Insights From the 'Cole' Face - Elevating Leadership Beyond the Boardroom

Former OECD Director for Legal Affairs Nicola Bonucci joins Sarah for a timely and deeply insightful conversation about the future of global anti-corruption efforts, ethical leadership, and the growing uncertainty facing international governance. Having spent 25 years at the OECD, Nicola played a central role in shaping the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention and witnessed first-hand the transformation o...

Tom Fox, widely known as “The Voice of Compliance”, joins Sarah for a fascinating conversation about leadership, resilience, storytelling and the future of ethics and compliance in an AI-driven world. Founder of the award-winning Compliance Podcast Network , Tom has spent more than a decade helping reshape how organisations think about compliance, business ethics and risk management. Alongside hos...

Roxanne Petraeus, co-founder and CEO of Ethena, joins Sarah to explore entrepreneurship, leadership and the challenge of building meaningful culture in complex, fast-moving environments. Drawing on her experience in the military, consulting and early-stage startups, Roxanne shares how a non-linear path led her to build Athena, a company focused on transforming compliance training from a tick-box e...

Multi-time founder and CEO Matt Blumberg joins Sarah for a powerful conversation on leadership, decision-making and what it really takes to scale a business over time. With more than 30 years of experience building and leading high-growth technology companies, Matt brings a rare level of honesty about the realities of leadership. From early-stage uncertainty to global scale, he shares what happens...

Broadcaster and journalist Sian Lloyd joins Sarah for a thoughtful conversation about storytelling, resilience and the realities of performing under pressure. Known to audiences through her work on programmes such as BBC Breakfast , Crimewatch Roadshow and Panorama , Sian has spent decades reporting on major stories and presenting live broadcasts where composure, clarity and adaptability are essen...

Dina Denham Smith, executive coach, organisational psychologist and author of Emotionally Charged: How to Lead in the New World of Work, joins Sarah to unpack the emotional reality of modern leadership. Drawing on 25 years of executive experience and behavioural science, Dina explores how the leadership role has fundamentally shifted. Virtual teams, AI integration, rising expectations around menta...

Martin Wallace, International Marketing Director, joins Sarah to explore leadership in fast-moving, uncertain environments - and why empathy, clarity and boundaries matter more than ever. In this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation, Martin reflects on a career built at the intersection of creativity, data and human behaviour. From scaling marketing functions in high-growth tech businesses to...

Dr. Rob Parsons, OBE - bestselling author, speaker, and founder of Care for the Family - joins me in the studio to explore legacy, leadership, and the moments that matter most. With warmth, candour and hard-won perspective, Rob shares the lessons he’s learned from decades at the intersection of law, faith, family and business - including what nearly cost him everything, and what saved it. We refle...

Jonathan Coad - media lawyer, litigator and advisor to many high-profile celebrities - joins Sarah to explore reputation, power and the deeply human stories behind the headlines. In this revealing conversation, Jonathan reflects on his unique career arc: from being a musician to defending and sometimes challenging the press on behalf of high-profile, celebrity clients. He shares his incredible exp...

Gill Phillips, former Director of Editorial Legal Services at The Guardian, joins Sarah to explore the legal, ethical and human dimensions of journalism under pressure. For over a decade, Gill sat at the heart of the Guardian’s most high-stakes investigations - from the publication of the Wikileaks documents to the Edward Snowden files - where each legal decision carried profound consequences for...

What if the traits you’ve spent years trying to “fix” were actually your strengths? In this sharp, eye-opening episode, Sarah speaks with Jens Bammel — former global publishing CEO turned neurodiversity coach — about ADHD, burnout, masking, and building workplaces where every brain type can thrive. 🔥 What You’ll Learn (Fast): 1. Neurodiversity isn’t rare — it’s everywhere Most people sit somewher...

Andrea Lattimore, Group Compliance Director at Vodafone, joins Sarah to explore risk, leadership and why authenticity matters more than ever. In this wide-ranging fascinating conversation, Andrea shares the personal experiences that shaped her values - from growing up in a family business to cancelling her honeymoon for an investigation, and how those moments refined her leadership style. They exp...

Ground Breaking Economist, policy advisor and leadership educator Professor Joe Nellis CBE joins Sarah to explore the human side of economic turbulence - and why values matter just as much as data. With decades of experience advising governments, FTSE 100 companies and global institutions, Joe brings clarity and calm to the chaos of modern economics. From interest rates and inflation to inequality...

Former detective, international speaker and corporate investigator Simon Scales joins Sarah to explore truth, perception and the surprising psychology of fraud. With stories that range from catching killers to corporate wrongdoing, Simon shares the mindset and methodology behind effective investigations - and why soft skills matter just as much as hard evidence. They unpack the nuances of leadersh...

Ethics and compliance pioneer Susan Divers joins Sarah to reflect on leadership, risk, resilience - and the lessons learned from a career spent doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. In this wide-ranging conversation, Susan shares stories from decades at the forefront of ethics and compliance - from negotiating early anti-bribery treaties at the UN to leading award-winning programmes at AECOM...

Investigative journalist, screenwriter and Byline Times co-founder Peter Jukes joins Sarah to explore the ethics, agility and impact of modern journalism. In this wide-ranging conversation, Peter shares the personal experiences that shaped his passion for truth-telling - from a complex family history and early artistic success to his shift from television drama to investigative journalism. They di...

What does it take to lead with integrity when the pressure is on? In this episode, Sarah Cole speaks with Scott Sullivan, former Chief Integrity and Compliance Officer of Newmont Corporation, about the human side of compliance, the power of radical transparency, and what it means to build trust across global teams. Scott shares deeply personal stories and hard-won leadership lessons from a career...

What really drives bad behaviour inside organisations, and why do so many compliance efforts fail to address it? In this powerful and eye-opening conversation, Sarah Cole is joined by Professor Benjamin Van Rooij, a leading global voice on the intersection between law, behaviour, and organisational culture. Benjamin is co-author of The Behavioral Code: The Hidden Ways the Law Makes Us Better or Wo...

What really shapes workplace culture - the glossy mission statement, or the quiet everyday decisions leaders make under pressure? In this episode, Sarah Cole is joined by Emily Miner, Director at Ethisphere and seasoned expert in ethics, compliance, and values-driven leadership. Together, they explore the real work of building trust in organisations, where values aren't just words on a wall but ar...

In this powerful episode, Sarah Cole is joined by Keith Read - award-winning expert in ethics, governance, and compliance — for a no-nonsense conversation about the heart of leadership: trust. Keith has spent decades advising global organisations on how to build ethical cultures that actually work in practice, not just on paper. He’s seen what happens when values are ignored, and he knows what it...

In todays profound episode, Sarah is joined by Richard Barrett, renowned author, speaker, and founder of the Barrett Values Centre and the Barrett Academy. Together, they explore the deep connections between personal transformation, organisational culture, and soul-based leadership. Richard shares his extraordinary journey from a civil engineering career at the World Bank to becoming a globally re...

What does it really take to perform at the highest level – and how do you keep pushing forward when no one else is watching? In this episode, I’m joined by the incredible Sally Gunnell OBE. The only woman ever to hold the Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth titles simultaneously, Sally shares her journey from growing up on a farm to standing on the world’s biggest sporting stages – and the l...

Why do we trust complete strangers? How can leaders build emotionally resilient teams without micromanaging? And what role does oxytocin really play in the workplace? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Paul Zak - a leading behavioural neuroscientist, four-time tech founder, and author of Immersion: The Science of Extraordinary and the Source of Happiness . Together, we explore the science of tru...

What does it really take to build trust in a complex, high-pressure organisation? In this episode of Insights from the 'Cole' Face , I’m joined by Klaus Moosmayer , Chief Ethics, Risk and Compliance Officer at Novartis , to explore how leaders can move beyond compliance checklists and embed integrity, trust, and ethical agility into their organisations. In March 2025, it was announced that Klaus w...

How can leaders stay resilient, lead with integrity, and navigate the complexities of today’s business landscape ? In this episode of Insights From The Coalface , I’m joined by Professor David Grayson CBE , Chair of the Institute of Business Ethics, co-host of All In: The Sustainable Business Podcast , and author of 10 books on corporate responsibility . David shares his extraordinary journey—from...