Culture in Action is all about the practical steps HR leaders are taking to transform workplace culture. Tune in to discover actionable tips, real-life examples, and expert advice on designing a workplace culture that drives engagement, retention, and business performance.
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 discuss...
11 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT
Driving Culture Change Through Community
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 m...
20 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT
The Real Culture Change Starts with Managers
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 cult...
13 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT
Escaping the Culture Trap with Dr. Jeanne Hardacre
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 t...
23 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT
How Ocado Builds a Culture of High Support and High Challenge
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 ...
9 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT
How to Transform Company Culture in a Global Workforce
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 ...
24 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
From Crisis to Culture Change with Paula Schneider at Susan G. Komen
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 ca...
11 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
How Thompson Thrift Won 27 Top Workplace Awards
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 o...
28 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT
From One-Person HR to Top Workplace: KK Byland on American College of Education's Culture Journey
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 t...
14 Aug 2025
Mozaic’s Secret to Achieving Half the Average Healthcare Staff Turnover
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 ...
31 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT
Harnessing AI and Technology to Transform Workplace Culture in Education
In this episode of Culture in Action, Luke Fisher, CEO of Mo, sits down with Richard Taylor, Deputy CEO of Leigh Academies Trust, to explore the intricacies of building a thriving culture in the educational sector. With Leigh Academies Trust encompassing nearly 4,000 staff and 25,000 students across 33 schools, Richard shares critical strategies for retention, engagement, and the innovative use of AI technology. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Introduction 00:58 Richard Taylor's Background and ...
17 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT
What It Really Takes to Be a Top Workplace: A Conversation with Dan Kessler
Dan Kessler, President of Energage, discusses the Energage culture pyramid and dispels myths about culture-building with Luke, providing leaders with insights to boost engagement and performance in this interview.
3 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT
Crowne Plaza's Culture Transformation: How They Slashed Staff Turnover by 37%
Kelly Johnson, People and Culture Manager at Crowne Plaza Newcastle, discusses transforming workplace culture to address employee turnover and communication issues in an interview with Luke, revealing strategies for improved engagement.
19 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT
OVO Energy's Agile Journey: Culture Transformation in Service Teams
Alex Goodanew of OVO Energy details the company's agile transformation within service teams, emphasizing psychological safety and recognition to improve customer metrics and employee engagement in this interview with Luke.
18 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT
Trailer - Culture in Action
This trailer introduces "Culture in Action," a podcast exploring impactful workplace culture stories, leadership moves, and team-building practices for people leaders and culture enthusiasts.
Inside a recent episode
AI and the Future of People Leadership
Published 7 Jan 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] What do you reckon the day -to -day week -to -week of a chief people officer looks like? So I would love to see chief people officers working in a much more multi -disciplinary way. So I would like to see, you know, chief people officers spending more time with finance and tech and risk and customer. […]
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