Monday Muse with Harriet Molyneaux

One of the biggest challenges of modern work is how many of us lose touch with what actually matters to us. Not because we are careless, but because we are busy. Busy achieving. Busy performing. Of course having a roof over our heads and food on the table is important. But if we are lucky enough to have those things are in place, then what is all our busyness in service of? I spoke to the wonderfu...

One of the disciplines of leadership is the ability to see things differently. To step outside the stories we tell ourselves. To recognise that our perspective is only one view of the world. And sometimes to have the courage to question what we thought we already knew. My guest today is Justine Whitaker, an inspirational ChiefPeople Officer whose career has taken her from New Zealand to Australia...

How do you build deeply trusted leadership and embed it into an organisation’s DNA? In this episode of Monday Muse, I speak with Michael Fraccaro, former Chief People Officer at Mastercard and now Senior Advisor at Egon Zehnder. Recorded during his final weeks at Mastercard, Michael reflects on his journey from school teacher to global CPO and explores why titles may grant authority, but moral cou...

“The quality of our life is only as good as the quality of our connections.” - Esther Perel In this episode of Monday Muse , Harriet Molyneaux explores the idea of the personal boardroom with Kirsty Lynagh, Chief People Officer at Baillie Gifford. Together they reflect on how the relationships we cultivate shape our leadership, offer outside perspective, reveal blind spots and sometimes simply pro...

In this episode of Monday Muse, Harriet Molyneaux is joined by high performance coach, speaker, and former Olympic leader Dean Leak to explore what regulated leadership really looks like when it is tested in moments of conflict. Drawing on Dean’s experience as Head of Talent for Team GB Taekwondo, this conversation looks at how leaders can stay grounded, clear and effective under pressure, and why...

“How do you take a decision when you don’t know how real or true a situation is?” This question, posed by my guest Amanda Cusdin, Chief People and Places Officer at Sage, stopped me in my tracks. It captures one of the defining challenges of our time, from Covid to AI, and the difficulty of finding clarity when the path ahead is uncertain. Amanda and I explore how to navigate uncertainty and high-...

I spent Autumn 2025 interviewing a group of people I admire, not only for what they do, but for how they do it. I also chose people who have impressive ownership of their career, and I wanted to understand what makes them so brilliant. In this episode, I share three core insights from those conversations, including the importance of a fundamental sense of calm and learning to tune into energy rath...

I am thrilled to be joined by Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families, the UK’s national charity for working parents and carers. Together we explore equity of opportunity and experience in the workplace: • Janes shares how growing up in South Africa and formative experiences that shaped a life devoted to reducing inequity• How far we have come since the 1970s, when men in the UK spent an average of...

“Reinvention is about feeling alive" shares the inspiring Maria Farres, the lead at Cancer Research UK for Organisational Development and Employee Experience. Maria has lived a life shaped by reinvention. At a time when many people have a fear-base relationship with reinvention, and organisations are fatigued by constant change, Maria offers a completely different perspective. She talks about seek...

Today I am delighted to be joined by Alice Bretherton, Chief People Officer at Burges Salmon. Many leaders I admire combine qualities that appear to be in tension. My guest this week, Alice Bretherton, brings her own powerful blend of theory and gut instinct. She describes her career in three phases, and she is now in her third as Chief People Officer at Burges Salmon. Her path sits within the cor...

Today, I’m joined by Faris Aranki, a former partner at Baringa Partners who built a highly successful career in consulting, before stepping back to ask some deeper questions about what it really means to flourish. Faris now runs his own strategy consulting business, Shiageto, where he helps people and teams improve their strategic effectiveness. In our conversation, we talk about: o  The anxious o...

Ruth is one of the sharpest thinkers I know. She leads in high-growth businesses with a mission, where the pressure comes from delivering commercial results and making a positive impact. In this conversation, she shares: • Her approach to achieving substantial growth, and how to navigate the change cycle of success • How she keeps work joyful, and why she only accepts stress when it truly matters...

“You are your voice within - what you do and what you wear are not you.” This insight from Simon sits at the heart of our conversation. From the world of advertising to compassion and peace advocate, and lead of the Muhammad Ali Index, a groundbreaking effort to measure and strengthen compassion in the US, Simon’s journey is anything but ordinary. This episode is for people who want to forge extra...

What does it take to lead with calm and clarity when the stakes are high? That’s the question at the heart of this week’s Monday Muse, where I sat down with Eva Murciano, Director General Human Resources, at the European Central Bank. Leading in a politically exposed environment, Eva manages immense complexity while staying grounded, transparent, and deeply human. This is a masterclass in inclusiv...

In this episode, we go deep into the inner work that helps us learn from challenging moments, overcome self-doubt, and build a lasting foundation of confidence. It’s a raw, honest conversation about what it really takes to grow through life’s transitions and to thrive in high-stakes moments. This episode is for you if: You’re navigating a transition or challenge and want to build the confidence to...

Today I’m joined by Ali Bebo, Chief People Officer at Pearson, the global learning company focused on unlocking potential. This episode is for you if you’re: Driven by purpose and want your work to have meaningful impact Facing complex challenges and need to bring your team with you Ali and I explore: How to find the intersection of identity and career — the sweet spot for a meaningful work life T...

In today’s episode, I’m thrilled to be joined by Pam Parkes, who I’ve collaborated with on the Future of Work for many years. Pam has built a remarkable career in local government, and what makes her story compelling is how deeply her work aligns with her purpose: social justice. She lives and works with an extraordinary sense of alignment to her purpose, but always with humility, pragmatism and z...

Today I’m delighted to be joined by Alister Gray — an extraordinary coach, facilitator, guide, and founder of the brilliant organisation Mindful Talent. I’ve been lucky enough to experience Alister’s work first-hand, and I can attest to just how truly transformational it is. Our conversation today is about one of our most precious resources: time. It’s an invitation to step away from hustle cultur...

What does it take to stay grounded and fully human when the stakes couldn’t be higher? My guest today, Juani Echeverria, Chief People Officer at Santander UK, knows this world well. He’s spent his career leading at the sharpest edge of business — where complex decisions, pressure, and impact collide. In our conversation we explore: Leading under pressure while staying deeply human — what Juan has...

Through my work I’ve been fortunate to meet some extraordinary thinkers, and Annmarie Neal is right at the top of that list. She’s the Chief People Officer at Zendesk, a retired Partner at Hellman & Friedman, and the author of Leading from the Edge . In this episode, we explore how to bring psychologicalinsight and strategic precision together to create real, undeniable value in your career an...

Today I’m joined by someone who truly needs no introduction: Professor Lynda Gratton, globally recognised psychologist, Professor at London Business School, founder of the Future of Work Advisory Group HSM, and one ofthe world’s most influential thinkers on the future of work. She’s advised prime ministers, chaired sessions at the World Economic Forum, and written best-selling books including The...