In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright is joined by technology entrepreneur and author Richard 'RJ' Kedziora to explore the intersection of technology, leadership and human performance. RJ reflects on more than three decades working with software, data and AI, sharing how technology is transforming healthcare, why human judgement and responsibility still matter, and how leaders can use innovation to make a meaningful difference. He also discusses the ideas behind his book Productive Harmony, including why managing energy can be more important than managing time, the risks of constantly trying to do more, and the role empathy plays in effective leadership.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Marcia Ore, a diversity, equity and inclusion consultant, executive coach, mediator and former police sergeant with more than four decades of leadership experience. Marcia reflects on her 30-year policing career, the importance of planning and adapting throughout your career, and the realities of working in organisations where stated values do not always match lived experience. The conversation explores representation, psychological safety, accessibility, leadership courage, curiosity and the need to embed inclusion across every part of an organisation rather than treat it as a separate initiative.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright is joined by software engineer, technology leader and entrepreneur Edward Aslin to explore what good technical leadership really looks like in a fast-changing world. Edward reflects on his early experiences in business, the lessons learned from failure, and a career spent helping organisations untangle technical debt and build more sustainable software systems. He also shares his perspective on the reality behind the AI hype, how artificial intelligence is changing software engineering, why senior judgement and accountability matter more than ever, and how greater self-understanding has shaped his own career.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright sits down with Eric Guthrie, attorney, author and emerging technology strategist, to explore what leadership looks like in a world being reshaped by technology, regulation and changing expectations around inclusion. Eric shares his journey from law and corporate leadership into consulting, blockchain and academia, and explains why he believes diversity and inclusion should be embedded into business operations rather than treated as a standalone HR initiative. The conversation also dives into blockchain, cryptocurrency, AI, the challenge of law keeping pace with innovation, and why leaders need to keep learning if they want to stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright is joined by ESG and social performance leader Isobel O’Connell to explore what responsible leadership looks like when major projects, communities, regulation and commercial pressures collide. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience across Canada, the Middle East and international markets, Isobel shares why governance is critical to making ESG meaningful, how organisations can build trust through genuine stakeholder engagement, and why psychological safety should sit alongside physical safety in the workplace. They also discuss Indigenous participation, human rights in supply chains, the importance of assurance over glossy reporting, and why you do not need a leadership title to lead.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with dystopian fiction writer T.A. Thompson about risk, experience, decision-making and what happens when the knowledge we rely on disappears. Drawing on more than a decade in commercial insurance, T.A. explores how a worst-case-scenario mindset shaped his writing, why people often fail to listen to those with more experience, and what can be lost when knowledge is not passed between generations. The conversation also touches on creativity, feedback, self-doubt, persistence and the challenge of balancing a corporate career with the ambition to build something of your own.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with executive coach, facilitator and former engineering leader Sally Twisleton about the shift from technical expertise to intentional leadership. Drawing on her 18-year career at Rolls-Royce and her work through Assemble Coaching, Sally reflects on leading experienced technical teams, learning that leaders do not need to have all the answers, and the importance of listening, coaching and creating environments where people feel valued and able to speak up. The conversation also explores women’s progression in engineering, the role of mentoring and sponsorship, the relationship between engineering and manufacturing, and why different leadership styles can still achieve great results.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Tim Hudson, one of the world’s leading thinkers on risk management, safety culture and organisational learning. Tim challenges the idea that safety culture is simply a ladder to climb, arguing instead that organisations need the right cultural fit for the risks they face. From the dangers of firefighting and blame to the value of frontline insight, failure-positive leadership and decision-making that follows expertise, this conversation explores what it really takes to build safer, more resilient organisations.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Traci Quinn, CEO of Pink Hats Construction and Development Group, about a remarkable journey from nursing and entrepreneurship to incarceration, rebuilding and community transformation. Traci shares how her experiences with the justice system reshaped her sense of purpose and inspired her to create opportunities for people leaving prison, young people exiting foster care and those seeking a route into the construction trades. She also discusses sustainable building, hempcrete, the realities of being a Black woman in a male-dominated industry, and why leadership is ultimately about love, forgiveness, resilience and creating environments where others can thrive.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Simon Barber, one of the UK’s most experienced leaders in the energy and nuclear sectors. Drawing on more than three decades across nuclear safety, major infrastructure, consultancy and executive leadership, Simon explores why safety must start with the individual, how leaders shape culture through their everyday behaviours, and what engineering can learn from sectors such as Formula One. They also discuss psychological safety, the future of nuclear energy, the importance of cross-sector collaboration, and why better decisions today can have a lasting impact on people, projects and critical infrastructure.