How do organisations build high-performing cultures in an increasingly complex and technology-driven world?

In the first episode of the Culture Fuel Podcast, Karen Richards sits down with Brian Baker, Chief People Officer at Teneo, to explore what really creates high-performing cultures, how leadership and the role of a leader is evolving in the age of AI, the role of trust and emotional intelligence, and why the future may require us all to become more human, not less.

Together, they discuss why culture remains one of the most important drivers of business success, how leadership is evolving as AI reshapes the workplace and why empathy, trust and emotional intelligence are becoming increasingly valuable leadership capabilities.

From scaling care in growing organisations to creating the conditions for sustained high performance, this conversation offers practical insights for CEOs, executive teams, HR leaders and anyone responsible for building exceptional organisations.

In this episode:

Why culture drives sustainable business performance
Leading a blended human and AI workforce
The future role of Chief People Officers
Emotional intelligence as a strategic leadership capability
Scaling trust, care and connection in modern organisations
Practical leadership lessons from one of the UK's leading people executives

Brian Baker is Chief People Officer at Teneo, where he leads the firm's global people strategy, helping create high-performing cultures that enable people and organisations to succeed.