The Internal Comms Podcast

In the fourth episode of season 6 of The Internal Comms Podcast, host Katie Macaulay catches up with Maliha Aqeel, Director of Global Communications and Digital Channels at Fix Network World – the global leader in the automotive aftermarket services sector. A member of the International Association of Business Communicators’ International Executive Board, Maliha has honed her expertise at organisa...

In the third episode of season 6 of The Internal Comms Podcast, host Katie Macaulay catches up with communications expert and IABC Fellow Jane Mitchell. Jane began her career with the BBC, before moving into producing award-winning films for corporate clients. In the 1990s, her focus shifted to developing strategic approaches to internal comms and employee engagement, setting up her consulting fir...

In the second episode of season 6 of The Internal Comms Podcast, host Katie Macaulay talks to Brian Landau, an authority in podcasting and expert on all things audio content creation and distribution. Brian was the executive vice president of strategy at the podcast network, Cadence 13, senior director of corporate development at the influencer marketing company, IZA and spent nearly five years at...

In this first episode of season 6 of The Internal Comms Podcast, host Katie Macaulay talks to the father of employee engagement, organisational psychologist Professor William Kahn. With the publication of his paper ‘Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work’ in 1990, the concept of engagement at work was born. Now a professor of management and organisations at Bosto...

The curtain is about to go up on the new season of The Internal Comms Podcast, with some fantastic guests joining host Katie Macaulay to talk about all things communication. For this special compilation episode, we give you a taste of what’s to come with some of our best bits from Season 5. Katie has picked her favourite moments from seven fascinating conversations with communications experts from...

It has always been Katie Macaulay’s goal for The Internal Comms Podcast to help improve the way organisations communicate with their people, and this week she does so by exploring how behavioural science can influence our thinking as internal comms pros. In recent years, this fascinating field has given our friends in marketing a better understanding of what drives decision-making. This knowledge...

Katie Macaulay’s guest this week is a leading light in efforts to advance the careers of under-represented groups in IC. Advita Patel is a qualified coach, mentor, public speaker and owner of her own consultancy firm, CommsRebel. She is also one of a trio of women who host the Calm Edged Rebels podcast, a board director for the Chartered Institute for Public Relations (CIPR) and co-founder (with p...

This episode sees the return of the brilliant business communications strategist, international public speaker and podcast host Jenni Field. The immediate past chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations joined host Katie Macaulay to discuss the ideas and frameworks outlined in her new book, Influential Internal Communication: Streamline Your Corporate Communication to Drive Efficiency an...

The life and career of this week’s guest has been a literal roller coaster. Mark Webb fell into PR and media relations by chance, after spotting a job ad for the new Eurodisney theme park (later Disneyland Paris) while on his way to work another season as a ski rep. His impulsive decision to apply for that post has shaped much of the following 30 years. After experiencing the famous Disney magic a...

Katie Macaulay’s guest for episode 44 of The IC Podcast is Canadian comms expert Prarthna Thakore. After beginning her career in Calgary and then moving to London, Prarthna has accrued more than 10 years’ experience working across sectors in business-to-business and business-to-consumer, developing expertise across the comms disciplines. Until very recently, she was the Head of Internal Communicat...

Every year since 2008, internal comms pros have responded to the Gallagher State of the Sector report. Because it’s been running for 13 years, and because similar questions are asked year-on-year, this report has become a useful way for the IC community to benchmark our activities and ambitions. So, with the 2021 report hot off the press, host Katie Macaulay wanted to reach out to an experienced a...

Katie Macaulay kicks off Season 5 of The IC Podcast with a riveting conversation with business storytelling specialist Gabrielle Dolan. Gabrielle is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker and trainer, and the author of six best-selling books. She first realised the power of storytelling in a business context while working in senior roles in corporate Australia, when she recognised the...

With the new season of The Internal Comms Podcast just around the corner, we wanted to whet your appetite with a selection of the best bits from Season 4. For this special best-of compilation, host Katie Macaulay has chosen her favourite moments from eight fascinating chats with communications experts across a range of disciplines, from the NHS frontline to hostage negotiation. We hope such insigh...

The NHS has never been far from our hearts and minds over the last few months. As the national jewel in the UK’s crown, the National Health Service has battled many difficulties over the last 72 years. But in 2020, in the face of a global pandemic, it’s faced its toughest period to date. For those handling its communications, it’s been an incredibly challenging time with highs, lows and everything...

What prompted the creation of the first IC agency back in 1964 and what convinced those first chief executives that they needed external help communicating with their employees? We always strive to explore and inspire with every episode of The Internal Comms Podcast and at AB we like to think of ourselves as the future of IC – but did you know we’re also a big part of its origins?! Although we can...

Coming soon in season 4 of The Internal Comms Podcast

Recent research shows measurement is particularly challenging for many internal comms professionals. Katie’s guest on this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast is Benjamin Ellis – a data cruncher – who is on a mission to change that. A self-confessed tech geek, Benjamin realised that the problem with technology is often the end user, or in IC terms – people – prompting him to study psychology. Ha...

Amid the turmoil of 2020, with IC pros thrown into the spotlight as we strive to keep colleagues informed and connected, it’s not surprising that many of us are feeling a degree of anxiety and self-doubt. These are classic symptoms of Imposter Syndrome, which is that nagging feeling you will be found out at any moment as a fake or a fraud. Research suggests that those of us in creative professions...

If you want to take your communication skills to the next level, then this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast is for you. Katie’s guest is a formidable negotiator and expert at persuasion – former hostage negotiator Chris Voss. Chris was the lead international kidnapping negotiator for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He spent 24 years with the Bureau persuading terrorists, bank robbe...

In this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast we meet digital expert Frank Wolf. Frank spent seven years as a business consultant at Accenture. Then at T Mobile, he was responsible for social technologies and collaboration solutions. He co-founded Staffbase – the employee app and intranet. He is also the author of Social Intranet. Today we seem to have endless opportunities to connect with people...

In this episode of The Internal Comms Podcast we meet Steve Crescenzo, a witty, straight-talking and charismatic speaker, workshop leader and coach from Chicago, USA, who has spent decades working alongside – and training – thousands of IC professionals. Steve is on a mission to take the corporate out of corporate communications. He says the job of communicators is to “make the important interesti...

The Internal Comms Podcast is now in its fourth season – and to kick it off Katie sat down with Tasneem Chopra for some honest and open conversation. The self-styled “professional disruptor” helps businesses address the important issues of diversity and inclusion within their workforce. As a cross-cultural consultant, and champion for social justice, she helps leaders identify where social problem...

Before the curtain lifts on Season 4 of The IC Podcast, we wanted to leave you with some food for thought from Season 3. And what a season it was; we had a whole host of remarkable guests with sharp insights and valuable advice to help us through what has been a truly challenging time for IC professionals. In this special compilation reel, Katie takes us through some of her favourite moments.

The goal of this podcast is to bring you meaningful, in-depth conversations with people who are helping to shape the world of internal communication: practitioners, leaders, authors, creatives, and consultants. People like Shel Holtz, Dr Kevin Ruck, Bill Quirke, Rachel Miller, Russell Grossman, Liam Fitzpatrick and Sue Dewhurst. When Katie Macaulay asked many of these amazing people who inspired t...

President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), Jenni Field has more than 16 years’ experience in communications. She is the founder and director of Redefining Communications, a consultancy that transforms organisations by improving communications. Jenni has honed her expertise across multiple industries, from pharmaceutical, to advertising and hospitality. The topic of Jenni’s fi...