Leaving school at 15, Siobhán Sheridan CBE has forged a remarkable career through grit, learning, and deep curiosity. Now Chief People Officer at the Financial Conduct Authority, she brings decades of experience across the financial sector, Civil Service, and Defence, specialising in organisational and cultural change.

In this episode, Lindsay MacDuff, the Culture Colonel, sits down with Siobhán for an inspiring and wide-ranging conversation about leading with empathy, changing behaviours in male-dominated environments, and how culture is shaped not by words, but by actions.

Siobhán shares her guiding principle - “get curious before you get critical” - and reflects on how curiosity can help transform organisations and people alike.

Together, they explore topics like mental fitness, rest, perimenopause, wellbeing, confidence, and the role creativity plays in staying grounded - whether through poetry or knitting.

Siobhán’s insights remind us that leadership is as much about showing up authentically as it is about setting strategy.

We’d love to hear your thoughts at TheCultureColonel@bfbs.com

Thank you for listening and take care until next time!

Quotations:

“In a conversation does somebody want to be heard, held or helped.” – Charles Duhigg

“Statistics are human beings with the tears wiped dry.” – Anon

“The deepest longing of the human soul is to be seen.” – John O’Donohue

Book Referenced:

May Contain Lies by Alex Edmans

Follow Siobhan:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siobhan-sheridan-cbe-8342101/

Follow Lindsay:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindsay-macduff

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaymacduff/

BFBS Creative is an award-winning, non-profit, creative agency. We specialise in helping the Armed Forces, Defence and government tell their story.

If you want to learn more about us – visit our website: https://creative.bfbs.com/

Email The Culture Colonel at: TheCultureColonel@bfbs.com

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

⚠️️ Trigger Warning ⚠️️ This episode contains discussion of suicide.

If you're affected by the themes and need support - resources are listed below or available on our website.

After a 40-year career in the British Army, Baz Melia MBE has taken on one of the most urgent and emotionally complex missions of his life: tackling veteran suicide.

Now leading The Always a Rifleman Programme (AARP), Baz combines military discipline with trauma-informed, community-based support to confront the realities of suicide among former service personnel.

In this episode, Lindsay MacDuff, the Culture Colonel, sits down with Baz for an unflinching, compassionate conversation about the mental health crisis facing veterans. Together, they explore the deep-rooted challenges of transitioning to civilian life, the silent weight of male loneliness, and the importance of belonging and identity after military service.

Baz shares personal stories that drive his work, including the tragic loss of a close friend, and reflects on the emotional toll of his role. He also introduces the innovative strategies behind AARP, and why early intervention, peer support and cultural understanding are key to saving lives.

This episode is a powerful reminder that leadership doesn’t end with rank - and that compassion, connection and action are essential tools in the battle many veterans face after service.

If you or someone you know is a veteran in crisis, please know that help is available. You can access resources via our website at www.bfbs.com/audience-support.

Below are some UK-based resources - the helplines included are available to call (or text) 24/7, 365 days a year.

Always a Rifleman Programme (AARP)

📞 0800 470 0941

Combat Stress

📞 0800 138 1619

📱 07537 173683

Samaritans Veterans Helpline

📞 0808 175 3075

Op COURAGE

You can follow Baz Melia on LinkedIn - and follow our host, Lindsay, on LinkedIn & Instagram

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this conversation. Email us at TheCultureColonel@bfbs.com

BFBS Creative is an award-winning, non-profit, creative agency, specialising in helping the Armed Forces, Defence and government tell their story.

Learn more about us - visit our website.

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

As the first non-military Chief of Defence Intelligence, Adrian Bird is bringing a fresh perspective to one of the UK’s most high-stakes organisations. Appointed in September 2022, he draws on decades of experience in the intelligence community, including his time as Director-General at GCHQ.

At the heart of his leadership? A commitment to fostering collaboration, valuing diversity, and creating a culture of psychological safety.

In this episode, Adrian joins Lindsay MacDuff to talk about leadership, managing energy over time, and the importance of recognition and gratitude. He reflects on the challenges of maintaining operational effectiveness, the power of trust in intelligence work, and why leadership is never one-size-fits-all.

With courage, candour, creativity, and community as his guiding principles, Adrian shares a fascinating take on what it means to lead in an unpredictable world. And in a lighter moment, he reveals his admiration for Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, which also happens to be a bit of a driving force - because, as the film’s mantra goes, “Be excellent to each other.”

We’d love to hear your thoughts at TheCultureColonel@bfbs.com

Thank you for listening and take care until next time!

Quotations:

“Be excellent to each other.” (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure)

“Manage your energy, not your time.” (Tony Schwartz and Jim Loehr)

"Power is a relationship, not a possession.” (Professor Emeritus Keith Grint)

Follow Lindsay:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/lindsay-macduff

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaymacduff/

BFBS Creative is an award-winning, non-profit, creative agency. We specialise in helping the Armed Forces, Defence and government tell their story.

If you want to learn more about us – visit our website: https://creative.bfbs.com/

Please feel free to email The Culture Colonel at: TheCultureColonel@bfbs.com

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