In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright is joined by ESG and social performance leader Isobel O’Connell to explore what responsible leadership looks like when major projects, communities, regulation and commercial pressures collide. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience across Canada, the Middle East and international markets, Isobel shares why governance is critical to making ESG meaningful, how organisations can build trust through genuine stakeholder engagement, and why psychological safety should sit alongside physical safety in the workplace. They also discuss Indigenous participation, human rights in supply chains, the importance of assurance over glossy reporting, and why you do not need a leadership title to lead.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with dystopian fiction writer T.A. Thompson about risk, experience, decision-making and what happens when the knowledge we rely on disappears. Drawing on more than a decade in commercial insurance, T.A. explores how a worst-case-scenario mindset shaped his writing, why people often fail to listen to those with more experience, and what can be lost when knowledge is not passed between generations. The conversation also touches on creativity, feedback, self-doubt, persistence and the challenge of balancing a corporate career with the ambition to build something of your own.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with executive coach, facilitator and former engineering leader Sally Twisleton about the shift from technical expertise to intentional leadership. Drawing on her 18-year career at Rolls-Royce and her work through Assemble Coaching, Sally reflects on leading experienced technical teams, learning that leaders do not need to have all the answers, and the importance of listening, coaching and creating environments where people feel valued and able to speak up. The conversation also explores women’s progression in engineering, the role of mentoring and sponsorship, the relationship between engineering and manufacturing, and why different leadership styles can still achieve great results.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Tim Hudson, one of the world’s leading thinkers on risk management, safety culture and organisational learning. Tim challenges the idea that safety culture is simply a ladder to climb, arguing instead that organisations need the right cultural fit for the risks they face. From the dangers of firefighting and blame to the value of frontline insight, failure-positive leadership and decision-making that follows expertise, this conversation explores what it really takes to build safer, more resilient organisations.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Traci Quinn, CEO of Pink Hats Construction and Development Group, about a remarkable journey from nursing and entrepreneurship to incarceration, rebuilding and community transformation. Traci shares how her experiences with the justice system reshaped her sense of purpose and inspired her to create opportunities for people leaving prison, young people exiting foster care and those seeking a route into the construction trades. She also discusses sustainable building, hempcrete, the realities of being a Black woman in a male-dominated industry, and why leadership is ultimately about love, forgiveness, resilience and creating environments where others can thrive.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Simon Barber, one of the UK’s most experienced leaders in the energy and nuclear sectors. Drawing on more than three decades across nuclear safety, major infrastructure, consultancy and executive leadership, Simon explores why safety must start with the individual, how leaders shape culture through their everyday behaviours, and what engineering can learn from sectors such as Formula One. They also discuss psychological safety, the future of nuclear energy, the importance of cross-sector collaboration, and why better decisions today can have a lasting impact on people, projects and critical infrastructure.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Jane Hatton, founder of Evenbreak, about disability inclusion, fairer recruitment, and why workplaces need to be designed around real human beings rather than unrealistic expectations. Jane shares the story behind Evenbreak, the value of lived experience, and the barriers that still prevent disabled people from accessing and progressing in work. Together, Mark and Jane explore neurodiversity, workplace adjustments, inclusive leadership, and what organisations can do to move beyond good intentions and create environments where everyone has the chance to thrive.

In this episode of The SAFE Leader Podcast, Mark McBride-Wright speaks with Rachael Haynes, workplace wellbeing strategist and founder of Big Picture Lab, about what it really takes to create healthier, more human organisations. Rachael shares why wellbeing cannot sit as a standalone initiative, and why leaders need to move upstream to understand the conditions, systems and behaviours shaping people’s experiences at work. From psychosocial risk and stress assessments to trust, leadership consistency and belonging, this conversation explores how organisational health is directly connected to performance, culture and psychological safety.