In Ndidi’s first month as Chief Executive Officer of Business in the Community, we find out who our new CEO is, what she’s achieved so far in her career, and where her passion lies in taking Business in the Community and all of our members forward on the responsible business journey.

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In this episode, we discuss Responsible transformation with people, planet and place at the heart of change. 

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In this episode, we discuss how responsible business is a key driver for economic growth, the current challenges businesses are facing and how the 3 Ps – that’s People, Planet and Place, can help organisations shape their business strategies with responsible actions at their heart.​

Reading/Listening recommendations:

• The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
• Prioritise People: unlock the value of a thriving workforce
• Diary of a CEO podcast: with Tristan Harris

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In this episode, they discuss Environmental Sustainability: Risks, Rewards and Recycling.

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In this episode, they discuss the impact equation and ask, does social value add up for business?

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In this episode, we discuss how businesses are acting responsibly across key areas of People, Planet and Place​.

​

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In this episode, we discuss environmental sustainability and how data can make a sustainable world go round.

Reading list:

• Data Centres: Heroes or Villains?
• IPCC Summary
• Bill Gates: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
• Peter Thiel: Zero to One

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In this episode, we discuss social impact: What is it? Why is it important? And what is the role of business and leaders in having a positive social impact?

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In this episode, we discuss the importance of bolstering communities across the UK and further afield. Our two guests have seen first-hand the challenges communities are facing and are personally passionate about making a difference.

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Recorded live at the Healthy Working Lives conference in Northern Ireland on 4 June 2025, the discussion covers the pressures of professional sports, the importance of self-worth beyond one's career, and the critical role of accessible and effective mental health support.

And if you didn't know, Clarke was named Britain's Brainiest Footballer on Carol Vorderman's show, he was the first Premier League footballer player to appear on Countdown, and he recently won the 1% Club for Soccer Aid.

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In this episode, we discuss how businesses can get into the hearts of communities, make an impact and become part of the fabric in places across the UK as positive corporate citizens that play their part in strengthening society at all levels.

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In this episode, we discuss women and race in the workplace.

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In this episode, we discuss how can business create a better world, what our guests are focussing on in their organisations to benefit their people, the planet and communities, and of course, we’ll find out who they are beyond their job titles. 

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They discuss financial inclusion – why this is an important issue and what business can do to help people. 

Reading list:

• Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson
• Money, Possessions, and Eternity by Randy Alcorn
• The Man Who Planted Trees by Jean Giono

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In this special one-off episode, our host Sarah Travers is joined by Chief Superintendent Sam Donaldson to discuss the importance of responsible driving. Sam has responsibilities for road safety among other activities. In this episode, we discuss the reality on our roads and what employers can do to encourage their people to be safe whether they’re on the daily commute or driving for their job. 

They also talk about a new campaign being delivered by Business in the Community to help employers do more.

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In this episode, we explore social mobility and ask, how can business open doors for more people in a fair and equitable way?

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In this episode, we explore social impact and ask how can businesses positively impact communities?

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In this episode, we’ll explore workplace culture and the challenges that two very different businesses are facing in attracting and retaining talented staff, along with the opportunities and benefits that come when organisations put a strong emphasis on their people.

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We are also joined by Kennedy Ekezie-Joseph. Kennedy is the Founder and CEO of Kippa – a Fintech startup revolutionising digital payments for small businesses in Nigeria. In under two years, Kippa has secured more than $10M USD from global fintech investors, breaking ground in the industry. The company has served more than 800,000+ small businesses who record $3B annually on its app.

In this episode, we discuss inclusive employment and how every business can open its doors.

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In this episode, we’ll explore creating a responsible culture – a win for business and for people. 

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In this episode, we discuss global goals and ask, is everyone pulling in the same direction?

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In this episode, we will discuss how people in underrepresented groups can fair well in the workplace, and we specifically dive in to the issue of age – what’s the reality for workers over the age of 50, and investigate the business case for attracting, retaining and retraining individuals who may feel they have additional barriers in the workplace.

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In this episode, we’ll explore how putting business at the heart of communities is essential for everyone. We’ll also discuss some of the tough issues out there such as employing those who have a criminal conviction and how businesses are literally stepping up to the plate to address food poverty.

UK Hopes and Fears Survey 2023 - PwC UK

Greggs | Doing Good

For employers - Social Mobility Commission

The Class Ceiling: Why it Pays to be Privileged by Sam Friedman | Goodreads

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In this episode, we’ll take a deep dive into workplace inclusion – how can businesses ensure that everyone’s voice is heard and what companies are doing to help their people whatever their circumstances, and when challenges come along like caring responsibilities.

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In this episode, we will discuss how employers can create a human-centred approach to people in the workplace – what it means, what things businesses are doing well and where improvements need to be made.

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens.

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In this episode, we will discuss how businesses can be responsible through imagination, commitment and good leadership; and how giving time and energy to initiatives that are changing the world is so beneficial. 

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens. 

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She shares who they are, where they work, what part of the world they are from, and of course why they are attending the Summit. Importantly, she gets to the nitty gritty of how they plan to change the world and finds out what they are already doing to make a difference.

We hope you enjoy this special episode and are inspired to find out more about responsible business by getting in touch with Business in the Community at www.bitc.org.uk.

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In this episode, we will explore the circular economy from two very different organisations, but from our two guests’ perspectives – both of whom are committed to making the world a better place. 

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In this episode, we will explore how Tony and Loek’s shared passion for people development plays out in both of their businesses, how development talent for the future is critical for business success, and we’ll ask them what a responsible future looks like for them personally, professionally and digitally. 

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens. 

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In this episode, we will explore packaging with purpose. We’ll look at how one of the world’s biggest drinks production companies is continually innovating in how it packages its products, and how another is helping consumers and businesses across 26 countries create impact by catalysing innovative waste management and circular solutions that stem the flow of ocean plastic. 

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Carl has proven himself as one of the world’s leading professional boxers, quickly climbing the ranks by winning both the IBF and WBA Super-Bantamweight belts, before going on to win the WBA Featherweight Championship. If you’ve ever seen Carl in the ring, he was one of the most exciting boxers to watch operating with incredible punching power, intelligence and speed.

Carl’s background is interesting and complex, so you’ll hear more about that in this episode of The Lens. Recently Carl worked on a thought-provoking documentary for the BBC called Men in Crisis focusing on the troubling reality of men’s mental health. Listen in to find out more about what Carl discovered and how business leaders can spot the signs with their people.

It's good to remember that every person is different and those companies that can develop a human-centred approach to their people can really make a difference.

If your business would like help and support with wellbeing and inclusion, please get in touch with Business in the Community at www.bitcni.org.uk.

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This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Anna Moore, Partner at global management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, and One Young World Ambassador, Robin Spierings, Project lead – The Sustainable Flight Challenge, KLM and

In this episode, we will explore whether sustainability and profitability can work hand in hand, how green credentials can make a difference for businesses, and how responsible businesses are positively influencing their supply chains.

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Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Mary Macleod, Chief Executive of Business in the Community.

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This month our host Sarah Travers is joined by Pippa Clarke, Chair and Partner at Bishop Fleming Chartered Accountants – experts in accounting, audit, tax, and advisory needs; and Hamzah Sarwar, Global Social Impact and Partnerships Director at Reckitt – a multinational consumer goods company that produces health, hygiene and nutrition products.

In this episode, Sarah and her guests explore how businesses can build a responsible business culture, how are guests are using their personal passions for people to create workplaces that are agile and creative; places where people want to come to work every day.

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Sarah and her guests explore the world of responsible food and drink, how the ingredients we use, or don’t use, impact the health and wellbeing of nations, how those living in areas of severe deprivation are benefitting from the work of our guests, and what’s next innovation in these sectors.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests explore how businesses are addressing the pressing issues of climate change and environmental degradation as the UK heads towards meeting its goal of net zero by 2050. 

In this episode, we will explore environmental sustainability and climate action. The UK has committed to achieving net zero by 2050, but many scientists are saying that we are not scared enough about the implications of global warming. With that in mind, how are businesses taking practical action and innovating to make a difference.

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests explore supply chain and sustainability. We discover how one of our guests, who hails from Northern Ireland has developed in her career to become a leader of one of the UK’s biggest car manufacturers, and all the way from Ghana, our other guest will share his passion for ensuring responsible sourcing and the circular economy is at the forefront of his business.

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests explore how firms can cope with big changes within their business, and the changing face of health – be that physical, mental, emotional, or increasingly important right now, financial health.

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests explore an issue that is at the heart of all businesses today – the cost of living crisis. 

We’ll also hear how one of our guests started life as an apprentice, and how responsible disruption and transformation are business imperatives for every organisation today.

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Welsh Water’s Peter Perry and Annina Lux from Capgemini.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests energy in all of its forms – the demand for energy, the current challenges with the energy crisis, how energy firms are taking the responsible route despite things that are out of their control, and why taking care of the planet will always be a major priority.

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens.

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Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Amanda Mackenzie, Chief Executive of Business in the Community.

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If you’re thinking, what’s just one thing my business could do to help someone like a young Michael . . . sign up to Business in the Community’s Ban the Box initiative. We’re simply asking you to remove the first criminal conviction check box from the initial job application,and ask these questions later in the recruitment process. More than one million job roles are now more accessible to people with criminal convictions from those companies that have signed up to Ban the Box. Yours can too. Visit www.bitc.org.uk/BanTheBox

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests explore how businesses can support young people and others to have a balanced future. They also look at a difficult topic for many people – domestic abuse – but how support is available for and from business, and from the third sector.

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests explore gender, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, championing kindness and so much more.

They discuss the working world for women, inclusion in all forms, and we ask our guests how employers can achieve a gender-balanced workforce. And we’ll meet our Switzerland-based guest who has co-founded an initiative that aims to defeat gender stereotypes.

Find out more by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Firstsource's Shuchika Sahay and Sabrina Wuersch from Bühler Group.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests discuss how businesses can act responsibly in an ever-changing people landscape, and how digital is transforming products, processes and people management.

We’ll see how easyJet is emerging through the pandemic, how it is managing its business through the current challenges and taking actions that are leading to major changes to the airline’s structure to position easyJet for recovery.

We’ll also meet our Hong Kong-based guest who is driving Citi’s digital transformation of its commercial bank segment in Asia – and how digitisation is impacting the way banks approach client delivery today.

Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with easyJet’s Ella Bennett and Leonard How from Citi Commercial Bank.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests explore nature and biodiversity. We’ll be looking at the role businesses, big and small, can play in supporting biodiversity, accelerating climate action and building the resilience of economies around the world.

We’ll also see how one of our guests is amplifying the voice of his Kuna community in Panama and highlighting the impact industry is having on indigenous communities.

Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Accenture's Camilla Drejer and Diwigdi Valiente from Panamanian Ministry of Tourism.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests explore responsible digital innovation. We’ll look at how a business than runs one of the biggest social media platforms – Snapchat – is empowering people to express themselves, how it takes its responsibility seriously in developing and delivering a digital resource used by more than 200 million people across the world.

We’ll also see how one of our guests developed her digital business based on her family’s experience of mental health and discover just how necessary digital innovation is in this space.

Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Snap Inc's Claire Valoti and Morgan Hewett, Co-Founder and CEO, Options MD.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests discuss the importance of having a skilled workforce and how employers have a role to play in continuing to develop people throughout their careers. We’ll see how inspiring young people from a very early age is critical to both their success and that of business, and we’ll look at the role of communications and how good storytelling is essential to raising business profile and sharing the responsible actions a business can and should take.

Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with IHG's Yasmin Diamond and Cecily Liu, Communications Specialist, Finance Journalist, INSEAD MBA.

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests discuss the role employers can play in future proofing opportunities for all young people, and the importance of this in a time of unprecedented change and economic uncertainty.

They also explore how young people can overcome disadvantage in terms of education and employment, and we’ll look at how businesses can get involved in inspiring young people while they are still in education. Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Capita’s Jon Lewis and Kalm Paul-Christian, Investment Banker, Financial Institutions Advisory Team at NatWest Markets.

The Lens Podcast

In partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Sarah Travers in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice and insight. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

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In this episode, Sarah and her guests discuss everything sustainability. This episode launches during COP26 – the largest global climate summit to come the UK. They’ll chat about why the time is now to take action on climate change and share innovative ways their businesses are making a difference.

We also ask our guests what their personal commitment is to changing the world, and about how data is driving decisions around how we treat the built and natural environments. Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Arup's Fiona Cousins and Harry Grocott from Treeconomy.

The Lens Podcast

In partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Sarah Travers in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice and insight. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lens Podcast

In partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join our host Sarah Travers in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice and insight. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sarah and her guests discuss how businesses can develop a people-first approach, ensuring their businesses can attract and retain talent. The conversation includes a discussion around mental health, how this has been a more open issue in the workplace and how individuals and employers can find ways to address mental health in the workplace.

We also ask our guests about their career journey to date, how they use their leadership position in a responsible way, and ask how young leaders can really define the future of business, no matter what their background or upbringing. Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Unsquare's Giancarlo di Vece and Jonny Jacobs from Starbucks.

The Lens Podcast

In partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Sarah Travers in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice and insight. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Harjot and his guests discuss the value of diverse perspectives, humble leadership and being resilient. We find out from two passionate business leaders, that a person’s lived experience shapes who they are, where they are, and their future choices.

We also ask our guests, how can you succeed and lead if you feel like you don’t fit in? And how can diversity, inclusion and equality give your business the competitive advantage it needs? Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Enterprise Holding's Khaled Shahbo and Dara Douglas from PwC.

Our Guests

Khaled joined Enterprise in 1991 on the company’s graduate Management Training Programme in the US and learned the business at the front line, serving customers, managing the team - and washing cars. Only three years later, he joined a specially selected team to establish Enterprise UK as a start-up business, taking roles in the Northwest of England before becoming Managing Director of Scotland.

Since 2015, as Managing Director for the UK & Ireland, Khaled’s role has seen Enterprise develop into one of the UK’s leaders in shared mobility, extending the range of services offered through a network of 450 branches in neighbourhoods and communities around the UK with the development of Enterprise Car Club as well as the company’s commercial vehicle rental business.

Khaled is passionate about how rental can positively impact businesses, communities and individuals as part of a future mobility infrastructure where transport is shared and available to all through smart apps that guide travellers to make better, more sustainable choices. Under his stewardship, Enterprise continues to be recognised for exceptional levels of customer service and became a Which? Recommended Provider.

Khaled is involved in several community and philanthropic programmes. He is a board member of the Enterprise Holdings Foundation and Bridge Builders Mentoring and has joined the Business in the Community Race Equality Leadership Team.

Dara is responsible for leading new digital ways of working at PwC and helps PwC and our clients to adopt digital approaches such as agile, design thinking and growth mindset.

Dara is also a champion for Diversity and launched the Diversity Mentoring scheme, Multicultural Business Network, Colourbrave campaign and Black in Tech network.

The Lens Podcast

Supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Harjot Singh in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Harjot and his guests discuss how business can engage with communities that are otherwise hard to reach, and we ask our guests if business leaders can make a true impact in communities that have experienced conflict. 

They also talk about global citizenship, and how developing a mentality of servant leadership and being willing to explore new ideas with an open mind can benefit you.

How can business leaders face the future with empathy, intelligence and put communities at the hearts of their businesses? Is it really true that when a business knows better, it does better? When a business is unselfish with its resources, does everyone benefit? 

Find out by listening to the latest episode of The Lens with Allstate’s John Healy and Indy Hothi from ICAS.

Our Guests

John Healy OBE has over 25 years’ experience in technology, predominantly in the financial services domain. He has extensive experience at leading global teams, developing strategy and delivering solutions to address business and technology issues.

Prior to joining Allstate, John led Citi’s delivery centre in Belfast, providing IT, Operations, HR, Legal, Finance and Risk Services to the broader Citi group as one of 27 global delivery centres in its global network. Before serving in this position, John held senior management roles as head of technology and as a business unit manager for Citi, as well as senior roles at Grafton Recruitment, Liberty IT, J P Morgan Chase, St George Bank Treasury and Merrill Lynch.

John joined Allstate NI in January 2016 as Managing Director responsible for over 2,400 employees based in Belfast, Derry and Strabane. He was promoted to Vice President in July 2016.

John is the Executive Sponsor for the Women in Technology at Allstate (WITA) and the Embrace (LGBT) network. External to Allstate NI, he is a Women in Business Diversity Champion. John is President of the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Queen’s University Employers’ Forum, is a school governor and is chair of the ICT Panel of the NI government’s technology foresight group MATRIX. John earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Engineering and Computer Science from Queen’s University Belfast.

Indy Hothi CA is the co-founder of Upside Projects, a consultancy and venture builder which provides strategic advice on digital transformation, innovation and sustainability to public and private sector clients. Prior to Upside Projects, Indy was a senior economist with EY in London. He worked across a number of high-profile social/economic impact studies which influenced public policy and included clients such as the Premier League and Rugby World Cup.

Through his passion for social and humanitarian causes, Indy is a Director of Khalsa Aid International, a charity which provides humanitarian aid in disaster areas and civil conflict zones. His work has led him to the frontline on a number of projects including Iraq, DR Congo, Lebanon, Nepal and Haiti. Throughout 2020 and 2021 Indy has been working with Khalsa Aid to improve its governance, revamp its strategy and oversee its humanitarian response to COVID-19.

Indy is currently the Deputy President of ICAS, for the worlds first professional body of Chartered Accountants (CAs). ICAS has over 20,000 members worldwide. Indy is an ambassador for One Young World and a passionate advocate for education around the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Lens Podcast

Supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Harjot Singh in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Harjot and his guests discuss innovation and what role businesses can play in securing a sustainable future.

Our Guests

Peter is Chairman of BPEurope, BP UK and BP Exploration Operating Company. He is accountable for the governance, reputation, and integration of all bp’s European activities.

He has worked in trading, refining, shipping, upstream gas, B2B marketing, corporate strategy, and power –in London, New York, Paris and Brussels. He sits on the Boards of Fuels Europe, ICC UK, is an Honorary Director of the Royal Opera House, sits on the British Museum Chairman’s Advisory Group, the CBI President’s Committee, and is a Director of the BP Pension Fund. Peter has an MA (Oxford), an MBA (INSEAD) and an Honorary Fellowship (King’s London).

He is married with three children, and his interests cover the arts and most sports, from tennis to triathlons.

Ayah is an international energy award winner and a One Young World Ambassador. She works as an energy policy manager in Leeds for a power transformers manufacturer decarbonising the distribution sector.

Ayah is trying to help advance net zero by raising awareness and advocating to influence policies, funds and schemes to address the issue of aging inefficient assets in the UK. Being the first female solar energy in Jordan, Ayah played a major role in defining and growing the renewable energy sector in the region legislatively and commercially while working with communities and civil society organisations to realise the importance of shifting from electricity consumer to renewable electricity prosumers.

Ayah has a BSc in engineering and a MSc in Sustainability and business. She volunteers with multiple professional, academic and non-for-profit organisations to address climate change on multiple levels and scales. 

The Lens Podcast

Supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Harjot Singh in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Harjot and his guests discuss how business can collaborate better with education to inspire the future workforce, the value of mentoring, and how meeting the right person at the right time can influence a young person’s career.

Our Guests

Angela was appointed CFO and Executive Director of Siemens UK in January 2018. In addition to this role, she is also Finance Director of the Smart Infrastructure Operating Company. 

Prior to her move to UK, Angela was Partner and Global CFO for Next47, the corporate venturing arm of Siemens AG. Based in Germany, Next47 is a fund, investing and partnering with startups to foster ideas and accelerate the development of new technologies. 

During her 20 year career with Siemens, Angela has held several senior management positions in the UK and overseas, including Global Vice President and CFO for the Digital Enterprise Software segment, a key unit for the industrial digitalization strategy of Siemens. 

Earlier in her career, Angela was Commercial Director for North West Europe for Siemens IT Solutions and Services. She is a Non-Executive Director and Member of the Audit Committee of the Compound Semi-Conductor Catapult based in Cardiff –one of Innovate UKs world leading innovation centres.  

Angela is Chair of the CBI Economic Growth Board and is a Chartered Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. Angela is a qualified Accountant and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

Vincent graduated from the University of Nottingham in October 2017, with an undergraduate degree in Politics and a Masters in International Relations, before joining Grant Thornton UK LLP in January 2018 and qualifying as an accountant. 

Vincent co-founded GT’s first Ethnicity Network, which aims to reduce the ethnicity pay gap and increase representation at the top level. Vincent is also on GT’s Inclusion Advisory board, which advises the Strategic Leadership Team on operational and strategic decisions.  

Outside of work, Vincent is the co-founder of The Open Private School, a charity which aims to provide state-school educated students with some of the intangible benefits of a private education. Vincent is also a governor at Crowlands Primary School, responsible for overseeing the management side of the school. 

In his capacity as a One Young World ambassador, Vincent is a project lead within the FinBiz 2030 Taskforce. Vincent sits on the SteerCo for The Network of Networks, an organisation which supports over 100 companies network leaders and C-Suite execs to create inclusive environments. Vincent also works as an ambassador the NewGen Accountants, an NFP providing individuals from underrepresented backgrounds with the knowledge needed to pursue a career in accountancy, speaking at a number of events.  

The Lens Podcast

Supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Harjot Singh in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Harjot and his guests explore responsible leadership, digital connectivity and access to technology. They talk about making valuable connections, closing the digital skills gap and the importance of having a strong sense of purpose.

Our Guests

Gavin was appointed President and Chief Revenue Officer, Salesforce on August 1, 2020. He is responsible for worldwide sales and distribution of Salesforce products and services. Patterson joined Salesforce in August 2019 and served as Chairman of EMEA Advisory Board and President and CEO International. 

Prior to Salesforce, Gavin served as Chief Executive of BT Group from 2013-19 and a board director from 2008-19. During his tenure at BT, he completed the UK rollout of the superfast fibre and started the deployment ultrafast fibre. He led the £15 billion acquisition of EE, launched BT Sport, expanded BT’s cyber security practice and championed BT’s social purpose agenda. He joined BT in 2004 as MD Consumer and joined the board as CEO BT Retail in 2008. Prior to BT, he spent four years at Virgin Media latterly as MD Consumer and nine years at Procter & Gamble in various brand management and marketing roles. In January 2021, Gavin Patterson became chair of Business in the Community - the Prince’s Responsible Business Network.

Gavin is a Non-Executive Director at Elixirr Consulting, the APAX backed AI business Fractal and EQT backed Delta Fiber. He served on many boards including British Airways plc and as a Trustee at The British Museum and acting as an advisor for many tech start-ups. He graduated from Cambridge University with an MEng in Chemical Engineering.

Dara is a Manager within Digital Transformation & Innovation at the global firm Deloitte, with particular areas of focus being Digital Acceleration, Workforce Transformation and Leadership Development. She is also a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and currently sits on the ICAEW’s Sustainability Committee.  

Having lived and worked across four different continents, she is passionate about rethinking and redesigning the paradigm within which organisations operate, such that sustainability - economic, environmental and societal - sits at the heart of solutions and strategies proposed for the future.

The Lens Podcast

Supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Harjot Singh in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many thanks to all our listeners all over the world, to Fujitsu and McCann for their generous support of this podcast, to One Young World, to our Business In The Community member companies and of course, to our inspiring guests: the senior and future leaders making the world of business more responsible, illuminating new perspectives and leading by example.

Thank you for listening and tune in for Season 4.

Our Guests 

Ann Pickering, Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief of Staff, O2 on returning to work: interview tips, authentic support and what inclusion really looks like.

Olivia Cramer, Deal Crafter, The Craftory discusses challenger brands, rebellious entrepreneurs, green energy and cause-driven business. 

Jan Gooding, Chair, Stonewall talks about community, communication and inclusion in these uncertain times

Joe Gilbert, Cloud Native Engineer, Fujitsu explains how to be a better ally and the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic on his own life, as well as those of colleagues and friends.

Dr Siobhan Gardiner, Climate Change and Environmental Lead, Deloitte explores the future of plastic and her mission to bring the value of science to those who need it most.

Carlotta Giacché, Associate, Coordinating Ambassador UK, One Young World on risk, opportunity and sustainable finance

Sheree Atcheson, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Monzo Bank explains how transparency and connectivity play a key role in diversity and inclusion.

Steve Murrells, Chief Executive, The Co-op on business with purpose and what it means to be a social enterprise

Emily Rose Jenkins, Geotechnical Engineer, Transport for Wales on the future of housing, the future of travel, and how the two might combine

Claudio Gienal, CEO, AXA UK and Ireland talks about how cutting edge technology connects with tough business problems, how to make any business more innovative and how the future of healthcare will involve new forms of collaboration.

Ivan Kayima, CEO and Founder, Spiela on mentoring, taking risks and equality

Anne Boden, Founder and CEO, Starling Bank on why standing for something is integral to business success, the difference between for-profit and profit-driven and using technology for good.

Chris Conway, Group Chief Executive, Translink on the role of transport in building a cleaner and greener economy, infrastructure and future

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month our host Oli Barrett MBE is joined by Chris Conway, Group Chief Executive of Translink, keeping the trains and buses and coaches running across Northern Ireland; and Seye Odukogbe, Co-Founder of Routemasters & Founder of Cycle to Class.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett MBE explores the future of travel, a cleaner greener future. They talk about the benefits of cutting time and stress from someone’s daily journeys, all the more relevant during a national lockdown.

And of course, our host asks both Chris and Seye who they’d most like to meet for coff­ee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

Chris Conway took up the position of Group Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company and its operating subsidiaries (Translink) in 2015. He has extensive international business experience with Tata Steel Europe where he worked as Managing Director Tata Steel Distribution Ireland and previously as Vice President Operations for Nortel Networks in Europe.

Chris graduated from Ulster University with a BSc in Engineering and Business, and also has an MBA from Ulster University. He is a Chartered Company Director and a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers).

Chris is Chairperson of NI-CO (Northern Ireland Co-operation Overseas) and a member of CBI Northern Ireland Council

Seye Odukogbe holds an MEng in Biomedical Engineering from Queen Mary University of London and an MBA from Said Business School, University of Oxford. He has over a decade of experience managing complex Transport, Energy, and infrastructure projects in the UK and across Africa.

Before co-founding Routemasters, a transport and mobility data platform for the emerging world, Seye was the Head of Strategic Ventures for a leading energy firm, developing and investing in renewable energy solutions across the emerging world. Seye desire to lead transformative change led him to found 'Cycle to Class', a not-for-profit that provides bicycles to children in rural communities in Nigeria so they can get educated and a better chance in life.

Seye is a Jacobs Social Entrepreneurship Fellow, Windsor Fellow, and a World Economic Forum Global Shaper.  .  

The Lens Reading List

Chris chose Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand – the true-life story of World War II hero Louis Zamperini.

Seye chose Factfulness by Hans Rosling, saying " it really challenges the notion of how the world works, and so challenges us to be more fact based on world views."

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett MBE gets an understanding of why standing for something is integral to business success, the difference between for-profit and profit-driven and using technology for good.

And of course, our host asks both Anne and Cecilia who they’d most like to meet for coff­ee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

Anne Boden Anne Boden is founder and CEO of Starling Bank, a fast-growing UK digital bank targeting millions of users who live their lives on their phones. After a distinguished career working in senior leadership at some of the world’s best-known financial heavyweights, among them Allied Irish Banks, Royal Bank of Scotland and ABN AMRO, she set out to build her own bank from scratch in 2014. Starling was voted Best British Bank for the past three years and has opened more than 1.5 million accounts, including more than 200,000 accounts for small business owners. Anne is a board member of UK Finance and was awarded an MBE for services to financial technology in 2018. 

Cecilia Shapiro is the Project Coordinator of Emerging Technologies for the UNICEF Innovation Fund. The Innovation Fund allows UNICEF to quickly assess, fund and grow open-source solutions that can improve children’s lives. Financial and technological support is available for companies that are using technology in innovative ways to improve the world. She is also the Co-founder and Executive Director of Yunus &Youth, helping promising young people build impactful social businesses, anywhere in the world.  

The Lens Reading List

Anne chose The Hard Thing about Hard Things by Ben Horowitz, adding "I've been known to pick chapters out for my executive teams - starting a business is tough."

Cecilia chose Becoming by Michelle Obama, commending: "I think she's a force of nature."

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett MBE gets an understanding of how to empower people to respond to change and the surprising power of vulnerability.

And of course, our host asks both Penny and Ivan who they’d most like to meet for coff­ee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

Penny James is Chief Executive Officer of Direct Line. She joined the Board as an Executive Director in November 2017. The Board benefits from Penny’s deep understanding of our sector as well as her leadership skills, financial and risk expertise, strategic thinking and cultural alignment. As CEO, Penny is leading both the delivery of the Group’s short-term strategic imperatives, including technological and business transformation, and the development of the next stage of our strategy of targeting long-term sustainability.

Penny was previously Group Chief Risk Officer and Executive Director at Prudential plc, where she was responsible for leading risk oversight globally. Before this, she was Director of Group Finance at Prudential. Penny was previously Group CFO at Omega Insurance Holdings Limited and CFO, UK General Insurance, at Zurich Financial Services. She was a NED of Admiral Group plc from 2015 to 2017. She is an Associate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Ivan Kayima is CEO of collaborative network Spiela – an online platform for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to find opportunities. Its mission is to create a social hub where users can come together to share, collaborate, and support one another to grow personally and professionally. Born and raised in Lewisham, Ivan wanted to give back and better to his community by providing opportunities to others He graduated with first class honours in Digital Media from the University of Portsmouth and graduated from New Entrepreneurs Foundation. 

The Lens Reading List

Penny chose Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A Milne. Penny explains: "When my daughter was young, I realised it was full of philosophy and there’s a great quote, it’s one of Tigger’s, and it goes ‘It doesn’t matter how fast you run or how high you jump, it’s all about how well you bounce’. A great resilience line from a Zebedee of a Tigger. So, look to Winnie the Pooh if things get tough."

Ivan chose The Kybalion: A Study of The Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece by The Three Initiates.

Ivan says "it’s an old, mystic book in terms of energy transference, and how to shift and apply your mindset within any single situation you’re going through. And whenever we experience phenomena or things in life that doesn’t necessarily make sense to us through our eyes, the book explains how the mind and the thought process works, how energy puts that altogether and how the universe leads to where you are now."

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett MBE gets an understanding of how cutting edge technology connects with tough business problems, how to make any business more innovative and how the future of healthcare will involve new forms of collaboration.

And of course, our host asks both Claudio and Sandiso who they’d most like to meet for coffee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

Claudio Gienal is Chief Executive of AXA UK and Ireland. He joined the company in July 2017 and was previously Chief Strategy Development Officer, European Markets.

Prior to joining AXA, Claudio spent ten years at Zurich where he held a number of senior positions including Chief Strategy Officer for the Zurich Group, CEO of the Zurich Life Insurance Company and Chief Operating Officer of Zurich Insurance UK.

He is currently a board member for AXA Konzern in Germany and Switzerland-based insurance start-up JAROWA. Claudio previously served on the board of Farmers New World Life in the US and is a council member of the British Swiss Chamber of Commerce. 

Claudio began his career as a management consultant working for McKinsey & Company and Accenture. He has a Masters in Environmental Engineering from ETZH Swiss Federal Institute.

Sandiso Sibisi the founder of COOi Studios, an Open Innovation advisory and lab for corporates, that bridges the gap between innovative products developed by start-ups and corporations wanting to solve tough business problems, using design thinking. 

Prior to COOi Studios, Sandiso served as the Head of Open Innovation for Africa region at Accenture, a global technology consulting company. In 2013, Sandiso established the Born to Succeed programme, which advocates and educates for young women’s economic participation, to date the programme has helped over 120 women obtain employment. 

Sandiso is a One Young World ambassador, an impactful young leader creating a better world, with more responsible and effective leadership. Her other accolades include being named as a Sustainable Development Goals ambassador; one of Mzansi’s 100 Inspiring and Aspiring Leaders; a Play Your Part Ambassador with Brand South Africa; an Inspiring fifty Women in Tech; and a Mandela Washington Fellow. Sandiso holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Technology from Wits University, a Social Entrepreneurship Certificate from INSEAD and is currently a Master of Management (Innovation Studies) candidate at Wits University

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Build back better... 

Our Guest 

Lucinda Charles-Jones is Group HR Director, AXA UK & Ireland and also a member of the UK/Ireland Management Committee & AXA Group’s Global HR leadership team.  She has more than 20 years of experience operating at board and management-committee level with deep expertise in people across a range of industries in the UK and globally. She has particular expertise in transformational change in dispersed, complex organisations such as Hays, RAC and Towergate

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett MBE gets an understanding of the future of housing, the future of travel, and how the two might combine. It explores how different generations can work and live together, to support each other.

And of course, our host asks both Scott and Emily Rose who they’d most like to meet for coff­ee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

Scott concentrates on strategic business planning, corporate communications and governance. He leads on Linc's New Business Strategy and is a Director of Tarbed Ltd.

Scott has held Directors roles with responsibility for Asset Management, Development, Housing and Corporate Leadership. He has worked with Pobl Group for the past 13 years leading Charter Housing and Derwen Cymru. He is a Non-Executive Director for ASH Wales, Abbeyfield Wales Society and Community Housing Cymru.

Emily-Rose is a passionate young leader working as a geotechnical engineer for Transport for Wales. She has a varied experience working on both railway and highway schemes in design and asset management, focusing on the interconnection between geotechnical assets, drainage and the environment. She believes in making the world a better place; working with nature and not against it. Emily-Rose is a One Young World Ambassador and is currently taking part in the Future Generations Leadership Academy. 

The Lens Reading List

Scott chose Mike Tyson's Undisputed Truth, an autobiography that lays bare the story of his remarkable life and career, including his upbringing, the impact of deprivation and how his relationship with his coach affected his mind and decision making. 

Emily-Rose chose Why I'm no Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. This #1 Sunday Times Bestseller is a book that sparked a national conversation, exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race.

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett MBE gets an understanding of business with purpose what it really means to be a social enterprise.

And of course, our host asks both Steve and Alice who they’d most like to meet for coff­ee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

Steve Murrells is the Chief Executive of Co-op. Having led the Co-op’s Food business since 2012. He now has overall responsibility for all the Co-op’s businesses. Steve has led on Co-op campaigns to address issues that are important to Co-op’s members. He spoke on water poverty at the Global Citizen Festival in 2017 where he committed to donate 1p per litre from sales of all branded bottled water to the Global Water Fund. He has committed the Co-op to tackle the scourge of modern slavery and called on his fellow business leaders to follow his lead. Over a dozen businesses have subsequently signed up to work on Co-op’s Bright Future programme; supporting survivors of modern slavery with paid work placements. During Steve’s tenure the Co-op has responded to the call of its members to tackle loneliness raising £6.5m. Its campaign to get the issue recognised by the Government has led to the appointment of a Minister whose responsibility is to address the issue of loneliness.

Alice Sparks, a recent graduate from the University of Manchester, is Head of Invisible (Manchester), a global social enterprise that trains people who have experienced homelessness to become walking tour guides of their city. Her interest in social impact was first ignited whilst on placement as a business consultant to a Rwandan arts social enterprise in 2017. As a voice for young people in social enterprise and a member of the G20 Young Global Changers, her future is committed to pursuing social and creative enterprise as an innovative solution to tackle society’s biggest injustices.

The Lens Reading List

Steve chose Why I'm no Longer Talking to White People about Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge. This #1 Sunday Times Bestseller is a book that sparked a national conversation, exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race.

Alice chose Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez. From government policy and medical research, to technology, workplaces, and the media. Invisible Women reveals how in a world built for and by men we are systematically ignoring half of the population, often with disastrous consequences.

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett MBE gets an understanding of how transparency and connectivity play a key role in diversity and inclusion.

And of course, our host asks both Mairead and Sheree who they’d most like to meet for coff­ee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

Mairead is Director of Openreach in Northern Ireland. With over 12 years of experience working in the leading communications company, Mairead is responsible for over 800 members of staff including large engineering teams and she also engages with major customers and stakeholders. Proud to invest in its people, Openreach has an impressive training programme where its key aim is to keep staff motivated and happy. It also has a popular apprenticeship programme, helping to engineer the future workforce with quality training and real career prospects. Prior to this position, Mairead has held senior management roles across Planning, Operations and Field engineering within BT and has taken a leading role in the completion of large scale fibre broadband delivery projects throughout Northern Ireland.

Sheree is Global Ambassador at Women Who Code and former Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Monzo Bank. Listed as one of the UK's most influential women in technology, she is an international multi-award winning Diversity and Inclusion leader who is a global change maker in pushing for equality in industry. Monzo’s mission is to make money work for everyone by treating people fairly and being totally transparent. The challenger bank promotes an inclusive and empowering working environment to support every team member. Sheree has developed a wide range of training and resources at Monzo. Prior to this, she has held various roles on inclusion; including developing and implementing the Deloitte Inclusion Strategy.

The Lens Reading List

Mairead chose Trevor Noah's Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. A compelling, inspiring, (often comic) coming-of-age story of Trevor Noah, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

Sheree chose Better Allies by Karen Caitlin, a book about everyday actions that can help create inclusive, engaging workplaces; that helps you to learn to spot situations where you can create a more inclusive culture, along with straightforward steps to take.

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Build back better... 

Our Guest 

Adam Freeman is Group Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at MAG. A Chartered Environmentalist, Adam leads a broad programme of sustainability initiatives across MAG’s three UK airports at Manchester, East Midlands and London Stansted. Adam’s recently coordinated the support MAG has provided to its neighbouring communities during the coronavirus pandemic and over the last year has led the development of MAG’s 2020 CSR Strategy, ‘Working together for a Brighter Future’.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Build back better... 

Our Guest 

Shauna Young, is Heron Bros. Corporate Responsibility Manager. Shauna has worked in the construction industry for over 10 years with a background in surveying, finance, and economics. She recently received her Construction Manager Chartership with CIOB and is qualified as a Community Development Practitioner and a Mental Health First Aider. Shauna uses these qualifications and experience to design and deliver Heron Bros. Responsible Business Practices.  

Heron Bros. is a construction and property development company that is proud to deliver landmark construction projects throughout the UK and Ireland.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Jane Lindsay-Green worked in the FMCG and Telecoms industries before joining Shell in 2005, where she has designed and executed global innovation programmes. She now leads the Commercial Offers team within Shell UK’s Energy Transition group, and is responsible for the development and delivery of integrated, lower emission Power, Heat and Mobility solutions, working with UK commercial customers and local authorities to help them achieve their decarbonisation ambitions.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Pete Moorey is Head of Digital Impact & Sustainability Campaigns at BT. He leads on campaigns for BT Skills for Tomorrow, which aims to help 10 million people in the UK make the most of life in the digital world. . Before joining BT in 2019, he was Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs at Which?, where he ran the consumer champion’s campaigns – securing changes to laws, regulation and consumer behaviour in the financial services, utilities, transport and retail markets. Pete was previously the Head of Public Affairs at the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Head of Campaigns & Communications at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. He is on the Board of FutureDotNow, is a trustee of the Sheila McKechnie Foundation, and has advised numerous organisations on their campaigns and comms strategies including Scope, Save the Children, the British Chambers of Commerce, the Royal College of Nursing and the Rail Ombudsman.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett MBE gets an understanding of how insurance is changing to use data and technology to help businesses large and small save time and manage their risks, and meets a future leader with a passion for making money matter while it grows. 

And of course, our host asks both James and Carlotta who they’d most like to meet for coffee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

James Russell is the CEO and co-founder of www.getBrisk.com. Having worked at Aviva for 17 years including four years as the MD of the internet auction business bluecycle.com, James launched Brisk. Brisk aims to help small to medium-sized businesses and their advisers save time managing risk and cut through the complexity often found in protecting their business. Prior to Aviva, James was a supply chain consultant at Ernst & Young and Key Account Manager at Lucas Automotive.

Collaboration has the power to unlock the potential in people, businesses and the communities we are part of. That's why I left corporate life to focus on supporting small-medium sized businesses. I believe they are an under-served part of our economy and I want to support them to be stronger and more resilient. We launched Brisk in 2019 as a new way to protect businesses beyond just an insurance policy. We take a 360° approach - integrating risk monitoring with insurance in a single digital assistant - www.getbrisk.com.

If you work with business clients, you can now profile and monitor the businesses you work with and also complete ‘Know Your Customer’ and ‘Anti-Money Laundering’ checks on Directors. Instantly generate comprehensive credit and risk reports on any registered UK business with a cyber health report as well. I’m bringing my experience in Insurance, Consulting, Manufacturing and running an Internet auction business to support the backbone of the UK economy. Luckily, part of the ‘day job’ also means I get to use my ICF coaching qualification to unlock the hidden potential in people. I’m an active supporter of Young Enterprise and mentoring young students in high schools.

Carlotta Giacché is an Italian/German corporate banker, currently working with renewable energy and digital infrastructure projects in northern Europe. As part of her commitment towards sustainable finance, she's on a mission to explore how to make money matter while it grows – i.e. how positive change can be achieved with personal finances. By doing so, she's aiming to empower millennials to drive the demand for more transparent and consistent information on their investments, reducing "green washing" or "SDG window dressing".

Carlotta is also a member of various groups and networks, such as the Finance&Business 2030 Task Force, which promote thought leadership and new perspectives in this space. In today's environment there is an enormous discrepancy between global gross financial assets (estimated to be more than USD 200 trillion, 900 times the size of investments in impact funds of c. USD 228 billion) and funding channelled towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, Carlotta believe that in the current “decade of action” (2020-2030) it is crucial to start asking questions and reinstall our trust in financial institutions.

Carlotta is also the Coordinating Ambassador for One Young World in the UK, the global forum for young leaders which identifies, promotes and connects the world’s most impactful young talent. As part of her role, she provides the UK One Young World community with the tools they need to drive positive change and support them in maintaining the momentum and positive energy. She hold a BSc in Business Management from the University of Birmingham, as well as a double MSc in Finance & Strategy from Sciences Po Paris and the FGV EAESP in São Paulo.

The Lens Reading List

Carlotta chose The Person You Mean To Be by Dolly Chugh, an award-winning social psychologist at the New York University Stern School of Business, on how to confront difficult issues including sexism, racism, inequality, and injustice so that you can make the world (and yourself) better.

James chose Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, a remarkable series of challenging spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the emperor struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe.

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Paul Kift is the Director of Skills & Business Development at Gower College Swansea, a leading further education college operating across seven locations in Swansea. The college is one of the largest employers in its region with a turnover of circa £50m.

A former student of Gower College Swansea, Paul went on to undertake senior management roles within the education and legal sectors, which saw him operate across the UK and China, prior to him returning to the college as a Director in 2017.

Paul has responsibility for the development of Gower College Swansea's business training arm. He also leads the college's Work Based Learning, External Funding, Employer Development and International departments.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Cleo Lyn is Managing Director of Cleone Foods. Formed in Birmingham in 1988 by her father Wade, Cleone Foods produce and distribute Jamaican patties under their registered trademark Island Delight. Cleone Foods and their recognisable branded Island Delight patties continue to go from strength to strength and employ 68 staff, boosting the Birmingham economy. Cleone Foods is recognised as a leading business, particularly in the fields of responsible business ethics and Afro-Caribbean business community.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In addition to her work at Sainsbury’s, Judith is a Non-Executive Director of both the Environment Agency and the Rugby Players Association, is Deputy Chair of Farm Africa, sits on the Board of the Matt Hampson Foundation, the Executive Board of The Princes Trust Accounting for Sustainability Project, and is also an ambassador for the Woodland Trust. Judith is a Fellow of both the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), and the Royal Society of Arts and Manufactures (RSA), from 2013 – 2018 she Co-Chaired the Government’s AgriFoodTech Council, and currently sits on the Food and Drink Sector Council.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our guest . . .

Christopher Gray, Managing Director Strategy & Consulting, is responsible for helping Accenture's UK clients drive digitalisation, innovation and change with a key focus on making effective use of data and Advanced Analytics to enable these changes. Today Chris is working with a central UK Government Department on a major multi-strand change initiative. Prior to this Chris has led UK Client Accounts, as well as the Data and Analytics practice across all Health & Public Service industries for Europe, Africa & Latin America.

Chris is also responsible for Accenture’s Manchester office and is Chair of Business In The Community’s North West Regional Advisory Board and a Board Member and Director of The North West Business Leadership Team.

Chris completed a B.Sc. at Aston University in International Business & Modern Languages as part of which he studied at the Grenoble École de Management (France). He speaks English, French and Spanish and is an impassioned supporter of Accenture's LGBT diversity initiatives.  

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest

Kerry McNally spent over 10 years at Deutsche Bank in the UK developing and overseeing community investment and volunteer partnerships across a range of areas including education, community development, social finance and the arts.

Prior to Deutsche Bank, Kerry spent three years managing leadership development programs at Common Purpose, a global not-for-profit education and leadership development organization. At the beginning of 2020, Kerry joined Fitch Group (comprising Fitch Ratings, Fitch Solutions and Fitch Learning) to set up their Global CSR programme initially focusing on employee volunteering and engagement.

On a personal note, Kerry is an adventurer at heart. She has spent time undertaking personal challenges ranging from skydiving to mountain climbing as well as living and volunteering abroad. She has a passion for the power of Education – motivated in part by her three children - and has spent time travelling, fundraising and volunteering to support communities here in the UK, Guatemala and in New York. 

The Lens

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The

Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett MBE meets a doctor on a mission to bring the value of science to those who need it most and CEO of the Tesla of plastic. Oli and our guests discuss how big business can learn from start ups and tech pioneers, the power of superbrands to shift from conspicuous consumption to conscious consumption and how the plastic of the future will have a sell-by date.. 

And of course, our host asks both Niall and Siobhan who they’d most like to meet for coffee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List. 

Our Guests

Niall Dunne joined Polymateria as Chief Executive Officer in January 2018 to tackle the global crisis of plastic waste and lead the company towards its mission of advancing science to help nature deal with plastic pollution. Niall is a passionate advocate of business aligning behind an inspiring purpose that can optimise its strategy, differentiate its brand and motivate its culture thereby enabling sustainable long term growth. 

A World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, Niall has worked on WEF’s Global Agenda Councils on Sustainable Consumption and Climate Change where he has launched and led initiatives such as Collectively.org and 100percentsport.org. These initiatives have unified some of the largest businesses and NGOs in the world behind systems level transformations seeking to tackle some of the biggest issues we are facing. 

Siobhan Gardiner leads the work in Climate Change and Environment at Deloitte Ventures, having previously worked with Procter & Gamble and Unilever. A doctor of biochemistry and a passionate sustainability advocate, she is Women of the Future 2019 and InnovateUK Women in Innovation winner (+Industrial Strategy Robotics & AI cohort) and CWEIC Commonwealth Export Champion

Siobhan is also an ambassador for our podcast partner One Young World and represents the Institute of Economics & Peace. She is also the former Vice President of the BFWG. tech-leader on food security, supply chain and AI environmental technologies, she is a dedicated advocate of SDGs, STEM outreach and diversity initiatives.

The Lens Reading List

Niall Dunne chooses Superpumped – a book about Uber, culture and learning from failure by Mike Isaac. He also selects

Bad Blood, the story of Elizabeth Holmes, by John Carreyrou and Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal. ‘It’s the best book for leadership, not just for anyone in business but all people.’

Siobhan Gardiner mentions Melinda Gates’ book and the parallels between force multipliers and her own work with Deloitte. She also chooses Rob Dunn’s Never Out of Season. “Coming from a farm, studying plants, looking at mechanisms, crops, detrimental impacts, selective genetics, this book shows us in an accessible way the story of the scientists trying to solve problems.”

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Dave Parry is Chief People Officer at Gymshark, where his primary focus is to ensure that Culture remains at the heart of the company’s operations.

Gymshark is a fast-growing business that is becoming one of the most recognised sportswear brands in the world. As Chief People Officer, Dave ensures that the strategic operations align with their culture, values and vision, which are focussed on uniting the conditioning community.

Prior to joining Gymshark, he was the owner of business coaching and change consultancy The Art of the Possible. The company provided coaching as well as leadership and management guidance in order to effect positive cultural and behavioural change within organisations.

As an Associate at a number of leading training and development solutions companies including Instep, Dave expanded his expertise in development and behaviour change for businesses. He introduced mBraining to the UK and is Co-Founder of mBraining UK, which uses NLP, cognitive linguistics and behavioural modelling to harness multiple intelligences.

Dave started his career and his fascination with Leadership in the military and later at the at multi-national dairy company, Müller, where he was responsible for learning and organisational development. In his first role at Müller, one of the UK’s most popular yoghurt brands, he was engaged in FMCG production management.

He serves as Director at Wrexham Gymnastics Club and is a member of the International Neuro-Linguistic Programming Trainer's Association (INLPTA). Dave is also a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Master Practitioner and Trainer, which authorises him to train others in the discipline, as well as apply NLP in his coaching in order to guide and support individuals and teams to reach their goals.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

John Haynes is the Managing Director of ENGIE. John completed a degree in maths and physics at Durham University in 2004. He went on to train and qualify as a chartered accountant, working for a FTSE 250 UK construction company (Balfour Beatty). John worked on large-scale education, healthcare and infrastructure PFI/PPP projects.  

Between 2013 and 2016 John worked for ENGIE, a multinational energy and services and regeneration company, in the role of Business Development Director, leading large-scale service transformation and renewable energy projects in the public and regulated sectors across the UK.  

In 2017 John was appointed to the post of Partnership Director for ENGIE’s 15-year business partnership with North Tyneside Council (NTC), providing services to NTC including those involving finance, human resources, information and communication technology, customer services, revenue collection and housing benefits payments, procurement and health and safety.

Also a board member, representing industry at the Career College North East John is passionate about the role that business can play to improve the quality of people lives, and stimulate and support greater prosperity for everyone that lives, works and visits the north east. He is also Chair of Governors at Monkseaton Middle School. John is passionate about the role that business can play to improve the quality of people lives, and stimulate and support greater prosperity for everyone that lives, works and visits the north east.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Brad is Managing Director of the Anthesis UK business. With over 31 years professional experience in environmental and sustainability consulting, Brad has latterly been actively engaged in the development of Anthesis’ city and region services including associated software products.

With extensive knowledge and experience of the consulting landscape, Brad has directed and delivered projects for clients across a wide range of sectors including aerospace, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, finance and banking and construction and development. Brad is actively engaged in supporting BiTC’s North West Advisory Board as well as co-chairing Pro-Manchester’s Green Economy Group.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Fiona Smith-Laittan is VP & Head of the Global Health Unit reporting to the President, Global Affairs at GSK The Global Health Unit is the coordination point for GSK’s enterprise-wide Global Health activities which are led by our three global businesses: Pharmaceuticals, Vaccines and Consumer, and focus on the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases in children and adolescents in the developing world.

The Unit also has responsibility for GSK’s corporate Global Health programmes, such as our pioneering Save the Children partnership, albendazole donation programme and GSK’s emergency response to humanitarian disasters.

Fiona has worked at GSK since 2005 in a variety of commercial leadership roles within UK Pharmaceuticals and ViiV Healthcare, and in strategy, delivery and operational roles in R&D, the Office of the CEO and Communications & Government Affairs. She holds an Executive MBA from the London Business School, and an MA in Natural Sciences from Cambridge.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Pip Jamieson is the Founder & CEO of The Dots, a professional network for people that don’t wear suits to work, dubbed 'The next LinkedIn?' by Forbes. Pip was named by The Sunday Times as one of the Top 100 Disruptive Entrepreneurs innovating in their respective fields, by Creative Review as one of the top 50 Creative Leaders & by Campaign as one of the 50 Trailblazers of the Future. Head to Wikipedia for more info.

Being a dyslexic sole female tech founder, Pip has put promoting social responsibility and diversity at the heart of The Dots, by using the platform to spotlight underrepresented groups and content rooted in good causes. 62% of The Dots community are female, 31% BAME and 16% LGBT+. business build diverse teams at the heart of everything they do! 68% + of The Dots community is female, 31% + BAME & 16% + LGBT+. The Dots also do a lot of work around socioeconomic diversity and neurodiversity to fuel a more balanced industry of the future.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Wayne Close was appointed Managing Director for UK Health Services in October 2017. Prior to that he was Acting CEO of International Markets. He has 25 years experience at Bupa having joined in 1992. His roles include leading Bupa International (the precursor to Bupa Global), MD of Bupa Global North America, setting up and leading Bupa Saudi Arabia, and holding a number of CFO roles across Bupa including the former International Development Markets (IDM) MU. Wayne is a Qualified Accountant and a Chartered Director. 

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Plus, we drill down on responsible business, covering everything from the models that work to those that won’t last, sustainability vs. austerity and our guests’ advice for future generations. We’ll hear more about the extraordinary global platform that is One Young World, and consider what today’s business leaders can learn from history. And of course, our host asks both Emma and Sir Richard who they’d most like to meet for coffee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

Sir Richard Lambert is a British journalist and business executive. He served as Director-General of the CBI, Chancellor of the University of Warwick and Editor of the Financial Times newspaper. He currently chairs the board of the British Museum and is also Chairman of Bloomsbury Publishing.

Emma Bell is the Co-Chair of the One Young World FinBiz Task Force, tackling the 17 sustainable development goals from the UN. Emma joined Rcapital in October 2018 to support its portfolio companies with transformation and growth. With a diverse background including finance, marketing, sales and technology; Emma brings a wealth of knowledge and experience across a variety of different sectors.

The Lens Reading List

Emma Bell chooses Sapiens by Yuval Harari and another book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki. Emma also mentions Hillary Mantel and her wildly popular Wolf Hall series.

Sir Richard Lambert chooses Ithaca, a poem by Constantine Cavafy. ‘What it essentially says’ he tells our host, ‘is have a long-term goal but don’t let it dominate your life and have fun on the way. Take your time, enjoy the sunshine and when you get there, it may be what you expected when you started off but it may not be, but you’ll have enjoyed the journey.’

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Paul Broadhead is the Head of Community Investment & Education Outreach for Rolls-Royce Group. Paul leads Rolls-Royce’s commitment to investing in the community – a key part of which is investing in quality STEM education and opportunity for all. Rolls-Royce has committed to reach 6 million people globally through #RollsRoyceSTEM education programmes and activities by 2020. Im 2018 Paul received The Manufacturer Top100 recognition for Inspiring Leader, Driver of Cultural Change and Unsung Hero.

He is also involved with several charities and advocacy schemes, including, Apprenticeships Diversity Champions Network (ADCN), 5% Club Network, LBG (the global standard for measuring community investment ) Steering Group. Paul is also a Board Trustee for Foundation Derbyshire, E4E Enterprise for Education and RISE - Rural India Schools Enterprise.  

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest  

Kirsty Green-Mann is Head of Corporate Responsibility at Burges Salmon. She is a member of the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability and an associate member of the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment. Kirsty’s role addresses business and human rights, leading on community engagement and social mobility and applying the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She is also a member of the CR Committee, the Environment Committee and the Diversity and Inclusion Group. 

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest

Mark Smith is the CEO of Southern Co-Op. Providing strategic direction and leadership to a regional business covering the South of England, Mark oversees 260 trading stores and funeral homes across 11 counties in the South. Co-Op Southern turns over £0.4 billion a year with the help of 4500 dedicated colleagues.

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Abbie Morris is the CEO and Co-Founder of Compare Ethics. A sustainability and policy expert, formerly at AEQ Global, Abbie has led global teams in solving complex policy challenges, including leading a Presidential campaign in West Africa. Previously securing relationships with the United Nations, World Economic Forum and other international organisations, communication is at the heart of her approach to business.

Abbie has also made thought leadership contributions to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), spearheading the first Sustainability Working Group and launching the CBI’s first circular economy product. As the CEO of a start-up committed to using technology to solve modern challenges, Abbie has a unique insight on the socio-economic impact of investing in sustainability at scale. She was awarded the title of Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneur in this year’s Retail and Ecommerce category.  

The Lens Podcast

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Guest 

Miguel Veiga Pestana is the SVP of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability at Reckitt Benckiser. Miguel joined the company as the SVP Corporate Affairs in 2017 and is responsible for all aspects of strategic communications, brand and reputation management. He was appointed as Chief Sustainability Officer in 2018. Prior to joining Reckitt Benckiser Miguel served at Chief Communications Officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle. 

Over a thirteen-year period (2001-2014) he held several regional and global communications roles at Unilever notably as the Vice-President for Global Sustainability Strategy and Advocacy. Miguel has more than 25 years of communications, external affairs and sustainability experience having held positions in the UK, US and Brussels (EU). 

The Lens Podcast 

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. 

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Our Guest 

Anne Marie Verstraeten is the UK Country Head of the BNP Paribas Group. Previously, she had been CEO and Country Head of BNP Paribas The Netherlands, leading the Dutch BNP Paribas Corporate and Institutional Bank. Anne Marie has previously served as CEO and Country Head of BNP Paribas Canada, overseeing the bank’s offices in Montreal, Toronto and Calgary and has also been a member of the BNP Paribas North America Management Team.

Before joining BNP Paribas in 2009 Anne Marie held the position of Global Head of Energy at Fortis bank in London and Rotterdam. She belongs to the Guild of International Bankers and is a Freeman of the City of London. She also holds a knighthood, awarded in Belgium, for services to the financial industry.

The Lens Podcast

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders.

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Build back better...

Our Guest 

Luke Bullen is the UK&I and The Netherlands' CEO of Gympass, one of the world's fastest-growing companies. Gympass collaborates with the world's leading companies to improve employee wellbeing, providing unlimited and highly flexible access to online and offline workouts, meditation and mindfulness, and sleep and nutrition advice. Luke previously consulted on risk, strategy and regulation across a broad portfolio of clients comprising ‘the big four’ and others.

The Lens Podcast

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders.

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Build back better... 

Our Guest 

Angela Lockwood has been Group Chief Executive of North Star Housing Group since 2009. Her expertise and insight into housing spans almost 30 years, beginning at Sunderland Council. Angela has since worked with Home Housing, Endeavour Housing Association for which she served as Housing Director before taking up the role of Managing Director when North Star Housing Group was formed in 2006. Angela is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Housing. 

The Lens Podcast

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders. The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. 

bitc.org.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Build back better...

In this episode, Oli Barrett is joined by Andrea Barrett, Director of Responsible Business at Centrica, for a remote conversation on the company's response to the pandemic and what leaders stand to learn from this scenario.

centrica.com/media-centre/covid-19/

Our Guest

Andrea Barrett is Director of Responsible Business at Centrica, British Gas and Hive. Tasked with helping customers live more sustainable lives, Andrea is a problem solver for the future, creating long-term strategies for a low carbon future. Andrea has previously worked with Three Hands, the professional training and coaching charity, and has held Corporate Responsibility roles at the likes of British Gas, Tesco and British Red Cross. 

The Lens

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders.

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. bitc.org.uk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Build back better...

In this episode, Oli Barrett is joined by Peter Simpson, CEO of Anglian Water, for a remote conversation on the company's response to the pandemic and what leaders stand to learn from this scenario.

Our Guest

Peter has been Chief Executive of Anglian Water Group since October 2013, and was previously MD of Anglian Water from January 2010, and Chief Operating Officer from 2004. He was Chairman of Water UK from April 2012-October 2013, and is a Past President of the Institute of Water. Peter is a member of Prince of Wales Corporate Leaders Group, run by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership. 

This influences at a national, EU and global level to reduce carbon emissions, and to champion resource efficiency in water, energy and other natural resources. Peter also works with Business in the Community as Chair of the Water Taskforce as well as being part of the BiTC Circular Economy Team and the Place Leadership Team. He has also recently joined the Board of Trustees of WaterAid. 

Peter is a Chartered Water and Environmental Manager, a Chartered Scientist and Chartered Environmentalist. In 2016 he was made an Honorary Fellow of the Society of the Environment and an Honorary Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, as well as Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. He holds an MBA from Warwick Business School.

The Lens

You can follow The Lens on Instagram Instagram.com/thelenspodcast. Don't forget to like, subscribe and review. Your feedback helps us to improve future episodes and bring you the best conversations with senior and future leaders.

The Lens is a podcast by BITC the Prince's Responsible Business Network. bitc.org.uk.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing Season 3 Episode 3 of The Lens: This month our host Oli Barrett MBE is joined by Jan Gooding, Chair of the LGBT advocacy organisation Stonewall, and Joe Gilbert, a Cloud Native Engineer at Fujitsu and a representative for Fujitsu Pride Network. 

Oli and our guests discuss community, communication and inclusion in these uncertain times and the impact of the Corona Virus pandemic on their own lives, as well as those of their colleagues and friends. Jan and Joe also share their experiences of first jobs, identity at the intersection between self and career and insights on how to be a better ally. 

And of course, our host asks both Joe and Jan who they’d most like to meet for coffee and which books they’ll be adding to the famous Lens Reading List.

Our Guests

Jan Gooding has worked with the likes of Aviva, British Gas and BT, and has been managing partner of two successful marketing consultancies; antennae and BLUEdOOR. She is chair of PAMCo (Publishers Audience Measurement Company), an Executive Committee member of WACL (Women in Advertising and Communication London) and a Fellow of the Marketing Society. In 2015, Jan was ranked 16 in the Top 100 Outstanding in Business list published in the Financial Times. She holds an MA in Economics from Girton College, Cambridge. 

Joe Gilbert is Graduate Cloud Native Engineer at Fujitsu UK. With a degree in Business and IT from Sheffield Hallam University, Joe is passionate about community and communication. He is a representative for the Fujitsu Pride Network and currently works within the company to offer a strong professional support network to colleagues across Europe.

The Lens Podcast

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast. We aim to create an open and unscripted conversation between current and future leaders and to challenge the way we all think about responsible business. 

Hosted by Oli Barrett MBE, The Lens creates a space for leaders to convene, always with one eye on the future. Our guests’ conversations cover anything from climate change, the unintended consequences of AI and automation and access to ‘good work’, through to topics such as inclusivity, surveillance and diversity in the workplace.

Our host, Oli Barrett MBE is a serial entrepreneur who enjoys making useful connections between people and ideas. The creator of Tenner, the UK’s largest schools enterprise challenge, Co-Founder of social venture Volunteer It Yourself (VIY) and Founder of TOTS (Turn on the Subtitles), the children’s literacy campaign.

In 2011, Oli co-founded StartUp Britain, launched by the British Prime Minister and funded by the private sector. The campaign led to the creation of PitchUp Britain with John Lewis and Sainsbury’s and PopUp Britain, with the opening of shops around the UK.

Oli is on the advisory boards of Tech London Advocates, One Million Mentors and Troubadour Theatres, and is a Fellow of impact incubator and business builder Zinc.His latest venture, The Connector Unit, founded in 2016, forges valuable and creative connections across a range of sectors and industries.

“I love making useful introductions” says Oli. “I believe that creativity and problem solving are fuelled by connections between often wildly different people and ideas, and I want to help create projects which embrace this.”

Generously powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann, The Lens also partners with One Young World and Bright Network to connect with future leaders around the world. Each month a global business leader sits down with an emerging leader who is already making their mark to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight, controversy and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee.

The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses; The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives.

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our host Oli Barrett introduces Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy and Deal Crafter at The Craftory, Olivia Cramer to discuss challenger brands, rebellious entrepreneurs, green energy and cause-driven business. 

The three discuss how businesses can and should better reflect their customer base, what the future of energy might look like on a global scale and how to invest in good causes without offsetting others. 

Oli asks our guests about their first foray into business, the challenges, the journey and what they’ve learned along the way. From the climate crisis to LGBTQ+ representation, this episode covers a lot. Of course, our host also asks our guests for their book recommendations for The Lens’ growing bookshelf, and who they’d most like to meet for coffee.

Olivia and Greg put their own questions to one another and share the advice they’d most like to have given themselves. Both at the forefront of business innovation, this part of our conversation makes for some insights worth taking note of. 

What might the future look like with green energy supplying every household? How can businesses acknowledge and reflect the diversity of consumers? And what is social impact investing? Find out in Season 3 Episode 2 of The Lens podcast. Let’s get to the conversation...

Our Guests

Greg is the Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy. He is also a Non-Executive director of Zopa, the world’s first peer-to-peer lender, and Consultant Connect, which brings expertise to primary care. He is also an investor in several technology startups. Previously Greg built C360, which was sold to the Tangent group. He also joined Procter & Gamble as a Brand Manager and also built HomeServe’s innovation business. Greg began working life as a video games programmer before going on to study economics at Cambridge University, graduating in 1994.

Olivia eschews convention in favour of solutions that stick, be that in her volunteer work with refugee children in Calais or when working with NGOs helping scale-ups in Beirut. Olivia has experience working with early and growth-stage ventures, and is a Deal Crafter Extraordinaire at The Craftory. Passionate about helping improve the world through social impact investing in FMCG, Olivia believes that small differences across large volumes can have outsized impacts.

The Lens Reading List

Olivia's addition to The Lens Reading list is Trick Mirror by Gia Tolontino. Gia is a staff writer for the New Yorker and her book, a series of essays, focuses on the modern experience of being a woman and our relationship with the Internet.

Greg's pick for the bookshelf is More with Less, the biography of Paul McCready, world gliding champion. A book all about the efficiency of flight, zero energy, human-powered aircraft, olympians and design. Of the book, Greg says, "this summed up for me bringing together the limits of what’s possible in every way inhuman endeavour and achievement."

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our guests discuss breaks from work and returning to work, how to navigate this, what it might look like for many people, especially women and how companies can lead by example. Ria and Oli also discuss graduate schemes and the needs of grads entering the workplace for the first time. Ann offers her thoughts on how Human Resources should and can function to support staff at every level, and provides some useful interview tips.

Oli and our guests also discuss authenticity and how to offer genuine support and inclusive cultures in the workplace. They also consider how this intersects with productivity, employee happiness, personal goals and the need to prove an environment that helps staff achieve their best work.

Does your workforce reflect customer base? What does the future of work look like? Will we all feel supported if and when we return to work? Find out in Season 3 Episode 1 of The Lens Podcast.

Our Guests

Ann Pickering joined O2 (Telefónica UK) in 2004 and was appointed to the UK board as HR director in 2008 Prior to this Pickering worked for Marks and Spencer, Fidelity and Xansa (now Steria) and is a chartered fellow of the Institute of Personnel Development. Since Pickering joined O2 the company has achieved a top 20 place three times in The Sunday Times Top 100 Employers in the UK and eight in the UK Best Places to Work. Over the past two years O2 has been included in the top 25 companies in the Social Mobility Employer Index, which identifies the UK businesses taking the most action to improve social mobility in the workplace. 

Pickering is calling upon business, government and educators to work together to ensure there are sufficient digitally-skilled workers to drive the UK economy. She is passionate about social inclusion and promoting career opportunities for all young people in the digital sector. Outside Telefónica Pickering is a trustee of Breast Cancer Now, a cancer charity formed specifically to focus on accelerating finding a cure for breast cancer. She is also a trustee of Step up to Serve, a charity aimed at promoting social action among 10- to 20-year-olds. Pickering is visiting professor of HRM at Sheffield University Management School where she also chairs the advisory board. She is married with two sons, aged 28 and 26 years. 

Ria Johal is a University of Sheffield Graduate who has worked at both Deutsche Bank and J.P.Morgan but is now a Diversity and Inclusion consultant and also does key note speaking. She works closely with a women’s charity that focuses on retraining and reskilling women past pregnancy or if they have to take time out. She has also worked with a charity that aims to provide Women and girls with tech opportunities and ensures that infrastructure will support continuous tech learning throughout their careers. She is also particularly interested in the speed of technological advances and how continuous learning will take place on the job.  

Time Stamps

00:15 Oli introduces his guests for this episode. 01:20 Oli, Ria and Ann discuss an employer in common, an early employer they happen to share with many of our guests on the podcast. 02:30 Oli asks Ann, what does being Chief of Staff entail? 03:30 An introduction to O2 and Ann’s thoughts on working for a consumer-focused organisation. Ann stresses the importance of a workforce reflecting a company’s customer base. 04:40 Ann describes life as a 17-year old in Liverpool and the formative jobs that instilled her with a passion with working for people. 06:00 Oli asks Ann about her turning points and lightbulb moments. 07:08 Ann tells Oli what she’s most proud of including O2’s parenting leave policy: 14 weeks maternity and paternity leave for all parents in all circumstances and situations, offering existing opportunities to step up, cover a role and develop. 09:30 Oli asks Ann about her vision for the future. ‘The world of work is changing and HR departments are going to have to pivot.’ says Ann.

10:50 Ria delivers her thoughts on changes to working environments, employee investment and how companies might better support employees. 12:01 Oli and Ria discuss the ethics of hiring, retention and the challenges that millennials and young people face in the work. 13:14 Ria returns to Ann’s point on workforces being reflective of customers and says diversity must be more than aesthetic and looking at employees as whole people is essential. 15:30 Ria turns to her university years at Sheffield and describes her journey from an engineering to work at JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank and then to taking time out for her health. She tells Oli and Ann about how she found support from her university and employers. 18:15 Oli asks Ria what her employers could have done better.

The Lens Reading List

Ann’s addition to our ever-growing bookshelf is The Go Between by LP Hartley - a story of relationships, family and betrayal. She tells us about how she read the book at 18 and fell for the wonderful escapism it offered. Ria’s choice is Money: A Users Guide by Laura Watley. She, Oli and Ann discuss how money can be an elitist thing. If you’re not taught about stocks and shares, it's hard to gain access to knowledge about the world of finance, business and investing - something our host Oli is passionate about teaching in schools.

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many thanks to all our listeners all over the world, to Fujitsu and McCann for their generous support of this podcast, to One Young World and The Bright Network, to our Business In The Community member companies and of course, to our inspiring guests: the senior and future leaders making the world of business more responsible, illuminating new perspectives and leading by example.

Thank you for listening and tune in for Season 3 in January 2020.

Our Guests 

Lord Price (Mark Price), Waitrose, Engaging Works on happiness isn’t a woolly concept. It means a number if things. Happiness comes from being fairly rewarded. Having the information to do your job well. 

Keith Weed, Unilever on If you have a a separate group of people doing CSR within the company, it’s like they’re doing good stuff to negate all the bad stuff that everyone else is doing. I wanted to mainstream sustainability. It’s going to be everyone’s responsibility in Unilever. 

Fadeia Hossian, Clifford Chance, on I secured work placements with law firms without them being aware that I was visually impaired and once they were made aware, they contacted me saying, ‘we will keep you on our records.’ 

Matt Brittin, Google on you think about Google, Facebook and Amazon... But actually, the engine of the economy is small business. 

Cal Major, Paddle Against Plastic on the plastic crisis, marine life and frightening statistics, using business to protect the environment. 

Izzy Obeng, Foundervine on thanks to tech, young people now have the power to affect global development. They make up an eco system that can create a flourishing economy. 

Richard Walker, Iceland on the problem with environmentalism is that it can be a very middle class discussion and Iceland is for everyone.

Frances O’Grady, Trades Union Congress on workers being tracked and 21 Century issues 

Jonah Ogbuneke, Love For The Streets on cause-related marketing describes campaigns that meet business objectives and create tangible impact in local communities. 

Julie Baker, Natwest on we saw with the gender pay gap that what gets measured gets done, accelerators and women in business 

Richard Iferenta, KPMG on race at work charter, publishing data and measuring progress. 

Christine Hodgson, Capgemini on career advice is not about saying to a young person: you’re good at this, so therefore you must do that - it’s about opening their eyes to the possibilities out there.  

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oli and John also explore the story of the Unipart U, corporate universities and learning from the factory floor. Listeners are granted a behind-the-scenes view of John’s journey in becoming one of Britain’s youngest Managing Directors, now a business icon with decades of experience. John and Oli also cover the importance of coaching, coding and how to learn at 10 and do at 11. 

Baillie, the Founder and CEO of Spark Inside, a not-for-profit organisation providing valuable coaching support in prisons to encourage rehabilitation and reduce reoffending, describes her passion for entrepreneurship, diplomacy and development. She, Oli and John also discuss the British criminal justice system, politics, good books, leadership and human-centric language.

Time Stamps

[00:00] Our host Oli Barrett MBE introduces our guests, John Neill and Baillie Aaron. [01:20] John Neill kicks off our conversation by talking Oli through his career beginnings. His relationship with General Motors, his ambition, working with British Leyland and beginning a Managing Director at 29. [4:36] John details British Leyland returning to the private sector and the survival of the company now known as Unipart, his role in the transition and putting lessons into practice. [6:17] John explains a little about Unipart’s role today, it’s production, consulting, logistics operations, partnership with the NHS and preparing for Brexit. [7:52] Oli asks John about the ‘Unipart U’ a corporate university, the first of its kind. [12:00] John describes the response to the Unipart U and how a rapidly changing digital landscape affects and continues to affect jobs across the world.

[15:12] Oli introduces Baillie and Spark Inside. Baillie explains her motivations for founding the organisation, how coaching in prisons works in practise and what constitutes effective coaching. [16:46] Baillie describes the origins of her journey, her study of economics, public policy and criminal justice and her passion for social advocacy. [17:58] Baillie talks about her time at Harvard Kennedy School and how this inspired her to begin working in prisons. [19:28] Oli asks Baillie about her view of the UK’s criminal justice system and the lack of systemic change, reoffending rates and why ‘prison doesn’t work’. [20:50] ‘What would you say to a large employer listening today on how they give an opportunity to someone who’s spent time behind bars?’ asks Oli. [22.25] Baillie describes her own policy at Spark Inside for dealing with biases against people who’ve been criminally convicted in the past. [23:15] John commends Baillie on her conviction and speaks a little on Business In The Community award winners such as Timpson, Nemi Teas and Recycling Lives, offering people rewarding opportunities.

[24:33] Baillie discussed the need for person-centred language, why labels can cause harm and how terms like ‘young offenders are unhelpful. [25:29] Oli asks Baillie what she views as a ‘helpful partnership’ between charity and corporate sector businesses and she describes her personal experiences, transferable skills and the current search for her replacement as CEO of Spark Inside. [28:12] Oli and Baillie discuss ‘growth CEOs’ and the evolution of a company. [29:08] Oli and John discuss how to thrive in a tough role and John provides advice and insight on his thought processes, what works and what doesn’t. He also describes his journey in learning to code. [32:23] Baillie puts her questions to John regarding corporate and charity partnerships.

[35:00] John, Oli and Baillie discuss the need for business leaders to do more. [35:44] Oli asks our guests which living person they’d most like to meet for coffee, their recommendations for The Lens reading list. [36:44] Oli asks John for his view on how well the UK’s currently being run and John gives a candid response. [40:45] Baillie shares the advice she’d give to her younger self and her plans for the future. John also shares his advice and two more book recommendations.

The Lens Reading List

John’s choice for The Lens reading list, a book he says changed his life is The Machine that Changed the World. A 1991 book based on MIT’s five-million, five-year study on the future of the automobile, written by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones, and Daniel Roos. The book popularised the concept of ‘lean production’ worldwide.

Baillie’s recommendation for the list is Franz Kafka’s The Trial. This topical pick speaks volumes on the sometime senselessness of bureaucracy, she says. Our guests also suggest two more books to add to our ever-growing shelf: Talent is Overrated: What Really Separates World-Class Performers from Everybody Else by Geoffrey Colvin and Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice by Matthew Syed.

unipart.com

sparkinside.org

bitc.org.uk

#thelenspodcast

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode covers partnerships, purpose-driven business, personal journeys and cause-related marketing. We hear what it takes to develop and build an interdisciplinary career across a single business, across decades, from shop floor to the company chair, and we learn how a would-be brain surgeon discovered his passion for the charity sector and what he plans to do next. 

Let’s get to the conversation... 

Our Guests

Elizabeth Fagan has enjoyed a long and unique relationship with Boots, moving between roles as the company’s Group Buyer and Marketing Director to Managing Director of International Retail for Walgreens Boots Alliance and more recently, Senior Vice President. In her conversation with Oli, she recalls her first steps into the world of work, which included a job in a news agents and, of course, a retail role in her local branch of Boots.

Jonah Ogbuneke, from Manchester, is the CEO and Founder of Love For The Streets, a CIC is a profit-for-purpose Social Change Platform that connects brands, young people and causes. A platform for young people, by young people on a mission to work with organisations to remove the barriers that the 5 million young people across the UK face in having a secure future, in work and in their local communities. Utilising expertise in social media marketing, the ambition is to become a catalyst for social change in society. Love For The Streets works towards a 3-point vision: 1. Rebrand volunteering. 2. Make business more impactful. 3. Break the imbalance in the non-profit sector.

Time Stamps

[00:30] Our host Oli Barrett MBE introduces our guests, Elizabeth Fagan, Non-Executive Chair of Boots and Jonah Ogbuneke, Founder and CEO of Love For The Streets. [02:00] Oli details the history of Boots — BITC’s Responsible Business of the Year 2019 — and introduces the Wallgreens Boots Alliance. [03:00] Elizabeth recalls her first ever job in a newsagents and later, a retail job at Boots, describing the full circle of her employment history. [04:30] Oli asks about the many roles and insights Elizabeth has experienced and accrued in her time with the company and Elizabeth takes us on a whistlestop tour of her career. [07:20] Oli then asks Elizabeth how her insights have affected the scope of Boots’ partnerships, especially those with charity sector organisations. Elizabeth describes the work Boots does with Macmillan in detail [09:10] and gives examples of the benefits and projects to arise from this collaboration. [10:50] Elizabeth also details Boots’ fundraising efforts and how the company works to support Macmillan and other charities.

[13:14] Addressing Jonah, Oli asks how important authenticity is to a younger audience when it comes to building a relationship within a brand. [13:50] Oli then asks Jonah about his journey, what prompts him to get out of bed in the morning and how he moved from studying medicine to founding an impactful charitable organisation of his own. [15:10] Jonah tells Oli and Elizabeth about his passion for affecting positive change on a large scale and how this motivated him to do what he now does with Love For The Streets. [16:29] Jonah then details the statistics, organisations and happenings that solidified his interest in not-for-profit careers and projects.

[18:00] Oli and Jonah discuss ‘cause-related marketing’ [18:30] Jonah explains the function of Love For The Streets, what the organisation stands for and what it does. [18:53] Elizabeth shares her thoughts on doing good business, campaigning and treating others the way you want to be treated in a company and within a community, creating sustainable brands, not just for today but for the future. [23:00] Oli and our guests discuss optimising healthy and rewarding partnerships between the private sector and the charity sector and Oli follows up with a selection of quick fire questions. [27:42] Our guests then put their own questions to one another and Oli asks, as always, which living person they would each like to meet for coffee, their book recommendations and their advice for their younger selves. [39:49] Oli thanks our guests for joining us for this episode of The Lens and thanks our sponsors and supporters.

The Lens Reading List

Elizabeth recommends the fiction works of American crime writer Patricia Cornwell and Jonah nominates Leaders: Myth and Reality by Jeff Eggers, Jason Mangone and Stanley A. McChrystal as his inspiring read of choice.

loveforthestreets.com

boots.com

Boots UK support for the “A Million and Me” programme

Boots UK and Macmillan Cancer Support

Boots UK and The Prince’s Trust

Boots UK working with WE

bitc.org.uk

#thelenspodcast

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The TUC comprises 48 member unions and throughout the episode Frances details how the congress supports and assists individuals and businesses, from artists and engineers to supermarket staff and teachers. Freeformers is a member of Business In The Community and was nominated for the Fujitsu Digital Innovation Award by BITC for its unique work with companies across the UK.

Oli and our guests discuss ‘good work’ - what it is and what it means, how technology might change how businesses operate in the future, the right kind versus the wrong kind of support at work, employee surveillance, zero hours contracts, women leaders, wellbeing and how we might all really enjoy our jobs. Let's get to the conversion...

Time Stamps

[01:20] Sasha introduces Freeformers and explains the premise of the company. [02:00] She then details the beginning of her working journey, working at a hairdressers in the small town in Sussex where she grew up to then being employed by a retail bank and the subsequent opportunities [03:19] afforded to her there. [04:19] Sasha tells Oli about her route into work and discusses how she was once embarrassed about not attending university. [05:25] She offers advice on what she did to secure her role at the bank and how being adaptable has helped her to move forward. [6:11] Sasha then explains Freeformers' projects in more detail and tells Oli and Frances about some of the tensions she observes in workplaces with regards to upskilling and technology. [08:44] Oli asks his guests their thoughts on whether tech is a threat or a blessing in many industries. [10:03] Sasha then describes how mindset is essential in the training and workshops offered by Freeformers and how a growth mindset has helped her. [10:54] Oli and Sasha discuss economic equality, stress and rewarding work.

[12:44] Oli asks Frances about her journey, where it began and her formative jobs. [13:42] Frances recalls her favourite and least favourite jobs during the '70s and '80s. [16:00] She then explains the origins of her interest in union work, organising businesses and standing up for the rights of others. [17:29] Frances describes how the TUC works, who it supports and how, for the first time, the majority of its members are women. [19:04] Frances also highlights how work is changing, leaders are changing and new technologies mean that workers need support at every level. [19:37] 'What gives you cause for concern?' asks Oli, discussing the treatment of workers by large tech firms. [20:22] 'To feel like you are a unit of labour rather than a human being. That has to change.' Frances replies. [21:41] Frances describes the issues that many workers on zero hours contracts face [22:04] and the positive shift that a four day working week may have the power to create. [24:35] She also details how unstable contracts affect women at work. making them potentially more vulnerable. [26:23] Sasha discusses the importance of trust, flexibility and autonomy and she, Sasha and Oli discuss how this could be scalable for all employees. [28:59] Frances then talks about the power of surveillance at work and the darker side of using employee data.

[35:02] 'Again I think the international evidence shows us that you can boost productivity by sweating people, turning the screw, paying them peanuts, you can do it that way or you can do it by making them feel valued, involved, listened to, taken seriously, feeling safe, respected.' says Frances. [37:06] She and Sasha discuss luck and opportunity and finding a purpose through work. [39:56] Oli asks both guests for advice they'd give their younger selves [43:59] and for their thoughts on nepotism and opportunity. [48:55] Frances outlines the TUC's goals for the year ahead. [50:43] Oli asks Sasha and Frances Who they'd most like to meet for a coffee and which books they'd recommend for The Lens Reading List.

The Lens Reading List 

Frances O’Grady recommends Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power, a book by Shoshanna Zuboff. Sasha Howard recommends The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F**K: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, a book by Mark Manson.

tuc.org.uk

freeformers.com

bitc.org.uk

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cal Major, Founder of Paddle Against Plastic, describes her epic journey around the Cornish coast on a stand-up paddle board to raise awareness of and inspire people to act on plastic pollution. Cal explains how businesses, consumers and government all have a role to play in environmental change and announces her new project: Vitamin Sea, a film about her work with Paddle Against Plastic and Richard Walker recommends a look at eco awareness project Backyard Nature.

The Lens Reading List 

Richard recommends Eco Barons: The Dreamers, Schemers, and Millionaires who are saving our planet, a fascinating business book by Edward Humes. Cal recommends Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do by Wallace J. Nichols. Cal also recommends The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams and Netflix Documentary, Mission Blue.

iceland.co.uk/

midcounties.coop/

paddleagainstplastic.com/

backyardnature.org/

calmajor.com/vitamin-sea

bitc.org.uk

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode our guests discuss the barriers to female entrepreneurship, how to secure investment, start up versus corporate culture and the importance of finding a mentor. Let's get to the conversation...

The Lens Reading List

Izzy recommends Americanah, the 2013 novel by the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Julie recommends To Kill A Mockingbird, the seminal 1960 novel by Harper Lee. Julie also recommends thefinanser.com, a fintech blog by Chris Skinner.

foundervine.com

thefinanser.com/

bitc.org.uk

The Lens Podcast

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nicki charts her journey to becoming one of the few female CTOs in her industry and details her approach to streamlining business using technology. Fadeia describes her inspiring relationship with tech and now developments in particular areas have enabled her to practice as a lawyer whilst having a visual impairment.

Oli and our guests also discuss the future of work for humans and whether machine learning poses a threat to senior roles held by lawyers, law makers and financial regulators. And our host asks the pair their thoughts on inspiration, motivation and who they’d most like to meet for coffee.

Time Stamps

[4:33] Fadeia discusses the impact of technology on her practice, her experience with visual impairment and the ways in which tech enables her to fulfil her role at Clifford Chance. [6:13] Oli and Fadeia discuss accessibility tools available for the visually impaired in workplaces and the areas where improvement is needed. [8:57] Fadeia describes her experiences with employers and potential employers. [11:50] Oli and Nicki Clegg discuss Nicki’s background, her time at The British Library and how her PhD in Climate Studies has informed her current work. [13:42] ‘A slightly crass observation, I don’t meet many female CTOs’ says Oli, addressing Nicki.

The pair discuss the gender gap in senior tech roles and what change looks like. [15:30] Nicki explains her transition from a climate studies expert to an energy company and then into a law firm and the similarities and differences within each industry. [16:35] Nicki and Fadeia discuss the efforts of law firms to make positive use of CSR days and initiatives. [20:36] Oli asks his guests about practical examples of how technology is changing the world of work and for better or worse. [22:45] ‘What’s something you do in your role that you feel quietly confident that couldn’t be done by a machine or robot?’ Oli Barrett asks of this episode’s guests. 

The Lens Podcast

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features a conversation with Lord Mark Price, the founder of Engaging Works, former head of Waitrose and former chair of Business in the Community. He's joined by Jenny Costa, founder of Rubies in the Rubble an award-winning condiments brand with a twist.

The Lens Podcast

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Guests

Richard Iferenta is a partner at KPMG and chair of Business in the Community’s Race Leadership Team. He joins our host Oli Barrett MBE in the studio this month to discuss his own career journey and how companies can really bring about change when it comes racial equality in the workplace.

Oli is also joined by Mursal Hedayat who was recently named as one of #Forbesunder30 thanks to her role as co-founder of Chatterbox, an online language school with a difference... all the teachers are refugees.

In this episode Oli and our guests talk about reinvention, in work and in life, and what everyone can bring to the table. They also cover how employers can better support people from all ethnic backgrounds to succeed and the role that an organisation’s cultural intelligence plays in this. Let's get to the conversation...

Time Stamps

[00:01] Richard’s background from his beginnings in Nigeria through to his current role at KPMG [03:51] The Race at Work Charter and how setting targets and measuring progression can help move the dial towards racial equality [07:31] The importance of transparency and publishing your ethnicity pay gap externally as well as internally. [11:00] The difference an executive sponsor can make in driving organisational culture change [11:48] Mursal’s background as a refugee coming from Afghanistan to the UK and how her family’s experience has informed her current work [14:11] The scale of underemployment and scarcity of opportunities for highly-skilled refugees and the barriers to meaningful employment [15:47] How Chatterbox uses refugees professional experiences to match them with the right language learner so that they can offer their professional experience as well as language skills [20:34] The value of cultural intelligence [23:30] What companies can do to increase their cultural intelligence and make their organisational cultures more inclusive [32:49] Reinvention in the workplace.

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our Guests

Asesh Sarkar is an entrepreneur working at the intersection of social impact, financial technology (FinTech) and employee benefits. He is the Co-founder and Chief Executive of Salary Finance, a breakthrough platform focused on improving the financial health of employees in the UK and US.

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lens Reading List

po.st/wouldyoubeready

bitc.org.uk

Time Stamps

[0:00] Introduction. [1:10] If you could have coffee with anyone who would it be? [2:50] Simon Crowther is introduced. [3:17] Simon’s personal journey. [7:06] Simon’s company today. [8:00] Who’s at risk of flooding. [9:45] Stewart Steel is introduced. [10:03] What is Sedgwick? [11:10] Stewart’s personal journey. [12:20] How does preparing for disaster, combatting it and addressing it it all work? [13:25] How to be ready. [18:48] Stewart asks Simon about his next steps. [19:59] Simon asks Stewart about his journey from a “one man show” to a large organisation. [21:06] Personal resilience and being prepared. [23:17] Cross-organisational collaborations our guests would like to see. [26:40] Advice for your younger self. [29:50] Oli asks our guests how they might like to to collaborate more. [33:10] Final thoughts.

The Lens Podcast

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

One Young World is the global forum for young leaders. OYW identifies, promotes and connects the world’s most impactful young leaders to create a better world, with more responsible, more effective leadership. The annual Summit convenes the brightest young talent from every country and sector, working to accelerate social impact. Delegates from 190+ countries are counselled by influential political, business and humanitarian leaders such as Justin Trudeau, Paul Polman and Meghan Markle, amongst many other global figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In season 2 episode 3 of The Lens, our host Oli Barrett sits down with Google Business and Operations EMEA President Matt Brittin during his visit to Davos. The pair discuss how education has changed, the wonders of machine learning and why small businesses are so vital to a healthy economy.

Our Guests

Matthew John Brittin is a British businessman, President of EMEA Business & Operations for Google. Since 2007, he is lead spokesperson for Google on its announcements in Europe about digital skills, as well as on issues such as controversial content and corporation tax. Brittin joined Google in January 2007, becoming managing director of Google UK in 2009, taking over from Dennis Woodside. In September 2011 he became Google's vice-president for Northern and Central Europe. In December 2014, Google reorganized its structure in Europe and consolidated its European divisions under Brittin's management as president of EMEA Business and Operations. Brittin sits on the boards of The Climate Group (since 2009), Media Trust (since 2010) and is a non-executive director at Sainsbury's.

The Lens Podcast

Powered by Fujitsu, supported by McCann and in partnership with One Young World, The Lens represents the breadth, diversity and priorities of the responsible business agenda. From gender equality to zero hours contracts, learning on the factory floor to activist businesses, The Lens covers a range of topics from a host of varying perspectives. 

Each episode brings together a business and future leader to foster disruptive conversations and fresh connections. Innovators and CEOs join Oli Barrett in the studio for a unique conversation covering their journeys, lessons learned, advice, insight and of course, the inspirational person they’d most like to meet for coffee. 

Business in the Community is The Prince's Responsible Business Network. We convene a unique network of purposeful leaders to share insight, expertise and create innovative programmes that deliver impact. Together our ambition is to make the UK the world leader at responsible business. 

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

One Young World is the global forum for young leaders. OYW identifies, promotes and connects the world’s most impactful young leaders to create a better world, with more responsible, more effective leadership. The annual Summit convenes the brightest young talent from every country and sector, working to accelerate social impact. Delegates from 190+ countries are counselled by influential political, business and humanitarian leaders such as Justin Trudeau, Paul Polman and Meghan Markle, amongst many other global figures.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One Young World (OYW) is the global forum for young leaders. OYW identifies, promotes and connects the world’s most impactful young leaders to create a better world, with more responsible, more effective leadership.

The annual Summit convenes the brightest young talent from every country and sector, working to accelerate social impact. Delegates from 190+ countries are counselled by influential political, business and humanitarian leaders such as Justin Trudeau, Paul Polman and Meghan Markle, amongst many other global figures.

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speakers featured in the episode are (in the following order with links to the full episode):

Duncan Tait - Fujitsu: http://po.st/TheLensE8

Amanda Mackenzie - BITC: http://po.st/LensE1

Dame Inga Beale - Lloyds of London: http://po.st/LensE7

Charlotte Evans - Axis Capital: http://po.st/LensE7

Ashok Vaswani - Barclays: http://po.st/LensE6

Charlotte Blackmore - Fujitsu Graduate: http://po.st/LensE6

Scot Gardner - Cisco: http://po.st/TheLensEp10

Jacqueline de Rojas - TechUk: http://po.st/TheLensE5

Hannah Stanley Jones - Anglian Water: http://po.st/LensE1

Lorena Puica - I am Y I am: http://po.st/TheLensE11

Ivan Beckley - UCL Masters student and Limitless Founder: http://po.st/LensE4

Dame Vivian Hunt - McKinsey: http://po.st/LensE4

Dame Helena Morrissey - Legal and General: http://po.st/TheLensE9

The Lens Podcast

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lens Reading List

Dara Kirton recommends The Good Immigrant: 26 Writers Reflect on America, a book by Nikesh Shukla. Jeremy Darroch recommends Management and the World's Work, a book by Peter F. Drucker.

The Lens Podcast

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to the conversation on how tomato picking was Dame Helena’s first and hardest job (1.05) and how her philosophy background taught her to think and sweep away challenges in her early career (2.29). She also shares how she overcame the initial negative responses to setting up the 30% Club (6.12) and provides tips on how you might find out about company culture before you join (13.20). Kristy talks about the impact a placement year had on her University success (14.23) and about the importance of listening to yourself when considering your next career move (19.13). Together, they discuss why they both think now is ‘A Good Time to be a Girl’ (the title of Dame Helena’s book) (26.10) and how they are trying to overcome the taboos around talking about money with your friends and family (35.20) and share their thinking on the part financial education plays in resolving financial vulnerability.

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to the conversation including Duncan’s thoughts on the importance to potential employees of companies wanting to make a difference in society (6.42) and the challenges he faces in his role today (9.11). Hear about how Nana and Duncan spent a year together learning from each other (13.33) and what Nana now misses about working for a larger company (18.44). Nana also gives us his views on what it is like starting your own business (19.29) and they both advise on who they turn to when things don’t go well. They share with us their perspective on how companies can both make money and make a difference (24.42) and give some practical tips on what we can all do to encourage this (30.42). Finishing up with some quick fire questions which include words of advice to their former selves (33.16).

Next time on The Lens, we'll be talking to Dame Helena Morrissey DBE, Head of Personal Investing at Legal & General Investment Management and Kristy McKenzie, Engagement Manager at The Bakery about who you should listen to at big moments in your life, how to find a company culture that fits and why you should challenge the status quo.

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to the conversation including Inga Beale's first job (1.00) a look at the history and diversity of the insurance market (2.29), her experience of coming out as bisexual at work (8.00) and learning to speak out in meetings (12.33). Charlotte Evans talks about attack surfaces and explosion of data (14.43) the way that businesses can increase their cyber resilience (17.23) and companies who penalise staff if they click on too many phishing emails (25.24).

Next time on The Lens, we'll be talking to Duncan Tait, CEO of Fujitsu, and Nana Parry CEO/Founder of Metier Digital about how generations work together to achieve to make the world a better place.

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to the conversation including Ashok’s journey (1.00) Changing an organisation’s mindset (4.30) Digital Eagles (8.15) Ashok’s one piece of advice (10.55) Charlotte’s journey from Viking to Fujitsu (11.30) open lines of communication (16:40) How the workplace will look for future generations (19:50) flexible working (21.30) generational differences (22:50) the democratisation of finance (30:30).

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our host hears all about Sophie's experience of entering a male-dominated tech industry (4.30); our guests discuss chatbots and how they can improve the mental health of women and girls (6.00); Oli asks Jacqueline about her personal journey (10:28); our host and guests explore the subject of gender equality in the workplace and what's to be done to achieve it (13:40); Oli asks about the the role tech companies have to play in achieving a positive social impact (26:30) and what the 'planet-size' tech companies are doing to help (28:40). Listen to the end for recommendations from our guests and a few parting thoughts from Jacqueline and Sophie.

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hear their stories including their first ever jobs (6.40); the work of Limitless (7.30)and Generation (11.30); their thoughts on the theme for the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos (15:13); and how we ensure the tech revolution enables social mobility (15:13).

Next time on The Lens, we'll be hearing from Jacqueline de Rojas, President of Tech UK, and Sophie Hebdidge, who is a founder with Zinc's Mission 1 - using tech to solve social problems.

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter and Hannah are joined by our host, Oli Barrett MBE and the three discuss water scarcity, the real impact of climate change and the word on everyone's lips in the world of business: wellbeing. Let's get to the conversation...

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Lens is a new podcast exploring what responsible business looks like in the digital age. In a digitally connected world, businesses are increasingly challenged by the sheer scale and speed of the economic, social and environmental changes that will shape our future, meaning leaders have to find new imaginative ways to respond.

This podcast brings together different generational perspectives, encouraging participants to debate, engage and challenge each other to work out what responsible business means both now and in the future.

Our host Oli Barrett MBE is joined by Business In The Community CEO, Amanda Mackenzie OBE and Ozzie Clarke-Binns, Chair of the Race for Opportunity Youth Advisory Panel and DesignTalent for our first episode. Let's get to the conversation...

The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the Community is The Prince’s Responsible Business Network. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart.

Don’t forget to follow The Lens on Instagram and to rate, review and subscribe on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. instagram.com/thelenspodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.