The Lens – UK Responsible Business Podcast

In this episode of The Lens our host Oli Barrett MBE sits down for a conversation with Elizabeth Fagan, Non-Executive Chair at Boots — winner of Business in the Community’s Responsible Business of the Year 2019 Award — and Jonah Ogbuneke CEO and Founder of Love for The Streets, a non-profit organisation connecting students and social activism with local charities working to combat homelessness.&nb...

In this episode of The Lens our host Oli Barrett MBE sits down for a conversation with Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and Sasha Howard, a Product Manager at Freeformers - a start up on a mission to change the digital economy for all. The TUC comprises 48 member unions and throughout the episode Frances details how the congress supports and assists individuals...

In this episode, Oli is joined by Richard Walker of Iceland Foods and Cal Major of Paddle Against Plastic. The three discuss what makes an activist business, how to raise the bar for environmental conservation, solo adventures, surfing, paddle boarding and not-to-be-missed books and documentaries. And of course, our host asks Cal Major and Richard Walker who they’d most like to meet and what might...

Our host Oli Barrett is joined by Izzy Obeng Founder of Foundervine, a start up that exists to equip minority entrepreneurs with the tools, skills and mindset for success, and Julie Baker, Head of Enterprise at Natwest and RBS. In this episode our guests discuss the barriers to female entrepreneurship, how to secure investment, start up versus corporate culture and the importance of finding a ment...

Our host Oli Barrett MBE meets Nicki Clegg, Chief Technology Officer of law firm Irwin Mitchell and Fadeia Hossian, Lawyer at Clifford Chance to discuss technology, their respective backgrounds and challenges and how to make businesses more accessible. Nicki charts her journey to becoming one of the few female CTOs in her industry and details her approach to streamlining business using techno...

Season 2, episode 8 of The Lens podcast explores happiness in the workplace, how you measure it and measuring what really matters. Our guests and host, Oli Barrett MBE, talk about the future of food consumption and waste. And they discuss the passions and journeys of entrepreneurs of all ages. The theme of mental health also features heavily, along with a discussion on which living person our gues...

Mursal Hedayat, Chatterbox Founder and Richard Iferenta, Partner at KPMG and Chair of BITC’s Race Leadership Team join Oli Barrett MBE for a conversation. Our Guests Richard Iferenta is a partner at KPMG and chair of Business in the Community’s Race Leadership Team. He joins our host Oli Barrett MBE in the studio this month to discuss his own career journey and how companies can really bring about...

Our host Oli Barrett MBE sits down with with Co-Founder and Global CEO of Salary Finance, Asesh Sarkar, and Graduate Analyst Consultant at Deloitte Ellie Marshell. They talk about financial wellbeing, work environments that help rather than hinder good mental health and how to be yourself throughout the recruitment process and into the start of your career. Let's get to the conversation... Our Gue...

In this episode of The Lens, our host Oli Barrett MBE talks to Stewart Steel, CEO of Sedgwick UK and Simon Crowther, Founder of Flood Protection Solutions. They discuss how both individuals and businesses can be better prepared, and how collaboration might just be the key element that’s missing. Oli also asks his guests about their personal career journeys and who they'd most like the opportunity...

In the latest episode of The Lens, our host Oli Barrett MBE meets Keith Weed, CMO at Unilever, and Bozhanka Vitanova, Founder at Entrepreneurial Muscle World. Have you ever wondered if entrepreneurship is something you're born with or whether it's something you can learn? Or what the leader of one of the largest FMCG company thinks about looking after the environment? What about body positivity at...

"The engine of the economy is small businesses" - Matt Brittin In season 2 episode 3 of The Lens, our host Oli Barrett sits down with Google Business and Operations EMEA President Matt Brittin during his visit to Davos. The pair discuss how education has changed, the wonders of machine learning and why small businesses are so vital to a healthy economy. Our Guests Matthew John Brittin is a British...

Season 2 Episode 2 is a special edition of The Lens recorded at Davos 2019 featuring Daniel Shakhani, Neeshad Shafi, Tabitha Goldstaub, Hayley Mole, Anton Szpitalak, Keith Weed & Matt Brittin. Our guests discuss the value of face-to-face conversations in a growingly digital world, the possibilities of AI and much more... One Young World (OYW) is the global forum for young leaders. OYW identifi...

Welcome to Season 2 of The Lens. In episode one, our host Oli Barrett MBE speaks with Christine Hodgson, Chairman of Capgemini UK and Chairman of The Careers and Enterprise Company and with Daniel Callaghan, Social Media Specialist at Thomson Reuters and One Young World Ambassador. They talk about the benefits of volunteering, have a very personal discussion about why it's important to talk about...

It's the Best Of The Lens 2018! What a year it's been and a first season packed with unique, inspiring and sometimes controversial insights from business icons and future leaders. The show has taken our guests and host Oli Barrett MBE on a fascinating journey and we're so pleased to have been able to share it with you. Stay tuned for season 2... Speakers featured in the episode are (in the followi...

In episode 12 of The Lens, Oli Barrett MBE speaks to Jeremy Darroch, Group CEO of Sky, and Dara Kirton, Chief of Staff Experience Centre at PwC. They discuss the importance of a good work-life balance, improving diversity in the workplace, the increasing need for businesses to reduce their carbon footprint and the emerging trend of "side-hustles". Let's get to the conversation... The Lens Reading...

In episode 11 of The Lens, Oli Barrett speaks to Evelyn Bourke, Group CEO of Bupa, and Lorena Puica, CEO of I am Y I am. They discuss the future of healthcare and how mental health is crucial for employees and employers alike, and a lot more. The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by McCann. Business in the...

In episode 10 of The Lens, Oli Barrett speaks to Scot Gardner, Chief Executive of Cisco in the UK & Ireland, and Tom Blaksley, Partnerships Manager at What3Words. They talk about how technology connects people and places, how Cisco is turning trains into productive spaces and how you can help everyone from pizza deliveries to emergency services all over the world with just three words. The Len...

In episode nine of The Lens, Oli Barrett speaks to Dame Helena Morrissey, DBE Head of Personal Investing at Legal & General Investment Management and Kristy McKenzie, Engagement Manager at The Bakery. Listen to the conversation on how tomato picking was Dame Helena’s first and hardest job (1.05) and how her philosophy background taught her to think and sweep away challenges in her early career...

In episode eight of The Lens, Oli Barrett sits down with Duncan Tait, Director and CEO, SEVP, Head of EMEIA and Americas Regions of Fujitsu and Nana Parry, Founder and CEO of Dubzoo & Metier Digital. Listen to the conversation including Duncan’s thoughts on the importance to potential employees of companies wanting to make a difference in society (6.42) and the challenges he faces in his role...

In episode seven of The Lens, Oli Barrett speaks to Dame Inga Beale, CEO of Lloyds of London and Charlotte Evans cyber underwriter at AXIS Capital. Listen to the conversation including Inga Beale's first job (1.00) a look at the history and diversity of the insurance market (2.29), her experience of coming out as bisexual at work (8.00) and learning to speak out in meetings (12.33). Charlotte Evan...

In episode six of The Lens, Oli Barrett speaks with Ashok Vaswani, Barclays UK CEO and Charlotte Blackmore a Graduate at Fujitsu. The three discuss the importance of mindset, advice from the top, what the future of work looks like and how finance is becoming democratised in business. :et's get to the conversation... Listen to the conversation including Ashok’s journey (1.00) Changing an organisati...

In episode five of The Lens, Jacqueline de Rojas CBE, Tech UK President and Sophie Hebdidge, CTO of Project Kitchen Table join our host Oli Barrett MBE for a conversation on gender equality, responsible technology and how women's mental health can be improved in the workplace... Our host hears all about Sophie's experience of entering a male-dominated tech industry (4.30); our guests discuss chatb...

In episode four of The Lens, Oli Barrett speaks to Dame Vivian Hunt, Managing Partner at McKinsey and UCL masters student and Limitless founder Ivan Beckley. Hear their stories including their first ever jobs (6.40); the work of Limitless (7.30)and Generation (11.30); their thoughts on the theme for the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos (15:13); and how we ensure the tech revolution enables socia...

In episode three of The Lens, Oli Barrett speaks to outgoing Business in the Community Chairman Antony Jenkins and Transfer Guru founder Shreya Hewett. Hear their perspectives on the UK's Fintech scene and how businesses can make sure their CSR efforts are genuine. The Lens is a Business in the Community podcast exploring responsible business in a digital age, powered by Fujitsu and supported by M...

Episode two of The Lens features two fresh perspectives from inside Anglian Water, named as Business in the Community's Responsible Business of the Year. Future leader Hannah Stanley Jones and Anglian Water CEO Peter Simpson reflect on the challenges and opportunities facing their business over the next 25 years. Peter and Hannah are joined by our host, Oli Barrett MBE and the three discuss water...