In this episode, Simon sits down with his first podcast guest, Jo Whitfield, a highly accomplished retail executive whom Simon has worked with for nearly a decade. 

Simon and Jo explore the human reality behind the polished surface of senior leadership, and why the so-called "soft stuff" is so often the hardest, and most important work a leader will do. 

Jo then traces three moments that shaped her life and career, each revealing a set of values that anchored her choices and decisions over the years. Together they explore the quiet themes that run beneath a life at the top of organisations - the tension between holding high standards and giving people room to thrive, the courage it takes to protect balance, and the difference between being on the dance floor and stepping onto the balcony.

The conversation then turns outward to the challenges leaders are wrestling with right now, from resilience in a volatile world to the questions AI is forcing every organisation to confront about talent, humanity and what we choose to emphasise and to protect. Finally, Jo offers an inspiring advice to anyone standing at the start of their own leadership journey.

Jo Whitfield is a Non-Executive Director at ASDA since April 2025. A qualified accountant, she chairs Asda's audit committee. Jo previously spent eight years with Asda and George from 2008, holding a number of senior leadership positions across the business. After this, she joined the Co-op, where she was Chief Executive of Food for five years from 2017 and was awarded the CBE in 2021 for her work during the pandemic. Until 2024 Jo was the CEO at Matalan, leading a business turnaround strategy and a refocus on value. Outside of her executive responsibilities, Jo’s activities are mainly focused on inclusivity, mentoring and networking. One of Jo’s key achievements was pioneering a network for the grocery industry called Grocery Girls. She is also a Non-Executive Director for Factory International.

Visit Simon's LinkedIn profile here.

Contact Simon at [email protected].

Learn about Purposeful Change here.

Attend Simon's live event and stay up to date with all his activities here.

In this inaugural episode, the tables are turned. 

Simon is the one being interviewed, by Jaroslav, his longtime collaborator, who has worked on and off with Simon for over fifteen years. The episode is an origin story as much as an introduction. It's a deep dive into the experiences, turning points, and questions that shaped both Simon as a person and the work he does today.

Simon traces three defining moments in his life, each of which forced him to reinvent himself and ultimately, led to the founding of Purposeful Change. The moments reveal the red thread running through all of his work - the belief that identity is not fixed, that we always have a choice in how we show up, and that real transformation begins when we're willing to identify and step through our deepest assumptions.

The conversation also covers Simon's work today, working alongside organisations to develop leaders, design cultures and spark innovation. Finally, Simon shares a vision for where he wants to take his work next including this podcast, his first book, live online events and building a community of practitioners of his work. 

All in service of one central question - how to scale our work to help more people intentionally shape their identity and author their future?

Visit Simon's LinkedIn profile here.

Contact Simon at [email protected].

Learn about Purposeful Change here.

Attend Simon's live event and stay up to date with all his activities here.