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Guest: James Lawrence: CEO of Happy Companies

James Lawrence is a seasoned tech executive and serial entrepreneur with a passion for cultivating great workplaces and empowering people. At 48, he’s the co-founder and CEO of Happy Companies, a startup that uses technology to  revolutionize the way organizations encourage improved communication, collaboration, and engagement with their employees.

But his journey to leadership wasn’t straightforward. Early in his career, James learned the hard way that authority doesn’t come from a title; it comes from genuinely understanding and connecting with your team.

With a background of launching four startups, two auto racing championships under his belt, and previous leadership roles as the CEO of Power Automedia and Chairman of the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association, James brings a unique blend of speed and innovation to the business world. 

James is married to his amazing wife Melissa, and father to three kids. When he’s not leading his team or spending time with family, he’s likely coaching youth football, or diving into one of his favorite books, which range from “The Hard Thing About Hard Things”  to “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” 

A sought-after public speaker and innovator, James loves to share his insights on leadership, organizational culture, and technology. James believes that the cornerstone of every successful organization is its people. His mission is to help people love their work and get connected with their teams because, in his words, “when people work better, we all win, together.”

Join us as we discuss the cornerstone of every successful organization

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Host: Jo Dodds

Guest: Craig Carden: Leadership Development Expert

Craig Carden, MBA MRes FCMI, is a leadership development expert specialising in transforming accidental managers into emotionally intelligent leaders. With an extensive background that spans three decades, Craig has developed his expertise through pivotal roles and collaborations with prestigious organisations such as Liverpool Football Club, BMW, Rolls-Royce, Blenheim Palace, Heathrow Airport, and many other blue chip clients. His holistic approach marries the stoic virtues of wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance with modern scientific principles to foster high-performance environments and nurture competent, confident leaders.

A staunch advocate for emotional intelligence, Craig holds certifications in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, NLP, and Human Leadership, among others. His innovative program, EQMGMT, aims to unlock potential and cultivate the necessary skills in managers who find themselves thrust into roles for which they may not be fully prepared.

In our upcoming episode of the Engage for Success radio show, Craig will discuss the prevalent issue of accidental managers in the UK—individuals who are promoted based on their technical skills rather than their leadership abilities. This discussion will delve into the risks and challenges these managers face and the broader implications for businesses. Craig will share his insights on how to effectively identify and develop these managers using strategic leadership training programmes that emphasise emotional intelligence and practical skills.

Join us as we discuss transformative strategies and practical solutions to empower accidental managers to succeed and drive organisational success.

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Host: Andy Goram

Special Guest: Jim Bishop: Conjunction Leadership

With over two decades of immersive experience in executive development, corporate leadership and human performance, Jim Bishop stands as a beacon of transformative leadership through his business, Conjunction Leadership. Jim’s journey has taken him across the globe, coaching executives, diverse teams and orchestrating the modernization of leadership systems for transforming business units. Having collaborated with industry giants like Eli Lilly, Roche, and Elanco, Jim recognized the pivotal role of a visionary leader willing to first work on themselves while revitalizing their culture. This catalyzed the birth of Conjunction Leadership in 2020, where Jim provides executive coaching and team development solutions.

As a certified coach by the International Coaching Federation and a Certified Leadership Facilitator with Blanchard, Jim’s methods are a blend of science and art. He empowers executives through executive coaching, corporate culture consulting, and team effectiveness programs, focusing on holistic development within volatile contexts. At Conjunction Leadership, transformation starts within. The exclusive DISRUPT, BRIDGE, and GROW process guides leaders on a journey of self-discovery, mindset shifts, and measurable growth.

Join us as we discuss masculine leadership, post pandemic.

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Host: Jo Moffatt

Special Guests: Tom Geraghty: Founder and CEO of Iterum Ltd

Tom Geraghty is a recognised authority in creating safer, high-performing, and more inclusive workplaces, and Founder and CEO of Iterum Ltd, a company dedicated to fostering safety cultures and psychological safety. Tom’s interdisciplinary background in ecological research and technology positions him uniquely in this field: beginning his career as an Experimentalist at Jealott’s Hill for Syngenta, he transitioned to technology, occupying CIO/CTO roles across various sectors, from innovative tech startups to established global finance firms. Tom is now an award-winning Psychological Safety consultant and researcher for multinational corporations, healthcare organisations, academia, government, and more.

His mission is to make the world of work a safer, higher performing, more inclusive and equitable place.

Outside of work, Tom spends as much time as possible outdoors, mountain biking, hiking and travelling, and is a father to a wonderful young daughter.

Join us as we discuss the importance of psychological safety.

Host: Andy Goram

Special Guests: Riffat Ahmed and Andrew Webb: BUPA’s People Technology and Digital Team

Riffat and Andrew are a duo of digital experts from Bupa’s People Technology and Digital team who have worked together for a number of years across a range of digital transformation programmes, sharing an uncompromising passion for digitisation of employee experience.

In this episode, Riffat and Andrew will discuss what delivering a ‘consumer-grade employee experience’ means to them, along with some insight to what it takes to achieve it. Riffat has spent the past few years setting up a function dedicated to optimising digital employee experience, comprising of; continuous improvement, programmes and projects, security and support, digital learning, people analytics and an award-winning digital experience team, which Andrew has been leading within the function.

Focus for both Riffat and Andrew has recently shifted toward the development of Bupa’s ‘future of work technologies’ with a specific focus placed on the potential applications of Automation and Generative AI, with a view to taking Bupa’s employee experience to the next level.

Join us as we discuss taking employee experience to the next level.

Host: Andy Goram

Special Guest: Charlotte Dahl

Join regular EFS radio show host Jo Moffatt in conversation with Charlotte Dahl as they look forward to this year's Employee Engagement Summit at The Brewery in the heart of London on Wednesday May 1st.

Kicking off with a keynote from none other than Ruby Wax OBE, delegates will also hear the latest UK Engagement Survey results from EFS volunteers Dr Sarah Pass and James Court-Smith as well as presentations, case studies and panel discussions that showcase the importance of high-impact, purpose-driven employee engagement strategies through a lens that focuses on how organisational culture, collaboration, wellbeing and leadership buy-in are the the key to high-performing, engaged teams.

Charlotte Dahl is Creative Planning Director at specialist consultancy, Woodreed and a regular host of the Employee Engagement Summit series. Charlotte sits on the judging panel for the Engage Awards and writes, speaks and trains on the topic of employee engagement, workplace culture and internal communication as well as leading culture change and transformation programmes for clients across the public and private sector.

Join us as we discuss this week’s upcoming Employee Engagement Summit in London.

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Host: Jo Moffatt