In this episode, culture expert and experienced people leader Justine Whitaker joins Luke Fisher to unpack the transformation of the talent space by Artificial Intelligence (AI). With experience spanning various people leadership roles, Justine shares how she's studied AI through the lens of human-centered design.

The core message is a call for humans to be "crew, not passengers" on the AI journey, emphasizing the need for questioning, accountability, and active collaboration. Justine discusses the immense value of AI applications that break down organisational silos, aggregate real-time data from across the business (like customer and employee experience), and demonstrate tangible ROI.

The conversation addresses major hurdles in AI adoption, focusing less on technical gaps and more on philosophical, ethical, and trust-related challenges. They explore the risks of human dependency and the psychological bias of "algorithmic aversion" (being more critical of machine mistakes). Ultimately, Justine suggests the Chief People Officer (CPO) role should evolve, collaborating closely with technology leaders to leverage AI for predictive strategic work. The episode closes with a practical habit: spending a non-negotiable 15 minutes daily exploring AI to future-proof one's career.

Justine Whitaker – Experienced People Leader & Culture Strategist Justine Whitaker is an experienced people leader and culture strategist who has been diving deep into how AI is transforming the talent space, focusing on human-centered design and collaboration.

Episode Outline

• Crew, Not Passengers Why humans must be accountable and proactive in the AI journey, not passive participants.
• The AI Deep Dive Justine’s focus on studying AI through the lens of human-centered design.
• Silo-Breaking Applications The value of AI that aggregates data (e.g., CX and PX) to prove business impact.
• Trust, Risk, and the Black Box Addressing ethical and philosophical challenges, including human dependency and "algorithmic aversion."
• Building Trust in AI The importance of a good first impression and using AI to solve "a problem that really matters."
• The Future CPO A vision for a hybridized CPO/CTO role and leveraging AI for strategic, predictive work.
• AI as Collaborator How AI automates mundane tasks and augments human intelligence, giving people more autonomy.
• Great Employee Use Cases Examples like instantaneous skills framework creation versus the traditional 12-month effort.
• The 15-Minute Rule The non-negotiable daily habit for future-proofing your career with AI.

Host & Show Info

Host Name: Luke Fisher

About the Host: Luke Fisher is the CEO of Mo, a platform that's all about helping teams create workplaces where people genuinely want to be. Luke's on a mission to show that brilliant company culture isn't just a nice-to-have but what makes teams thrive, feel connected, and do brilliant work together. Mo helps organisations around the world turn their values from poster-board promises into real, everyday habits that bring teams closer and give everyone a sense of purpose. It's culture you can actually see and feel in action.

Podcast Website: Culture in Action

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In this episode, Workplace Innovator and Transformation Leader Tom Kegode joins Luke Fisher to reflect on his three-year journey driving major culture shifts at Lloyd's Banking Group and the lessons he's taking into his new chapter. With experience ranging from branch cashier to designing hybrid work and leading transformation, Tom unpacks the power of human-centered change.

Tom introduces the Work Lab, a 30-day sprint methodology for accelerating change, and shares how he grew a grassroots movement of 7,000 "catalysts" to drive momentum. He reveals the surprising impact of introducing short-form video storytelling to senior leaders, fostering crucial multi-generational exchange. Full of practical tips, this conversation explores how to optimize meetings, build capability, and create a truly inclusive culture by valuing human connection above all else.

Tom argues that culture is the differentiator in a high-tech world, emphasizing that leaders must prioritize adaptability and "staying human" as the pace of change accelerates.

Tom Kegode – Workplace Innovator & Transformation Leader Tom specializes in helping organizations and leaders create great cultures and build future-proof ways of working using innovation, sprint methodologies, and human-centered design.

Episode Outline

• From Branch to Transformation Leader Tom's journey from frontline customer service to reimagining the future of work at a major bank.
• Work Lab: The 30-Day Accelerator How sprint-thinking can rapidly drive change, and the three phases of Tom's Work Lab methodology.
• Building Momentum from Grassroots The strategy behind empowering 7,000 "catalyst" colleagues to own and unblock change.
• Evolution of Leadership Storytelling Why senior leaders need to embrace short-form video and the power of multi-generational exchange.
• Making Meetings Matter Practical tips on applying the "three A's" to stop noise and enhance team efficiency.
• Evolution, Not Transformation Why continuous iteration and change fluency are essential in a world that never stops changing.
• Adaptability: The Most Critical Leadership Skill Addressing the human need for connection and culture in an increasingly high-tech world.
• Enhancing Human Virtues with Tech How AI and technology can be used to create truly personalized and meaningful people experiences.
• Stop Parties Creating a dedicated space to review and eliminate the activities that drain organizational energy.

Host & Show Info

Host Name: Luke Fisher

About the Host: Luke Fisher is the CEO of Mo, a platform that's all about helping teams create workplaces where people genuinely want to be. Luke's on a mission to show that brilliant company culture isn't just a nice-to-have but what makes teams thrive, feel connected, and do brilliant work together. Mo helps organisations around the world turn their values from poster-board promises into real, everyday habits that bring teams closer and give everyone a sense of purpose. It's culture you can actually see and feel in action.

Podcast Website: Culture in Action

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In this episode, culture expert and author Colin D Ellis joins Luke Fisher to unpack why culture isn’t accidental—it’s a choice. With decades of experience transforming teams, Colin shares how real culture change begins with behaviour, not slogans.

From his early career as an untrained manager to building high-performing teams across sectors, Colin’s story is rooted in lived experience. He introduces his three-part model—leaders commit, managers build, employees own—and explains why most culture initiatives fail by skipping the middle. Full of practical insight, sharp candour, and memorable stories (including the best “least sh*t” workshop ever), this episode will change how you think about leadership and culture work.

With a focus on agency, skill-building, and daily habits, Colin shows that culture isn't a project—it's a practice.

Colin D Ellis – Author & Culture Transformation Expert
Colin helps organisations worldwide build intentional, human‑centred cultures through practical frameworks, behavioural insight, and clear leadership development strategies.

Episode Outline

From Flunking School to Culture Expert
How Colin’s early career sparked a lifelong focus on teamwork.

Leaders Commit, Managers Build, Employees Own
The simple model that underpins lasting cultural change.

Culture Isn’t Complicated—It’s Just Not Owned
Why most efforts fail, and how to make culture actionable.

The Skills Managers Don’t Get Taught
From expectation-setting to feedback, the practical toolkit managers need.

Small Changes, Big Impact
Meeting tweaks, email habits, and other fast fixes that build momentum.

You Can’t Copy Culture
Why rituals must be co-created and context-driven.

Beyond Quick Wins: Long-Term Culture Commitment
How leaders can keep culture evolving—and why it's never "done."

Measuring What Matters
Culture is measurable—if you know what to look for.

Real Threats to Culture
AI hype, bandwagon leadership, and smartphone addiction.

Culture Is Always a Choice
Colin’s closing message for leaders stuck in a cultural rut.

Host & Show Info

Host Name: Luke Fisher

About the Host: Luke Fisher is the CEO of Mo, a platform that's all about helping teams create workplaces where people genuinely want to be. Luke's on a mission to show that brilliant company culture isn't just a nice-to-have but what makes teams thrive, feel connected, and do brilliant work together. Mo helps organisations around the world turn their values from poster-board promises into real, everyday habits that bring teams closer and give everyone a sense of purpose. It's culture you can actually see and feel in action.

Podcast Website: Culture in Action

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In this episode, Dr. Jeanne Hardacre, author of The Culture Trap and founder of Be the Culture Change, joins Luke Fisher to unpack how leaders and teams can free themselves from the unspoken dynamics that make work feel toxic, tense, or simply uninspiring.

Jeanne shares her deeply personal journey of transformation—how a crisis led her to rethink everything she believed about leadership, power, and organisational culture. From the dangers of "if only" thinking to letting go of shame and job titles, Jeanne invites us to embrace the messiness of being human at work.

With her H.U.M.A.N. practices framework—Honest, Uncomfortable, Messy, Amazing, New—Jeanne offers a hopeful, practical approach for reshaping workplace culture from the inside out.

Dr. Jeanne Hardacre – Author & Founder, Be the Culture Change
Jeanne is a leadership and culture change expert. Her work blends deep organisational insight with human psychology, helping leaders confront hard truths and build cultures grounded in agency, honesty, and care. The Culture Trap is her guidebook for escaping workplace dynamics that no longer serve us.

Be the Culture Change – Leadership & Culture Consultancy
An independent consultancy that supports leaders, teams, and organisations in making meaningful change. Its approach helps people unlearn outdated habits and experiment with new ways of working that centre honesty, power-sharing, and psychological freedom.

Episode Outline

1. Who Are You Beyond the Job Title?
   Jeanne’s guiding question and how it connects to freedom at work.
2. The Origins of The Culture Trap
   A personal crisis, whistleblowing, and rediscovering purpose through writing.
3. From Despair to Power
   Why Jeanne almost gave up—and how she found a new path forward.
4. Introducing the H.U.M.A.N. Practices
   Five core practices for reshaping culture: Honest, Uncomfortable, Messy, Amazing, New.
5. Letting Go of “If Only” Thinking
   How reclaiming agency starts with dropping blame and assumption.
6. Micro-Actions, Macro-Impact
   Mini experiments and everyday behaviours that unlock culture change.
7. Shame, Neutral Thinking, and the Triangle
   Three powerful concepts to unlearn in order to show up more fully.
8. Leading Without Controlling
   Why we can’t “ensure” culture, and what leaders can do instead.
9. Top Transformational Practices
   Jeanne’s three most powerful shifts for changing team dynamics.
10. The Future of Culture: A Generation Unwilling to Settle
    Why younger workers might be the key to the cultural revolution.

Host & Show Info

Host Name: Luke Fisher

About the Host: Luke Fisher is the CEO of Mo, a platform that's all about helping teams create workplaces where people genuinely want to be. Luke's on a mission to show that brilliant company culture isn't just a nice-to-have but what makes teams thrive, feel connected, and do brilliant work together. Mo helps organisations around the world turn their values from poster-board promises into real, everyday habits that bring teams closer and give everyone a sense of purpose. It's culture you can actually see and feel in action.

Podcast Website: Culture in Action

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In this episode, Charlotte Graham, People and Change Lead at Ocado Retail, joins Luke Fisher to explore how to make culture stick in a fast-moving, digital-first business. Charlotte shares how Ocado’s “high support, high challenge” model helps build a culture that balances ambition with wellbeing and why recognition is key to keeping people connected through change.

From embedding values into behaviour to turning resistance into advocacy, Charlotte offers a grounded, people-first approach to culture that resonates with any leader navigating transformation.

Charlotte Graham – People and Change Lead, Ocado Retail
Charlotte brings experience across IT, change, and HR. Her work focuses on helping teams navigate complex change while keeping people at the centre. At Ocado, she leads culture, engagement, and recognition (including via Mo) to build a high performance, values-led workplace.

Ocado Retail – One of the UK’s largest online supermarkets, combining world-leading tech with human-centered innovation. Its culture strategy empowers teams to thrive while delivering results.

Episode Outline

1. From IT to People and Culture
Charlotte’s journey from tech to HR and how both shape her work today.

2. Defining Culture in a Digital-First Business
How Ocado’s values and “high support, high challenge” model drive culture.

3. Turning Resistance into Advocacy
Why change skeptics often become the strongest champions (if heard).

4. Making Values Feel Real
How leadership behaviours and everyday moments bring values to life.

5. Change That Sticks
The role of alignment, feedback, and engagement data in long-term change.

6. Recognition and Engagement Data
How Mo helped boost recognition and engagement at Ocado.

7. The Future of Work and the Change Mindset
Why adaptability and learning are must-have skills for everyone.

Host & Show Info

Host Name: Luke Fisher

About the Host: Luke Fisher is the CEO of Mo, a platform that's all about helping teams create workplaces where people genuinely want to be. Luke's on a mission to show that brilliant company culture isn't just a nice-to-have but what makes teams thrive, feel connected, and do brilliant work together. Mo helps organisations around the world turn their values from poster-board promises into real, everyday habits that bring teams closer and give everyone a sense of purpose. It's culture you can actually see and feel in action.

Podcast Website: Culture in Action

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In this episode, Hazel Hogben, Chief People Officer at Unilode Aviation Solutions, shares how she’s helped reshape culture across a global aviation logistics business — with teams in 36 countries, many of whom don’t sit at a desk.

From stepping into a newly acquired company, to rewriting values, overhauling communication, and building recognition programs, Hazel explains how Unilode is building emotional connection across a distributed, operational workforce. She shares what’s worked, what’s been hard, and why true alignment with the business is the only way to make culture change stick.

This episode is full of practical insight for anyone leading culture in complex, deskless environments.

Guest Information

Hazel Hogben is Chief People Officer at Unilode Aviation Solutions, a global leader in ULD management and repair for the aviation industry.

Unilode Aviation Solutions operates in 36 countries, serving major airlines and advancing sustainable logistics through aviation cargo solutions.

Episode Outline

1. Walking into a Business on a Burning Platform
Hazel joined Unilode during major change and shares why culture was as urgent as strategy.

2. Communication as a Culture Catalyst
With half the team offline, Hazel introduced tools and practices for relevant, two-way, multilingual communication.

3. Rewriting the Company Values
Hazel explains how Unilode refreshed its values to reflect purpose, growth, and sustainability.

4. From Admin to Strategic Talent Partner
She discusses transforming HR into a proactive, business-aligned function and building L&D from scratch.

5. Recognition That Travels
From Employee of the Year to personalized decals on cargo boxes, Hazel shares how recognition became meaningful and visible.

6. Measuring What Matters
She outlines KPIs like labor turnover and internal promotions — and why floor-level conversations still matter most.

7. Advice for Leading Culture in a Deskless World
Hazel shares what really makes culture land, and why having a genuine tribe matters more than having a perfect plan.

Host & Show Info

Host Name: Luke Fisher

About the Host: Luke Fisher is the CEO of Mo, a platform that's all about helping teams create workplaces where people genuinely want to be. Luke's on a mission to show that brilliant company culture isn't just a nice-to-have but what makes teams thrive, feel connected, and do brilliant work together. Mo helps organisations around the world turn their values from poster-board promises into real, everyday habits that bring teams closer and give everyone a sense of purpose. It's culture you can actually see and feel in action.

Podcast Website: Culture in Action

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In this episode, Paula Schneider, former CEO and now Honorary Vice Chair of Susan G. Komen, shares how she led the world’s largest breast cancer research and advocacy organization through one of the most ambitious nonprofit transformations in recent history. From consolidating 63 affiliates into one unified entity, to navigating a full pivot to remote work during COVID, Paula’s approach to mission-driven leadership is rooted in kindness, strategy, and personal experience — as both a breast cancer survivor and a daughter who lost her mother to the disease.

As we mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Paula offers a timely, powerful look into the inner workings of a purpose-led organization on a global mission.

Guest Information

Paula Schneider - is the Honorary Vice Chair and former CEO of Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer research organization.

Susan G. Komen - With over $3.5 billion invested in breast cancer research, patient support, advocacy, and public health initiatives, Susan G. Komen is a global force in the fight against breast cancer. Its work continues to save lives and drive progress in early detection, treatment, and support for people living with metastatic breast cancer.

Episode Outline

1. From Fashion Industry to Breast Cancer Advocacy

Paula shares how her personal journey compelled her to leave a career in fashion and step into nonprofit leadership at Susan G. Komen.

2. Leading Organizational Change in a Mission-Driven World

When COVID hit, Paula acted quickly: merging 63 Komen affiliates, going fully virtual, and redefining how the organization delivered its mission.

3. Kindness as a Leadership Strategy

Paula unpacks how “kindness doesn’t mean softness.” She shares how Komen’s culture transformation elevated clarity, transparency, and accountability — and why kindness has become a foundational leadership principle at all levels.

4. Culture Rituals in a Remote Workplace

With no physical offices, Komen had to build new cultural glue. Paula shares how whole-company weeks off, “skip level” leadership calls, onboarding copilots, and live dashboards helped staff stay connected and aligned.

5. Supporting People Doing Life-Saving Work

From providing mental health resources to ringing bells for donations, Paula explains how Komen sustains its people through emotionally intense work.

6. Legacy, Leadership, and Breast Cancer Awareness

As a survivor and advocate, Paula reflects on her legacy: increasing investment in metastatic breast cancer research, scaling mission impact, and embedding a culture of care at the heart of one of the world’s most recognized health nonprofits.

Host & Show Info

Host Name: Luke Fisher

About the Host: Luke Fisher is the CEO of Mo, a platform that's all about helping teams create workplaces where people genuinely want to be. Luke's on a mission to show that brilliant company culture isn't just a nice-to-have but what makes teams thrive, feel connected, and do brilliant work together. Mo helps organisations around the world turn their values from poster-board promises into real, everyday habits that bring teams closer and give everyone a sense of purpose. It's culture you can actually see and feel in action.

Podcast Website: Culture in Action

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Thompson Thrift is a nationally recognised real estate company with employees across 23 states and more Top Workplace awards than most companies dream of.

In this episode, Luke Fisher is joined by Kristin Tolliver, Senior Vice President of HR, and Lily Tikijian, Senior Director of Communications and Engagement at Thompson Thrift. Together, they share how the company has scaled culture while doubling headcount, launching innovative benefits, and empowering managers as everyday carriers of culture.

This episode is packed with practical lessons on employee retention, recognition and reward, internal communications, leadership development and wellbeing benefits. If you want to know what it really takes to become a Top Workplace in a competitive industry, you’ll want to listen in.

Guest Information

Kristin Tolliver is Senior Vice President of HR at Thompson Thrift, overseeing training, benefits, compensation, recruiting and team member relations.

Lily Tikijian is Senior Director of Communications and Engagement at Thompson Thrift. Since 2021, she has shaped the company’s communications strategy.

Episode Outline

1. From Growth to Culture Strategy
   How Thompson Thrift’s rapid expansion from 350 to 700 employees triggered a deliberate focus on culture and becoming a Top Workplace.
2. Communication That Engages
   Why a weekly newsletter transformed internal communications, creating visibility, recognition and connection across dispersed teams.
3. Recognition at Every Level
   How programmes like Living the Core celebrate employees, and why recognition drives higher engagement and retention.
4. Managers as Culture Carriers
   Why Thompson Thrift calls site managers “CEOs of their sites” and how they’re empowered to lead with values and embed culture daily.
5. Family Impact Benefits
   The story behind a leadership idea that grew into a national benefits programme covering healthcare, wellbeing, flexibility and financial support.
6. Measuring Impact on Retention and Recruitment
   The results: stronger retention, lower recruitment costs thanks to referrals, and employee tenure of 15+ years in key teams.
7. The Secret Sauce for a Top Workplace
   Kristin and Lily share their advice: culture can’t be faked, it has to be lived daily by every employee and reinforced by authentic leadership.

Click here for the full transcript of this episode

Host & Show Info

Host Name: Luke Fisher

About the Host: Luke Fisher is the CEO of Mo, a platform that's all about helping teams create workplaces where people genuinely want to be. Luke's on a mission to show that brilliant company culture isn't just a nice-to-have but what makes teams thrive, feel connected, and do brilliant work together. Mo helps organisations around the world turn their values from poster-board promises into real, everyday habits that bring teams closer and give everyone a sense of purpose. It's culture you can actually see and feel in action.

Podcast Website: Culture in Action

Where to find us:

Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts – This is the most impactful way to support the show.

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