William Ullstein, UK CEO at YouGov, joins Felix to explore the gap between business enthusiasm for AI and consumer scepticism - only 13% of Brits are excited about AI. Will shares how YouGov uses consumer insights to inform their internal rollout, lessons from getting sales tool implementation wrong, and why synthetic audiences might miss the mark when it comes to understanding human behaviour.

Charlie Collard, Chief People Officer at Trinity Bridge, joins Felix to discuss navigating multiple transformations simultaneously - from new ownership and CEO changes to maternity leave and private equity expectations. Charlie shares honest insights on maintaining culture during intense change, the superpower of perspective gained through life transitions, and why discomfort is often a sign you're moving fast enough.

Emma Cooper, Chief People Officer at System 1 Group, joins Felix to explore what it takes to lead AI adoption across a workforce. From pilot programmes to governance frameworks, Emma shares how System One is empowering teams to experiment with AI tools whilst maintaining security and building genuine excitement for change. A refreshingly honest conversation about bridging product innovation and people transformation.

Kelly Tucker, founder of HR Star, joins Louise to explore treating people strategy like a product. Drawing from 25 years in HR, Kelly explains why employee engagement works like a subscription model - people subscribe to your organisation and stay when they continuously get value. She discusses avoiding the feedback trap of trying to make everyone happy, supporting multi-generational workforces, and why work-life blend has replaced work-life balance. Plus, her take on why hybrid working debates will continue and what HR needs to be seen as business essential, not optional.

Alysha Adams, people and culture leader and keynote speaker, joins Louise to explore what AI augmentation really means for humans in the workplace. From why curiosity and creativity are your competitive edge to how organizations can develop meta skills at scale, Alysha shares insights from working on AI-native projects in fintech. She discusses why one tech company scrapped graduate programs to build their own, how the education system isn't serving the workplace, and why investing in human skills now is critical for success in two to three years.

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