MAD Leaders Podcast: workplace culture, employee health and wellbeing

Getting the best out of tech suppliers when you are juggling both legacy suppliers you've been with for ages, and the newer, agile tech start ups entering wellbeing, is no easy task.

Karen Sancto, Microsoft's EMEA Benefits Consultant brings the benefit of her expertise here to this podcast, exploring this intricate process.

She gives us practical, instantly useable advice and, in an increasingly automated world, underlines the importance of human relationships.

Listen to the end to ensure you hear all of her strategies, and her answer to the 'alien question'!

To join our Leaders Club click here: https://makeadifference.media/join-leaders-club/

Time line of conversation:

00:00 Introduction to the Leaders Podcast

00:35 This Week's Challenge: Legacy vs. Agile Tech Companies

01:24 Expert Insights: Karen Santo from Microsoft

01:43 Navigating Supplier Relationships

02:41 The Role of Technology and Data Privacy

03:54 Building Effective Partnerships

06:48 Cultural Considerations in Supplier Management

13:16 Measuring and Scaling Supplier Management

17:20 The Human Element in Supplier Relationships

17:59 Fun and Creativity in Benefits Management

19:15 Final Thoughts and Alien Scenario

21:22 Conclusion and Call to Action

Matt Wilson, the UK Wellbeing Lead for Computacenter, talks candidly about the crisis of confidence he overcame working in the wellbeing industry. Not only because he felt, at times, insecure because he didn’t come from a traditional HR background, but also because he suffered a severe stammer. 

He talks with refreshing honesty about his experiences and gives practical advice to anyone else experiencing any kind of confidence issues that are affecting work.

While his tips are applicable to everyone, his insight is particularly relevant to men who find it hard to talk about emotions or their struggles. He tells his story of how, after taking action, he ends up with more self-awareness and confidence, as well as a commitment to being authentic at work.

The conversation also touches on the significance of demonstrating the ROI of wellbeing initiatives (and how this can boost your confidence), the importance of good communication strategies and the need for formal training in the field. 

00:00 Introduction to the Leaders Podcast

00:35 This Week's Challenge: Navigating Wellbeing Without an HR Background

01:54 Guest Introduction: Matt Wilson, UK Wellbeing Lead

02:03 Matt's Journey: Overcoming a Stammer and Building Confidence

04:02 The Importance of Authenticity in Wellbeing Roles

04:53 Men and Therapy: Breaking the Stigma

09:41 Proving the ROI of Wellbeing Initiatives

12:05 The Role of Commercial Skills in Wellbeing

14:25 The Need for Formal Training in Wellbeing

16:42 Final Advice for Wellbeing Professionals

18:09 The Alien Question: Making the Case for Wellbeing Investment

20:03 Conclusion and Call to Action

Balancing high performance with health and sustainability is a huge topic in workplaces currently, especially when the economy is under such pressure. 

Dr Monika Misra, who is Group Head of Employee Health and Wellbeing at Mars knows this conundrum very well - so well, she’s even (co) written a book on it! It’s called ‘Healthy High Performance: unlocking business success through employee wellbeing’, with Sir Cary Cooper. 

In this podcast, packed with practical and strategic tips, she talks us through step by step how she got a 30% uplift in employees’ energy levels and unlocked high performance under pressure.

And if you are listening when this podcast comes out - then you have two days to get yourself to hear her talk at the MAD World Leaders Summit in London on 9th October where she is doing a keynote on Healthy High Performance in an age of uncertainty. Go to madworldsummit.com for more info.

To join our Leaders Club click here: https://makeadifference.media/join-leaders-club/

To see the agenda for MAD World Summit on 9th October in London where Monika is speaking, see here: https://madworldsummit.com/

Timeline of conversation:

00:44 Meet Dr. Monica Misra: Expert in Health and Wellbeing

01:28 Understanding Employee Burnout

03:45 Building the Business Case for Wellbeing

06:36 Implementing Evidence-Based Solutions

14:13 Measuring Impact and Sustaining Change

17:43 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

21:07 The Alien Question and Closing Remarks

It's great when employees are passionate and enthusiastic about spreading the Health and Wellbeing message. But - what do you do if they're not quite the right people you want driving the agenda?

What if you need more influential people, especially those not working in Wellbeing or those who are personally invested to drive it?

Today's brilliant guest Dr Sabrina Robinson, Chartered Psychologist and Wellbeing Lead at Essex County Council talks us through this exact problem today and reveals some cunning tricks of the psychological trade to help us on our way.

And, of course, she answers the alien question in a truly novel way!

To join our Leaders Club click here: https://makeadifference.media/join-leaders-club/

To see the agenda for MAD World Summit on 9th October in London where Sabrina is speaking, see here: https://madworldsummit.com/

Time line of conversation:

00:00 Introduction to the Leaders Podcast

00:45 Meet Dr. Sabrina Robinson

02:08 The Challenge: Ensuring Consistency in Wellbeing

03:08 Renewing the Governance Strategy

04:20 Leadership Buy-In and Accountability

05:49 Engaging the Right People

14:30 Formalising the Governance Strategy

17:32 Achieving Consistency and Employee Experience

19:07 Final Thoughts and Advice

21:33 The Alien Question

22:48 Conclusion and Farewell

We know the theory: difference leads to innovation and, ultimately, profitability. But, in practice, working in multigenerational teams can be really challenging and lead to a lot of tension.

Patrick Dunne OBE has seen this situation numerous times in his vast experience of business and boards - he's also just co-written a book called 'Five generations at work; how we win together for good'.

This conversation covers everything from a maximising mindset, empathic leadership, dealing with conflict, 'microwaved' relationships and even dad dancing. It's peppered with practical tips and real-life solutions he's seen work.

To join our Leaders club see here

For more information on Patrick's keynote at MAD World Leaders Summit on 9th October 2025, see here

Time line of conversation:

00:00 Introduction to the Leaders Podcast

00:44 Meet Patrick Dunne, OBE

02:25 The Multi-Generational Team Challenge

03:42 Understanding and Communication Across Generations

05:46 Practical Tips for Managing Multi-Generational Teams

11:54 Conflict Management Techniques

20:18 The Importance of Trust in Teams

23:03 The Alien Question and Conclusion

We've chosen Dr Lia Ali, neuropsychiatrist and digital health innovation strategist for the NHS, as a launch interviewee because of her immense knowledge of being able to pinpoint what actually works - and what WILL work - based on the evidence.

She's faced this question numerous times, and talks us through how she tackled it - and her favourite model - the biopsychosocial one.

You'll leave this podcast inspired, and so if you want to hear more of Lia - she's doing a key note at the MAD World Summit on 9th October in London.

To find out more about the Make A Difference Leaders Club, ⁠click here⁠.

If you like this episode, please like and subscribe and - even better - share it with someone to keep the workplace wellbeing conversation going!

And, if you have a burning issue you'd like discussed, or any feedback at all, email [email protected]

A quick summary of the conversation:

00:00 Introduction to the Leaders Podcast

00:44 Meet Dr. Leah Ali: Digital Health Innovation Strategist

01:41 The Bio-Psychosocial Model for Better Health Outcomes

04:39 Case Study: Occupational Health in Australia

06:42 The Importance of Preventative Interventions

09:41 Embedding Health Strategies Across Organizations

12:21 Inclusive Design and Health Inequalities

15:24 Concluding Thoughts and Future Conversations

19:36 Outro and Call to Action

Stella Gavinho is Group Head of Wellbeing at Entain and we chose her as one of the launch interviewees for her honesty and warmth, as well as the energy and resilience she applies to problem solving.

She talks us through dealing with a significant drop in employee engagement in employee health and wellbeing, with lots of practical and strategic insight.

If you like this episode, please like and subscribe and - even better - share it with someone to keep the workplace wellbeing conversation going!

And, if you have a burning issue you'd like discussed, or any feedback at all, email [email protected]

To find out more about the Make A Difference Leaders Club, ⁠click here⁠.

Key timings in the conversation:

00:00 Introduction to the Leaders Podcast

00:44 Meet Stella Gino: A Warm and Honest Wellbeing Leader

01:38 Setting the Scene: The Wellbeing Challenge

03:03 Facing the Wellbeing Crisis: Stella's Experience

04:42 Strategic Response: Data-Driven Solutions

08:57 Implementing Manager Training Programs

13:15 Results and Reflections: Positive Outcomes

19:12 Advice for Leaders: Embracing Wellbeing Initiatives

23:43 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Our launch guest today - Claire Farrow - founded the Make A Difference Media Leaders Club. In her role as Global Content Director at MAD, she gets to hear leaders from all different sectors and industries open up to her about their biggest challenges. So, she has huge industry-spanning knowledge of what's going on and where the future of work is headed.

Today she shares the struggles she hears most from leaders and what she thinks the industry can do to make the most impact going forward.

If you like this episode, please like and subscribe and - even better - share it with someone to keep the workplace wellbeing conversation going!

And, if you have a burning issue you'd like discussed, or any feedback at all, email [email protected]

Relevant links:

Claire is currently organising the MAD World Leaders Summmit on 9th October in London. To find out more about the agenda and to register, ⁠click here⁠.

To find out more about the Make A Difference Leaders Club, click here.

Episode timings:

00:00 Welcome to the Leaders Podcast

00:44 Introducing Claire Farrow

02:52 The Evolution of Workplace Wellbeing

05:31 Top Challenges in Workplace Wellbeing

12:05 The Importance of C-Suite Buy-In

14:47 Professionalization and Data-Driven Approaches

18:45 The Alien Question and Final Thoughts!

Workplace culture and employee health & wellbeing have never been more important — but leadership in the world of workplace wellbeing can feel lonely, messy and uncertain.

On the Leaders Podcast, you’ll hear candid conversations with workplace pioneers, who are shaping the future of work. Here they'll pick apart the real problems they’ve faced, and the lessons they’ve learned - warts and all!

This show is for you if you care about workplace health and wellbeing, whether you're in HR, Learning & Development, Health & Safety, DEI, Employee Engagement, Employee Experience, the C-suite or any role whose remit touches on culture and/or health and wellbeing.

Subscribe now to hear the stories, insights and inspiration that can help you create healthier, more human workplaces and elevate this topic to its rightful place on the C-suite agenda.