Claire Smith, People and Culture Lead at Gunnercooke, joins Felix to explore what it really takes to build culture beyond mission statements and values posters. From her journey as a lawyer to BD to HR leadership, Claire shares practical insights on embedding values into every stage of the employee lifecycle, why she measures kindness through peer recognition, and how to convince sceptical CEOs that culture work matters. Plus, why handwritten cards still work and what "design your life" means for hybrid working.

Riikka Kallio, founder of SpinOps HR Consultancy, joins Felix and Louise to discuss her leap from permanent employment to fractional HR leadership. From the practical realities of cash flow timing to finding your niche in a generalist profession, Riikka shares honest insights on building a consultancy specialising in HR operations, systems, and analytics. She discusses why early-stage startups are embracing fractional models, the importance of network building, and why she needs post-it notes reminding her to take breaks.

Linda Low, Head of People and Culture at ESG, joins Felix and Louise to challenge how we think about hiring. From her unconventional journey from finance to HR, Linda shares why she asks candidates what they do for fun, how an ultimate frisbee charity helped land someone a job, and why hiring managers need to build teams of cultural adds rather than stormtroopers. Practical insights on assessing potential, building trust with hiring managers, and why the best candidates often don't fit the traditional mould.

James Edgar, Chief People Officer at Signature Discovery, joins Felix to discuss his unique dual remit leading both people and IT functions. From navigating cyber security threats to deploying AI in drug discovery, James shares candid insights on breaking down traditional silos, managing change fatigue in high-growth environments, and why the convergence of people strategy and technology infrastructure might just be the future of organisational leadership.

Felix and Louise host a special roundtable with five CIPD HR Essentials Explained authors: Rebecca Lee (Talent Acquisition), Kinsey Li (People Analytics), Prianka Jaidka (HR Essentials), Gemma Dale (Employee Relations and Wellbeing), and Shakil Butt (EDI). They explore the gap between HR qualifications and real-world practice, discuss why continuous learning matters more than ever, and share practical insights on everything from learning to say no to understanding AI without the overwhelm.Links to the book series on Amazon:People Analytics Explained - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/139862442X?ref=emc_s_m_5_i_atc Employee Engagement and Wellbeing Explained - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1398624500?ref=emc_s_m_5_i_atc Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Explained - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1398624543?ref=emc_s_m_5_i_atcHR Essentials Explained - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1398624349?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_92Z2AAGXXV7NBYVRV0J6&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_92Z2AAGXXV7NBYVRV0J6&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_cp_apin_dp_92Z2AAGXXV7NBYVRV0J6&bestFormat=true Talent Acquisition and Attraction Explained - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1398624373?ref=emc_s_m_5_i_atc

Alistair Fenn, Global Chief of Staff at Tide, joins Felix to explore how he went from a People Manager to a Chief of Staff working alongside the C-suite in just five years - without following a traditional career path. From matrix organisations to letting work speak for itself, Alistair shares why the prescribed career ladder is evolving and what's replacing it: opportunity-driven progression, multiple managers for different reasons, and the power of being pragmatic about your own growth.

Paula Brockwell, occupational psychologist and founder of the Employee Experience Project, joins Felix and co-host Louise Fraser to tackle why culture change programmes so often fall flat. From avoiding the 'sunshine and pool tables' trap to understanding when your organisation actually has the conditions for meaningful transformation, Paula shares practical frameworks for driving culture change that sticks - without burning out your HR team in the process.

Natalie Sheils, founder and CEO of Talenaut, joins Felix to explore why recruitment is the hardest (not easiest) place to apply AI and what that means for the future of HR. From AI agents sitting in org charts to why every HR professional needs prompt engineering skills, Natalie shares a vision of the function in five years - and warns what happens if HR doesn't move fast enough.

Ruth Jackson, Chief People Officer at The Gym Group, joins Felix to explore why female-specific health programmes are transforming workplaces. From training 200+ staff on women's health issues to creating confidence in intimidating gym environments, Ruth shares how addressing barriers like time constraints and hormonal changes isn't just good for employees - it's smart business. Plus: why only 4% of medical research focuses on women and what that means for workplace wellbeing.

Jonathan Stanford, Head of Talent at Levy UK, joins Felix to challenge everything we think we know about workplace coaching. From 15-minute "micro coaching" sessions that happen in the moment to why the best conversations never happen over Teams, Jonathan shares how to build a coaching culture that actually drives performance. Plus: the tennis ball analogy that explains the difference between mentoring and coaching, and why AI coaching tools might be the future.