and Andrew Winston. A bold call to action that shows how business can be a force for good in the face of climate change and inequality. We chose this book because it challenges old ways of thinking and is a powerful reminder that courageous leadership isn’t just possible - it’s already happening. Head to UpliftingPeople.com to grab a copy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s Uplifting Book!
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 brilliant ideas, and feel absolutely wonderful about doing so!
Ireland