Leila McKenzie-Delis

Inclusive Leaders & CEO Impact Podcast by DIAL Global

Business EN ↓ 276 episodes

Bi-weekly podcast show featuring conversations with inspiring thought leaders of today, unearthing their unique stories of inclusion, belonging, equity, talent, culture and social impact.

Author

Leila McKenzie-Delis

Episodes

"What we can do to increase our audience is to show we're not just a fighting force, we also invest a lot in our human capital" Stefan Betancourt and Tanya Miller, the Royal Air Force 21.08.2020 46:13

Leila is joined by Stefan Betancourt, Electrical Technician at the Royal Air Force and Tanya Miller, Logistics Air & Ground Steward Corporal at the Royal Air Force IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT - The topic of diversity, inclusion and belonging within the context of the RAF and how this has changed over the years - Stefan and Tanya's unique stories and experiences as ethnic minoriti...

“If I talk about it, I’m vocal about it and I’m active about it, I can change my own experience as well as theirs”: Gavin Lewis - Managing Director at BlackRock and Co-founder of #talkaboutblack 18.08.2020 36:42

Gavin Lewis Leila is joined by Gavin Lewis - Managing Director at BlackRock and Co-founder of #talkaboutblack . IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Gavin’s experience growing up as a young black male in a gentrified environment in the Tottenham area of London · The ‘Talk About Black’ campaign which Gavin has been leading in order to address the relative rarity of people from an ethnic backgroun...

“We should have equality but it’s not having equality for equality’s sake, it’s just the right thing to do”Shane Farrell: CEO Europe at Ipsos 13.08.2020 30:34

Shane Farrell Leila is joined by Shane Farrell – CEO Europe at Ipsos. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · The impact of Coronavirus on Ipsos’ market research projects · How Shane fell into market research by chance · Shane’s move to Russia, which eventually led to him starting his own business and then eventually selling this to Ipsos · “The most important thing is whether you can perform or no...

“Start from an intrinsic need that you have and for me, that is to learn and absorb new things”: Stefaan Van Dyck - President & CEO Animal Nutrition & Health EMENA at Kemin Industries 11.08.2020 45:26

Stefaan Van Dyck Leila is joined by Stefaan Van Dyck - President & CEO Animal Nutrition & Health EMENA at Kemin Industries. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Stefaan’s career journey to date, having spent his whole career at Kemin and watched the organization grow around him from an SME initially to a much larger organization while also progressing his own career in a similar manner,...

"It's about finding that difference to be able to make a difference": Suzie Welch - Group Chief People Officer at ODEON Cinemas Group 06.08.2020 34:04

Suzie Welch Leila is joined by Suzie Welch - Group Chief People Officer at ODEON Cinemas Group. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · How Suzie’s career in hospitality has evolved to date after initially wanting to work in theatre, going from operations to HR as well as moving between restaurants and cinemas · Odeon’s recent internal health and wellbeing work, including the UK-focused ‘Be well’ c...

“Just be open and curious to wherever you’re going to absorb new experiences because that’s what makes life interesting”: Helen Kennett - Director, UK Government Relations at Rolls-Royce 04.08.2020 39:18

Helen Kennett Leila is joined by Helen Kennett - Director, UK Government Relations at Rolls-Royce. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Helen’s career journey to date, having first started her career working directly for an MP in Westminister to progressing her career to the point where she has now operated at director level within Rolls-Royce for over 10 years · Turning challenges into opport...

"It's about businesses recognising that if you've got the same people sat around the table with the same opinions, you're not bringing much to the table": Emma Murray - Network & Training Manager Special Operations at Jaguar Land Rover 31.07.2020 35:21

Emma Murray Leila is joined by Emma Murray - Network & Training Manager Special Operations at Jaguar Land Rover. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT ·Emma’s family background growing up with parents of mixed nationality and a sibling of mixed race and career journey so far, having gone from being very career focused to now juggling work with looking after a young daughter ·Emma’s work as part...

“I fell in love with virtual reality because it gives people a lived experience”: Simeon Quarrie - CEO/ Founder/Visual Storyteller at VIVIDA 28.07.2020 40:32

Simeon Quarrie Leila is joined by Simeon Quarrie - CEO/ Founder/Visual Storyteller at VIVIDA. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · How Simeon fell in love with Virtual Reality (VR) and is using it to drive change/empathy in the business world · The power of storytelling when it is used meaningfully across various media (images, videos, VR) · How best to use technology to have a positive impact,...

“Differences of what people have gone through in life really do come to the forefront in what it makes for a team to be so special”: David Doherty - Resourcing Manager at John Lewis Partnership 23.07.2020 31:46

David Doherty Leila is joined by David Doherty - Resourcing Manager at John Lewis Partnership. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · The emphasis that John Lewis Partnership have put on people at all levels working directly with their front-line retail staff wherever and however they can during the COVID-19 emergency · The importance of maintaining interactions between team members in order to mi...

“Some people are genuinely impressive leaders and you can see the impact it has on teams”: Philip Harman - Partner at DAC Beachcroft LLP 21.07.2020 45:36

Philip Harman Leila is joined by Philip Harman - Partner at DAC Beachcroft LLP. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Phil’s own individual journey and progression in the world of employment law · How he balances the intellectual and people-focused aspects of his role, particularly in board level case work · The impact of the Equality Act on employer organisations and individual employees · The k...

“I always say there’s emotions we experience in parenthood; they cross culture, geography, religion, gender. It’s something in our DNA”: Cecelia Crossley – Founding Director at From Babies with Love, Trustee at Duchenne UK and the Gaia Foundation 16.07.2020 33:05

Cecelia Crossley Leila is joined by Cecelia Crossley – Founding Director at From Babies with Love, Trustee at Duchenne UK and the Gaia Foundation. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · How Cecelia went from working in a more corporate structure as a chartered accountant to then moving into finance roles in the charity sector and eventually founding her own social enterprise · How From Babies with...

“The need to be included was probably the driving force for my career”: Ismail Amla - Chief Growth Officer at Capita and Oli Freestone - Head of Institute at Capita 14.07.2020 45:02

Ismail Amla and Oli Freestone Leila is joined by Ismail Amla – Chief Growth Officer at Capita and Oli Freestone – Head of Institute at Capita. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Ismail’s desire to do whatever it took to build a successful career in order that he could feel part of “Britain PLC” · The value of internal employee networking groups within organisations · The importance of pushing...

“The western market has given me such opportunities for someone like me, but also, we have kept our eastern values of modesty, humility and education”: Anand Verma - European Head of Digital Services at Infosys and Founder/CEO at Brilliant Basics 09.07.2020 44:24

Leila is joined by Anand Verma - European Head of Digital Services at Infosys and Founder/CEO at Brilliant Basics. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · How Anand’s own experiences of building a start-up from scratch and having to learn everything on his own led him to found Brilliant Basics · How an internal focus on diversity across the board can lead to not only superior culture, but also stro...

“If you create an environment of trust, safety and care, you will retain your team better”: Sangram Vajre - Chief Evangelist/Co-Founder at Terminus and #FlipMyFunnel Podcast Host 07.07.2020 1:04:28

Sangram Vajre Leila is joined by Sangram Vajre - Chief Evangelist/Co-Founder at Terminus and #FlipMyFunnel Podcast Host. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Sangram’s passion for building communities and never standing still as an individual · Sangram’s background, from growing up as the youngest of one of 20 people living in his family’s house in India to moving to the USA for his university s...

“The answer is not to get the elite black people into positions of power; the answer is to get the people in the community more self-respect, more opportunities…”: John BarnesJohn Barnes MBE – Former professional footballer for Watford, Liverpool, Newcast 02.07.2020 49:25

John Barnes Leila is joined by John Barnes MBE – Former professional footballer for Watford, Liverpool, Newcastle United and England. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · “I experienced racism, but I never suffered from it”: John Barnes’ upbringing as a middle-class Jamaican and the racism that he experienced as a young immigrant into the UK · How to distinguish between “racist events” and racis...

“Allyship is far more about listening than talking and as a leader it’s about creating an environment where people are okay to talk”: Andrew Denton - Chief Executive Officer at Alfa Financial Software and Co-Founder/Director at the Leasing Foundation 30.06.2020 41:09

Andrew Denton Leila is joined by Andrew Denton - Chief Executive Officer at Alfa Financial Software and Co-Founder/Director at the Leasing Foundation. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Andy’s career journey so far, being in the rare position of having spent nearly his entire career to date at the same company and risen through the ranks there from Developer/Consultant to CEO over the last 25...

“The more you learn about different people, the more you realise we have more things in common than the things that set us apart”: Christos Tsaprounis - Head of People & Culture at Auto Trader UK 25.06.2020 28:42

Christos Tsaprounis Leila is joined by Christos Tsaprounis - Head of People & Culture at Auto Trader UK, Trustee at Survivors Manchester and Leadership Fellow at the Society of Leadership Fellows. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Christos’ journey so far, from growing up in Greece to studying at an American university in Greece and then moving abroad to the UK to continue studying and be...

“Having an eye opener to different cultural preferences is definitely something that’s helped me shape and grow as a leader”: Lynsey Symington - Talent Acquisition Lead, SEA & Emerging Markets at Experian 23.06.2020 29:04

Lynsey Symington Leila is joined by Lynsey Symington - Talent Acquisition Lead, SEA & Emerging Markets at Experian. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT ·Lynsey’s career to date, having started in oil and gas recruitment and then set up her own team at a start-up before moving from Scotland to Singapore ·Conducting diversity initiatives while also being culturally sensitive/aware to specific l...

“Any company that is not making itself attractive to the best and the brightest as an employer, they’re just shooting themselves in the foot”: Steve Kenzie - Executive Director at the UN Global Compact Network UK 18.06.2020 39:35

Steve Kenzie Leila is joined by Executive Director at the UN Global Compact Network UK. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Steve’s career journey so far, from growing up in Canada to working for various NGOs and eventually moving over to the UK in 2003 · How to balance the profitability of business with “doing good” for the wider world and the key role that this can play in talent attraction w...

“People need to be included, but more than just to be included; people need to have power to make decisions”: Nimal Amitirigala - President - Grace Foods Canada, Inc. at GraceKennedy Ltd. 16.06.2020 34:10

Nimal Amitirigala Leila is joined by Nimal Amitirigala - President - Grace Foods Canada, Inc. at GraceKennedy Ltd. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Nimal’s unique intercultural background and his various international experiences living in countries such as the UK, US and Canada · How living/working abroad can help enhance not only your personal perspective but also the diversity journey · T...

“I think that there’s so much underprivileged talent that still gets wasted”: Dean Curtis - Group Managing Director, Risk & Business Analytics at RELX and President/CEO at ICIS 11.06.2020 42:28

Dean Curtis Leila is joined by Dean Curtis - Group Managing Director, Risk & Business Analytics at RELX and President/CEO at ICIS. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · How Dean went from entering the financial services industry to working for several football clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur and Charlton Athletic as a youth team coach, before going back into the business world · The hope that...

“If you allow yourself to not achieve because of someone else, you’ve allowed someone else to stand in your way”: Paul Parker - Ex-professional footballer for England and Manchester United, Pundit, Blogger, Corporate Trainer, Coach & Cross Channel Racing 04.06.2020 53:29

Paul Parker Leila is joined by Paul Parker – Ex-Professional footballer for England and Manchester United, Pundit, Blogger, Corporate Trainer, Coach & Cross Channel Racing Ambassador. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Paul’s story so far, from being brought up in London and subsequently Essex by his Jamaican immigrate parents to becoming an athlete, initially at school in athletics and th...

“In C-level positions you need to become a lot better in the soft skills world”: Hugo de Sousa - Associate Partner/Head of Innovation and Ecosystems at Capita Consulting 02.06.2020 35:14

Hugo de Sousa Leila is joined by Hugo de Sousa - Associate Partner/Head of Innovation and Ecosystems at Capita Consulting. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Hugo’s role in futureproofing corporate strategy and innovation · Hugo’s career journey so far, from co-founding his own company in Portugal and becoming CIO for a large Portugese government agency t...

“Karma is a beautiful thing; if you treat everyone the same, it does come back to you”: Thomas Ennis - CEO at Thomas Ennis Group 27.05.2020 44:41

Thomas Ennis Leila is joined by Thomas Ennis – CEO at Thomas Ennis Group. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · How Thomas went from a background of extreme poverty and leaving school aged 15 to owning his own network of retail stores in Ireland · Thomas’ own experiences of social discrimination throughout his life · The impact of Covid-19 on the food retail sector RESOURCES & INFORMATION M...

“There’s gold sitting in the minds and the behaviour of people that come from different backgrounds”: Niko Kavakiotis - Head of Building Performance & Sustainability at Siemens 26.05.2020 37:07

Niko Kavakiotis Leila is joined by Niko Kavakiotis - Head of Building Performance & Sustainability at Siemens. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN ABOUT · Niko’s highly multicultural background, from growing up in Greece and studying/working in electrical engineering all over the world in countries such as the UK, USA, Japan and Germany · The importance of avoiding a sense of entitlement · The work...