In this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast, Katie Macaulay is joined by Jo Hudson, Group Director of Internal Communication at Bupa.

Jo has spent the past 16 years at Bupa, one of the world’s largest healthcare organisations. She’s worked across internal and external comms, PR, media relations, brand and engagement. Now, she’s leading IC in a complex, global business, with 100,000 colleagues speaking multiple languages.

So how do you keep people connected, aligned and inspired?

Jo shares what she’s learned about building trust, creating clarity and cutting through the noise to give people space to connect. She talks about what really matters during the rollout of new and disruptive tech (Bupa rolled out Workvivo to their 100,000 employees in less than a year), why leaders need to show up and how storytelling helps people make sense of strategy.

And yes – there’s an elephant. Not in the room, but on the move. Part metaphor, part mascot – all comms magic. Intrigued? Tune in and share your thoughts. Use #TheICPodcast to join the conversation.

In this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast, host Katie Macaulay sits down with alignment strategist and leadership coach Zora Artis to explore a crucial question: how can internal comms teams unite people around what matters most?

It’s no easy task, but Zora brings three decades of in-the-trenches experience. As CEO of Artis Advisory, co-founder of the Alignment People and a partner at Mirror Mirror Alignment, her work focuses on getting leaders and teams unstuck and helping organisations untangle competing priorities, find common ground and move forward with confidence.

As Zora’s research shows, only 13% of organisations achieve real alignment and she explains why diagnosing the real problem matters more than simply turning up the volume on messaging. Misalignment often hides in plain sight, masked by polite nods, surface-level agreement and subtle misunderstandings, she says. Meaningful, facilitated dialogue – not broadcast communication – is often the missing piece.

She also introduces her ‘3C+’ model and cohesion cycle: practical frameworks to help teams stay agile, find purpose and work as one. Along the way, Zora shares lessons from elite sport, psychology and her own leadership journey, where curiosity, courage and a little discomfort all play a role.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Use the hashtag #TheICPodcast to join the conversation, and thank you for listening.

If the platforms you use at work were built by Microsoft, this episode is essential listening.

Katie is joined by Alex Graves, Chief Visionary Officer at Silicon Reef — the people-first Microsoft experts — for a fast-paced, plain-speaking conversation on making technology work for people.

Alex shares practical strategies for rolling out new digital channels on a shoestring — including what corners you can cut, and the one you absolutely must not: discovery. He explains why Viva Engage is a philosophy, not just a platform, and how it can break down silos, surface expertise and build genuine communities.

Expect sharp insight on improving the often-fractured relationship between internal comms and IT, how to avoid information sprawl, and why early advocates, not all-staff rollouts, are the key to success.

Alex also reveals underused Microsoft features — from AI agents that act as personal researchers to the future potential of AI-generated daily podcasts summarising internal news based on individual interests.

Whether you're migrating from Workplace, refreshing your channel mix, or exploring Viva for the first time, this episode is packed with practical advice and fresh thinking.

Share your thoughts on this or any other episode of The Internal Comms Podcast using the hashtag #TheICPodcast. Thank you for listening.

If you have ever found yourself circling back, touching base, breaking down silos or leveraging strategic synergies — then these guests are speaking your language.

Charles Firth and James Schloeffel are the Australian comedy duo behind Wankernomics. Their brilliantly sharp satire holds a mirror up to the strange, slippery and often nonsensical language we only use at work. What started as a comedic side project has become a global phenomenon, with their reels and live shows resonating around the world.

In this gloriously unfiltered conversation, we discuss vertical slices, Human-Centred Design and the curious art of “North Starring” — even in the Southern Hemisphere. We examine how certain phrases allow us to deflect responsibility, sound impressive without committing to anything, and quietly opt out of saying what we really mean.

But this is about more than buzzwords. At its heart, this is a conversation about belonging — about how language helps us fit in, how it masks insecurity, and why it’s so hard to speak plainly in a world that rewards waffle.

Share your thoughts on this or any other episode of The Internal Comms Podcast using the hashtag #TheICPodcast. Thank you for listening.

What does it take to make one of the most scrutinised leaders in the world feel relatable? And how do we build internal comms that truly include everyone — especially the quieter voices?

In this episode, Katie Macaulay is joined by personal brand expert, storytelling strategist and award-winning filmmaker Richard Etienne. Richard shares the remarkable story of being summoned to 10 Downing Street and handed a single-line brief: make the Prime Minister more personable. As Theresa May’s official videographer, he used empathy, authenticity and storytelling to reveal the human behind the headlines.

But this episode goes beyond politics.

Richard explores how to build a bold career in comms, why speed and trust matter more than ever, and how storytelling remains a vital leadership tool. He also shares the mission behind The Introvert Space, his community interest group and his mission to ensure even the quietest voices are heard in the workplace.

Expect honest reflections, practical insights — and a timely reminder that powerful communication starts with listening.

Share your thoughts on this or any other episode of The Internal Comms Podcast using the hashtag #TheICPodcast. Thank you for listening.

Fred Cook’s career proves success doesn’t require a straight line. Now Chairman Emeritus of global PR agency Golin, Fred has spent 35+ years advising world-famous brands – Amazon, McDonald’s, Disney – and visionary CEOs like Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs.

But his journey began far from the boardroom. Fred’s early resumé includes being a pool hustler, cabin boy and chauffeur for drunks. He describes his life as a “series of experiments” and in this episode, he shares what they taught him.

Fred explains how to stand out in a crowded job market, the evolving role of internal communication, and why the best comms pros are brilliant relationship builders. He also shares insights from his role as Director of the USC Center for Public Relations and his book Improvise: Unconventional Career Advice from an Unlikely CEO.

This is a conversation about courage, curiosity and embracing the unexpected.

Share your thoughts on this or any other episode of The Internal Comms Podcast using the hashtag #TheICPodcast. Thank you for listening.

Inspiration is everywhere when you stay curious. That’s the thread running through this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast, where Katie Macaulay welcomes communication, creativity and leadership consultant Beth Collier. The author of the brilliant Substack newsletter Curious Minds, Beth takes Katie on a journey from her early days working in Hollywood to her role today as a respected comms pro.

Digging into the origin stories of some of life’s everyday items has helped keep Beth curious across the years, and the tales can be astounding. Did you know, for example, that duct tape was invented to save lives?

Not only do Beth and Katie explore these unlikely stories of creativity, they unpack the imposter syndrome phenomenon, which Beth suggests is a complete myth, and dive into how you can strengthen your curiosity muscles to get ahead.

A treasure trove of unique inspiration top tips on how to stay curious, this is one for all the curious comms pros out there.

As always, share your thoughts on this or any other episode of The Internal Comms Podcast using the hashtag #TheICPodcast. And thanks for listening.

What does it mean to be a credible leader? And just how important is that credibility to your team? In this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast, host Katie Macaulay welcomes back leadership and internal communication expert Jenni Field to unpack all this and more.

Jenni is the author of Nobody Believes You: Become a Leader People Will Follow, and former president of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations. She is also the host of the Redefining Communications podcast and an international leadership coach. She’s recognised as a leading influencer in the way leaders and organisations communicate with their teams.

In this episode, Katie and Jenni dig into the leadership research that forms the basis of Jenni’s latest book. They discuss what it means to be truly credible, and why that matters, and delve into the eight practices Jenni has identified that make a truly effective leader.

As always, share your thoughts on this or any other episode of The Internal Comms Podcast using the hashtag #TheICPodcast. And thanks for listening.

In this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast, host Katie Macaulay welcomes Jeremy Connell-Waite, Global Communications Designer for IBM, an acclaimed speechwriter and storyteller, and a performance coach for senior executives.

In this fascinating conversation, which will challenge everything you thought you knew about storytelling, Jeremy guides Katie through the concept of storytelling design – the process of drawing speeches and stories, not writing them. It’s an approach that seeks to connect on every level from the get-go.

Jeremy dives into what storytelling really is, what sets the true greats apart and how internal comms pros can change the world in 1,000 seconds (about the length of time you take for your morning coffee break). As you’ll see in our featured links, there’s stacks of inspiration to draw from, as Jeremy unpacks the genius of everyone from Aaron Sorkin to Obama’s former speechwriter, Terry Szuplat.

This is a tale of how storytelling is harder skill than you think.

As always, share your thoughts on this or any other episode of The Internal Comms Podcast using the hashtag #TheICPodcast. And thanks for listening.

We’re back for season 13 of The Internal Comms Podcast and to kick things off, host Katie Macaulay is joined by Eduvie Martin. Eduvie is Group Communications and Engagement Manager at British American Tobacco, President of the IABC’s UK and Ireland Chapter and Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at Comic Republic – a creative media company changing the narrative on African storytelling.

In this insightful episode, Eduvie opens up about her route into communications and the challenges of communicating in the tobacco industry. She discusses her roles with the IABC and Comic Republic and how each experience builds on her expertise in unique ways. And she offers a fresh perspective on work and life, the value of intentionality and why comms pros should prioritise planning over predicting.

Tune in for valuable advice on forging your own path, building resilience, the power of community and always staying true to who you are.

As always, share your thoughts on this or any other episode of The Internal Comms Podcast using the hashtag #TheICPodcast. And thanks for listening.