Starts at the Top Podcast

AI, careers and the human skills that cannot be replaced We chat to Babith Bhoopalan, Founder of Quantum Leap Insights and former Microsoft Director. In this episode we chat with Babith Bhoopalan, Seattle-based founder of Quantum Leap Insights and former Director at Microsoft, where he spent 25 years working at the heart of AI and enterprise technology. Babith's journey into one of the most urgent...

AI, Access to Justice and the Future of Human-Centred Leadership We chat to Pip Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of amicable As AI becomes more embedded in our workplaces and daily lives, leaders are wrestling with a difficult question: how do we embrace the benefits of technology without losing sight of the people it's supposed to serve? In this episode of Starts at the Top, we speak to Pip Wilson, co-...

From Control to Collaboration: Five Mindset Shifts Leaders Need for the Age of AI We chat with Eleanor Gibson, Agile and Innovation Coach and Founder of Tilt   This week we chat to Eleanor Gibson, founder of Tilt, who has helped over 40 charities rethink not just what they do, but how they work. Eleanor shares her five mindset shifts model for leaders — from outputs to outcomes, hierarchies to net...

Weapons of Mass Confidence: How AI Can Help Close the Confidence Gap for Women We chat with Kat Thomas, author of Weapons of Mass Confidence and founder of creative communications company Knock Three Times. We're back with a conversation that we think will resonate with so many of you, particularly anyone juggling a senior role, caring responsibilities, and the relentless mental load of work and h...

How Leaders Can Make Life Happier: Mark Williamson on burnout, mindset and hope We chat to Dr Mark Williamson, co-founder and Director of Action for Happiness and author of Make Life Happier.   We’re back for Season 10, and we’re opening on a positive no by chatting to Dr Mark Williamson, co-founder and Director of Action for Happiness and author of new book ‘Make Life Happier: 23 practical ways t...

How Mercy Corps Is Leading Through Funding Cuts and AI Disruption We speak to Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps In this final episode of the season, we speak to Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, CEO of Mercy Corps, about leading through one of the most volatile periods the humanitarian sector has faced in years. Mercy Corps operates in some of the most fragile places on earth. Over the past year, Tjada...

Safety by Design: Protecting Children in the Age of AI We chat with Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network Join Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas for a conversation with Maeve Walsh, Director of the Online Safety Act Network. In this episode, we explore the complex landscape of online safety regulation, the emerging risks AI poses to children, and what parents and leaders really need to kno...

Keeping Children Safe Online: AI, the Online Safety Act, and Leadership with Lived Experience We chat to Chris Sherwood, Chief Executive of the NSPCC   This week we're thrilled to bring you the first of two special episodes focused on the Online Safety Act – a topic that's hitting the headlines right now as Ofcom investigates Elon Musk's X and its AI tool Grok for potentially generating indecent i...

Creating the Conditions for Innovation We chat with Ali Paul, Lead Product Manager for Chatbots and Generative AI at Flo Health In our final episode of 2025, we're thrilled to share our conversation with Ali Paul, Lead Product Manager for Chatbots and Generative AI at Flo Health – the world's number one women's health app with over 420 million users globally. Ali oversees Flo's chatbot development...

The AI Trojan Horse: A Chief Data Officer’s Secrets to Leading Culture Change We chat with Tony Zona, Chief Data Officer at Grant Thornton   In this episode, we chat with Tony Zona, the Chief Data Officer at Grant Thornton UK. We talk about leadership, data, and the cultural shift required to unlock the value of AI. Tony’s 25-year journey at Grant Thornton, evolving from a tax trainee to becoming...

Collaboration for change: The Digital Services Consortium We chat to Katie Ghose CEO at KIDS and Helen Milner OBE, Group Chief Executive of Good Things Foundation   In this conversation, Zoe and Paul chat to charity leaders Helen Milner OBE and Katie Ghose to discuss the critical importance of digital inclusion, including its impact on disabled children and their families. Helen and Katie highligh...

Another Door Opens: How to Navigate Change with Eleanor Tweddell We speak to Eleanor Tweddell, executive coach, change consultant, keynote speaker and author. We’re back for our new season with an amazing new episode! We chat to Eleanor Tweddell, executive coach and author of “Another Door Opens: Five Steps for Navigating Change in Life and Work” Eleanor Tweddell joins Zoe and Paul to explore how...

We chat to actor, filmmaker and the author of Both Not Half, Jassa Ahluwalia   We're ending our season with something truly special - a transformative conversation with Jassa Ahluwalia that we know will stay with you long after listening. Jassa is a British actor, writer, filmmaker and trade unionist, known for roles in Unforgotten, Ripper Street, and Peaky Blinders. Born in Coventry to a white En...

How Save The Children UK is leading digital change in a volatile world We chat to Trevor Gordon, Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Save the Children UK   This week we are chuffed to bits to bring you a brand new episode featuring an insightful chat with the brilliant Trevor Gordon, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Save the Children UK. Trevor is an award-winning leader in customer-c...

Decoding AI: Trust, Ethics, and the Path to Inclusive Innovation Join Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas on Starts at the Top for a conversation with Steph Wright, Head of the Scottish AI Alliance. In this episode, we delve into the landscape of artificial intelligence, exploring how we can move beyond the hype to build a future where AI is not only innovative but also fundamentally trustworthy, ethical, an...

Leading differently - The AI hype cycle & building inclusive tech We chat with with Melissa Ezechukwu, digital strategist.   In this episode, Zoe and Paul navigate the current whirlwind of tech trends, starting with the viral AI action figure craze that has dominated LinkedIn feeds. They discuss the online phenomenon, questioning its true value and the potential environmental impact of such wi...

In this episode, we speak with Brian Dow, Chief Executive of Mental Health UK and Deputy Chief Executive of Rethink Mental Illness. Brian shares insights from Mental Health UK’s 2025 Burnout Report highlighting the concerning rise of stress and burnout, particularly among young professionals, and the growing trust deficit between employers and employees. Key Takeaways: The Burnout Reality: We expl...

What Leaders Need to Know: Navigating DEI in Today's Climate We chat to Srabani Sen OBE, Founder and CEO of Full Colour Are DEI efforts under threat? In a world where political winds shift and extreme views gain traction, how do leaders champion inclusion? What’s really happening in organisations on the ground? Join Zoe Amar and Paul Thomas as they dive deep with Srabani Sen, founder and CEO of Fu...

Why Every Leader Needs an Exit Strategy We chat with Kwesi Afful, Executive Director of Digital and Marketing at Scope. Kwesi Afful, Executive Director of Digital and Marketing at Scope, joins us to discuss his bold approach to leadership: building the deletion of his role into the company's business plan. In this episode of Starts at the Top, we have a cracking chat with Kwesi Afful, the Executiv...

We're republishing our episode with Sal Naseem ahead of our new season which starts this Thursday, 27th February. This episode launched in the lead-up to Christmas 2024 and we are incredibly proud of it. We wanted to give our listeners, another chance to listen and to bring it to the top of everyone's feeds.  Trigger warning: This episode contains descriptions of racial abuse, workplace bullying,...

The Year AI Changed Everything: 2024's Biggest Leadership Lessons We chat to Alison Court, Chief Transformation Officer at Oxfam In a special end-of-the-year episode, Starts at the Top tackles the elephant in every boardroom: artificial intelligence. Paul and Zoe unpack how 2024 became the year AI moved from buzzword to business reality, revealing stark differences between how charities and compan...

Trigger warning: This episode contains descriptions of racial abuse, workplace bullying, and discrimination which some listeners may find distressing In this powerful episode, Sal Naseem, former Regional Director for London at the Independent Office for Police Conduct, shares his extraordinary journey of leading change within policing oversight during some of the most challenging cases in recent h...

Slow-Burn Leadership: Why The Best Change Takes Time We chat with John May, CEO of Cats Protection Leading a charity with 1,000 staff and 10,000 volunteers requires a delicate balance of co-creation, patience, and cultural transformation. In this episode, John May shares insights from his role as Chief Executive of Cats Protection, discussing how to create lasting organisational change and foster...

Digital Transformation, Influence & the Power of "Nosiness" We chat to Said Dajani, Head of Digital at Diabetes UK Digital transformation isn't just about tech - it's about knowing when to build specialist teams, when to distribute expertise, and crucially, when your organisation is ready for change. In this episode, Said Dajani shares insights from his 11-year journey as Head of Digital at Di...

Rethinking Charity Leadership: Bold Strategies for a New Era We speak to Mark Atkinson, Director General for the Royal British Legion Join us for an insightful conversation with Mark Atkinson, Director General of the Royal British Legion, as he reflects on his first 100 days and beyond in this pivotal role. In this game-changing episode, Mark shares fresh perspectives from his transition to the Ro...