Culture in Action

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...

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...

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 (inc...

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 he...

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
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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...

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 time...

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 w...

How do you scale culture in a fully remote, mission-driven organisation? In this episode of Culture in Action, Luke Fisher is joined by Dan Kessler, President of Energage, and KK Byland, Chief Human Resources Officer at American College of Education (ACE). Together, they explore how ACE built its HR function from scratch, created a values-led employee experience and sustained strong engagement while growing rapidly across 40 states in the US.

KK shares her journey from being a one-person HR team to leading a culture powerhouse, revealing how ACE integrates mission, values and recognition into everyday life. This episode...

In senior care, turnover can hit 50% a year, but Mozaic Senior Life runs at half that rate. In this episode, Kara Rodriguez, VP & CHRO, reveals how a culture built on belonging, joy, and “hiring for the heart” keeps staff committed, residents happy, and business thriving even through the toughest times.

Guest Information

Kara Rodriguez is the Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Mozaic Senior Life, an award-winning senior care organisation in western Connecticut. With over 30 years in HR, Kara has devoted her career to purpose-driven organisations that put people first. At Moza...

In schools, teacher turnover undermines student success. At Leigh Academies Trust, however, retention is treated as a strategic driver of outcomes. In this episode of Culture in Action, Richard Taylor, Deputy CEO for Operations, explains how a people-first culture, innovative career development programmes and cutting-edge use of AI are improving staff engagement, boosting retention and ultimately helping 25,000 pupils thrive across 33 academies.

Guest Information

Richard Taylor is the Deputy CEO for Operations at Leigh Academies Trust, one of the largest multi-academy trusts in the South East of England. With a background in both HR...

What makes a top workplace and how can culture drive business performance? In this episode of Culture in Action, Dan Kessler, President of Energage, explains the methodology behind Top Workplaces recognition and how employee feedback, engagement data and everyday leadership actions help companies build a culture that attracts and retains talent.

Guest Information

Dan Kessler is President of Energage, the research and consulting company behind the Top Workplaces awards in the United States. With nearly 20 years at the company, Dan has helped thousands of organisations improve culture by listening to employee feedback, benchmarking...

Hospitality faces high turnover and burnout, but Crowne Plaza Newcastle has turned the tide with a culture transformation. In this episode of Culture in Action, Kelly Johnson, People and Culture Manager, reveals how rethinking communication, prioritising wellbeing and embedding recognition created a workplace where staff feel valued, supported and motivated to deliver exceptional guest experiences.

Guest Information

Kelly Johnson is the People and Culture Manager at Crowne Plaza Newcastle. With more than 20 years in hospitality, Kelly has led a culture transformation at the hotel, tackling turnover of nearly 70 percent and rebuilding engagement through...

Energy companies are often seen as traditional, but OVO Energy is breaking the mould with culture-led innovation. In this episode of Culture in Action, Alex Goodanew, Employee Engagement Manager at OVO, explains how adopting Agile ways of working in customer operations has transformed collaboration, improved employee engagement and boosted customer satisfaction.

Guest Information

Alex Goodanew is Employee Engagement Manager at OVO Energy, one of the UK’s most innovative energy retailers. With responsibility for employee experience across large operational teams, Alex has been instrumental in embedding Agile practices into customer service, helping to im...

Welcome to Culture in Action, the podcast where real stories meet real impact. Each episode shines a light on the people and practices driving workplace culture forward, from bold leadership moves to everyday moments that build belonging. Whether you're a people leader, culture champion, or simply curious about what makes teams thrive, this is your space to learn, reflect, and get inspired.